| Putra Hermawan wins the Rusty Gromfest Pererenan in Bali |
| Thursday, 12 March 2009 12:00 |
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Light winds and pitching 2 foot waves greeted the frothing grommets at Pererenan Beach today for the second stop of the three-stage Rusty Gromfest Series 2009. Almost 100 kids from all over Bali (and beyond) came out in force to fine-tune their skills, win sick prizes, and bro out with Rusty’s local team of pro surfers. With a stacked heat draw and a long list of alternates, organizers blew the horn at 7:30am to get the first heat underway. Round 1 kicked off at the ‘Sandbar’ peak rather than the adjacent ‘Canggu Right’ due to the medium tide but this didn’t curb the under 14’s enthusiasm- they were pumped and zipped around the lineup catching waves left, right, and centre! The testing 6-man heats separated the boys from the children as only two surfers would progress into the second round. On the beach kids were buzzing with excitement and wasted no time making connections with other shredder’s from all over the archipelago. “I’ve made a few new friends already” beamed Mansyur, a 13-year-old surf rat from Sumbawa, “They said when I surf their local breaks they’ll give me waves, but only if I take them to Lakey Peak first!” In the under 16 division the incoming tide and pulsing swell produced some rippable 3 foot sets that reeled along Canggu’s lava rock shelf. The spotlight was on the Lembongan duo of Agus Frimanto and Putra Hermawan who battled it out last month at the Rusty Gromfest Keramas. Both let loose with a full arsenal of tricks and progressed through heats with consistent, solid performances. As the midday sun cooked Canggu’s black sand, guest judge and Rusty GM Kane Faint confessed, “The conditions are less than ideal but the groms bought their ‘A’ game and are tearing it to pieces… The weather forecast predicted rain but it seems like the hot surfing scared the clouds away!” When the under 14 finals took to the water the standard had well and truly heated up, with Komang Angga, Ediana Putra, local favorite Jeron, and the polished Koko Mitsua Antara absolutely going mental! Jeron had won a string of heats leading into the final while Ediana had also impressed the judges in the earlier rounds. These little human’s were throwing buckets upon buckets of spray and in the end Ediana took the title with lightning-fast frontside snaps and superior wave selection. Stoked! The climactic under 16 final featured Kadek Mertayasa, Putra Hermawan, Tia Nustawan, and Agus Frimanto. The side shore wind backed off considerably allowing for more open face turns, which favours Agus’ style, but unfortunately he broke his back fin on his opening ride. Tia had been on fire all day and his performance in the final was no different - he put together some great combinations and went blow-for-blow against Putra who showcased his typical display of tight, precise, critical surfing. In the end Putra claimed his second straight Coca-Cola ISC Junior Tour victory and was crowned the Rusty Gromfest Pererenan Champ! He also took home the ‘Sabre Madness Award’ for pulling a mental 360 punt in the Semi’s that was received with a roar of approval in the competitors tent. See you at Halfway Kuta on Sunday March 5th for the third and final stop of the Rusty Gromfest Series 2009. Under 14 Under 16 The overall U/16 series winner will be awarded a chance to compete against the best international junior surfers at the 14th annual Rusty Gromfest held at Lennox Head, Australia in July 2009. This event has enjoyed a rich history that has seen the likes of Mick Fanning, Bede Durbidge, and Julian Wilson crowned as champions. The overall U/16 champion will also be granted wildcard entry into the 6-star ISC Rusty Rumble In Da Jungle event at Sanur in May 2009.
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