From Nationnews.com: The Soup Bowl definitely belongs to Chelsea Tuach.
Barbados’ best surfing talent copped yet another title in St Joseph, claiming her third consecutive World Surf League Sprite Soup Bowl Junior Pro over the weekend at the Independence Pro Classic.
It was the latest brilliant performance from Tuach, who put up a great finals showing to post
a 15.00 heat total and down Hawaiians Brisa Hennessy and Dax McGill as well as American Maddie Peterson.
“It feels so great to win my last event here at home,” Tuach said. “There was so much tough competition this year [as] the girls were making me work for it. Luckily, we had some waves for the final and I was able to snag two really good ones. I was actually pretty nervous for a while and didn’t think I would take it.
“I’m so relieved and so happy to be at home to celebrate with my family and friends.”
The result has seen the teenage sensation rise to the top of the North America junior rankings, securing her a spot in the World Junior Championships again after she qualified for next year’s elite women’s Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour.
Hennessy did get some measure of solace though, winning the Open Women's final and relagating Tuach - the 2013 champ and top seed – to a surprising fourth place.
American Tia Blanco was second while Summer Macedo of Hawaii finished third.
Fellow local talent Dane Mackie performed creditably to finish third in both the Boys’ and Open Men’s equivalents. It was his first podium finish at a major World Surf League Junior Pro.
Mackie registered some huge upsets to place behind eventual junior winner Cam Richards of the United States and Richards’ compatriot Griffin Colapinto.
Richards was electric in the water, winning every heat except his quarter-final before he posted a 6.93 and 6.73 to take control of the final early.
“My strategy in every final I make is to just get as many waves as I can but that definitely involved a bit of luck so I’m just so stoked it went my way,” said Richards.
“It’s amazing to go out with a bang though. It was my first time in Barbados and I had a great crew around me.”
American Jake Davis took the Open Men’s title over Colapinto and Mackie after posting the only perfect score of the event in his opening round heat.
Bajans Che Allan and Jacob Burke placed third and fourth, respectively, in the Under-16 Boys’ division while Luke Stanley placed fourth among the Under-12s. (JM/PR)
