The long-awaited final day of the Visit Maldives Pro 2024 has finally arrived! It was a day packed with excitement and unforgettable moments, as the best surfers in the world hit the water to compete for the championship title and earn points towards becoming world champions or climbing the IBC World Tour rankings in various divisions.
The competition kicked off at 8:30 AM local time, and the conditions were way better than yesterday. The swell direction changed, allowing for some long right-hand waves. Each day has brought different conditions, which really highlights the versatility of the athletes as they’ve had to adapt.
Here’s the schedule for the day:
– Men’s Quarterfinals
– Women’s Quarterfinals
– Men’s Semifinals
– Women’s Semifinals
– Junior Men’s Semifinals
– Women’s Final
– Junior Men’s Final
– Men’s Final
The action is on, and the tension is rising in this paradise known as the Maldives!
MEN’S DIVISION (Quarterfinals)
Four head-to-head heats to determine the four athletes who will share the podium this year in the Maldives.
Japan’s Hayato Enokido faced off against the legendary Hawaiian rider Dave Hubbard. It was a battle that the Hawaiian dominated, scoring a total of 14.25, which secured him a spot in the semifinals. Shoutout to the Japanese rider, who came all the way from round 1 and has definitely been one of the surprises of the event.
French surfer Maxime Castillo and the number 2 ranked Gabriel Braga had a lot on the line in this heat. Gabriel Braga didn’t disappoint, advancing once again to the podium. Maxime earned a well-deserved 5th place, showcasing some solid waves throughout the event.
Another epic showdown featured the number 3 ranked surfer and 2022 world champion, South Africa’s Tristan Roberts, against the current number 1, Canary Islands’ Armide Soliveres. It was a super tense heat that ended in a nail-biter, with Armide qualifying for the semifinals with a score of 14.5, just edging out Tristan, who scored 14.25.
Heat 4 was a showdown between two world champions, the Frenchman Pierre Louis Costes and the Brazilian Uri Valadao. Once again, it was a super tight heat where both showed why they’re such big names in the sport. Pierre came out on top with a total score of 14.25. Uri put on a great performance, finishing in 5th place and leaving us with some seriously radical surfing.
WOMEN’S DIVISION (Quarterfinals)
The best in the world were in action, trying to snag a spot on the podium at the Visit Maldives Pro 2024. The heats were super close as they fought for the title.
Japanese surfer Namika Yamashita surprised everyone by eliminating two-time world champion Alexandra Rinder from Austria. Namika achieved her goal of making it to the podium, while Alexandra wrapped up her run in 5th place, showcasing her skills once again.
In heat 2, South Africa’s Pamela Bowren faced off against five-time world champion Neymara Carvalho. Neymara managed to advance to the semifinals, leaving another rising star out of the competition. Pamela finished in 5th place, making it clear she’ll be a tough competitor on the IBC World Tour.
World champion Sari Ohhara dominated with the only perfect 10 of the event and an impressive total of 16.75. She made it really tough for Portugal’s Teresa Padrela, who had a solid competition but couldn’t make it to the semifinals with that score.
A great battle unfolded between wildcard Luana Dourado from Portugal and the current Visit Maldives Pro champion Teresa Miranda from the Canary Islands. This time, Teresa’s experience shone through, and she advanced to defend her title. Luana had a fantastic performance, giving us some memorable moments in this stage.
MEN’S DIVISION (Semifinals)
We were in for a titan showdown in these semifinals. With all the athletes guaranteed a spot on the podium, it was just a matter of who would make it to the grand final.
The first heat was super tight, pitting Hawaiian Dave Hubbard against Brazilian Gabriel Braga. This heat was decided by just 0.4 points, with Dave edging out to move on to the final. Gabriel put on a great show, still in the running for the world title after finishing in third place at this event.
What a brutal showdown between two of the best athletes right now! Armide Soliveres from the Canary Islands went head-to-head with Pierre Louis Costes from France. It’s worth mentioning that Armide pulled off the best score of the championship with a total of 17.25, riding two waves that scored over 8 points each. An incredible performance that left none other than Pierre Louis Costes—two-time world champion and a big name in the bodyboarding scene—in the combo.
