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Burke creates surfing history

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By Morissa Lindsay

Barbadian surfer Josh Burke is a happy man after creating history as the first competitor from the English-speaking Caribbean to qualify for the men’s World Surf League Championship tour event currently being held in El Salvador.

This is the first time a championship tour event has been held in El Salvador and Burke was fortunate to secure a wild card to compete against some of the world’s best.

Burke got this opportunity after it was announced that American-born eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater had withdrawn from the competition because of what has been described as a mysterious injury.

During an interview with Barbados TODAY, the talented Burke who continues to make a name for himself and is the highest-ranked surfer in Central America and the Caribbean described this moment of his career as a huge opportunity.

“This is a huge opportunity for me. It is the first time I am competing in a WCT (World Championship Tour). I got the call up as a wild card because the eleven-time world champion had pulled out due to injury and I got a wild card because I am the highest-rated Central American and Caribbean surfer in the Challenger Series right now.

“I am very happy to get this opportunity and also happy to be here competing in El Salvador. Of course, I am also happy to represent my country and hopefully, I make myself and everyone proud. This is a huge opportunity for me to get into this WCT team and this possibly could be the highlight of my career so far especially if I win a couple of heats and do well,” Burke told Barbados TODAY.

He added: “Everyone keeps telling me congratulations for getting into this event and yes, it is a huge accomplishment but I am looking to do better than just qualify for the event.”

On the opening day of competition this morning in heat three, Burke did well to advance into the second round having placed second in heat three. In the WCT the first round is a non-elimination round and the winners of each heat will skip a round which Burke explained is not how it is normally done in surfing. He noted that the top two finishers in each heat under ordinary circumstances would advance and the remaining participants get eliminated.

However, the WCT carries a different format where the winner of each heat will skip a round while the second and third go into an elimination round. Unfortunately, Burke was unable to win his heat and skip a round but looks forward to the second-round showdown tomorrow.

It will not be an easy path for Burke who goes into the second round of heat three which features the 2019 World Surf League champion and Olympic Gold medallist, Italo Ferreira of Brazil.

Going into the second day of the competition Burke is hoping for what he described as dream waves that are towering in order to boost his performance. According to Burke, it was extremely windy today and hopes that mother nature cooperates when the event resumes tomorrow.

Confident that he belongs at this level, Burke said he intends to grasp this opportunity with both hands. “I believe I belong on this tour and for me to be on the tour permanently I have to qualify through the Challenger Series. I am the lowest seed here and surfing against the highest-ranked guys in the contest at the moment but my confidence level is high and I know I belong here.”

Over the years Burke has had notable accomplishments having won the Qualifying Series 1000 events at the Cocoa Beach Florida in 2018 and the following year 2019 on home soil at the Soup Bowl in Bathsheba.

Even though he has done well to reach this far, Burke told Barbados TODAY that he is not yet satisfied in his career and wants to do better.  “I will be satisfied when I have proven myself competitively, and to prove myself I have to be permanently on the world tour. So, I am not yet satisfied and maybe other people are satisfied but I am not satisfied right now. I have proven myself with the talent that I have and have shown that I am one of the best surfers in the world but I need to prove myself competitively and get the results.”

Once completed with El Salvador, Burke will travel to Ballito, South Africa, from July 3rd to 10th for the Challenger Series.

(morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb)

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