Sebastian Williams (MEX) seeks to expand his portfolio
Jean Carlos Gonzalez (PAN) is ready for sport’s biggest stage
Huntington Beach, USA – September 18th 2022
A building southerly swell set the stage for another huge day of action in the 2022 ISA World Surfing Games presented by Visit Huntington Beach.
Each of the current WSL Championship Tour surfers left in the Main Round draw progressed, as did Keanu Kamiyama (JPN), a surfer who knows what it’s like to win in Huntington Beach. The 2018 ISA World Junior U/18 gold medalist showed flashes of his winning form. Meanwhile, an impassioned performance by Joshua Burke (BAR) saw the Bajan claim a heat win with a respectable heat total of 15.67 (7.83 + 7.93).
The highest scores of the day, however, came from the Repechage Rounds, the first two of which were completed today. Griffin Colapinto (USA) found a 9.33 at the south podium for the highest single wave score of the event so far, before backing it up with a 7.67 for the highest heat total of the event so far (17.00).
After a shock loss in Main Round 1 on the first day of competition, Current WSL Challenger Series rankings leader Rio Waida (IND) posted some of the highest scores of the day (9.00 + 7.00) to prove that he has no intention of being eliminated early.
“Tokyo 2020 was very big for me. I learned a lot and it changed my life for sure,” Waida said. “I want to go to Paris 2024, that’s my goal. I hope I can win this event and I hope I can get the (Olympic) spot.”
Sebastian Williams (MEX) seeks to expand his portfolio
Over the past few years Sebastian Williams (MEX) has built a reputation as one of the best freesurfers in the world. The ambidextrous surfer, who also calls South Africa home, has only donned the jersey three times in the past three years despite a promising junior career. But the 22-year-old is ready for more in 2022.
“Like Andy Irons said, ‘Surfing is one thing, competition surfing is another and then life is just a whole other thing,’” Williams quoted, after advancing through Repechage Round 2. “So I’d definitely like to take all three of those and combine them in the smoothest way possible. It’s always been my dream to be a world champ. I mean, I think it’s every surfer’s dream. It’s a bit cliche, but it’s true.”
