Burke making plenty waves

By Morissa Lindsay

After a slow start to his year of competition, Barbadian top surfer Josh Burke is finally picking up momentum and has his sights set on the WSL North American as well as to qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

This past weekend the 28-year-old was outstanding through what could be described as five gruelling rounds of competition, making it all the way to the finals of the World Surf League WRV Outer Banks 1000 Pro where he placed fourth overall in North Carolina.

Burke also jumped 22 places to position 21st in the WSL North American rankings which is a drop compared to the past five years in
which he has occupied the top five position. However, the talented surfer is gradually making his way back to the top spot in the North American region and wants to be number one by the end of the year.

In a telephone interview with Barbados TODAY, Burke said, “the goal is to be in the number one spot at the end of the year and to qualify for the International Challenger Series tour. So, the goal is to be number one in North America.”

He added: “I am grateful but I should be number one. I am not satisfied with being 21st in North America because I should be in the top five at least if not number one. But it is a start and that is how you have to keep climbing. I just started this year slow and I am now getting some momentum and hopefully I can keep that going.”

Next event for Burke is the Belmar Pro in New Jersey this weekend where he will feature with fellow Barbadian surfer Caleb Rapson, then on to Huntington Beach California to represent Barbados at the ISA World Surfing Games, an Olympic qualifier.

Given his excellent showing at the just concluded World Surf League WRV Outer Banks 1000 Pro, Burke is confident of doing well at the Belmar Pro which is kind of an amateur event where he and Rapson will seek to possibly cash in on some earnings.

At the World Surf League WRV Outer Banks 1000 Pro, Burke surfed in tough 1ft-3ft poor conditions and ended the weekend with the highest wave score of eight points and the highest heat total of 15.50pt for the entire event.

In the four-man final, within the dying minutes, Burke required an 8.20pt ride for the win, took off on a set wave and launched one of the biggest airs of the day landing basically on the sand to the eruption of the large crowd on the beach and to the overly impressed commentators stating “it ain’t over yet, wow Josh Burke”.

The judges took a while to drop the score, deliberating only to determine that the manoeuvre was deemed incomplete due to Burke not riding out. In response to that Burke explained: “There was nowhere for me to go, I did the air reverse and landed in two inches of water on the beach, any further and I would have broken my fins out.”

“Maybe it was the judges’ view angle that it looked like I didn’t ride out as I was down the beach from the stands, anyways it was a fun time and I always love coming to OBX, it’s a real Cattlewash and Bathsheba type vibe, so I feel at home,” Burke added. morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb