Caribbean Waterman – Youth Souljahs Contest 2010

March 10, 2010 by souljahs  
Filed under Featured, Fishing, Surfing

Caribbean Waterman and Souljahs International will be releasing a brand new youth action sports DVD entitled “YOUTH SOULJAHS” in December 2010. We are inviting all youths, parents, and coaches to submit high quality video of athletes under the age of 18 performing their sport of choice. The main focus of the contest is Surfing, Fishing, and Skateboarding. However, we will be looking for footage of any action sports… even rip sticks!

The video will feature youths in age divisions and we are looking for performers “doing their thing” from as young as 5 years old. We encourage starting out early! Of course, you must use your discretion and safety is the number one priority. All contributors must have their parents’ permission in the form of a signed waiver to be considered. All official contributors will feature in the final video, in some form or another, so we welcome your input regardless of what level of performance you are at. ENTRY IS FREE!

All entries must be submitted to Caribbean Waterman by November 1st, 2010. We are looking for high quality video, which means:

1) Steady Shots – Use a tripod whenever possible!

2) Clear Picture – Use Optical Zoom over Digital Zoom whenever possible and get as close as possible to target.

3) Shoot in 16:9 mode or wide screen mode – HD is even better!

4) Shoot on Mini-DV tapes and be prepared to send the tapes to CW. It will also be possible to send DVDs, as long as no quality is lost in the digitalization process.

5) This is a VIDEO CONTEST – no photos will be considered, no matter how good the quality is.

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6) In addition to the action sport performance, we want a short video interview of the “young souljah” talking about his/her name, age, favorite sport, favorite maneuver, favorite pro athlete, and why he/she loves doing the sport he does

Caribbean Waterman will be starting an official mailing list and a facebook page, in addition to the information that is available on www.caribbeanwaterman.com. All persons interested in participating or finding out more information can pre-enroll by e-mailing souljahs@caribbeanwaterman.com . We will continuously update you with progress reports.

There will be an official prize giving and video premier in Trinidad in December 2010. This is be broadcasted over the internet so that the entire Caribbean, and World, can see the video as soon as it is released. As of right now, the official prizes being offered for the contest:

Best Surfer Performance: Custom Made Surfboard and Invitation to premier.

Best Fishing Performance: Custom Rod and Reel, and Invitation to Premier.

Best Skateboarding Performance: Custom Skateboard and Invitation to Premier.

Best Cinematography: USD$150 Gift Voucher.

In addition to these prizes, this video will be distributed to action sports apparel companies, agencies, and media houses in order to gain exposure for the youth’s performances, and hopefully open door for future sponsorships!

Thompson and Dennis Take Top Honors in CW Challenge 2009!

February 8, 2010 by souljahs  
Filed under Featured, Fishing, Surfing

CARIBBEAN WATERMAN CHALLENGE 2009

The final results are in for the Inaugural Caribbean Waterman Challenge 2009! With some serious water sports action over the last 12 months, the Sport Fishing and Surfing Categories now both have crowned champions in several categories. It was a long year with many events spread over the Caribbean, from Jamaica to Martinique to Trinidad & Tobago, with many more scattered in between.

In an effort to have a level playing field for evaluating waterman’s performances throughout the year, we have tried our best to have the hosts of all these events supply detailed information on all participants. In some case, like the Spice Island Billfish Tournament, reporting was very detailed and helped our competition tremendously. In other cases, we were only able to get information of top performers in many categories. Nonetheless, the results of the CW Challenge 2009 accurately reflect the true significance of the top performances.

In the Surfing realm, CW summarized several surfing events Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, and the ISA World Surfing Games 2009. In Jamaica there were the Jamaican Surfing Association (JSA) National Open Series event 1 and 2, and the Caribbean Surfing Network (CSN) Makka Pro 2009. In Barbados there were the Barbados Surfing Association (BSA) Surfer of the Year events 1 through 4, BSA National Surfing Championships 2009, and the Barbados Independence Surf Festival 2009.

In the Sports Fishing Realm, CW summarized several Sports Fishing events, both International and local (to Trinidad and Tobago). International tournament results were used for the Tobago International Game Fishing Tournament, the TTGFA Marlin Madness Tournament, the Spice Island Billfish Tournament (Grenada), the St.Lucia International Tournament, the Barbados International Tournament, and the Martinique International Tournament.

In addition, results from the Beacon Insurance Wahoo Tournament, The Well Services Kingfish Tournament, and The TDC Tarpon Thunder Tournament, which were all TTGFA events, were used. Finally, results from the Unit Trust Fishing Tournament, an independently run fundraising event, we also tabulated.

Overall, the Challenge summarized the performances of sixty four (64) Caribbean Sport Fishing Vessels/Crews, one hundred and six (106) Sport Fishing Anglers, and eighty seven (87) competitive surfers. These athletes represented (7) countries, which included Jamaica, Barbados, T&T, Grenada, St.Lucia, Martinique, and the UK. We are confident that there were more participants and more countries represented throughout these events and with improved reporting techniques in the 2010 edition of the Challenge, this will be better reflected in the final results.

The stand out overall performance by a Caribbean Waterman in 2009 was young Brett Thompson that won the Best Angler Performance Category, and Heaviest Grouper Shot Free Diving Category. Another name worth mentioning was Chris Dennis who won the Best Competitive Surfer Performance Category, he surfed one event less than his closest rival. Both of these athlete’s are from Trinidad and Tobago.

The Final Results of the Caribbean Waterman Challenge 2009 have been summarized in an Online Audio Visual Presentation that can be viewed via our website at www.caribbeanwaterman.com . The breakdown of the official results is as follows:

OFFICIAL RESULTS

SPECIES AND INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES - FISHING

Category

Winner

Size

Country

Biggest Grouper Free Dive

Brett Thompson

102 lbs

T&T

Biggest Tuna Free-Fishing

Badger Dearman

169lbs

GND

Biggest Cobera Snapper / Parge

Stuart Hutton

67 lbs

T&T

Sailfish

Don Thomas

62.2 lbs

T&T

Tuna

Miss Abbie

163 lbs

T&T

Dolphin

Peter Gibbs

51.5 lbs

BDS

Wahoo

Nicholas De Souza

92.2 lbs

T&T

Marlin

Jovan Jangoo

825 lbs

T&T

Best Fishing-Action Photographs

Christian Hadeed

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES - SURFING

Category

Winner

Country

Best Free Surf Performance

Icah Wilmot

Jamaica

Best Surf-Action Photos

2nd - David Wears

T&T

1st - Billy Wilmot

Jamaica

Best Photo of Caribbean Surfer (Intl.)

Jason Apparicio

T&T

TOP VESSEL / CREW PERFORMANCES

Place

Name

Country

1

Hard Play II

T&T

4040

2

Blue Fever / Mappapie

T&T

2730

3

Luhrd Away

T&T

2192

4

Magic Lady

T&T

1785

5

Moon Shadow / D Rog

T&T

1690

6

Afunday

T&T

1675

7

Ega Beaver

T&T

1631

8

Barbie Doll Too

T&T

1610

9

Reel Finatic

T&T

1583

10

Why Worry

T&T

1561

11

Temptation

T&T

1525

12

Southern Cross

T&T

1378

13

Legacy

BDS

1370

14

Par-t-Time

T&T

1315

15

Houdini

T&T

1255

16

Pair a Dice

T&T

1225

17

Viking 4

T&T

1225

18

Big Deal

BDS

1083

19

Step Ah Side

T&T

1025

20

Blood Shot

T&T

1000

21

Done Diggin

T&T

878

22

Hard Play

T&T

873

23

De Reel Viking

BDS

860

23

Limited Edition

MART

860

23

Finesse

T&T

860

23

D Jep

T&T

860

23

Free Enterprise

St L

860

23

Anger Management

T&T

860

29

Miss Abbie

T&T

835

30

Fun Now

T&T

730

30

Bobby Breen

T&T

730

32

Grand Slam

T&T

670

33

Challenge II

BDS

610

33

Equity

T&T

610

33

Fancy Man II

T&T

610

33

Dream Catcher

T&T

610

37

Trendsetter

T&T

583

38

Radical

T&T

555

39

Grey Ghost

St L

555

39

Mama Mia

T&T

555

41

Archrival

T&T

528

41

Crazy Horse Again

GND

528

43

Mark Up

T&T

500

44

Arabian Princess

488

44

Lyrics

488

44

Ruby’s Joy II

GND

488

47

Terminated

T&T

475

48

Blue Magic

450

49

Risky Business

GND

425

50

Fever

T&T

413

51

Grand Slam II

395

52

Maya

T&T

380

53

Rebel

380

54

Crazy Baldhead

GND

375

55

Catalyst

T&T

370

56

Reel McCoy

T&T

360

57

Contendress

MART

350

58

Gecko

UK

340

59

Two Thou

MART

335

60

Papasan

T&T

330

61

Cherrio

T&T

325

62

Big Swordfish

MART

320

63

Shennel

GND

310

64

Yes Aye

GND

305

TOP ANGLER PERFORMANCES

Place

Angler

Country

1

Brett Thompson

T&T

1788

2

Francois Mouttet

T&T

1610

3

Jovan Jangoo

T&T

1370

4

Michael DeFreitas

T&T

1325

5

Edward Aboud

T&T

1253

6

Andrew Crooks

T&T

1250

7

Christian Hadeed

T&T

1012

8

Andrew Llanos

T&T

1000

8

James Harris

T&T

1000

8

Mathew Armstrong

BDS

1000

8

Nicholas DeSouza

T&T

1000

8

Ryan Agar

T&T

1000

8

Mark Villain

T&T

1000

14

Fernando Navarro

T&T

930

15

Oma Davis

T&T

860

16

Richard de Verteuil

T&T

780

17

Geoffrey Pollard

T&T

765

18

Adrian Johnson

BDS

730

18

Don Thomas

T&T

730

19

Timothy Skinner

T&T

730

20

Johnathan Delarosa

T&T

710

21

Peter Reid

T&T

670

21

Shammon Walker

670

23

Godfrey George

GND

610

24

Roger Aleong

T&T

590

25

Ansil Ramsaroop

555

25

Brendan Bernard

555

25

Gerald Lai Quan

555

25

Joe Andary

555

25

John Inniss

BDS

555

25

Kirk Agar

555

25

Lennox Tang Yuk

555

25

Peter Webster

555

25

Reginald Maclean

555

25

Teressa Jack

555

35

Mark Telfer

T&T

545

36

Jeane Aleong

T&T

528

37

Jim Lee Young

T&T

500

38

James Brathwaite

GND

488

39

Leslie DuBoulay

STL

475

40

Andrew Rapson

T&T

462

41

Matthew Roach Jr.