WOMEN’S DIVISION (Semifinals)
Japanese surfer Namika Yamashita went up against world champion Neymara Carvalho. This time, Namika didn’t give the Brazilian any chances and easily secured her spot in the big final. Neymara came in third, proving why she’s one of the top names in the sport.
The second semifinal featured another Japanese surfer, Sari Ohhara, and titleholder Teresa Miranda. This time, Sari did her job flawlessly, racking up an impressive score of 14.5. Teresa from the Canary Islands had to give up her crown and settles for third place this year.
JUNIOR MEN’S DIVISION (Semifinals)
The first junior semifinal was a tight one, featuring two of the standout surfers of the championship: Ethan Pérez from Spain and Jai Taylor from Australia. It was a beautiful battle that went in favor of the Aussie rider by just 0.5 points. Both surfers showcased some really clean and stylish surfing.
Chilean Mikelle Arriagada had a tough time against Frenchman Milo Lautier. They both displayed their full range of tricks, but Mikelle, currently ranked number 2, managed to take the win in this heat as he continues his quest to become world champion. Milo finished in third with an excellent performance.
WOMEN’S FINAL
The finals are here, and all the athletes are fighting to be champions in their divisions. The tension is high, and the excitement is building in these three finals.
The show kicked off with the Japanese competitors, a tight battle between compatriots that went down to the last second. Namika Yamashita, ranked 6th in the IBC, faced off against Sari Ohhara, ranked 10th and the 2019 world champion. It was a nail-biter decided by just tenths of a point.
1st: NAMIKA YAMASHITA (Japan) with a total of 12.75 is the new champion of the Visit Maldives Pro 2024!
2nd: Sari Ohhara (Japan) with 12 points, who gave it her all until the very end.
Congrats to all the women competitors for putting on such a great show!
JUNIOR MEN’S FINAL
We had the future stars of bodyboarding in action, riders surfing at an incredibly high level and ensuring the sport’s future.
The final featured Australian Jai Taylor, a young talent who has been surfing with impressive flow and style since round 1, and Chilean Mikelle Arriagada, currently ranked 2nd and still in the hunt for the world title, showing off his top-notch skills.
1st: JAI TAYLOR (Australia) landed an invert scored at 8 points and took the win.
2nd: Mikelle Arriagada (Chile) tried hard until the end but couldn’t quite beat the high scores from the Aussie.
Remember, the Junior Men’s champion for 2024 will be decided at the last event in Gran Canaria Frontón King this October.
MEN’S DIVISION FINAL
What a highly anticipated final we had, featuring two of the strongest riders who proved themselves heat after heat. There was no doubt it was going to be a battle of titans, and that’s exactly what went down.
In one corner, we had Hawaii’s Dave Hubbard, the 2022 Maldives Pro champ and currently ranked 5th in the IBC. In the other corner, we had Armide Soliveres from the Canary Islands, the current number 1 in the IBC rankings and the winner of the last event in Itaocaitiara, Brazil. This final was so close it was decided by just 0.25 points, keeping the excitement alive until the final horn blew.
The new champion of the Visit Maldives Pro 2024 is:
1st: ARMIDE SOLIVERES (Canary Islands, Spain), who’s still going strong in his quest to become world champion.
2nd: Dave Hubbard (Hawaii, USA), without a doubt the most versatile rider in the world, who was right on the brink of reclaiming the title.
On Friday, August 9th at 4:00 PM “local time,” we’ll have the Closing Ceremony, which will include the official awards presentation for the Visit Maldives Pro 2024.
A huge thank you to all the athletes from the different divisions for putting on such an amazing show. Thanks to the entire organization for all the hard work and dedication that went into making this event happen. And a big shoutout to all the sponsors for supporting this IBC World Tour event.
In short, thank you to everyone who played a part in promoting, supporting, or collaborating with this event in any way.
Don’t forget, the next stop is in Sintra, Portugal, from September 3rd to 8th.
Stay tuned for all the info through the official IBC World Tour website and social media:
Fotógrafos: @ramankamaldeen / @h.u.m.a.i.d.h / @witteyy
Visit Maldives Pro 2024 – Sponsors and Partners
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