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Dramatic action at Turtle Bay, as piping surf provides an incredible sprint course for the World’s best
Video by : Team Starboard SUP
Press release : Waterman league
Kai Lenny secures the win at the World Series Finals @ Turtle Bay in epic conditions
Kai Lenny (Naish) secures a well deserved win at the World Series Finals presented by Turtle Bay, taking 1st place in the long distance and 2nd place by a matter of inches in the sprint racing, giving him his second win of the season and securing 2nd place overall for the year on the World Series Ranking. While the 2x Racing World Champion was disappointed not to retain his Title (with Connor Baxter (Starboard) securing the deal at Huntington last month), Kai was committed to finishing year on a high, at home in Hawaii.
The widely anticipated World Series Sprints saw spectacular action, every bit as exciting as last year, as the World’s best put it all on the line for the glory here on the Final day of racing at the World Series Finals at Turtle Bay presented by Naish.
With solid surf in the region of 10+ foot faces on the sets, the scene was set for some dramatic battles, as we saw some incredible action all day long, culminating in a star studded, 2 lap final, that saw half the 8 man heat surfing the same wave into the inside buoy and a dramatic battle to the finish line as Kai and Zane Schweitzer (Starboard), surfed a set to the inside and then went stroke for stroke for a phenomenal photo finish.
In the end, it was Zane who got the nod on video replay, with his board crossing the line just inches in front of Kai. The result made little difference to Kai, as a second place was enough for him to secure the overall event win as he lifted another World Series Trophy above his head at the Awards Ceremony on the Lawn in Kuilima Cove.
An incredible finish once again here at Turtle Bay as history is once again made and another season wrapped here on the Stand Up World Series.
Zane Schweitzer steals the Sprint Racing win by a matter of inches over Kai Lenny
Zane Schweitzer (Starboard) came into the World Series Finals injured, for an event that there is no doubt his skill set is so ideally suited to. As a result, he took the decision to brave it and battle it out one last time on his race board for the 2014 season, venturing down the coast on the first day from Turtle Bay to Haleiwa, then out for the sprints yesterday in the epic surf.
Despite a disappointing first day of action, there is no doubt that Zane was on point for the second day, as one of the most agile athletes on the Series. It all came down to the Final heat once again, as Kai Lenny (Naish) and Zane battled it out through the first lap and into the second, both taking off on the same wave for a battle to the line for the two Maui stars, as Zane was just able to maintain positioning crossing the line to secure the well deserved sprints win.
A great way to end what has been a great season for Zane in 2014, winning the European Cup, and then sitting in the Top 5 all year, rising to 3rd at the mid point, but having to settle for 5th overall for the season – an impressive performance from Zane who is one of the exciting breed of highly talented multi discipline athletes from Hawaii that are leading the cutting edge of the sport.
Mo Freitas continues his charge, with a 3rd in the sprints and a 2nd overall in Finals
Mo Freitas (Focus SUP) from Haleiwa right here on Oahu’s North Shore just keeps getting better, stronger, faster and even more of a fierce competitor and contender on both the Stand Up World Tour and Series.
Mo put on a stellar performance on Day 1 for the distance race, finishing in 3rd place on a course that literally ends in his backyard, and with the surf playing a major role and suiting Mo’s skill set perfectly.
On day 2, the conditions once again ideally matched Mo’s surf style, as he was a major force throughout the day, securing another 3rd place finish behind Zane (Starboard) and Kai (Naish).
The two 3rd place finishes secure 2nd place overall for Mo Freitas, the second consecutive 2nd place finish for this young Champion in the making here on the Stand Up World Series, as he clearly revels in the open ocean conditions that the tail end of the Series has provided.
This also means that Mo shoots up the rankings to finish in 3rd overall behind World Champion Connor Baxter (Starboard) and Kai Lenny (Naish), an incredible achievement from this North Shore talent who clearly has an amazing career ahead of him at just 17 years old.
Jake Jensen finishes in 4th place in the sprints, the event and the year overall
Jake Jensen (Fanatic) has proved himself over and over again this year, as one of the leading lights of the 2014 Stand Up World Series. Building momentum throughout the year, Jake excels in the tougher open ocean conditions (having won the World Series Finals in 2013) and this year was no different.
