Lamb Wins Mavs

The surf was not all-time yesterday, with freshening NW winds bringing some chop to the growing but very slow 15-18ft swell, although by afternoon (early this morning ZA time) occasional 20 foot+ sets thundered through.

Lamb, 27, had one of the worst wipeouts of the day in shifty conditions, but recovered to take the crown. Ken Skindog Collins withdrew from the 24-man event after rupturing an eardrum and almost drowning when he fell down a 30 foot face in his first heat.

He told local media that he felt the whole ocean land on him. “I was spinning around, I felt water going inside my head, down my throat and felt it blow my ear drum wide open.”

For for Lamb it comes full circle. He first rode the spot 13 years ago at the age of 14. The event was last held in 2014. 

In the semifinal, Lamb took four waves on the head, and was rescued from the rocks by a jetski in the nick of time. He recovered to stay in control for the rest of the event.

The final included young Travis Payne, the alternate who took Shane Dorian's place after he withdrew with a back injury. Payne took 2nd place, with Californian Greg Long third. The rest of the final comprised Brazilian Carlos Burle, and Australian Jamie Mitchell.

Another alternate was the only woman to have been included, Savannah Shaughnessy.

According to reports, the Californian Coastal Commission voted recently to order contest founder Jeff Clark to include women in the future, and if does not comply, he may not get the permits he needs.

Apparently Clark is not overly chuffed by it, saying "We have a really good understanding of who's performing the best, which is pushing the limits, who is going to new levels of performance," he said. "Women just aren't there yet."

But big wave pro surfers have disagreed, including Mavs local Bianca Valenti and Keala Kennelly who was aparently called the “hardest charging and most determined female big-wave surfers to have ever lived,” by Surfer Magazine.

See video of the day here