D.A. Lucky from Sri Lanka wins Red Bull Ride My Wave in stunning finish

The final of Red Bull Ride My Wave greeted its competitors with a building swell and sunny skies. After two days of fierce competition and challenging conditions which saw 64 surfers from 20 countries take on the waves, D.A Lucky (Sri Lanka) emerged victorious at the 2016 edition of Red Bull Ride My Wave. 

The Sri Lankan reached the finals in a fierce battle where he put on an explosive display of powerful and clean surfing to clinch the title.

Lucky was the standout performer, earning the highest score in the finals and walking away with $ 1,500 and a full sponsorship from Dots Surf Café for 2017. Vladmir Merlis from Israel finished second and took home $ 1,000 while France’s Louis Sempe was relegated to third place and a prize of $ 500.

“I can’t put this feeling into words. This is a big step for my surfing and to be noticed by Dots... I’m ecstatic. The waves were definitely bigger and narrower today which was a challenge but I gave it my best. The experience that Red Bull Ride My Wave has given me, I’ve never had in my life. It has also given the South Coast and the Kabalana Surf Point the recognition they need. Projects like this help promote the country as well as the growth of surfing. I am very proud to be a part of this event and represent Sri Lanka,” said Lucky.

The heats for the top 32 kicked off the day, taking advantage of the clean morning conditions to come up with great performances and high scores. The waves remained pumping at a 4-5 foot range with an A-Frame beach break breaking both left and right at Kabalana Beach, Ahangama.

For the first time, Red Bull Ride My Wave 2016 held its first women’s only final which saw Jelaine Hermite (South Africa), Ashlee Kehoe (Australia), Yanneth Albornoz (Panama) and Asako Ento (Japan) take to the water in the competition which saw Hermite being crowned the women’s champion.

The 39 foreign surfers enjoyed competing against their local counterparts, with Israeli surfer Merlis saying: “I’m a regular to Sri Lanka and this is the first surf competition I’ve been a part of while being in the country. Red Bull Ride My Wave is a great opportunity for the local surfers to get a taste of international surfing competitions and allows foreigners to discover the best surf spots in the country.

“It was great to see the high level of surfing from the local surfers, especially 17-year-old Lucky. I can only hope this result will assist local surfers in getting support from more sponsors and the Government so that we get to see a talent like this on the World Tour in the near future. I cannot wait to return for next year’s event. A big thank you to everyone involved and to my judges Mandla, Roger and Sandile, who travelled from South Africa to work at the event,” said Kai Linder, Surfing Director for the event.