Mens – Stand Up World Tour / Sunset Beach Pro 2016 / News & Live feed

Photo: Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

Caio Vaz (Art in Surf) just seems to go from strength to strength, and has once again found winning form here at the 2016 Sunset Beach Pro, his second victory at this iconic break on Oahu’s Fabled North Shore.

His ability to adapt and excel in any kind of conditions is evident and what secured him the 2015 World Title, as once again here at Sunset, he dominated all his heats through to the Final, from the full size pumping surf of the first few days, to the blustery and incredibly challenging conditions on the Final Day, Caio was able to turn it on.

In the final, Caio made the challenging conditions look like a walk in the park, posting another excellent range score right off the bat to put the pressure on the other 3 finalists. He was then able to back it up with a mid range score to secure victory, an incredible achievement for this young Brazilian Champion.

Photo: Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

James Casey (JP Australia) has been on Tour for a few years now, and has already notched up some strong performances, most notably in Morocco at the Location X exhibition event back in 2014 where we saw him revel in more sizeable surf.

However, there is no doubt that something clicked for the young Australian talent at Sunset Beach this year, as while the spectacular conditions of the first 2 days definitely suited his powerful style of surfing, he demonstrated his ability to adapt and cope with the pressure filled final rounds of competition on a challenging last day of action at Sunset Beach.

Coming up against 4x World and Sunset Beach Pro Champion Kai Lenny (Naish) twice, James was able to just get the edge on the formidable Champion both times on his way to the Final, and find the diamonds in the rough to be able to finish in an impressive 2nd place at this all important opening event. There is no doubt that James is going to be a name to watch out for over the coming year, as he starts his year on a high here on Oahu’s Fabled North Shore.

Photo: Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

Poenaiki Raioha (F-One) is without doubt one of the major talents on Tour, finishing 2015 on a high with his first World Tour win at the US Open of Stand Up Paddling in Huntington Beach. Coming into 2016, Poenaiki and his Tahitian support group have their eyes set on the World Title and his surfing was a testament to this goal.

Driving some of the most commited turns of the contest, Poenaiki posted excellent scores throughout the event and seemed to peak on the final day of competion with the highest heat score total of the day in the quarters as he took control of the challenging line up at Sunset Beach.

While he wasn’t able to find the back up score he was looking for in the Final, his 3rd place finish is a great start to the new season, as he keeps his sights set on Title conention in 2016.

Photo: Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

Bernd Roediger (Naish) is another of the immensly talented breed of Maui born athletes who excel across the complete cross section of Ocean Sports, as a Champion Windsurfer and a major threat on the World Championship Surfing Tour and Racing Series for Stand Up Paddling.

Finishing in the Top 10 in 2015 and posting some standout performances along the way, there is no doubt that Bernd has already established himself as a force to be reckoned with, but here at Sunset Beach, he was able to cement the fact that he is a major threat, and in any kind of conditions.

Bernd’s fluid and dynamic style of surfing turned heads throughout the contest and got him all the way to the final, and while he had to settle for 4th place, he has set himself up for a stellar year ahead as we expect great things from this young Maui talent.

Make sure to stay tuned for highlights and check out all the galleries and video content from this year’s Sunset Beach Pro at www.watermanleague.com

Photo: Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

The 2016 Sunset Beach Pro presented by Turtle Bay is in the books, and was blessed with 2 of the best days of the year at Sunset Beach that saw performance levels go through the roof and new faces ascend to new heights.

Watching James Casey (JP Australia) and Bernd Roediger (Naish) find their form at this opening event to make the final and turn heads from start to finish is an exciting sign of things to come. Also coming into their own were Noa Ginella (Naish) and Fisher Grant (27 North) who both made their way to the semi finals amidst a massively talented field. And from seemingly nowhere, a young Brazilian by the name of Marcio Grillo proved himself to be a major threat with a very complete game and an impressive ability to seek out barrels.

Meanwhile, the primary contenders of the past year have not skipped a beat, with defending World Champion Caio Vaz (Art in Surf) on a mission to defend his Title, Poenaiki Raioha (F-One) continuing his rise to the top, and of course the on form Mo Freitas (Focus SUP), who was a standout over the first 2 days of competition. It should also be noted that 4 times World and Sunset Beach Pro Champion Kai Lenny (Naish) was very much on the pulse of all the action, narrowly falling to Poenaiki & James Casey (JP Australia) in the quarterfinals, not to mention Zane Schweitzer (Starboard) and an on form Kai Bates (Fanatic).

One thing is for sure, it is going to be the most competitive year yet on the Stand Up World Tour, as the talent pool is expanding and the performance level accelerating. We are ecstatic to have been able to start the year off with the magic that Sunset Beach was able to provide us with and we look forward to the next stop on the 2016 Stand Up World Tour. Stay tuned for official Tour announcements over the coming week as we prepare for an exciting year ahead.