BDS

450

42

Wayne Roach

BDS

438

43

Ian Hamel-Smith

T&T

425

44

Jarrod Skeete

BDS

413

45

Alan Jeffries

400

45

Clifford Orr

400

45

Derick Tardieu

400

45

Gerard de Silva

T&T

400

45

Gregory Farah

400

50

Gregory Mendes

T&T

385

50

Darion Herbert

375

50

Mickey Kirton

365

50

Ronald Wortman

T&T

365

50

Brendon Farfan

360

50

Sheldon Wong Chong

T&T

360

50

Andre Patterson

GND

355

50

Sherwin Thomas

355

50

Glen Thoren

STL

350

50

Goran Qvarfordt

T&T

345

50

Donald MacLean

T&T

340

50

Justin Ammon

340

50

Anthony Chamly

335

50

Christopher Morris

T&T

335

50

Mark Thomas

330

50

Victor Tardieu

T&T

330

50

David Wong

325

50

Gordon Mitchell

T&T

320

50

Danny Swanson

T&T

315

50

Mark Thompson

315

50

Robert Johnson

315

50

Arnaud Fontaine

MTQ

310

50

Andre De Lapreyouse

T&T

305

50

Bernard Clarke

305

50

Derrick Tardieu

T&T

300

50

Mark Simmonds

300

50

Christopher Kelshall

T&T

295

50

Nigel Garcia

T&T

290

50

Michael Otway

GND

285

50

Tim Lambert

END

280

50

Gordon Dalgleish

T&T

275

50

Mark LaQuis

T&T

270

50

Godfrey Thomas

GND

265

50

Matt Kisler

T&T

260

50

Brooke Smith

GND

255

50

Dominic DeLima

GND

250

50

Timothy Paty

T&T

245

50

Max Maugee

MTQ

235

50

Luke Thoren

T&T

230

50

Colin Hamel-Smith

T&T

220

50

Mark DeGannes

T&T

215

50

Clive Howell

BDS

210

50

Jeff Smith

T&T

205

50

Spencer Tardieu

T&T

200

50

Derrick Steele

GND

195

50

Ken Sylvester

GND

190

50

Terry George

T&T

185

50

Robert Evans

T&T

180

50

Norman Sabga

T&T

175

50

Marc Cheekes

T&T

170

50

Mark Gransaull

T&T

165

50

Adam Conyers

T&T

160

50

Stanley Dillon

T&T

158

50

Georges BennaRoche

MTQ

156

50

Johnathan Jones

BDS

154

50

Avi Paul

T&T

150

50

Ferdinand Lossl

GND

148

TOP SURFERS PERFORMANCES

Current

RANK

Surfer

Country

Total

1

Chris Dennis

T&T

5940

2

Shane Simmonds

JAM

5640

3

Inilek Wilmot

JAM

5121

4

Icah Wilmot

JAM

5061

5

Chris Clarke

BDS

4991

6

Che Lovelace

T&T

4511

7

Luke Williams

JAM

4456

8

Lewis St John

BDS

4443

9

Alan Burke

BDS

4180

10

Ackeam Phillips

JAM

3913

11

Jake Corbin

BDS

3865

12

Eneson Lightbourn

JAM

3716

13

Stefan Corbin

BDS

3635

14

Jason Pusey

JAM

3510

15

Simon Coles

BDS

3471

16

Alan Davis

T&T

3448

17

David Hoad

BDS

3365

18

Jason Apparicio

T&T

3108

19

Shane Hennaman

T&T

3014

20

Bryan Ramcharan

T&T

2888

21

Shawn Rostant

T&T

2885

22

Jonathan Reece

BDS

2793

23

Michael Panton

JAM

2531

24

Ackeam Taylor

JAM

2120

25

Garren Pryce

JAM

2110

26

Jordan Heaselgrave

BDS

2040

27

Kendall Francis

T&T

1993

28

Shama Beckford

JAM

1900

29

Conrad Smith

JAM

1900

30

Andrew Awai

T&T

1835

31

Ronley Lewis

JAM

1826

32

Oshane Usher

JAM

1800

33

Keith Lewis

T&T

1794

34

Chad Hamelsmith

T&T

1768

35

Mikey ‘Bully’ Phillips

T&T

1725

36

Armani Green

JAM

1676

37

Dwight Roberts

JAM

1670

38

Jamoy Hall

JAM

1636

39

Eugene Miller

JAM

1570

40

Ronald Hastings

JAM

1570

41

Barry Banfield

BDS

1535

42

Kevin Setai

T&T

1413

43

Simon Cabral

T&T

1400

44

Stefan Lue Chin

T&T

1385

45

Ryan Chin

T&T

1350

46

Peter Hill

BDS

1285

47

Christian Boos

BDS

1010

48

Carlos Wharton

BDS

1005

49

Gawayne Gallimore

JAM

1000

50

Sherrard Spiers

T&T

975

51

Dwayne Tracey

JAM

950

52

Lennox Wright

JAM

900

53

Mark De Verteuil

T&T

888

54

Ivah Wilmot

JAM

876

55

Gatey Dawkins

JAM

876

56

Michael Mair

JAM

876

57

Sean Mrouff

T&T

863

58

Warren Lewis

JAM

770

59

Sanjae Lewis

JAM

770

60

Sam Taylor

BDS

670

61

Gavin Fernandes

BDS

555

62

Daniel Edghill

BDS

500

62

Eduardo Oropeza

BDS

500

63

Simon Thompson

BDS

500

64

Darren Farfan

T&T

500

65

Jamie Phillips

T&T

500

66

Dario Jordan

T&T

500

67

Glen Ferreira

T&T

500

68

Brian Gooding

BDS

488

69

Dominic Persy

T&T

488

70

Andre Stuart

T&T

462

71

Javier Lemoine

BDS

450

72

Mathew Kieffer

BDS

450

73

Josh Lewis

T&T

450

74

Tristan Richardson

T&T

450

75

Craig de Freitas

T&T

450

76

Alan Fitt

T&T

450

77

Kiwan Landreth-Smith

T&T

450

78

Simeon Cupid

T&T

450

79

Clint Lewis

T&T

425

80

Christain Chin

T&T

400

81

Shane Spiers

T&T

400

82

Sheldon Francis

T&T

375

83

John Author

T&T

370

84

Jason Oliver

BDS

360

85

Justin Tang

T&T

64

Tobago Surfers Rule at CW COCRICO PRO!

