January 12, 2020
HENNESSY, MURAKAMI WIN BIG IN CHINA
- Costa Rica's Brisa Hennessy and Japan's Shun Murakami just won the 2020 Corona Open China hosted by Wanning.
- The first Qualifying Series event of the new season, 2019 Rookie of the Year Hennessy picked up right where she left off, defeating Tahitian Vahine Fierro in a hard-fought Final.
- And for the men, Murakami dominated the lineup at Riyue Bay, taking out former CT competitor Keanu Asing for the biggest WSL victory of his young career.
- The QS season is now officially off and running, the next high-stakes events will be landing in Hawaii and Morocco later this month.
WAVE OF THE WINTER ENTRIES
- The last month has been pumping at Pipeline, and to celebrate, Surfline just announced their Wave Of The Winter entries for December.
- Mark Healey, Koa Rothman, Jamie O'Brien are all in the mix, bagging significant bombs.
- You can check out all the entries at Surfline.com.
BACKDOOR SHOOTOUT CALLED OFF
- And while we're on the subject of Pipe, sadly this year's Da Hui Backdoor Shootout has been cancelled.
- Due to high winds and angry seas, the contest has not been able to find a window to run this winter, and with more weather in the forecast, organizers have decided to call it off.
- "The Backdoor Shootout prides itself on only running when the surf is epic Pipe. This year, it wasn't our time," reads a statement from Da Hui.
- We're sorry to see the comp not get the green light, but when it comes to Pipe, it's always better to be safe than sorry.
AMPUTEE CHARGES HUGE NAZARE
- Surfer and amputee Ollie Dousset just ticked a huge item off his bucket list: charging giant Nazare.
- The Sydney local lost his leg after a motorbike accident in Bali in 2018, but returned to the ocean on a mission.
- Having already surfed Waimea and Pipe this winter, filmmaker Tim Bonython invited Ollie to Nazare as part of his new reality series, "Swell Chasers."
- "I set big intentions for 2020 and I've been determined to let nothing hold me back," Dousset explained.
- For more big-wave action check out Bonython's work at SurfingVisions.com