Turtle Bay Resort hosted the final series as Appleby amazes while Kai Lenny secures his third #SUWS Title

Surf News Network, 20 October, 2015. After being crowned the 2015 #SUWS Women’s Champion at the #US Open of Sup in Huntington Beach – Candice finished the season unbeaten after another win but she had to work hard here in Hawaii after being pushed all the way by the rising young star Fiona Wylde (Starboard). Fiona who had won the Long Distance Race yesterday put all the pressure on Candice who found enough to win the final two Heats in the Sprint racing to give her the Overall win by just 6 seconds.

It was Fiona Wylde who took the win in Heat 1 forcing Candice Appleby to come out fighting in Heat 2. The Southern Californian certainly did that and her power and determination meant after she rounded the Final Buoy was able to drop into a bump alongside Fiona & Angie but crucially stay on her feet and surf her way all the way to the finish giving her the win by some distance.

In Heat 3 Fiona took an early lead heading into Buoy 1 with Candice back in fifth place. Heading into the second Buoy Candice started to make her move and stroke by stroke she was able to claw her way back into the top pack with Fiona & Angie Jackson.

Rounding the final buoy level with Fiona and Angie, Candice was the only one able to catch the first bump back toward the finish line and finish all guns blazing and power to the win.

With the Overall Result calculated with the sprint and long distance courses measured comparitively – Fiona won the long distance by 8m38s, based on the average timing of the results, Candice won the Sprints by 8m44s giving her the win by just 6 seconds.

Kai Lenny (Naish) secures his third #SUWS Title after winning Stop #4 on the 2015 World Series with a win in the Sprint racing in a climatic finish at Turtle Bay Resort.

With Connor Baxter (Starboard) putting all the pressure on by winning the Long Distance on Day 1, Kai, needed to be on top form to secure his Seventh World Title (3x #SUWS Racing & 4x #SUWT Surfing).

With 2-3 foot surf making for some interesting Sprint Racing, The twenty-three year old Hawaiian stormed into a lead right from the off. Winning Round 1 Heat 1 easily he went straight into Semi-Final 1 where once again he powered off the start line and into a comfortable lead and straight into the Final.

Kai Lenny © Waterman League/Hank Photo

Up against some of the World’s Best paddlers in the Final it was neck and neck straight from the starting horn with Naish Team mate Casper Steinfath. The Naish riders seeming to find another gear and storm out in front. Hitting the Buoy 1 first, Kai was able to find a small bump from the Outside Buoy and extend his lead form Casper.

The Final saw the athletes having to complete Two laps of the Turtle Bay Course and with Casper Steinfath falling on the way back out for the start of the second lap it left Kai Lenny to complete his final lap unchallenged and win by a considerable distance.

With Casper being overtaken by the chasing pack it was Kody Kerbox, who impressed all day with his skill at finding bumps to come from behind and secure second place being pushed by Bullet Obra and Jake Jensen with Connor Baxter and Zane Schweitzer further back going down on the wave after they rounded the Final Buoy