Having led the Long Distance Race for over half the course, he had to settle for 4th, and then in the World Series Sprints, Jake put on a solid performance once again, posting another 4th, to finish in 3rd place overall for the event. While it is not the win he was looking for, given the caliber of competition, it is still an impressive result.
Jake finishes the year in 4th place on the World Series, as he will now go home to regroup for the 2015 season as a real TItle Contender and with the knowledge that he does have what it takes.
Riggs Napoleon puts on a stellar performance this weekend to finish 5th
Riggs Napoleon (Naish) was always destined to be a leading figure in some form of Ocean Sports, given the incredible Napoleon family legacy, but he hasn’t seen the results he perhaps could over the past few years, as the young Champion has been coming of age.
In someway, this World Series Finals was his graduation, as at just 17 years old, Riggs put on a performance to remember, battling for the win in the long distance with Kai Lenny (Naish), finishing in a close 2nd, and then excelling in the sprints, just narrowly missing out on his place in the Finals.
These two results combined put him in 5th place overall for the event – an impressive performance given the attendance of the World’s best, and clearly a sign of things to come from the latest edition of ‘Napoleon Waterman’
Connor Baxter is crowned 2014 World Champion after an epic year of racing
Connor Baxter (Starboard) came into the World Series Finals at Turtle Bay relaxed and happy, with all the pressure off having already secured the World Title in the penultimate event of the year in Huntington Beach California.
Deciding not to take part in the long distance, he did step up for the sprints, looking one of the fastest off the starts in every heat. He made it in the final, in the end finishing in 6th place.
Connor has been on the brink of a Title these past few years, just falling short against arch rival Kai Lenny (Naish) in 2012 and 13. However, this year, he was not takling any chances, methodically working his way through the year and securing enough event wins to secure the Title in advance of the Finals. In the end, it was an incredibly close affair, with Kai having two wins and Connor 3, but, Connor did do it in style, closing the door in Huntington Beach and finally able to secure the well deserved Title in 2014
A big congratulations go out to Connor as his name goes down in history here at Turtle Bay and the world over. Stay tuned for a World Title Special feature on Connor coming shortly at www.watermanleague.com
Ladies
Halie Harrison secures the win in the World Series Sprints, and the overall event win
Halie Harrison shows incredible skill to win the World Series sprints to cap off a great weekend for the Hawaiian born athlete, taking the overall win at the 2014 World Series Finals.
Dominating his way through the World Series Sprints, Halie Harrison was unbeaten on Day 2 at Turtle Bay. Winning her Round one heat the 20 year old wasn’t fazed by some challenging conditions and showed class and maturity to storm to victory amongst some of the worlds best female athletes.
Winning each round comfortably she showed great board control and used her surfing background to cut clear lines out through the surf around the buoys and ride them into the finish line. She demonstrated that she is a world class athlete, as she continues to go from strength to strength proving that she will be a serious force in 2015
Fiona Wylde continues what has been a stellar year with a 2nd place overall
The youngster from Oregon, who only made a late call to compete at this year’s World Series Finals just days before, was full of enthusiasm and confidence going into the sprints following her win in the Long Distance on Day One.
She dominated her heat in Round One, beating Australians Angela Jackson (Fanatic), Keale Dorries and Sonni Honscheid progressing through to the Semi-Finals.
Her powerful stroke combined with her impressive ocean knowledge makes her a force to be reckoned with and somebody to watch out for next year. Getting through the Semis relatively unscathed she got cleaned up in the same sets that wiped out Angela to finish in sixth.
Having only joined the World Series during the second half of the season, FIona finishes in 3rd equal, proving that she is most certainly going to be a force to be reckoned with in 2015.
Sonni Honscheid puts on a strong performance finishing in 3rd place overall
Sonni Honscheid makes the event podium with her 3rd place finish putting her in a well deserved 3rd place overall
A proven paddler in both open ocean and flat water conditions, Sonni enjoys the challenging conditions here in Hawaii.
Winning the repechage heat with good board control and reading the waves she really looked at ease in the larger sets. Like Fiona, Sonni got caught up in the flurry of large sets that came through in the final, but was able to recover well to finish in fourth.
Sonni is definitely a face to watch out for on the 2015 World Series as we prepare for a sensational year ahead.
Lina Augaitis makes a stunning comeback in the sprints to secure 2014 World Title
In some challenging conditions in front of Turtle Bay for the World Series Sprints, Canadian athlete Lina Augaitis built her confidence throughout the day. Battling for the World Title with Angela Jackson (Fanatic), both athletes were feeling the pressure in Round One.
