Barbados’ top female surfer Chelsea Tuach continued her strong run of recent form in her final competition of the year, emerging as national champion and Surf Pro champion at the Barbados Independence Surf Pro and National Surfing Championships.
Tuach made the top four in her last two stops on the World Surf League (WSL) in recent weeks. Still the only Caribbean surfer to make it to the WSL World Championship Tour, she is looking forward to maintaining her form into 2025. But first she is hoping for a bit of rest and relaxation over the holidays.
“I am feeling great about how my year has finished,” she said. “Next for me is to finish off the WSL North American qualifying season strong, the final two events are California in late January for the Pismo Beach Pro and the Barbados Surf Pro in March/April. So I’ll just be training for those and enjoying some family time at Christmas.”
Tuach’s twin titles were the highlight of the weekend, as nearly 100 athletes competed in 12 categories at the Soup Bowl in Bathsheba, under the auspices of the Barbados Surfing Association.
In the professional competition, Tuach scored 12.50 in the final to beat Chelsea Roett (10.73) to the title. Hayley Godson (9.40) was third. Tuach was even more dominant in the women’s open category, scoring 13.66 to defeat Roett (11.00) and Godson (6.13).
“It was a great event, waves stayed nice all weekend so that always helps,” Tuach conceded. “The competition itself was great. It’s our association’s biggest and most prestigious double event of the year. So being able to take away a first in our national championships as well as a first in the November Pro feels great. The November Pro is the third longest running event in the world and I love competing at home, especially at Soup Bowl so I never want to give away the title out there.
As for the girls in the event, I have been competing with Chelsea [Roett] since I started surfing and we have pushed each other to be the great surfers we are today, it’s always good to surf a final with her and push myself. We shared the final with some of the up and coming girls in Barbados and I love watching them grow and push themselves in bigger conditions. Chelsea and I coach them sometimes and we are proud of their improvement. I’m sure they’ll be giving us a run for our money soon.”
Joshua Burke extended his domestic dominance, as he recaptured the open men’s title with an excellent series that totalled him 17.67 points. With 8.50 and 9.17 on his first two waves, he was well ahead of Rafe Gooding on 10.84, and Jacob Burke with 10.10 in third. Bruce Mackie was fourth.
It was turnabout in the professional competition, however. Mackie edged Jacob Burke by 0.27 for victory, 12.27 to 12.00. Burke got off to a strong start, tallying 6.93 and 5.07 on his first two waves, whilst Mackie trailed on 3.83 and 5.67 (9.50 total). But a third wave earned Mackie 6.60 to push him into a lead he never relinquished.
Joshua Burke scored consistently, with waves of 6.00, 5.93, and 5.83, but he never got a big ride to push him to the double title, finishing with a final score of 11.93. Lewis St John was fourth with 9.54.
The pro men’s competition, with 22 registrants, was the most competitive. Jacob Burke took the Long Board Open crown from a field of just three surfers.
Tommaso Layson took the junior pro title, amassing 13.80 points in the final to overcome Warren Povey (13.27) and Rafe Gooding (12.33). Layson also won the Under-18 and Under-16 boys national championships .
In the Under-14 boys, Trent Corbin was the winner with 11.24, over Daniel Banfield (10.50), and Ras Menelik Lewis (8.37).
Hayley Godson topped the Under-18 women, dominating with a score of 12.50 in the final. Ava Banfield in second was adrift by 4.5 points, ending on just 8.00, whilst Arianna White with 5.67 took the third place.
The Grand Masters (over 40 years old) was heavily contested, with 11 men competing, the third-largest field of the weekend. Richard Gooding just about held off a late-charging Barry Banfield, 11.17 to 10.47. Simon Thomson was third with 8.20. (TF)
