USA Take Gold

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It was the first time in history for Team USA, who also got a (copper) medal in the Aloha Cup tag team event, while SA's hopes there were dashed there when they were ousted in the semi-finals. This followed the elimination of captain Shane Sykes and Sebastian Williams from the repercharge.

Italy’s Leonardo Fioravanti (Boys U-18), France’s Tessa Thyssen (Girls U-18), USA’s Stevie Pittman (Boys U-16) and Hawaii’s Summer Macedo (Girls U-16) prevailed with gold medals in fun, clean conditions at Oceanside Pier.

First up was the Girls U-16, where Hawaii’s Summer Macedo (15 points), easily won gold. Australian Macy Callaghan (10.15) took silver, with Hawaii’s Brisa Hennessey (8.84) bronze and Portugal’s Teresa Bonvalot (7.23) copper. In the U-16 Boys, Stevie Pittman (USA) caught a solid set wave in the final minutes for a total of 15.86 over Reef Heazlewood (AUS, 12.85). France’s Marco Mignot (11.43) and USA’s John Mel (7) took bronze and copper respectively.

The Girls U-18 Final was decided by less than one point. France’s Tessa Thyssen jumped to an early lead, her first two waves tallying to 12.93. Tia Blanco (USA, 12.37) and Frankie Harrer (USA, 10.27) could not overhaul her score. 2014 winner Mahina Maeda (HAW, 8.80) finished 4th.

In the U18 final, Italy’s Leonardo Fioravanti saved his best performance for last, notching the highest heat score of the competition (19.23). He came out of the gates firing, scoring a perfect 10-point ride with a radical aerial maneuver followed by another amazing 9.23-point ride. France’s Nommé Mignot put on an impressive performance and scored a heat total of 17.43, which would have won most other heats, but left him with silver. Finishing with bronze and copper were Jake Marshall (USA, 11.17) and Shun Murakami (JPN, 8.24) respectively.

Starting in the U18 boys’ main event semi-finals, SA's Sykes fell short of the last four when he placed third, just more than one point behind Jake Marshall (USA), and dropped into the Repercharge semis.

In another agonisingly close call, Sykes missed out on the final day when he again finished third and exited the world’s biggest junior surfing event in equal ninth place overall, earning 500 points to the team total.

Competing at the same time on the North side of pier, SA’s U16 boys’ standout Sebastian Williams couldn’t match heat winner John Mel (USA) and runner-up Luke Wrice (AUS). Williams bowed out in equal 13th place with 450 team points.

Later in the day the SA squad of Richard Kidd, Joshe Faulkner, Chanelle Botha, Ntando Msibi and Michael Monk came up against surfing powerhouses Hawaii, USA and Brazil in the first of the two Aloha Cup semi-finals. With each team member having to ride two waves and sprint back to the team box to ‘tag’ the next surfer - 10 rides in 50 minutes - the SA team finished a distant fourth.

Brazil and USA advanced to the final where they came up against France and Japan who had finished ahead of Australia and Peru in the second semi. France went on to clinch gold final with Japan silver, Brazil bronze and USA copper.

South Africa finished 7th overall. The team standings ended USA, France, Hawaii, Australia, Japan, Portugal, South AFrica.

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