With some big sets rolling in and up against the strong Hawaiian paddlers Halie Harrison, Talia Decoite and Lara Claydon, both women weren’t able to make it directly to the Semi-Final, having to go through the repechage round.
Knowing that if she went out early, it would end her World TItle dreams, Lina dug deep to finish in an impressive second place in to secure her place in the final.
With the whole crowd at Turtle Bay and audience online watching the whole year came down to one final sprint, the pressure was on.
Lina knew heading out that a fourth place finish or better would give her the overall title and from the sound of the horn you could see the determination in her stroke.
Getting a good start she made sure she was in a good position heading out to round the first buoy. By this time, Mother Nature decided to throw up some of the biggest sets of the day as the women rounded the second buoy to make the sprint to the finish line.
There was carnage but Lina, who is well known for her flat water paddling, showed intelligent decision making in the surf zone, maneuvering her board to be able to set herself up nicely to pick the right line into towards the finish line and avoid the worst in the impact zone.
With Halie Harrison taking first place, Lina crossed the line in second place to secure the Women’s Women’s Title in her first year on the World Series. After the race Lina gave credit to all the girls for finishing the race but was extremely proud of her achievement “I didn’t really have a strategy, I was praying mostly. I held it together where I had to hold it together, it was tough going out and tough going in. There were eight strong ladies on the start line (for the final) Hallie took the win but it could have been anyone’s game”
Angela Jackson misses out on the Title but puts on a valiant performance at Turtle Bay
Angela Jackson (Fanatic) was in a strong position as she looked to secure her first World Series title after her second place finish in the Long Distance on Day 1.
With the waves not as ferocious as the long distance race, the scene was set for a head to head battle between Angela and Lina. Both ladies knew that they couldn’t let the other distract from their own race plans and hope that would be good enough.
In Round One Angela was up against in form Fiona Wylde, the strong Australian Keale Dorries and the paddling powerhouse Sonni Honsheid. Struggling to make a clean exit towards the first buoy Angela got caught inside and didn’t finish in the top two having to go through the repocharge round to get to the Semi-Finals.
Angela faced Lina for the first time of the afternoon in the repechage round and finished just behind her in third place through to advance to the Semi-Final. With some confidence back in her paddling the Australian advanced and the showdown was on between her and Lina in the final for the 2014 Women’s crown.
Angela got caught in one of the biggest sets of the afternoon, as her leash plug pulled out, ending her dream of a World Championship Crown in 2014. Despite the obvious disappointment, Angie can look back and be proud of an incredible year on Tour, as she has been a consumate professional and leading light on the World Series.
A look back to some of the action from the Stand Up World Series Long Distance Race for the Turtle Bay Finals 2014.
Kai Lenny is victorious on Day 1 of the World Series Finals at Turtle Bay
Press release : Waterman league. Kai Lenny (Naish) storms to victory here in the Stand Up World Series Finals Long Distance race. On Day One of the final event on the Stand Up World Series calendar the fleet had to battle through some heavy surf conditions on the start line at Turtle Bay. With athletes pushed to their limits having to use their knowledge of the ocean to punch through the on coming sets and get out past Kawela Bay.
They then used the trade winds to head south towards the finish line at Halewia, running parallel past some of the best surf breaks in the world along the North Shore of Hawaii. Today tested paddling ability to the max, not only contending with the 13 mile course but also the conditions and paddlers used them to their advantage to show their true waterman ability. The tough course provided the perfect platform to show just how testing this sport is and just how good a waterman you need to be to race in these conditions.
Fiona Wylde puts on a spectacular performance in the long distance today
Coming off the back of an impressive performance in Huntington Beach, Fiona Wylde continues to turn heads as she dominates the women fleet here in Hawaii.
Choosing to head straight through the surf break from the start line at Turtle Bay she was able to cut the most direct line and made great use of the bumps on offer to break away from the chasing pack. Right on her tail though from the start was Angela Jackson (Fanatic).
The two of them within meters of each trying to out gun and push out ahead and assert their authority on the race but each time one would catch a bump and look to get ahead the other would find a wave and be right with her. It was a game of cat and mouse as the two athletes gave it everything through the first 10/11 miles. At this point Angie was in the lead and made a decision to choose the outside line to try and catch the swell heading around Puaena Point and towards the finish line.