So a big thank you to all our partners and of course our host, Turtle Bay Resort and make sure to stay tuned for all things World Tour and more content from what was an incredible week of action here on Oahu’s Fabled North Shore at watermanleague.com

Photo: Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

It was a day to remember at Sunset Beach today, as the World’s best were able to get a taste of this iconic break at its very best. The morning greeted us almost flat, with no swell to speak of, but the buoys indicating a major swell on its way, meaning that the Ocean was clean and groomed. By the time the swell started to show as we past the 8am mark, it was clear we were in for something special.

By 11am, the sets were some of the most beautiful and groomed looking walls imaginable, as barrels were becoming common place, as were scores in the excellent range. By 1pm, it was on fire, with a solid 6 – 8ft Hawaiian scale swell running with the occasional bombing 10ft set to keep the athletes on their toes, as we witnessed a day to remember, and according to many sources, one of the most memorable contest days at Sunset in history in terms of the caliber of conditions.

This opening shot is Noa Ginella’s (Naish) 9 point ride and showcases the beauty that was today’s conditions at Sunset, as he threaded this all the way through, with a clean carve to finish, making it one of the standout waves of the day. Noa looked in his element today, and there is no doubt that he is someone to look out for as we come into the quarterfinals when the competition picks back up again over the coming days.

There will be no contest tomorrow as it is a national holiday here in the US (President’s Day), but competition will resume as early as Tuesday, if not Wednesday morning with the quarters thru finals of what has been nothing short of a spectacular event so far. Make sure to stay tuned for the highlights, galleries and continuation of the LIVE broadcast at www.watermanleague.com

Photo: Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

While James Casey (JP Australia) is not the newest face on Tour (having competed over the last few years across many of the events), it seems that 2016 has seen him step his performance up to a whole new level as he has clearly established himself as one of the standouts of the event here at Sunset.

With the surf suiting his style of power surfing perfectly, James was also masterful with his wave selection, picking off the best sets and milking them with a mixture of power turns and even barrel rides. His 9.73, the highest score of the day exemplified his form, as we look forward to see how this up and coming Australian fares when we pick competition back up with the quarters thru Finals.

Make sure to stay tuned for highlights, galleries and the next day of LIVE broadcast from this already historic Sunset Beach Pro at www.watermanleague.com

Photo: Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

Mo Freitas (Focus SUP) once again put together a flawless performance today at Sunset Beach with an 18 point heat score total and a 9.67 ride that, had he made it out of the barrel on the inside, would have secured him a 10 point right without a doubt.

Many said that his performance today was a benchmark of SUP surfing excellence, as Mo continues to be one of the major driving forces in high performance stand up paddling, and there is no doubt that his full rail power surfing approach is so ideally suited to Sunset Beach’s unique arena.

Watch out for Mo when competition resumes LIVE and stay tuned for highlights, galleries and much more at www.watermanleague.com

Photo: Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

Masa Motohashi is one of Japan’s great hopes on the Surfing World Tour as we have seen him feature and stand out at many events over the last few years, as he leads the charge for a growing field of Japanese athletes entering into the global scene. However, this year at Sunset, he came into his own, and there is no doubt that it is a sign of things to come, as Masa dominated his heat to advance on into the quarterfinals amidst a wealth of World Championship Tour talent.

We are excited to see how Masa fares when competition resumes, as he will come up against 2015 World Champion Caio Vaz (Art in Surf), local legend Kala Alexander and the young upstart who made waves today at Sunset Beach, Marcio Grillo from Brazil.

Make sure to join us for all the action LIVE, as well as highlights & galleries from today’s incredible action at watermanleague.com

Photo Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

We have mentioned just a few of the performances from today that stood out, but the fact is that there were stand out performances heat after heat that continued to raise the bar for performance Stand Up Paddlesurfing at its very best, with Sunset Beach offering up the ideal ingredients to make it all come together.

Defending World Champion Caio Vaz (Art in Surf) continued his assault on the 2016 World Title Race with another solid performance, as did 4 times World Champion Kai Lenny (Naish), who always looks so at home here at Sunset Beach. Ironically, these two athletes are two of three athletes to have ever taken victory at this iconic World Tour Opener, so will clearly be ones to watch out for as we head into the Final Day of action.

Meanwhile, other stand out performances came from contenders who were perhaps not on everyone’s lips coming into this event. We have mentioned Masa Mothashi above, but coming all the way from Denmark and more known for his racing skills, Casper Steinfath (Naish) put on a couple of memorable performances today proving that he is a real double threat and is now sitting in the quarterfinals.

Marcio Grillo from Brazil was also one of the major surprises from today’s spectacular day of competition, finding a string of beautiful barrels to earn his spot in the quarterfinals, while Giorgio Gomez (Infinity) found his groove out at Sunset, picking off some of the best waves of the day to advance alongside Mo Freitas (Focus SUP).

Make sure to check out the highlights that will be online later tonight, as well as initial galleries and more special features from what was a day to remember here on Oahu’s Fabled North Shore at whttp://www.watermanleague.com

Photo by Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

Barrels were common place at Sunset today, as in the above photo we see Zane Schweitzer (Starboard) pull into another gem on his way through to the quarterfinals. Zane and Poenaiki Raioha (F-One) from Tahiti, who finished 2nd and 3rd overall respectively in 2015 were both on impressive form, as we look forward to see how they fare in the coming rounds and if they can maintain their winning momentum on Tour.

