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Surfing Takes Center Stage as Music Festival Cancelled at Boardmasters
Nicolas Leroy
Extreme weather warnings have prompted organizers to consider safety implications and cancel the music festival at Watergate Bay this year at Boardmasters. Fortunately for surfing fans, extreme weather also means waves and the Quiksilver and Roxy Open will unfold this week at Fistral beach in Cornwall.
Competition started today with a long day of the Qualifying Series 1,000 men and women divisions while longboarders will enter the show likely tomorrow in the Boardmasters Longboard Pro.
With a tricky forecast on the horizon, organizers decided to use every bit of swell available on the opening day of the waiting period to complete 33 heats.
Big performances on Day 1 belonged to St Ives' Jayce Robinson who posted one of the few excellent scores (8.00 to 10.00) of the day in Round 2 before confirming his great form in the following round.
"Today I felt in my rhythm," he said. "My board felt really nice under my feet and everything just synced nicely. It's a feeling us surfers all strive for, whether it's in competition or just free surfing. I'm amped to be competing again after having a year out, I think it's the break I needed. The fire has been relit and I'm super amped to stoke it for the next few years and beyond."
Frenchman Tristan Guilbaud made light work of the tricky conditions as well in the opening heat of Round 3 to post a solid 14.66 heat total on his way to Round 4.
Stanley Norman, Jay Quinn and Luke Dillon are just a few of the 12 British surfers who made their heats at Fistral and will represent the host country when the Quiksilver and Roxy Open resume. Stakes are high as Russel Winter is the first and last to have won on home soil at Boardmasters, back in 2002.
"I've been traveling since the start of the year so it's nice to be home," Dillon said. "I've been back for a week, getting ready for this. Waves are a bit small today but forecast looks like it's going to get a bit bigger and stormier so it should suit me. I live down here at Fistral so it's epic to be home"
After the completion of men's Round 3, competition turned to the Roxy Open's Rounds 1 and 2 early this evening. The 2017 event winner Ella Williams came back to Boardmasters and picked up right where she left off with a solid first win into Round 3.
"I'm stoked it's nice and warm today and I'm super happy to be back," she said. "Last time I was here was awesome I have many great memories, it'd be great to get a win again and that feeling back! I've also entered the longboard division this year, it's actually my first competition but I really like it and it was a perfect occasion to try both."
Competition wrapped up after Heat 4 of the women's second round, just in time for the defending event winner Juliette Lacome and former runner-up Yolanda Hopkins to advance into Round 3.
Surfers will be back at 7:45 a.m Thursday for a potential re-start of the Roxy Open, or the first rounds of the Boardmasters Longboard Pro. The Quiksilver Open is officially called Off Thursday and may re-start on Friday depending on conditions.
Tune in from August 7-11, 2019 and check out all the photos, videos and updates right here!
Luke Dillon
The QS3,000 ABANCA Pantin Classic Galicia Pro continues in fun surf and wraps two more rounds of competition.
Epic surfing goes down in solid surf as the Animal Pro QS1,000 runs through the Quarters at Fistral.
The Animal Pro QS1,000 officially gets Boardmasters action underway at Fistral with opening rounds disputed in clean little waves.
With a massive swell and horrible winds at the contest, surfers find their way to a secluded point and score an epic free surf.
Check out a selection of imagery from the last held events in Caparica.
Quiksilver Open
Check out a selection of imagery from the 2019 Boardmasters.
Action culminates after a lay day at Boardmasters and completes all divisions with four great winners at Fistral.
Good conditions and huge turnout on a sunny Cornish day at Fistral.
Boardmasters' surfing action resumes in building surf with large waves in the afternoon and shock eliminations of past winners.
Rain, sun, wind, flat, then solid, all in the span of a few hours, Welcome to Cornwall!