Fiona chose to stay on the inside and this played to her advantage. She was able to avoid the outside sets and catch one of the smaller inside waves helping her to battle into the headwind which had picked up blowing straight down from Halewia, making the final push to the finish line just that bit easier.
Angie had to contend with the full force of Mother Nature and got caught up. Fiona then was able to really pull away for the first time in the race and didn’t look back crossing the finish line in first place
Riggs Napoleon steps up on Day 1 of the World Series Finals at Turtle Bay
Riggs Napoleon (Naish) puts on a stellar performance today, obviously feeling at home in the wild conditions on tap today on Oahu’s fabled North Shore. The battle between the top 4 was intenese, and despite falling back a little through the midway point of the race, Riggs turned it on in the last leg, catching the top 3 with a phenomenal ride that allowed him to breaking away to take the lead coming around Puena Point.
However wave selection paid of for Kai Lenny (Naish), allowing him to take back the lead and take the victory, but with the young Napoleon right on his tail. A phenomenal day for RIggs and a sure sign of things to come from this Hawaiian talent.
Angie Jackson puts a stamp on Day 1 with a solid 2nd place finish in the long distance
Angie Jackson (Fanatic) from Australia started her campaign off well today, posting a solid 2nd place finish in the long distance, having battled with Fiona Wylde for much of the race to finish in runner up by the end.
However, coming into the Final day, this will stand Angie in good stead as her target remains well and truly fixed on the World Championship crown.
Mo Freitas posts another strong finish here on Day 1 with a 3rd place in the distance
Mo Freitas (Focus SUP) continues his incredible roll this past few months with another strong finish today in the long distance of the World Series Finals at Turtle Bay, presented by Naish and Oakley.
Battling with Riggs (Naish), Kai (Naish) and Jake (Fanatic) for the entire race, Mo took the lead on multiple occasions, switching out with the Top 4 for one of the more exciting long distance races yet. In the end, Mo was to finish in 3rd place today, which stands him in good stead going into the final day of competition tomorrow from 12pm HST at Turtle Bay.
Sonni Honscheid’s time in Maui pays off with a solid 3rd place finish today in Oahu
Sonni Honscheid from Germany finished third in some of the most challenging conditions female paddlers have seen all year.
Spending a fair amount of time in similar conditions on Maui really showed as her strong paddle style and technique meant she was able to cope with the conditions and use them to her advantage, feeling quite at home in the open ocean conditions.
Jake Jensen leads for over half the race, but loses steam in the last half to finish in 4th
Jake Jensen (Fanatic) started off strong today, determined to put on a repeat of his last year’s victory at the Turtle Bay Finals. He led for well over half the race, but then the battle intensified between the leading pack, with Jake coming up short in the end, having to settle for a nonetheless impressive 4th place.
Titouan Puyo feels at home in the open ocean conditions to secure a 5th place
A rising star in the Stand Up Paddle World, Titouan Puyo (Starboard) from New Caledonia has made his presence felt this year, and here in Hawaii, it was no difference, as clearly loved the opportunity to paddle some solid downwind conditions.
His 5th place today will set him up well for tomorrow’s sprints as he will set his sights on the podium here at the 2014 World Series Finals at Turtle Bay, presented by Naish and Oakley.
Oahu’s Fabled North Shore proves itself to be the ultimate equalizer once again
Oahu’s North Shore once again proved to be the star of the show, as it provided an incredible challenge for the athletes today with a mix of large surf, downwind and flat water conditions, as the World’s best made their way down Oahu’s infamous coastline from Turtle Bay to Haleiwa.
Na Kama Kai Youth Clinic brings the Ocean Sports community together at Turtle Bay
The Waterman League and Na Kama Kai came together today at Turtle Bay to celebrate Ocean Sports education and experiences for Oahu’s youth, with a special Clinic held in the protected waters at Kuilima Cove.
With kids as young as 4 years old taking part, today’s clinic provided a unique opportunity for the attending kids to have access to the mentorship of amongst Hawaii’s most celebrated Waterman. From Founder Duane DeSoto, to top North Shore Surfer Flynn Novak (Chance’em) and the ever colorful Kainoa McGee, the Na Kama Kai program brings the accrued knowledge to one place for extremely special moments for all.