Rip Curl Flow Pro at Wave House Durban

The Wave House Durban Flow League took a turn on Saturday July 18 when they introduced a new format to the competition. Man on man heats were used for the first time, cranking things up a notch for spectators and competitors.

“It makes everyone ride a little bit harder,” commented Pro Strapped winner Paolo Falconer. “You can’t take it easy in a heat anymore. You need to land your best stuff from the get go.”

The Flow League started several months ago as a weekly 2 hour session aimed at getting riders to push each other irrespective of ability. The camaraderie has been eclipsed only by the overall improvement.

“At the start of the league you could win the Amateur Strapless category with some turns and a spin,” commented Travis Hagen, currently the top ranked rider in that division. “Now if you don’t have a few air variations and a shuvit, you’re not going to make the semi’s.”

The progression is just as exciting for the organizers. “A lot of new riders were put off of contests because they would always end up riding against the pros. Now that Wave House has created an amateur division I think we’re going to see more people signing up, and they’re going to improve a lot faster,” said contest organizer and Rip Curl team rider Billy Tennant. “The top guys in the amateur divisions are catching up to the pros. By the end of the league we’re going to bump a few up, and that’s awesome. Some of these guys have been riding for less than a year.”

The girl’s standup contest held the biggest surprise of the day when Sara Bloch unexpectedly whipped out a clean backhand front roll. It’s a sign that with the new crop of riders the gap between the guys and girls divisions is shrinking. Wes Fischer and Billy Tennant took it down to the wire in the Pro Bodyboard division, while Andrew Carrie and Clayton Barker landed tricks that push the boundaries of what can be done on a FlowBarrel®. They regularly ride together and can often be seen helping one another learn new moves. “I know what he’s capable of, which means that if I want to win I can’t play it safe,” explained an exuberant Barker after narrowly winning the Pro Strapless Division. Barker landed a finger flip, a no footer backside 180º, a double grab three sixty and a big spin in the final.

The contest was the fourth in the year long series and a pivotal point in the Flow League. The final rankings will be judged on competitors’ best four results out of the six events. With two contests left in the year, rank leaders will be looking to consolidate their top spots while everyone else will be determined to improve on their position. The next contest will be in late September with the Flow League weekly sessions going down every Wednesday evening from 6-8pm. For more info contact Billy Tennant on billy.tennant@wavehouse.co.za or visit Wavehouse.co.za (http://www.wavehouse.co.za/features.php#flowleagueTab) to see the full results.

Winners

Pro Bodyboard - Billy Tennant
Pro Strapped - Paolo Falconer
Pro Strapless - Clayton Barker
Amateur Strapless - Travis Hagan