January 4, 2010 by souljahs  
Filed under Featured, Surfing

CARIBBEAN WATERMAN – COCRICO PRO TOBAGO

DEC 29 2009 – JAN 1 2010

MT.IRVINE, TOBAGO – From December 29th 2009 – January 1st 2010, Caribbean Waterman (caribbeanwaterman.com) and the local surfing community in Tobago successfully ran a surfing event in Tobago that highlighted the quality of the surfers and their performances in the high quality waves of the Sister Island, with support from SURFINGT&T (surfingtt.org).

This spectacular event, which coincided with huge waves (2.5 – 3.5 Meters)formed by a North Atlantic Low Pressure System, was blessed with surfing conditions that dreams are made of, at least for the surfers. Many of Tobago’s beaches were too rough for swimming and this encouraged many spectators to gather on Mt.Irvine Beach to witness the first Surf Contest in Tobago in over 20 years.

The goal of this event was to have minimal negative impact on the surf break at Mt.Irvine and the great beach culture that already exists. Instead, the organizers wanted the event to have a great positive impact on the performance quality of surfing in Tobago. Surfers and watermen who would not normally compete in traditional surf contests were encouraged to take part in this event due to its new and innovative format.

Traditionally surf contest are purely judged by non-competing judges, in a rigid schedule of 20 minute heats, whereas a large portion of the CW COCRICO PRO TOBAGO was judged based on the observations and opinions of the competing surfers themselves through a voting process. This meant that credit was given where credit was due, and the athletes that were awarded prizes knew that they had truly gained the respect of their peers.

Additionally, a large focus of this event is was the youth factor. SURFINGT&T has made it clear that our country needs a lot of attention focused on youth development. Tobago has shown potential in this area far beyond its size and population, and they did not disappoint at the event with 4 of the top 5 U18 surfers coming from Tobago.

The positive feedback from the Tobago Community in the wake of this event has been overwhelming and many have volunteered their support for growing the event into an annual gathering with significant additional resources and infrastructure. Tobago surfing legend and winner of Best Big-wave Surfing Exhibit and Best Overall Waterman Performance, Barry St.George had this to say:

“This event has come as a true blessing to surfing in Tobago and has brought recognition where it is long overdue. All critics who downplayed the potential of this event are humbled by its great success!”

RESULTS

Voted

(CATEGORY – WINNERS NAME – PRIZES RECEIVED)

Monster Drop / Biggest Wave DUANE KENNY – Medal, Traction Pad, Leash, DVD.

Best / Biggest Barrel Ride – ALAN DAVIS – Medal, Traction Pad, Leash, DVD.

Worst Wipeout – SCOTT TUCKER – Medal, Traction Pad, Leash, DVD.

Best High-Performance Surfing Exhibit – ANDRE STEWART – Medal, Traction Pad, Leash, DVD.

Best Big-wave Surfing Exhibit – BARRY ST.GEORGE – Medal, Traction Pad, Leash, and DVD.

Best Overall Waterman Performance – BARRY ST.GEORGE – Medal, Free Weekend at 4Bdrm Villa.

Most Improved Performer (OPEN) – ANDRE STEWART – Medal, Traction Pad, Leash, DVD.

Most Improved Junior (U18) – MATHEW MILNE – Medal, Traction Pad, Leash, DVD.

Best Master Performance (35+) – CHE LOVELACE – Medal, Traction Pad, Leash, DVD.

SPIRIT OF SURFING AWARD – EAMON HEALY-SINGH – Medal, Traction Pad, Leash, DVD.

Best Still Photo of a surfing performance. – TO BE DETERMINED (MEDIA BEING COLLECTED)

Best Video Clip of a Surfing performance. – TO BE DETERMINED (MEDIA BEING COLLECTED)

Please submit media for the best Still and/or Best Video Clip to the e-mail address below, or call me to arrange pick up of media.  We sincerely appreciate any media you can submit!

Judged

Super-Session 1st (OPEN) – ALAN DAVIS – Ticket to THE SHADE NEW YEARS PARTY (TTD$500)

Super-Session 2nd (OPEN) – JASON APPARICIO

U18 juniors 1st (Male) – ADRIAN DE SILVA – Ticket to Trinidad to Compete in SURFINGT&T EVENT.

U18 juniors 2nd (Male) – MATHEW MILNE

U18 juniors 3rd (Male) – DARIO JORDAN

U18 juniors 4th (Male) – CAELUM BLANDFORD

U18 juniors 5th (Male) – IAN ROSS-SCHWEDEN

THANKS

This event was made possible by the generous contributions of CARIBBEAN WATERMAN, SOULJAHS INTERNATIONAL, THE SHADE, SURFINGT&T, TIM LAVESQUE at NETWORK SURF AUSTRALIA, RAIN SCHNIDER REAL ESTATE, and THE TOBAGO SURFING COMMUNITY.