As we look ahead to the next few days, we have a front approaching tomorrow thru Tuesday, that will likely bring strong winds with more North in them than the past few days, creating more stormy conditions for Sunset Beach. In addition, tomorrow is a National holiday here in the US (President’s Day), so no competition is permitted and our next call will be at 7am on Tuesday 16th February.

While we might have a window on Tuesday and we will very much be on standby to run, there might be a better window for competition on Wednesday, with another NW bump and winds returning to the ENE direction, cleaning up the surf. Whatever happens, stay tuned to watermanleague.com

Photo credit: Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

A magical day at Sunset Beach yesterday saw immaculate conditions set the stage for an epic first day of competition for the Sunset Beach Pro, with both Trials and Round 1 completed.

As expected, the 2015 World Champion Caio Vaz (Art in Surf) came out of the gates swinging in Heat one of the Main event, posting the single highest wave and heat score of the event so far, with some impressive surfing. From a cleanly executed barrel in the Sunset bowl, to precision turns, Caio already has his sights set on defending his World Title and with this kind of form, he is on the right track.

Make sure to stay tuned for the highlights from Day one later today and the continuation of the Sunset Beach Pro, with next call at 7am HST / 9am PST to be posted at the Stand Up World Tour Facebook page and watermanleague.com

Photo credit: Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

Mo Freitas (Focus SUP) has been one of the major rising stars of SUP, continuing to push the boundaries of performance surfing, highlighted by his performance at the Da Hui Shootout Invitational in January, and now, by another exemplary and polished performance at Sunset.

Mo’s unique full rail power surfing matched the immaculate Sunset Beach walls, as he not only comfortably secured his place in Round 3, but posted one of the highest heat score totals of the day.

There is no doubt that Mo will be one to watch out for over the coming days and indeed season, as we look forward to watching it all unfold here on the 2016 Stand Up World Tour. Stay tuned for highlights and next call at 7am HST / 9am PST at www.watermanleague.com

Photo credit: Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

James Casey (JP Australia) put on a stellar performance yesterday at the iconic Sunset Beach to win his 1st Round heat against the 4x World and Sunset Beach Pro Champion Kai Lenny (Naish) in epic fashion (with both athletes advancing in the 4 man format). The two went head to head for 25 minutes, exchanging excellent score after excellent score to post 2 of the highest heat score totals of the day.

James looked completely comfortable out at Sunset Beach, as his unique brand of power surfing suited the pumping surf on offer perfectly and he was awarded accordingly. He has been on the radar as someone to watch out for for some time, with stand out performances here at Sunset and in Morocco at the end of 2014, but there is no doubt, that James is looking more refined and ready than ever to make a real assault on the World Championship season here in 2016.

Photo credit: Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

Kai Lenny (Naish) has had a memorable winter so far this year, with more epic days of big wave surfing at the infamous Peahi than you can count on both hands. However, returning to Sunset is always an exciting prospect for the young Champion, as he once again gears up for a new season, as one of the Contenders rather than the reigning Champion, and looking more comfortable than ever.

Kai’s heat was one of the most exciting of the day, as he and James Casey (JP Australia) from Australia battled it out for pole position, with both athletes posting amongst the highest scores of the day to secure their spots in Round 3.

We are looking forward to watching the remainder of the competition unfold to see if Kai can secure an unprecendented 5th Sunset Beach Pro Title, but also looking ahead at the Season, what would be his 5th World Title as well.

Photo credit: Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

The Da Hui Trials was not to disappoint yesterday, as full size Sunset delivered a hefty challenge to the attending competitors, a Challenge that they all stepped up to admirably. With a series of action packed heats, there were several stand outs, but in particular a new face by the name of Jesse Brown was here to be noticed, as he made it through to the Main event, and then won his first round heat to advance directly through to Round 3.

Another stand out, posting the highest qualifying score en route to the Main event was the young Jeffrey Spencer (Quatro), who navigated the tricky Sunset line up immaculately to earn his well deserved place in the Main event. At just 16 years old, there is no doubt that Jeffrey is a face to watch out for here on the Stand Up World Tour, and with an equally talented brother FInn right behind him, the future is bright for the Spencer boys.

Photo credit: Brian Bielmann / Waterman League

We have mentioned just a few of the stand out performances from yesterday’s spectacular day of action, but there were so many more notable performances such as Bernd Roediger (Naish), Sean Poynter (Starboard), Nainoa David (Naish) from Tahiti and the return to Sunset for Dave Muir (IOPS) and Peyo Lizarazu and Robin Johnston.

We should also mention an exceptional Round 1 performance from the Trialist Rory Chapman, posting an excellent range score in the epic Sunset Beach conditions, but also, the ever impressive Sunset specialist, Kala Alexander, here pulling into a beautiful Sunset barrel.