Top local surfer, Chelsea Tuach, had a strong showing at the Vans Surf Pro held in Virgina Beach this past week. This is her first regional event of the 2022-2023 season and she needed a strong performance to get her ranking in the top 10, after missing the first event held in Huntington Beach earlier this year, due to a schedule clash.
Tuach dominated her Round 2 heat with two solid scores of a 6.22 and a 5.83 for a heat total of 12.06, the fourth highest heat total of this round. She defeated three Americans, Vela Mattive who scored a total of 10 points, Alana Lopez who was eliminated from the event with 8.50 and Kylie Pulcini who ended fourth in the heat and was also eliminated with a total of 8.20.
Tuach then came up against Kirra Pinkerton, Autumn Hayes and Keanna Miller in the Round of 16. She started strongly with a 4.33 which she backed up with an excellent score of 7.50, the highest wave score of the heat, to lead for most of the encounter. However, she was unable to find a wave that would allow her to better the 4.33 which opened the door for Pinkerton to take the win with a heat total of 12.06 to Tuach’s 11.83. Autumn Hayes and Keanna Miller were eliminated in 9th and 13th place respectively.
Her quarter-final heat was against the current No 1 North American surfer, Sawyer Linblad, who continued her good form to take the win from Chelsea, who ended the event in 5th place out of the 64 girls who competed.
“This is always a tough event because the waves are usually very small and inconsistent. You have to have the right equipment and strategy and a lot of luck. I am grateful to have made it to the quarters and walk away with a 5th place. Virigina Beach has been kind to me. I last competed here 10 years ago and took the win in the ECSC Women’s Pro when I left Barbados for a pro career at age 16, so it is definitely a special place for me,” Tuach said after the event.
She now heads to the Outer Banks for a World Surf League (WSL) Qualfiying Series (QS) 1000 event at Jeannette’s Pier and then to California for the WSL 3000 Super Girl Pro in Oceanside. (PR)
