South seeks revenge at Red Bull Ride My Wave – 2nd leg

Friday, 8 August 2014 01:40 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

After being shown up on home waters, the best surfers from Sri Lanka’s South Coast are out to settle the score against their Eastern counterparts in the second and final leg of Red Bull Ride My Wave, which gets under way at three popular surf spots in Arugam Bay from 8 to 10 August. With an excellent mixture of swell, wind, tide and sunny skies, the South Coast finished with 142.3 points after the opening skirmishes on their territory earlier in the year, well below the East’s final tally of 164.8 points. This means they have no option but to go for broke with their best tricks from double barrels to cut backs and sprays. Whilst, the East team which ruled the first leg of Red Bull Ride My Wave held in March, will seek a repeat of their previous dominance in order to complete their surf supremacy over the South team. All this sets the scene for an electric display of surfing. This however, is not going to be an easy feat. The first leg of Red Bull Ride My Wave in March held three days of top-tier surfing action where the surfers from the South and East were both neck-and-neck and the contest was enticingly poised for a furious and gripping finish.

True to expectation, the final day provided a riveting exchange in the water which saw the East reach deep into their repertoire to deliver a surfing spectacle that served as a fitting denouement to Red Bull Ride My Wave’s opening act. A heavier dose of expertise and excitement can be expected this time around as the competitors are now familiar with the nature of the competition and have no doubt had time to fine-tune and upgrade their skills. Moreover, the waves, the weather, the wind and the crowds will be bigger, louder and perfect – fueling an atmosphere which will be outright electric. Competition during the second round of Red Bull Ride My Wave will be broken down into 20-minute heats, with participants only allowed to attempt 12 waves from which the best two will count to their score. Each heat will field four competitors and the top two will advance to the next round. Action will unwind along three of Arugam Bay’s most famed surfing locations: Okanda, which will host the competition’s opening day, Elephant Rock, the site of the second day’s action and Main Point, where proceedings will be brought to a pulsating climax. The victorious team will not just step away with the bragging rights of being Sri Lanka’s premier surf team but also an opportunity to travel to the Maldives and surf its much-visited waves.