The inaugural Natural Selection Surf contest kicked off with a thrilling start as surfers faced the raw, unpredictable conditions of Micronesia’s powerful waves on Day 1. The surf was relentless, with heavy, gnarly waves that provided a true test of skill. One spectator summed it up perfectly: “What a contrast going from the Abu Dhabi wave pool to this…”
After the wave pool event, the Natural Selection contest provided a much-needed return to more natural, challenging surf. The waves were described by Nathan Fletcher as “waves of consequence,” indicating the serious nature of the conditions. Barton Lynch compared the surf to Teahupo’o but even more intense, noting, “It’s Teahupo’o, only four times longer, and going the other way.” The right-hand wave favored regular footers and heavy water specialists.
The competition featured 8 men and 4 women, most of whom are rarely seen in contest jerseys, all representing themselves in waves no one had surfed before—offering no home court advantage and a true blank slate. Each heat lasted 60 minutes, providing surfers ample opportunities to explore the vast, slabbing right point that was breaking over a shallow reef.
Despite the challenging “nuclear” winds, the surf held strong. The opening heat saw standout performances from Noah Beschen, Mikey February, Eithan Osbourne, and Kauli Vaast. The heat was a spectacle from the start, with Eithan Osbourne’s standout wave being one for the history books. Describing his ride, Eithan said, “That may have been the best wave of my life.” His lengthy, chandelier-filled tube ride earned a perfect “10” from the judges, securing him the heat win.
The commentary was equally thrilling. Barton Lynch, a staple voice in the surf world, led the booth with infectious enthusiasm and deep surf knowledge, enhancing the viewing experience. The event’s format allowed for pre-recorded surfing to skip the waiting periods, keeping the focus solely on the action.
The competition used the CREDO judging system, which emphasized overall performance rather than assigning numerical scores to individual waves. This approach shifted the focus to the totality of the surfers’ efforts throughout the heats.
In the second men’s heat, Victor Bernardo, Al Cleland Jr., Soli Bailey, and Harry Bryant took on the monster slabs. Each surfer struggled to find rideable waves, but Harry Bryant stood out with an impressive backside tube ride, which was widely regarded as the best wave of the day. In the end, Soli Bailey emerged victorious, though not without a “violent flogging” after being bounced off the reef, leaving him with a cut on his arm. He commented, “It’s fucking scary out there. It’s dead set. Drawing off the reef like Chopes and running like Kirra.”
The women’s heat saw Kirra Pinkerton dominate, securing the win with a strong performance. Pinkerton took off higher up the reef, while Coco Ho and Anne de Santos took on the more inside waves. Anne’s impressive backside barrel ride earned praise, but it wasn’t enough to outshine Pinkerton, who consistently charged through the heat, winning over the judges with her overall performance.
The competition is set to continue with Finals Day on Thursday, February 20 at 10:00 AM HST / 12:00 PM PT / 3:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM BRT / 8:00 PM GMT.
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