To win at this year’s #RipCurlProTofino you had to dig deep and earn it! 10 champions were crowned as massive 8 foot sets bombarded Cox Bay, British Columbia and an onslaught of blinding fog delays had event organizers scratching their heads.
As finals day arrived the fog cleared and sunny skies highlighted perfect conditions. California’s Elijah Fox and Tia Blanco proudly held Pro division trophies over their heads, and Mathea Olin + Reed Platenius earned noteworthy performances of their own.
2018 Rip Curl Pro Tofino, May/13/2018 - Photos by Kyler Vos
May 13th, 2018 - CALIFORNIAN'S ELIJAH FOX AND TIA BLANCO CROWNED RIP CURL PRO TOFINO CHAMPIONS
TOFINO, BC - As the fog stayed away and the sun never left conditions were pumping on the final day of the 2018 Rip Curl Pro Tofino, as 10 champions were crowned in Canada's longest running surf competition, May 13 at Cox Bay.
Sunday's heats kicked off in dramatic fashion, with seven-time Rip Curl Pro champ and local favourite Peter Devries coming up short in a stacked heat against Canadians Shannon Brown and Cody Young.
The drama continued, as finals kicked off in the late morning. By day's end, champions in each division had been crowned, with the likes of California's Elijah Fox and Tia Blanco capturing top spot in the men and women's Pro divisions.
"It was so fun out there,"? said Blanco. "The conditions were so amazing, it was pumping. I had a blast and I'm just super pumped to be here at the Rip Curl Pro."?
After bowing out in last year's semifinals, Fox stormed back with a vengeance throughout his three-day charge to the podium.
"I'm so stoked right now,"? said Fox. "The waves were so hard at first, long paddle outs but conditions improved, the swell dropped to the perfect size and it was so fun. Hurting myself last year in the semis. I barely surfed this year and to win it this year is amazing. This win just gives me confidence and makes me want to compete even more."?
Tofino local and the most recent addition to the Rip Curl team Mathea Olin also returned to the the top of the podium, after laying down a combined score of 13.60 in her final heat to edge out younger sister Sanoa, who posted a score of 12.33.
"It felt great [to win the U-16 division],"? said Olin. "The waves were insane and my body was feeling a lot better than it was last week. I was super psyched to sign with Rip Curl and for everybody on the team to be up here, I'm so happy to be part of the team."?
After a 34-heat day, the 12th annual Rip Curl Pro Tofino wrapped up in style in front of hundreds of fans, family and athletes, making this one of the most memorable Pros to date. Thank you Tofino, we will see you next year!
Final day results
Pro Mens : Final : Heat 1 1st: Elijah Fox (14.77)
2nd: Dane Anderson (13.43)
Pro Mens : Semifinal : Heat 1 1st: Elijah Fox (16.70)
2nd: Shannon Campbell-Brown (11.73)
Pro Mens : Semifinal : Heat 2 1st: Dane Anderson (14.40)
2nd: Cody Young (13.70)
Pro/Am Womens: Final 1st: Tia Blanco (15.50)
2nd: Mathea Olin (13.53)
3rd: Hanna Scott (11.43)
4th: Leah Oke (11.03)
Pro/Am Womens : Semifinal : Heat 1 1st: Leah Oke (11.10)
2nd: Hanna Scott (9.10)
3rd: Catherine Bruhwiler (6.46)
4th: Sanoa Passion Dempfle-Olin (1.17)
Longboard Mens : Final 1st: Christian Thomson (13.13)
2nd: Darren Lundquist (11.97)
3rd: Robbie Ferguson (11.00)
4th: Asia Dryden (9.73)
5th: Douglas De La Mare (6.23)
6th: Ben Cockcroft (2.50)
Longboard Women's: Final 1st: Paige Alms (11.07)
2nd: Hanna Scott (10.73)
3rd: Kate Prothero (5.84)
4th: Emily Ballard (4.50)
Masters (35+): Final 1st: Declan Lee-Smith (14.50)
2nd: Ben Murphy (11.70)
3rd: Greg Urata (11.40)
4th: Catherine Bruhwiler (10.06)
5th: David Suchiaffino (9.00)
6th: Jeremy Bowery (6.46)
Legends (50+): Final 1st: Ben Cockcroft (15.16)
2nd: Harold Sadler (13.26)
3rd: Douglas Ludwig (12.06)
4th: Anthony Redpath (4.17)
5th: Dan Holtendorp (2.90)
6th: Richard Harris ( ——)
The Rip Curl Pro Tofino is supported by Telus, Coors Banquet, Spy Optics, Flor de Cana. In association with Aftanas Surfboards, Flexfit, Tourism Tofino, SBC Surf, Surfline, Coast Mountain Culture, The Zone 91.3, Surfrider Foundation and Pacific Coastal Airlines
Rip Curl - The Ultimate Surfing Company Rip Curl is a company for, and about, the Crew on The Search. The products we make, the events we run, the riders we support and the people we reach globally are all part of the Search that Rip Curl is on.
Event registration and information can be found by visiting www.ripcurlprotofino.com.