You can contact Caribbean Waterman via Keith Lewis 775-1001 or onamission420@yahoo.com

Alan Davis driving through Barrel on his way to winning Best Barrel and 1st Place in the Super Session Open Division!

Alan Davis driving through a Barrel on his way to winning Best Barrel and 1st Place in the Super Session Open Division!

Lewis St.John clean sweeps CSN Pro Tour!

December 3, 2009 by souljahs  
Filed under Featured, Surfing

by HEATHER-LYNN EVANSON // xtremedegreez.com

LOCAL SURFERS reigned when the curtain came down on the Barbados Surfing Association (BSA)/Caribbean Surf Network (CSN) 2009 Independence Surf Festival over the three-day weekend. Despite strong challenges from international and regional surfers, as well as from their compatriots, Lewis St John, Chelsea Tuach and body-boarder Paul Larrier took top honours at the Soup Bowl, Bathsheba.

Conditions at the Bowl were almost perfect on Saturday with the arrival of a much-anticipated North Swell. However, conditions on Sunday and Monday petered out, leaving surfers fighting for the perfect wave or, at times, stranded in the line-up waiting for any swell to pop up. But, temperamental conditions aside, the quality of the competition was high, even more so with the addition of surfers from the United States, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Puerto Rico.                                                                                                                                                                   DSC_0302Hard-hitting manoeuvres, big air and floaters, as well as barrel rolls, became the order of the day as surfers and body-boarders pulled out the stops on the final day of the competition. The event also featured repercharge rounds, and it’s a testimony to his skill that eventual two-event winner Lewis St John surfed his way through those rounds to end up taking the grand final title in the Open Division.

Not only did he take the top prize in that event that featured two Americans and a Puerto Rican, he also won the Junior Under-21 event, which saw local boy Jordan Heaselgrave sandwiched between second-place Jamaican Shane Symmonds and fourth-place Jamaican Ackeam Philips.

The win cemented St John’s dominance on the CSN Caribbean Tour.

Also proving her dominance on the local surfing scene tour was 13-year-old Chelsea Tuach. She not only took the top podium position at the weekend’s Ladies’ final but ended the year as the CSN women’s champion, the BSA Surfer Of The Year women’s champion and the BSA Surfer Of the Year Under-18 Girls’ champion.

This weekend’s event was also special for local bodyboarding force Paul Larrier. Everyone expected him to three-peat in the B3 Bodyboard Series, and he did not disappoint. In driving rain, he capped the day in the top spot in a year that has seen the re-emergence of bodyboarding into a full surfing event. DSC_0942

The event also featured the Hot Twist 2009 Miss Bikini Competition, won by Tia Grant, and entertainment by local band Threads of Scarlet.

Final results

Bodyboarding: Paul Larrier, Mark Newhoff, Kwame Griffith, Jason Parkinson.

Junior Under-21: Lewis St John, Shane Symmonds (JAM), Jordan Heaselgrave, Ackeam Philips (JAM).

Ladies: Chelsea Tuach, Chelsea Roett, Ametza Nicholls, Melanie Pitcher, Jade Niccolls.

Open: Lewis St John, Josie Graves (PR), Jensen Callaway (US), Robert Roman (US).

CW:“Congratulations to Lewis on another great victory, 3 wins in a row on the CSN Tour is a first, and will surely be a hard record to beat.  This young athlete is an outstanding Caribbean Waterman, and we look forward to seeing him recognize his potential on the international pro surfing stage.  Keep up the great surfing Lewis!”

Lewis goes beyond verticle in the tricky soup bowl conditions!

Lewis goes beyond verticle in the tricky soup bowl conditions!

Photo: Jennifer Allen.

LEWIS St.JOHN WINS SANS SOUCI PRO!

November 3, 2009 by souljahs  
Filed under Featured, SURFINGTNT, Surfing

Lewis St.John took top honors at the 2009 Sans Souci Pro and is now the CSN points leader by a great margin.  

Lewis St.John in winning form once again!

Lewis St.John in winning form once again!

Barbadians Lewis St John and Chelsea Tuach along with Jamaican Ackeam Philips shared the championship honors at the 2009 SUZUKI SAN SOUCI PRO surf contest which went off in some small challenging conditions at the “Beach Break” surfing beach in San Souci, Toco on the 31st Oct and 1st of Nov. The event featured the top Caribbean pro surfers and attracted 16 pro men, 3 pro women and 12 junior pro surfers.

A much anticipated North Swell cautioned the Contest Director to call a’ lay day’ to competition on Saturday, but still run an Expression Session.  The Best Maneuver was awarded to Lewis St. John (BAR) and the Best Wave to Inilek Wilmot (JAM).  The entire event was run on Sunday in 1’-3’ waves using a double elimination format with a full repercharge round. The event, now in its third year, is loved by the Toco Community who were on hand to give loud cheers and whistles each time a surfer executed an impressive maneuver.

There was much excitement as Trinidad and Tobago ’s top surfers matched up against the best from Barbados and Jamaica and showed that the Trinis are a force to be reckoned with. Trinidad ’s top performer, Christopher Dennis, was narrowly edged out by Tour Leader and Defending Champion Lewis St. John (BAR) in the open men division. Other top finishers in the open men included Icah Wilmot (JAM) Luke Williams (JAM), Alan Davis (TT), Christopher Clarke (Bar), Inilek Wilmot (JAM), Jason Apparicio (TT) who all finished in the top 8.

