"I was so lucky eh, making it through all three of those sections" he said back on the boat with a huge grin on his face. Never one to boast about his talents he added, "I was so lucky to get the good waves in this final against Rahtu. I think he was just tired from his semifinal, whereas I had a good rest so was really pumped up. So good eh?" He was referring to the fact that Suargita had gotten stuck in the reef at the end of his previous semifinal and barely made it out to the lineup in time for the start of the final.
This is Rondi's best result on his third year on the Coca-Cola ISC Tour and he is well on his way into the top of the rankings with this win. Rondi was last year's ISC Pro Junior Champion as well as the runner up in the 2008 Quiksilver Pro at Keramas against 2009 ISC Pro Champion Dede Suryana.
Last year's winner Rahtu Suargita was not at all disappointed with his runner up spot. "How can I not be happy?" he responded to a question about the final. "I was in the final against my friend and team mate in really waves at a great location, so it was perfect. I had a great time and great waves, so what more could I ask for? This was so much fun!" he said with his ever-present and infectious smile.
For his win Rondi gets to cash a 20 million Rupiah check (about 2,000 USD) and gains 3,500 points towards the 2009 ISC Pro Championship. With Number 1 seed Lee Wilson not making it out of his Round 4 heat and Number 2 seed Dede Suryana out in the Quarterfinals, the race to the championship just opened up and Rondi is in a great position for a banner 2009 season.
Taking equal third place were Made Awan and Wayan Suyadnya. Awan had bested veteran Pepen Hendrik in the morning's quarterfinal session, while Suyadnya took down Dede Suryana in a surprising upset.
The final day's action got started with the first quarterfinal heat at around 9 am on a rising tide and 3-4 foot swell. With the completion of the fourth quarterfinal a timeout was called to let the tide run back out with the expectation that the low tide and increasing swell would make perfect finishing conditions.
True to form, with the tide draining off the reef and the sun getting low over the Indian Ocean, stunning 4-5 green-gold sets came marching in to launch up and smash on the sharp reef just below the surface, creating an epic effect and a memorable conclusion for the 2009 Rip Curl West Sumbawa Pro.
The Rip Curl West Sumbawa Pro was held over a 7-day period starting off on June 20th, the first day of the 10 day waiting period. A waiting period was implemented and a mobile setup prepared in order to hold the competition in only the best wave conditions possible at the most suitable locations in this wave rich area of West Sumbawa.
The first, second, and last days of the competition were held in a scenic left-hand razor sharp coral reef break just offshore from a white sand beach, with the judges, crew, and competitors working the event from boats. The third day saw the crew go mobile to a picturesque bay about an hour away, home to a consistent and rippable right-hand reef break.
To view a complete recap of the event including a blog and photos, check out www.asia.ripcurl.com. To see info on past ISC tour events as well as upcoming events on the 2009 schedule, check out www.isctour.com
The Rip Curl West Sumbawa Pro 2009 was funded in part by the local government of West Sumbawa, and was officially kicked off by the Bupati (Governor) in an opening ceremony on the 21st of June at Jelenga Beach. It was part of the Scar Reef Beach Festival 2009 that was organized by the West Sumbawa Tourism Forum and included a Men's and Women's Volleyball competition and a Battle of the Bands.
ISC Tour Pro Division Results
1. Raditya Rondi
2. Rahtu Suargita
3. Wayan Suyadnya
3. Made Awan
ISC Tour Master's Division Results
1. Made Lana
2. Ketut Wirtawan
3. Made Lapur
4. Wayan Widiartha
The Rip Curl West Sumbawa Pro was supported by Rip Curl Asia, the Government of West Sumbawa, the West Sumbawa Tourism Forum, SurfTime, Magic Wave and was sanctioned by the Coca-Cola Indonesian Surfing Championship Tour.
Photos and text by Tim Hain - Coca-Cola ISC tour
For additional info, contest photos, or high-resolution versions of these photos contact Tim Hain at : tim@isctour.com"
Thanks,
Eka I. Rochmansyah
Media Coordinator ISC
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