Follow the action on Instagram at: @ripcurl_canada & #RipCurlProTofino.
2018 Rip Curl Pro Tofino, May/12/2018 - Photos by Kyler Vos
May 12th, 2018 - STACKED HEATS AND WOMEN'S QUARTERFINALS HIGHLIGHT SECOND DAY OF RIP CURL PRO TOFINO
TOFINO, BC - It was an eventful second day of the 2018 Rip Curl Pro Tofino, as heavy fog forced heats late into the evening hours at Cox Bay.
Despite delays, a number of divisions completed their heats. The event saw the opening round of Masters (35+) and Women's Pro/Am, but the Men's Pro athletes stole the show with a number of incredible performances.
Peter Devries continued his charge for another podium finish, but it was fellow Canadian Cody Young ripping his way to 14.50 for the highest total of the round.
"It was a long day waiting for the fog to lift but I was excited to finally get out there," said Young. "It was pretty big out there and there was a lot of water moving around. It was really hard to find the right spot in the lineup, but I was lucky that I managed to get a few waves."
In the following heat, Hawaii's Elijah Fox layed down some impressive rail surfing to secure his spot in tomorrow's final day.
"I felt pretty good out there, I got a couple fun rides," said Fox. "They were hard to find but I'm psyched for tomorrow. I'm feeling good. Last year I competed with a torn MCL but the knee feels good."
On the Pro/Am women's side, Hanna Scott dominated the field, scoring 15.27 points as the sun was setting to capture today's highest overall heat total. The heat total earned Scott a free flight, courtesy of Pacific Coastal Airlines.
Day 2 Pro Men's Results:
Pro Mens: Round 2: Heat 1 1st: Peter Devries (CAN) 14.00
2nd: Dane Anderson (USA) 12.10
3rd: Michael Darling (CAN) 10.33
4th: Jackson De Gruchy (CAN) 9.27
Pro Mens: Round 2: Heat 2 1st: Dane Mackie (CAN) 13.76
2nd: Shannon Campbell Brown (CAN) 11.17
3rd: Willem Banks (CAN) 9.84
4th: Logan Landry (CAN) 8.73
Pro Mens: Round 2: Heat 3 1st: Cody Young (CAN) 14.50
2nd: Sepp Bruhwiler (CAN) 11.16
3rd: Kalum Bruhwiler Temple (CAN) 9.43
4th: Fred Sanford (CAN) 6.34
Pro Mens: Round 2: Heat 4 1st: Elijah Fox (USA) 13.64
2nd: Colt Ward (USA) 11.60
3rd: Sean Foerster (CAN) 10.40
4th: Greg Urata (USA) 8.33
Pro/Am Womens Quarterfinal: Heat 3 1st: Hanna Scott (CAN) 15.27
2nd: Mathea Olin (CAN) 10.94
3rd: Dawn Batenchuk (CAN) 6.00
4th: Danielle Nellestyn (CAN) 2.10
The Rip Curl Pro Tofino is supported by Telus, Coors Banquet, Spy Optics, Flor de Cana. In association with Aftanas Surfboards, Flexfit, Tourism Tofino, SBC Surf, Surfline, Coast Mountain Culture, The Zone 91.3, Surfrider Foundation and Pacific Coastal Airlines.
Rip Curl - The Ultimate Surfing Company Rip Curl is a company for, and about, the Crew on The Search. The products we make, the events we run, the riders we support and the people we reach globally are all part of the Search that Rip Curl is on.
May 11th, 2018 - 12TH ANNUAL RIP CURL PRO TOFINO KICKS OFF WITH INCREDIBLE CONDITIONS AT COX BAY
The opening day of the 12th annual Rip Curl Pro Tofino saw the Pro-Men's division take to the lineup as solid six-foot-eight surf poured into Cox Bay. With a diverse field consisting of Canada's best pro's, along with visitors from California and Barbados, this year's was stacked with the most talent 'The Pro' has seen to date.
Perennial local stand out and record setting seven-time Rip Curl Pro Tofino champion Peter Devries kick-started the day with an excellent ride in the opening minutes of competition. Devries, who doesn't compete often, shows ready and focused each year the event rolls into town.
"It was fun but challenging conditions," said Devries. "With a bigger swell like that it's easy to get lost out there. There's isn't one defined zone to sit like there is when the waves are smaller. I was lucky that I got a good start right off the bat and I was happy to get the ball rolling.
"I'm feeling really good," Devries added. "That first wave of the day felt really good and coming off a good result last weekend was good for me. I'm hoping I can just select good waves and keep it rolling."
Not to be outdone by Devries, today's highest heat total went to another Tofino local, Michael Darling.
"I wasn't feeling pressure today," said Darling. "The Pro is always an exciting event and I feel like I've had a bit of momentum from Nationals last weekend. I'm just trying to have as much fun as possible."
With the opening rounds of both the Pro and Open Mens in the books, the event now shifts to welcome the Pro/Am Women's, Masters 35+, Longboard Men's, and Longboard Women's during the Pro's second day of competition.