In the women’s division, Chelsea Tuach showed that it is going to be challenging to beat her this year as she has taken a very commanding lead in the point’s race. Dario Jordan (TT) fought to put Trinidad in a top Podium position, but just came up short to Ackeam Philips (Jam). The event was made possible through the kind sponsorship of Suzuki, Life style motors, Trinidad and Tobago Surf Experience, Corona, Dasani Water, Red Bull, Tropical Power and SATT

 

MENS DIVISION (US$)

1st Lewis St John BAR $1,200.00

2nd Christopher Dennis TT $ 700.00

3rd Icah Wilmot JAM $ 500.00

4th Luke Williams JAM $ 300.00

 

WOMEN DIVISION (US$)

1st Chelsea Tuach BAR $400.00

2nd Tova Miller TT $200.00

3rd Chrisanna Harewood TT $100.00

 

JUNIOR DIVISION

1st Ackeam Philips JAM Trip to Barbados

2nd Dario Jordan TT Prizes

3rd Enson Lightbourn JAM Prizes

4th Chelsea Tuach BAR Prizes

5th Michael Panton JAM Prizes

6th Shane Simmons JAM Prizes

 

Photos by Anthony Wilmot and Joanna da Silva.

 

JAMAICAS TOP SURFERS FOR SANS SOUCI PRO IN TRINIDAD

October 7, 2009 by souljahs  
Filed under Featured, SURFINGTNT, Surfing

Jamaica’s top performers at the ’09 “MAKKA PRO”, will travel to the southern Caribbean to compete in the “SAN SUCI PRO”, the second event of the 2009 Suzuki Caribbean Surf Tour, to be held in Toco Trinidad from 31st October – 1st November 2009.

Icah Wilmont, one of Jamaica's most valuable exports!

Icah Wilmont, one of Jamaica finest exports!

Shane Simmonds, after successfully defending his title at this year’s “Makka Pro” is the current points leader in the junior division, and with a second place showing in the open men division, is Jamaica’s top ranked surfer in both divisions of the ’09 series.

Akeam getting prepared back in Jamaica.

Akeam getting prepared back in Jamaica.

Other top finishers in the open men who will make the trip included last year’s runner up in the men’s open division Inilek Wilmot, Luke Williams, Ackeam Phillips, Icah Wilmot and Michael Panton who all finished in the money, with Eneson Lightbourn finishing in the prizes in the pro juniors.

Inilek deep in a caribbean dream.

Inilek deep in a caribbean dream.

“We want to cement Jamaica’s name as a real contender for Caribbean surfing dominance, and with the caliber of athletes we now have I think we have what is necessary to take Jamaican surfing “To The World” said JSA President Billy Wilmot.

Luke 'Stonebar' Williams  is looking for a solid performance in Trinidad.

Luke 'Stonebar' Williams will be looking to perform at Sans Souci's Beach Break.

Jamaica’s participation in this series was made possible through the kind sponsorship support of The Sports Development Foundation, Insight, Xtrak, Magma, Ipath, Mailpac AND The JSA.

Luke, Icah, Inilek and Shane.

Luke, Icah, Inilek and Shane.

CURRENT MENS DIVISION STANDINGS (US$)

1st Lewis St John BAR $1,200.00
2nd Shane Simmonds JAM $ 700.00
3rd Jordan Heaselgrave BAR 500.00
4th Inilek Wilmot JAM $ 300.00
5th Luke Williams JAM $ 250.00
6th Ackeam Philli8ps JAM $ 200.00

7th Icah Wilmot JAM $ 150.00

8th Michael Panton JAM $ 100.00

WOMEN DIVISION STANDINGS (US$)
1st Chelsea Tuach BAR $600.00
2nd Ametza Nichols BAR $300.00
3rd Imani Wilmot JAM $150.00
4th Jessica Williams JAM $100.00

JUNIOR DIVISION STANDINGS

1st Shane Simmonds JAM Trip to Trinidad

2nd Jordan Heaselgrave BAR Prizes

3rd Stefan Corbin BAR Prizes

4th Eneson Lightbourn JAM Prizes

An Extra Special Day!

September 10, 2009 by souljahs  
Filed under Featured, Surfing

The Surfing Association of Trinidad and Tobago(SATT)  and  the Caribbean Kids and Families Therapy Organisation(CKFTO), both non-profit organizations, provided a Surf Experience for Special Needs Kids and their siblings on the 5th of September at Las Cuevas Beach.  The aim of this therapeutic experience is to empower the special needs children in a safe, fun and challenging activity while nurturing their relationship with their siblings and parents.

CKFTO’s mission is to provide professional and empathetic therapeutic services to all Caribbean children ages birth to twenty-one with special needs; to provide support and empowerment to families of children with special needs and to educate and involve the community ofTrinidad and Tobago in creating an open and caring society for all persons with special needs.

The Surfing Association is proud to have been involved in this experience and all of our certified instructors and several surfing and non-surfing members assisted in making this a truly ’special’ day for all concerned.

We feel proud to be a part of something that is greater than the association, it’s intitiatives, and the sum of it’s parts. This event will surely become annual event, and perhaps a more frequent event.  Everyone who made it possible, sponsors, volunteers, family, friends, and surfers alike do not need a pat on the back because they can be comforted by the overwhelming joy expressed on the faces of every child present on this special day.

“Gone are the days of surfing’s negative stereotypes, today surfing ambassadores have only positives to pass on to our communities. We are here to share the joy of wave riding and beach culture. We are here to share the joy and love of all the ocean has to offer.” Keith Lewis

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE NON-MEMBERS WHO VOLUNTEERED AND THE SPONSORS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE SMILES…..REPUBLIC BANK, BLUE WATERS, SOLO, BRYDENS, BUDGET MARINE, SCOTIABANK, FLAVORITE, HOLIDAY FOODS, BRYDEN PI, TRIDIUM, CANTREX AND A COUPLE PRIVATE CONTRIBUTORS.


