The very first Oakley Pro Bali was the site of the season’s first victory for Australia’s Joel Parkinson, vaulting the defending world champion back towards the top of the 2013 rankings. Kauai’s Sebastian Zietz reached the third round, but was
The very first Oakley Pro Bali was the site of the season’s first victory for Australia’s Joel Parkinson, vaulting the defending world champion back towards the top of the 2013 rankings.
Kauai’s Sebastian Zietz reached the third round, but was bested by Oahu’s John John Florence in their head-to-head battle that followed a stunning duel they showcased in the first round.
The result keeps Zietz in solid position to maintain his World Championship Tour spot in this, his rookie season. He’s now put together three Equal 13th results and two Equal 5th finishes in his first five WCT events, placing him at 11th in the WCT rankings.
Parko now sits in third place on the year, trailing only fellow countryman Mick Fanning and American Kelly Slater, who sit in first and second place, respectively. He came from behind to top Tahiti’s Michel Bourez in the Bali final.
The WCT takes a break for about seven weeks, with the Billabong Pro Teahupoo scheduled to begin August 15 in Tahiti.
Verizon Hawaii Surf Team picks up additional hardware
On their way home from capturing the silver team medal at the International Surfing Association World Junior Championships, the Verizon Hawaii Surf Team added to its successful summer with a pit stop at the Surfing America USA Championships in Lower Trestles, Calif.
Kauai’s Tatiana Weston-Webb won the gold at the ISA World Juniors in the Girls Under 18 division on June 15, then followed that up with a silver medal at the USA Championships on June 22.
She wasn’t alone in the USA final, as Hawaii teammates Dax McGill and Mahina Maeda took the bronze and copper medals, respectively. That trio also made up three-fourths of the ISA World Juniors final heat in Nicaragua.
Florida’s Nikki Viesins won the USA gold in that Girls Under 18 final, narrowly edging Tati and the rest of the Hawaii contingent.
Maeda added to her haul with a gold medal in the USA Girls Under 16 final heat, which proved to be a tight battle between the four finalists. That leaves Maeda with the ISA Girls Under 16 gold, the USA Girls Under 16 gold and the USA Girls Under 18 copper over the past month. That’s an outstanding month for the rising star from Oahu.
It wasn’t just the Verizon Hawaii Surf Team that made waves for the Aloha State at the USA Championships, and Kauai had a couple more medalists. Hanalei’s Natalia Smith won copper in the Girls Longboard Under 18 division and the silver in the Girls Under 18 Stand-Up Paddle division. Kilauea’s Gabriella Bryan won the copper medal in the Girls Under 12 division.
Additional Hawaii medalists included Cody Young, Boys Under 14 copper (Makawao); Wyatt McHale, Boys Under 12 silver (Haleiwa); Reef Tsutsui, Boys Under 12 bronze (Haleiwa); Kahanu Delovio, Girls Under 16 bronze (Kailua Kona); Brisa Hennessy, Girls Under 14 gold (Kailua); Honolua Bloomfield, Girls Under 14 silver & Girls Longboard Under 18 gold (Haleiwa); Summer Macedo, Girls Under 14 bronze (Lahaina); Brittany Penroza, Girls Under 14 copper (Ewa Beach); Nick Riopelle, Men’s Longboard 18+ copper (Honolulu); Arne Knudson, Senior Men’s Longboard 40+ copper (Honolulu); James Tolentino, Senior Men’s Shortboard 40+ copper (Pearl City); Nick Martinelli, Legend’s Shortboard 50+ copper (Halualoa); Chris Bluthardt, Boys Under 18 Stand-Up Paddle copper (Kapolei); Lara Claydon Girls Under 18 Stand-Up Paddle bronze (Lahaina); Andy Claydon, Men’s/Women’s 40+ Stand-Up Paddle copper (Lahaina)
