The ‘super swell’ hit and the barrels rolled in at Bali’s famous Padang Padang Beach for the final round of the Rip Curl Cup on Thursday, with Australian Jack Robinson winning the contest.
With surfing, it’s always iffy if the conditions are going to come through and be just right for a special tube-riding competition, which is exactly why the tournament’s motto is “It’s on when it’s on.”
Experiencing less than stellar waves last year, the contest was called off when no days were “just right” out of the month-long waiting period that annually puts eight international and eight Indonesian barrel-riding experts on standby.
But this week presented some of the best barrels in years, according contest participants.
“This was the best waves I’ve seen at Padang since Jamie O’Brien won it back in 2009,” Robinson said in a World Surf League statement shared with Coconuts Bali.
Robinson, just 20 years old, has been invited to the Padang Padang competition since the ripe age of 15, but this was his first go at the final around.
Scoring a total of 19.90, he came in ahead of his runner-up, Uluwatu local Agus Setiawan with a score of 17.15, third-place winner and Indonesian surfer Bol Adi Putra with 15.75, and the 11.0 score of local Mega Semadhi, who had been the 2016 defending champion.
“We’re pretty much neighbors,” Robinson said of his local competitors.
“I live down in West Oz, only three hours away. It’s the same ocean, and I’ve been coming here and surfing with my friends since I was a little kid. To be able to surf a day like this at Padang with all of them, it doesn’t get any better than this.”
Rounds one and two were held at Padang Padang on Sunday, which narrowed it down to eight surfers to paddle out for the final round on Thursday.
Here are some highlights from the final day:
The Rip Curl Cup at Padang Padang is one of eight World Surf League events being held in Indonesia this year, supported by the government. Earlier this year, we saw the Corona Bali Pro at Keramas in May.
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