Wish you were here? By Daniel Van Lith @art_by_deeev
Raglan delivering or deceiving. Some will claim it's AI. Photo by Oscar Hetherington/World Surf League
Here’s our postcard-length summary of Raglan’s CT event:
THE SURFING
The swell was on and off, playing cat and mouse with the contest organisers. Filipe Toledo defied convention by using a Mark Richards 2+1 fin setup and dominated in sub-par waves. He’s probably inspired a few competitors to rethink their quiver.
Yago Dora got the crowd on their feet when he pulled a buzzer beater out of the hat to earn his first perfect 10 of the season. Must be his new gear.
Contest Winner Carissa Moore crushed it from start to finish. She earned her first Championship Tour trophy in New Zealand sixteen years ago, so now she’s won there as a rookie and as a mom!
Italo Ferreria’s victory catapulted him to the top of the rankings, and the Brazilian Storm has intensified. Six of the top 10 men fly the Auriverde. With only 3 events completed, can the other nations muster a response or is it fechado?
This is what a 10 looks like from the water. Photo by Rambo Estrada/World Surf League
THE BUZZ
Manu Bay gave itself something of a glow up before the event, which is just as well, with capacity crowds exceeding 6000 spectators on some days thronging the venue. The rocks don’t look too comfy, definitely a good time to have a Parkit with you. The little community took things in stride. A local restaurant manager commented the competition had been great for business, though overwhelming. "Just trying to organise the days, and make sure we're having enough staff on to deal with the amount of people," was a challenge, he said. It’s the flip side of being on the tour lineup; you can’t have the ups without the downs.
Mainstream media coverage spiked when water photographer Ed Sloane was bitten on the foot, triggering the WSL’s very first Red Alert. Competition temporarily halted while Ed received medical attention. Was the culprit a seal, shark or something else? Armchair wildlife experts the world over are weighing in. Ed’s patched up and hopefully back in the water soon. Nature doesn’t respect the contest area. At least it wasn’t a rhino. At night.
Filipe Toledo flipping the script. Photo by Rambo Estrada/World Surf League
Luke Cederman shined in the limelight, bringing plenty of humour to the broadcast. He deserves a permanent spot in the roster. If you’re not following the Raglan Surf report on Instagram, you’re missing out.
THE TAKEAWAY
One New Zealand local we’ll be keeping an eye on is photographer Rambo Estrada. He posted amazing footage, even during lay days. Give him a follow and elevate your feed.
Ok that’s more like 2 postcards. The circus is off to the next stop in El Salvador, so locals can enjoy their usual pace of life, empty lineups, shorter wait times for the morning coffee, and an easier time finding a parking spot.