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 Monday,
23rd Oct 2006, Huntington Beach USA
The 2006 Lost Energy
ISA World Surfing Games concluded today with one of the closest final point scores
in the Games history with team Australia winning the World Champion title with
a total point score of 15,848. Brazil took the silver medal with a total of 15,123
followed by USA winning the bronze with 14,505 points and South Africa garnering
the bronze with 13,346. The nine day event brought together 33 countries and over
300 surfers, some who came with full teams and others were proud to participate
on behalf of their respective countries alone. 
The
morning of the Finals was met with fog hovering over the Huntington Beach break,
but it quickly burned off to reveal semiglassy conditions with head high to overhead
waves. The beach was teeming with national spirit as all the countries reconvened
waving their team flags and cheering for the final countries still in the race
for the pursuit for gold. 
The
Final of Men's Bodyboarding wrapped up a week of wild maneuvers and an impressive
showing from all competing countries. Manuel Centeno and Hugo Pinheiro of Portugal,
whose team standing came in at 7th were awarded the gold and silver medal, followed
by Andrew Lester of Australia taking bronze, and Alvaro Pardon of Spain winning
the copper. "This is so important for us to be on the same level as everyone
else," Centeno beamed. The
entire Portugal team met the boarders on the
beach and broke into the national anthem after the heat.  In
the Women's Open, Julia Christian former ISA Junior World Champion silver medalist
and USA team member took the gold over Brazil's Jacqueline Silva with just a 0.1
point difference. "I have competed against Jackie on the WCT before, and
it is always very close and exciting because she is a great surfer. This was such
a special event for me because typically I compete for myself on tour but here
it's for my country," remarked Christian. The heat was filled with a dramatic
wave by wave battle resulting in Christian narrowly grasping the gold. Rosanne
Hodge of South Africa earned a bronze, and Courtney Conlogue, the youngest surfer
in the competition won copper.
Womens
Body boarding matched France's Heloise Bourroux against Natasha Sagardia of Puerto
Rico, Neymara Carvalho of Brazil and Kira Llewellyn of Australia. After posting
two strong scores of 6.83 and 5.60 it was Llewellyn that earned the gold after
advancing through the Repercharge rounds, Carvalho silver, Sagardia bronze and
Bourroux copper. 
There
was quite an impressive resume behind all of the competitors in the Longboard
final. Six-time South African champion Matthew Moir defeated Harley Ingleby of
Australia, Benjamin Skinner of UK and Bonga Perkins of Hawaii when he surfed a
flawless heat hanging ten, cross stepping the board and kicking in big bottoms
for the gold medal. "This is my first time on the team and I am so stoked.
I was stuck in the start of the heat but I really focused for this event, mixing
traditional noseriding with modern day floaters and air and pushed through. I
am just so honored to be here and win," said an elated Moir. Benjamin Skinner
of Great Britain impressed judges all week and was awarded the silver medal, Harley
Ingleby bronze, and Bonga Perkins copper. 
In
the climatic end of the Men's Open Final it was Jordy Smith of Cape Town, South
Africa that punctuated his week of tremendous surfing; pulling wild aerials and
superman maneuvers to earn the gold medal. Smith, 2003 Junior World Champion was
deemed a "force of nature" for his exceptional surfing amidst the event.
Not since 1992 has a surfer that has gone to Repercharge come through the heats
to be crowned the gold medal Champion. This opportunity is owed to the unique
two round system of this event, which allows surfers to redeem themselves at several
levels of the contest. The medalists were followed by Australia's Luke Stedman
winning the silver medal, Pat O'Connell of USA winning bronze and Armando Daltro
of Brazil earning copper. "This means the world to me. It was tough to make
it through the whole contest, but I did what I had to do to get to the final and
win it. I am really happy" said a smiling Smith. 
The
day also included the final for the ISA Nations Cup tag team event, a unique ISA
tradition where the top eight countries compete for first through fourth place
medals. Although the tag team has no bearing on the championships results, it
is a fun aside to the contest and saw Australia taking gold, Brazil silver, South
Africa bronze and Costa Rica copper. 
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