“THANKS TO ALL THE SURFERS AND HELPERS WHO GAVE OF THEMSELVES TO MAKE THIS A TRULY SPECIAL DAY FOR THESE KIDS AND THEIR PARENTS……MANY OF THESE FAMILIES ENDURE HARDSHIPS WE CANT IMAGINE AND THE BLISS I WITNESSED ON THEIR FACES AND IN THE SHOUTS AND SCREAMS OF PURE JOY WILL REMAIN WITH ME FOREVER…..WE COULDNT GET THE KIDS OUT OF THE WATER ONCE WE STARTED AND ONE CHILD DIDNT TOUCH WATER FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS BEFORE YESTERDAY…IT TOOK HIM AN HOUR TO REACH THEWATERS EDGE AND AFTER THAT HE WAS SPLASHING AND ROLLING IN THE SURF……” Warren Rostant

Check out all of Nic Marsans great photos at  http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicpic2009/sets/72157622144430861/

As expected, RedBull was well represented with their Pinzi Vehicle making its way up and down the beach. The surfer voluntere’s got to have a little fun of their own.  Check out the video by Ravin Ramkissoon..

BOLD PREDICTIONS – Legend in the Making

August 25, 2009 by souljahs  
Filed under Featured, Surfing

There is a lot to be said for the relationship between family lineage and performance as watermen. For example, when you hear the names Tardieu or Thompson mentioned in Trinidad the first thing that comes to mind is legendary fishermen, divers, and boatmen…Watermen. The same goes for the name Aleong. Yet, though you’re born to a Great Grandfather named Winfred Aleong and a Grandfather named Roger Aleong, the innocence of childhood may leave you ignorant to the fact that you are of legendary “Caribbean Waterman” Lineage.

Isaiah with his 2 prizes!

Isaiah with his 2 prizes!

As a youth, all you are interested in is having as much fun as possible and not having to get caught up in all the “grown-up” politics. Isaiah Aleong-Baksh does just that. Born to Sara Aleong and Mickey Baksh (both avid and successful fishermen/women in their own right), Isaiah makes the most of every waking minute, enjoying the things that the kid inside of us all wishes we could do all day. Fishing, Surfing, Hunting, Skateboarding, Rip-Sticking (the crazy two-wheeled version of a skateboard that we would consider impossible if we had not seen a 5 year old do it!), and much more.

At eight years old he has already achieved more than many. In 2008, at 7 years old, he won the U14 SATT National Championships riding inside waves and beating a group of 10-12 year olds. In 2009, he paddled to the outside in heavy 4-6ft beach break conditions to surf against a much more formidable group or 13 year olds and managed to catch 2 solid waves under his own power to take 3rd place in the same event! When the time came for prize giving his mother had to accept his medal as he was not wasting any time. He was found fishing in the Sans Souci River and catching what the locals called “The Biggest Mountain Wabeen they had ever seen!”

Isaiah at SATT Nationals 2009

Isaiah at SATT Nationals 2009

But that is just the beginning! Isaiah has caught Yellow Fin Tuna, Kingfish, Snook, Tarpon, and countless other species of fish. He has been a junior angler in many tournaments and recently fished with Team Magic Lady in the TDC Tarpon Thunder Tournament. His skill and form with a Rod and Reel are that of an angler far beyond his age and experience. This kid has raw talent and an eye for spotting fish potential. But more importantly he is very persistent and enjoys what he is doing. On any given summer day you can find him at the Yacht Club, on his own, sharpening his skills and fine-tuning his techniques for each different species; catfish, mullet, brochette, snapper.

Isaiah at SATT Nationals 2009.

Isaiah at SATT Nationals 2009.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Isaiah is his persona. For someone with that much skill and ability, he seems un-fazed. He is genuinely humble and polite, where some would be cocky and arrogant. He is respectful and constantly seeks advice on how to improve his game. He is also extremely lucky to be constantly surrounded by family and family friends who all have great skills and knowledge to pass on to this upcoming waterman. Finally, he has real charisma and is a pleasure to be around, the kind of man you want on your boat or in your truck on any mission – you tend to forget he is just a ‘yout’!

BOLD PREDICTION – Isaiah Aleong-Baksh will be the Stand-Out Caribbean Waterman in years to come. Look out for great performances from him in Caribbean Waterman Challenge Events in the future!

Isaiah in TDC Tarpon Thunder aboard Magic Lady.

Isaiah in TDC Tarpon Thunder aboard Magic Lady.

TEAM USA WINS THE BILLABONG ISA WORLD SURFING GAMES

August 1, 2009 by souljahs  
Filed under Featured, Surfing

TEAM USA WINS THE BILLABONG ISA WORLD SURFING GAMES

Pictured: The USA Team that made history today at Playa Hermosa. Pic: Watts/ISA

FINAL Team Results:
GOLD - United States – 14910 points
SILVER - France – 13280 points
BRONZE - Australia - 10996 points
COPPER - Hawaii – 10856 points

INDIVIDUAL FINAL RESULTS
Open Men
Gold: Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Silver: Cory Lopez (USA)
Bronze: Gabriel VIllarán (PER)
Copper: Ben Bourgeois (USA)

Open Women
Gold: Courtney Conlogue (USA)
Silver: Rosanne Hodge (RSA)
Copper: Sage Erickson (USA)
Bronze: Pauline Ado (FRA)

Longboard
Gold: Antoine Delpero (FRA)
Silver: Harley Ingleby (AUS)
Copper: Ben Skinner (GBR)
Bronze: Tony Silvagni (USA)

The last two days of the ISA World Surfing Games saw some good action from the Caribbean contingent; however a bout of bad luck meant that none of the island boys made it to the fourth day of competition. On Sunday, Stephan Corbin (BAR) opened the day by winning his heat with a combined 2 wave score of 10.40. Soon after Johnathan Reece (BAR), Christopher Clarke (BAR), and Shane Simmonds (JAM) got second place in their heats, advancing into the Repercharge Round 2. Che Lovelace (TNT) finished a close 3rd in his heat due to a very questionable call on the judge’s part.

