Allan ninth at World Juniors

BARBADIAN Che Allan was the only competitor from the North American region to crack the top ten at the recent Jeep World Surfing League’s (WSL) Junior Championship at the Kiama Bombo Beach in New South Wales, Australia.

Allan finished tied ninth overall out of the 36 top juniors in the world. At the same event last year, he was fifth.

In round three, Allan came up against American Tyler Gunter, who is the No.2 qualifier for North America, in a heat.

The heats were 25 minutes and Tyler opened up with two solid scores to lead the heat until the last three minutes when Allan got a 6.5 and 5.27 to triumph.

Allan, who won the WSL Men’s Junior Los Cabos Open Of Surf in Mexico last year, was then matched against the top Brazilian Samuel Pupo and Baron Mamiya of Hawaii in round four.

Pupo had the highest two waves, 9.40 and 7.93, and advanced automatically as the heat winner.

Allan got the third highest wave score, with a seven, but had a second wave of 5.10, which was short of the 6.7 he needed to advance over Mamiya, who had two high 6s.

In addition, Mamiya had priority at the end of the heat which entitled him to catch any wave and he expertly guarded this position for the last four minutes of the heat not allowing Allan to get a wave.

The top four surfers in each of the seven regions – North America, South America, Australia, Europe, Asia, Africa and Hawaii – worldwide had qualified for this event.

Allan had also placed fourth at the WSL Men’s Junior United States Open Of Surf at Huntington Beach in California when he was the first Barbadian to make a podium at this prestigious event.

Staying in Australia

Allan, the first Bajan to ever win a WSL men’s event when he triumphed in the Qualifyiing Series 1000 at the Soup Bowl last November, is remaining in Australia until mid-March when he will compete in seven WSL Men’s Qualifying Series events.

These consist of five 1000 and two 6000 events.

After this, Allan, who will be having hisfirst full year competing among the seniors, will return home for one day before heading to Martinique for a 3000 Men’s Qualifying Series event.

Finn McGill of Hawaii emerged champion after defeating Joh Azuchi of Japan in the final, with heat scores of 8.00 and 8.90 for an overall tally of 16.90.

Azuchi only managed heat scores of 4.17 and 6.83 for an overall score of 11.00. (EZS)