This year's Rip Curl Pro will see the inclusion of the inaugural Rip Curl Filmmaker Challenge, presented by Telus. Some of the Western Canada's most talented filmmakers will present their Canadian surf film concepts, with the winner receiving a $40,000 grant from Telus to bring their concept to life.
Day 1 Pro Men's Results:
Pro Mens: Round 1: Heat 1 1st: Peter Devries (CAN) 15.17
2nd: Dane Mackie (BB) 13.77
3rd: Sean Woods (USA) 9.43
4th: Jeffery Spencer (CAN) 7.80
Pro Mens: Round 1: Heat 2 1st: Shannon Brown (CAN) 10.00
2nd: Jackson De Gruchy (CAN) 9.33
3rd: Jordy Gibson (CAN) 8.10
4th: Logan Maclennan (CAN) 5.10
Pro Mens: Round 1: Heat 7 1st: Cody Young (CAN) 13.67
2nd: Greg Urata (USA) 8.23
3rd: Ben Murphy (CAN) 7.76
4th: Sebastian Duque (CAN) 3.00
Pro Mens: Round 1: Heat 8 1st: Sean Foerster (CAN) 9.67
2nd: Fred Sanford (CAN) 4.00
3rd: Paul Boskers (CAN) 4.00
4th: Daniel Rodriguez (CAN) 2.50
The Rip Curl Pro Tofino is supported by Telus, Coors Banquet, Spy Optics, Flor de Cana. In association with Aftanas Surfboards, Flexfit, Tourism Tofino, SBC Surf, Surfline, Coast Mountain Culture, The Zone 91.3, Surfrider Foundation and Pacific Coastal Airlines
Rip Curl - The Ultimate Surfing Company Rip Curl is a company for, and about, the Crew on The Search. The products we make, the events we run, the riders we support and the people we reach globally are all part of the Search that Rip Curl is on.
Follow the action on Instagram at: @ripcurl_canada & #RipCurlProTofino.
2018 Rip Curl Pro Tofino - Official Teaser On May 11th - May 13th, the 12th annual Rip Curl Pro Tofino, where Canada's greatest surfers will come to battle at Cox Bay in Tofino, British Columbia. Who will win the Canadian Championship?
Apr/11/2018 RIP CURL PRO TOFINO RETURNING FOR 12TH EDITION AT COX BAY
Canada's best surfers set to return for 12th annual Rip Curl Pro, Canada's longest running and most prestigious Pro surfing event from May 11-13 in Tofino, British Columbia.
Over 150 surfers across 10 separate divisions will vie for $25,000 in cash and prizes at Cox Bay in Tofino, BC. This event is Canada's largest and longest running surf competition. Last season saw a strong mix of local and international talent competing in a number of memorable heats throughout the three-day competition. This year's field includes returning champions Sanoa Olin and Pete Devries. Olin will once again compete alongside sister Mathea Olin, who is coming off a pair of epic performances at last year's PASA Pan American Surfing Games in Peru. The eldest Olin sister captured Canada's first two medals in international competition, claiming bronze in Women's shortboard and gold in Women's longboard. In the men's division, all eyes will be on 2017 champion Devries, as well as fellow Canadian Noah Cohen.
"It has been a really nice run at the Rip Curl Pro for me," said Devries. "I don't put the jersey on very often and the Pro is one of the only times a year that I do, so I'm definitely looking forward to it. Props to Rip Curl for keeping the event going."
Surfing's popularity is at an all-time high in Canada, with the sport set to make it's Olympic debut in 2020.
"If you work hard and perform well at events, there's that chance that someone from Canada could be going to the Olympics," added Devries. "This is a really important event for Canadian participants to get that competitive experience and really try to show what they can do to get to that next level."
The Rip Curl Pro Tofino is the largest stage for competitive surfing in Canada. The divisions for the 2018 event are: Pro Men's, Open Men's, Pro Women's, Masters (35+), Legends (50+), Men's Longboard, Women's longboard, under 16 Boys, under 16 girls, and Mixed Groms 10 & under.
"We are excited to be back in Tofino for the 12th year," said Nick Russell, Event Director and Rip Curl Canada Vice President. "This year's event is shaping up to be the best ever with the level of international competitors at an all-time high!"
This year's Rip Curl Pro will see the inclusion of the inaugural Rip Curl Filmmaker Challenge, presented by Telus. Some of the Western Canada's most talented filmmakers will present their Canadian surf film concepts, with the winner receiving a $40,000 grant from Telus to bring their concept to life.
The Rip Curl Pro Tofino is supported by Telus, Coors Banquet, Spy Optics, Flor de Cana, Flexfit, Aftanis Surfboards and Tourism Tofino.
Rip Curl - The Ultimate Surfing Company Rip Curl is a company for, and about, the Crew on The Search. The products we make, the events we run, the riders we support and the people we reach globally are all part of the Search that Rip Curl is on.
» Canada’s largest surfing competition kicks off this weekend with over 100 registered surfers to compete. Surfers in nine separate divisions will vie for over $30,000 in cash and prizes. The event is the only one in Canada open to all divisions, including; Pro Men, Pro Women, Masters and Longboard. Sanctioned official Canadian Surfing Championship
