Canada's top surf talent and legendary surfer Tom Curren are among the many who lined Tofino's Long Beach for the 3rd RipCurl ST3W presented by Monster Energy.
The 3rd RipCurl ST3W temporarily transformed Tofino BC's Long Beach from a woodsy isolated Canadian beachscape to a slightly colder version of a So Cal beach scene.
Canada's premier surfers, recognized both nationally and internationally, made their attendance a priority along with athletes from Australia and the USA including legendary surfer, and 3 time ASP World Champion, Tom Curren. And rightfully so as this was the largest cash purse in Canadian surfing history thanks to RipCurl and Monster Energy and the only Pro-Am RipCurl contest in North America.
Day 1 of the contest had the beach swelling with people shedding layers of clothing and showing skin. Many bikini bodies were gladly sacrificed to the incredibly delicious stew available in the Monster Energy tent. No misguided journalism here; this was legit gourmet stew! So while impressive surfing unfolded in the water the savory stew and party jams of DJs Mat the Alien and Vinyl Ritchie kept the beach people bumpin'. But as the waves began to languish (and the stew and the brew) a call was made to delay the pro finals until the next day along with the juniors, masters and longboard divisions.
The surf was still on the smaller side of smallish on Day 2 but competitors managed to get ‘fins free' and air out of the ocean. The Bruhwiler's, representing the Canadian surf dynasty, put on a stylish show but it was Australian Chris Michalak that kept the Canadian's on their toes. Chris and his brother Luke arrived in Tofino only several weeks earlier and seemed to have physiologically adapted to the cold water temperature. The judges' tower was abuzz with Chris's wave and trick choice but it was local Pete Devries (arguably one of Canada's most accomplished surfers) who came out on top with lots of fast lines and ‘fins free' moments. Pete bagged his second 1st place finish at the RipCurl ST3W and $5000. The woman's final was a bit lackluster because the waves suddenly became the ‘dwarfish' side of smallish. Nonetheless, they wacked the lips with what momentum they could generate and the best wacker of them all ended up being local Leah Oke. Leah has some international surf experience, having qualified for a World Series event before. Her $2000 win should help cover the cost of those overpriced airport sandwiches. Here are the pro results:
Men's Pro
1. Pete Devries
2. Chris Michalak
3. Sepp Bruhwiler
4. Raph Bruhwiler
Woman's Pro
1.Leah Oke
2.Dominga Bonamaison
3.Tamara Stephens
4.Steph Wighman
In between watching water bewitchery, it was almost as satisfying to watch the beach scene unfold. Event organizers were sneaking in deserved sessions in the ocean, young beachgoers was struggling to simultaneously hide and guzzle their beers, and there was some neck snapping as people tried to locate the elusive special guest Tom Curren. This was Tom's first visit to this side of Canada and the surfing community was buzzing to show off their wilderness turf. For those unfamiliar with the Curren name; he won the world tour 3 times ('85, '86, '90) and achieved "near-mythical status both for his competitive drive and for his smooth, powerful surfing style". He "led the surfing revolution in the early '80s and is acknowledged as one of surfing's true geniuses and soulful originals". He's a quiet guy and kept his mystique alive by sneaking in water time and being occasionally recognized on the beach. Even at the after-party, he briefly played guitar on stage and then humbly vanished into the sea of party people. He stayed true to his reputation as someone who lets his surfing do most of the talking.
The combination of having Tom Curren present, bikini-ish weather, top talent and heavy cash prizes made the 3rd RipCurl ST3W a memorable jam. "The purpose of this event is to give back to the surf community while developing the home-grown talent," states Drew Hawkshaw, National Sales Manager for RipCurl. Mission accomplished - this years combo should ignite the Pacific Northwest surf scene for quite some time.
Here are the complete RipCurl ST3W Results 2009
Men's Pro
1.Pete Devries
2.Chris Michalak
3.Sepp Bruhwiler
4. Raph Bruhwiler
Women's Pro
1.Leah Oke
2.Dominga Bonamaison
3.Tamara Stephens
4.Steph Wighman
Masters
1.Guto Cunha
2.Jens Kalua
3.Anthony Redpath
4.Chris Barfoot
Longboard
1.David Fergurson
2.Asia Dryden
3.Guto Cunha
4.Adam Dewolfe
Under 18
1.Janek Peladeau
2.Michael Darling
3.Kye Peladeau
4.Ryan Oke
Under 12
1.Kazum Temple
2.Jack Sanford
3.Bryn MacDonald
4.Jesse Clarkson
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If you'd like more information about this topic please call Joanna Majcherkiewicz at 403.681.2955 or email joanna@monsterenergy.ca