On Monday, these Four Open Surfers contested in their Repercharge heats in slightly small, tougher conditions. Although none of these surfers advance, they all surfed quite well and young Shane Simmonds from Jamaica put up a valiant effort, surfing very fluid and powerfully on the small waves. He was dropped in on during his heat; however the interference call did not help his cause in passing through to the next round.

Still in the event are our Caribbean brothers from Puerto Rico, and our neighbors Venezuela, along with many other National Teams fighting for valuable team points! Keep up with the rest of the event as it unfolds at www.billabongpro.com ! Look out for longboarding from Trinidad and Barbados beginning tomorrow with a building swell. Should be very challenging and exciting.





TOUGH FIRST DAY @ BILLABONG WORLD SURFING GAMES 2009

The Caribbean Watermen who are representing the West Indian nations of Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago came up against intense competition on the first day of the World Surfing Games 2009. In the Open Men’s Division it was Che Lovelace who broke the ice, facing off with local Costa Rican hero Gilbert Brown.Brown was on fire and destroyed every wave that came his way to the delight of a large crowd of supporters present on the beach. In the end he had the 4 highest scores of the heat, and Lovelace was unable to get two solid scores to progress in the main event. Lovelace will surf again in the Repo charge Round 1 tomorrow.

Shane Simmonds of Jamaica, Simon Coles and Stephan Corbin of Barbados, and Keith Lewis of Trinidad were among the West Indian surfers who were able to beat opponents in their heat and get a third place finish. However, none of the surfers from these three countries were able to progress in the main round. They will all battle in the Repo Charge Round 1 tomorrow in a bid to advance further in the competition. Today’s highlights were WCT surfers like Jeremy Flores of France (pictured) absolutely destroying the waves, and the sell-out crowd in the thousands that came out to support the local hero’s.

The Costa Rican team did not disappoint, having all four of their open male surfers advance to the next round, either in first or second place in their heat. Look out for more great surfing action tomorrow on www.billabongpro.com !

SATT Blessed with Epic Nationals for 2009!

June 22, 2009 by souljahs  
Filed under Featured, SURFINGTNT, Surfing

SATT Blessed with Epic Nationals for 2009!

The SATT National Surfing Championships 2009 took place over the weekend and with the dedicated support of RedBull Energy Drink it turned out to be a very successful event! King Neptune really provided increadible surf once again this year, with suprisingly “going-off” conditions all morning on the second day. When the chartes were calling for a reduction in size, the surf actually got slightly bigger, cleaner and more lined up.
Che Lovelace banking a turn to Masters Victory.
Champions were crowned in the U14, U18, Mens, Masters, and Grand Masters categories, with tight competition among the athletes in each category. In the U18 it was Oneal Coa reclaiming his title from 2007, that he lost last year to Dario Jordan. In the U14 it was Local Boy Jamie Phillips that took top honors.
In the Grand Masters (45+) it was Andrew “Quincy” Cabral that put 4 of his old time rivals under pressure and came out victorious, whereas in the Masters Division (35-45yrs) Che Lovelace managed to defend his title from last year. Finally, in the Open Mens division, it was SATT President Keith Lewis that fought through the Repo-Charge rounds of the event and created an unexpected upset in the final heat of the day, taking the National Championship from Chris Dennis who was a close second.
Chris Dennis boosts a 2-hand grab rail air in the Final of Open Mens.
There was a great turnout at the beach and the weather really cooperated all weekend. Beach goers and surfing supports enjoyed great music and visual stimulation provided by the RedBull Pinzi Vehicle, as many of them cooked up and limed while enjoying the highest quality local surfing action.
The current National Team and Local Head Judge John Torrey will be travelling to Costa Rica next month (aug 1-9th), along with teams from Jamaica and Barbados, to represesnt the Caribbean at the ISA World Surfing Games 2009. Look out for our guys matching up with the hottest surfers from around the world, which will be streamed live at www.isasurf.org !

Keith Lewis, winner of Open Mens, with a front side off the lip.

U-14 BOYS

1. JAMIE PHILLIPS

2. IAN SCHEWDEN

3. ISAIAH ALEONG-BAKSH

4. MATTHEW MILNE

U-18 BOYS

1. ONEAL COA

2. IAN SCHEWDEN

3. JAMIE PHILLIPS

4. CRAIG DE FREITAS

MASTERS 35-45

1. CHE LOVELACE

2. MIKEY PHILLIPS

3. ALAN DAVIS

4. SHERRARD SPIERS

GRAND MASTERS 45+

1. ANDREW CABRAL

2. ANDREW MILLAR

3. JOHN TORRY

4. LARRY COELHO

OPEN MEN

1. KEITH LEWIS

2. CHRIS DENNIS

3. CHE LOVELACE

4. JESSE JARVIS

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