Twiggy does it again
Durbanite claims second big wave world title in four years
DURBAN’S Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker was officially proclaimed the 2016/2017 WSL Big Wave World Champion on Wednesday after a season in which he led the rankings from the first event until it closed on 28 February.
This is the 43-year-old allround waterman’s second title in four years, following his first in the 2013/2014 season, and sees Baker now tied with close friend Greg Long of California, the only other big wave charger to claim two titles in surfing’s most extreme discipline.
“It feels great,” said Baker who has remained on standby in the Northern Hemisphere since January waiting for the right conditions that would enable the final event on the schedule to be run at Todos Challenge in Mexico.
“The last two months waiting to see if Todos would run while trying to stay mentally and physically prepared were difficult and it’s a huge relief to cross the finish line.”
Baker won the first event of the season with a dominating performance at Puerto Escondido in Mexico last June. He added a third place finish in enormous waves in the Pe’ahi Challenge at Jaws on Maui in November and then reached the semi-finals of the Nazare Challenge in Portugal in December.
The South African earned a total of 25 018 points, just over 3 000 more than rankings runner-up, 20 year-old Pedro Calado of Brazil, with Long a scant 22 points further back in third place.
Asked what his plans are for the future, Baker replied “I’m going to compete for as long as they will have me in the events. I’m feeling fit and healthy and I enjoy the experience of competing occasionally. Getting to surf waves like Mavericks and Jaws with only six guys in the water is a blessing.” MICHAEL February of Kommetjie has ignited his campaign to qualify for the elite WSL Championship Tour (CT) by progressing through two rounds of the Australian Open of Surfing, a QS6 000 rated event being run at Manly Beach in Sydney.
Following an early exit in the Newcastle Surf Festival last week, the lanky Capetonian came out blazing at Manly, easily winning his Round of 96 encounter and eliminating current and former CT members Bede Durbidge and Wade Carmichael, both of Australia, in the process.
His Round of 48 match-up saw ‘MFeb’ tie with another CT member, 2015 Ballito Pro winner Alejo Muniz of Brazil. The pair advanced to the last 24 in the event at the expense of another former CT member and Ballito Pro winner, Tanner Gudauskas of Califonia.
Bianca Buitendag reached the last 24 in the women’s event at Manly before ending 17th overall. After falling out of the top 17 who contested the elite Women’s CT at the end of last year, the 23 year-old from Victoria Bay will need to find the form that took her to No4 in the world in 2015 quickly in order to regain a spot among to top echelon of women surfers.