– WADE CARMICHAEL (AUS) QUALIFIES FOR 2018 CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR
– KOLOHE ANDINO (USA) TAKES SECOND, GRIFFIN COLAPINTO (USA) THIRD
Image: VANSTRIPLECROWNOFSURFING.COM
HALEIWA, Oahu/Hawaii – (Saturday, December 2, 2017) — HALEIWA, Oahu/Hawaii – (Saturday, December 2, 2017) — The final day of the Vans World Cup of Surfing, event No. 2 of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing and concluding World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) event of the year, saw multiple victories spread success across several surfers, including Conner Coffin (USA) who became the first Californian to take the event win, and Benji Brand (HAW) who earned the WSL Hawaii/Tahiti Nui Regional Champion title. Coffin’s win today sees him take the lead on the Vans Triple Crown title heading into the Billabong Pipe Masters, December 8 – 20, the final event of the surfing series and culminating competition on the 2017 WSL Championship Tour (CT). Coffin, 24, earned his place on the CT after he qualified at the 2015 Vans World Cup with a Semifinal finish and has earned his stripes on the North Shore with seasonal campaigns. Behind Coffin in the Vans Triple Crown lead is fellow California surfer Kolohe Andino (USA) who placed runner up in the Vans World Cup today ahead of third place finisher Wade Carmichael (AUS) and fourth place Griffin Colapinto (USA). Carmichael had a monumental day as he achieved a decade-long goal of qualifying for the CT after an impressive showdown in the second Quarterfinal with a 9.10 and 7.00. The power behind Carmichael’s turns was in a league of its own and verifies he has the skill and progression to battle against the world’s best. “It’s a dream come true,” said Carmichael after realizing his ultimate goal. “I’ve been trying so hard, I finally got a real good crack at it and it came true, I’m stoked man.” Carmichael had early success this season at Sunset with a runner up finish at the HIC Pro in October and made his real mark on the North Shore after he won the 2015 Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa Ali‘i Beach Park. A QS veteran, Carmichael is part of the New Era qualifiers that also includes Colapinto, Willian Cardoso (BRA) and Tomas Hermes (BRA). As the new 2017 WSL Hawaii/Tahiti Nui Regional Champ, Brand – who grew up between South Africa and Hawaii – earned a bid into all QS1,000 to QS6,000 events for 2018 and a huge leg-up into the QS10,000 events up until the mid-season date. “I didn’t really think I was going to end up in this position, it feels pretty good to end up first in the region especially doing Sunset at the end of the year,” commented Brand. “This wave is really special to me, I’ve competed my whole life out here. It feels really sick, psyching to do the prime’s (QS10,000) next year. Never done all the primes so this is a great opportunity.” The youngest competitor in the event, Mamiya, 17, earned the Vans Triple Crown Rookie Award by besting a field of 18 others has had an incredibly successful year after winning multiple regional Pro Junior events, the WSL Hawaii/Tahiti Nui Regional Junior Champion, qualification into the World Junior Championship and now today’s accomplishment. The Vans Triple Crown now shifts to the famed Banzai Pipeline for the Billabong Pipe Masters, December 8 – 20. The capstone event for both the Vans Triple Crown and the 2017 WSL CT, The Billabong Pipe Masters will determine the new World Champion and the attention will be on World Title contenders John John Florence (HAW), Gabriel Medina (BRA), Jordy Smith (ZAF) and Julian Wilson (AUS). HIT UP THE HEAT ANALYZER AT VANSTRIPLECROWNOFSURFING.COM HERE The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing runs from November 12 – December 20 and features three events along the North Shore of Oahu; the Hawaiian Pro, from November 12 – 24, which saw the first Brazilian winner, Filipe Toledo, take out the competition on November 20; the Vans World Cup from November 25 – December 6; which crowned NAME on December 2; and the Billabong Pipe Masters from December 8 – 20, which is also the culminating event of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT). VANS WORLD CUP OF SURFING RESULTS 1st – Conner Coffin (USA), 14.33 Semifinals (1st and 2nd advance, 3rd = 5th place, 4th =7th place) Quarterfinals (1st and 2nd advance, 3rd = 9th place, 4th = 13th place) |
