On June 13, 2012, the Maui and Sons Arica World Star Tour got underway at El Gringo in Arica, Chile. The skies appeared a bit overcast but the swell was good. Here's a brief look at some of the early results:
Round 80 Results
In Round 80, the highest heat score went to Anthony Walsh in Heat 5. His final score was 17.40. The 2nd best heat score of the round went to Leon Vicuna in Heat 4. He completed the heat with a score of 17.15. The 3rd highest heat score of the round went to Marcos Monteiro in Heat 5 and Diego Medina in Heat 4. Each of the surfers finished their respective surf heats with a final score of 10.75.
Round 64 Results
Hawaiian Eala Stewart dominated the scene in Round 64, Heat 1. He caught a gorgeous 6.50 point ride early on and followed it up with an equally as impressive 8.50 point ride. Towards the end of the heat he also caught a 9.50 point barrel ride that was amazing to watch. If you ask me, he seemed quite confident atop his surfboard and displayed great skill. Argentina's Lucas Santamaria also did well for himself. He managed to catch a nice 7.25 point ride. Stewart ultimately won the heat with a final score of 18. Santamaria finished in 2nd place with a total of 12 points.
In Round 64, Heat 2 Alejandro Satt drew first blood by catching a low scoring wave. Brazilian Caue Wood answered back with a low scoring wave of his own. Then American Brad Ettinger jumped into the mix. He caught a barrel ride that earned him 7 points. I really liked the way that he dominated the lip on that one. It was quite impressive to watch.
Within the last 10 minutes of the surf heat, Ettinger followed it up with a 5.50 point ride and a 5.60 point ride. It was more than enough to secure him a win. He, however, didn't seem content with that. In the waning moments of the heat he busted out an eye-popping, 9.15 point ride that just blew me away. His final score was 16.15. Caue Wood finished in 2nd place with a score of 6.50. All in all, I'd have to say that it was my favorite heat of the day.
What's Next?
The Arica World Star Tour is expected to continue through June 17, 2012. Personally, I am looking forward to watching Hawaiian Ian Gentil in Round 64, Heat 12. He is expected to take on Guillermo Satt, Renato Aguirre and Ryan Bignold. I think that given the talents of all involved, it should prove to be an exciting surf heat. Surf fans will be able to catch all the action live via the event's website. The only downside is that the broadcast is not in English.
Killeen Gonzalez enjoys water sports with her family. She also has a history of interviewing pro surfers.
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