Hawaiian hellman Makua Rothman has taken out the first event of the Southern Hemisphere leg of the 2014-2015 Big Wave World Tour. In 40-foot waves, he trounced the world’s best surfers in the final at the Billabong Pico Alto Peru, competing against Grant “Twiggy” Baker, Greg Long, Gabriel Villaran, Shawn Dollar, and Anthony Tashnick. After winning, Rothman claimed, “This was so great to have waves here in Peru. I went on the ‘QS for years and just struggled, but this is where I belong.”
Given the competition and the conditions at the event, Rothman is a formidable opponent and it appears he’s hungry to make a bigger name for himself on the Big Wave World Tour. However, this was just his first event on the ASP BWWT. That said, stepping up to competition of this caliber and taking out some of the best surfers in the world says quite a lot. Whether he will be a frontrunner at events moving forward or not remains to be seen.
Newly a father, he flew straight from the hospital to Peru to compete. “I just want to say I love you to my daughter who was born two days ago,” Rothman said. “I wore her hospital bracelet the whole time and now I can’t take it off. I don’t even know what to say, I’m happy.”
Billabong Pico Alto Final Results:
1. Makua Rothman (HAW) 27.33
2. Anthony Tashnick (USA) 22.00
3. Shawn Dollar (USA) 20.26
4. Gabriel Villaran (PER) 16.80
5. Grant Baker (ZAF) 16.00
6. Greg Long (USA) 7.00
Billabong Pico Alto Semifinal Results:
SF 1: Makua Rothman (HAW) 18.99, Greg Long (USA) 13.00, Grant Baker (ZAF) 12.84, Miguel Tudela (PER) 9.13, Jamie Sterling (HAW) 6.73, Rafael Velarde (PER) 5.86
SF 2: Gabriel Villaran (PER) 23.76, Shawn Dollar (USA) 21.87, Anthony Tashnick (USA) 21.44, Carlos Burle (BRA) 19.57, Ben Wilkinson (AUS) 19.21, Nick Lamb (USA) 17.03
Billabong Pico Alto Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Miguel Tudela (PER) 21.99, Makua Rothman (HAW) 17.54, Greg Long (USA) 16.51, Ken Collins (USA) 13.66, Jamie Mitchell (AUS) 11.66, A. Loret de Mola (PER) N/S
Heat 2: Rafael Velarde (PER) 21.73, Jamie Sterling (HAW) 18.51, Grant Baker (ZAF) 16.49, Sebastian de Romana (PER) 11.66, Ramon Navarro (CHL) 8.34, Kohl Christenson (HAW) 6.34
Heat 3: Gabriel Villaran (PER) 20.67, Nic Lamb (USA) 14.33, Ben Wilkinson (AUS) 10.00, Tyler Fox (USA) 9.16, Ryan Augestein (USA) N/S, Tamil Martino (PER) N/S
Heat 4: Carlos Burle (BRA) 19.56, Anthony Tashnick (USA) 17.46, Shawn Dollar (USA) 16.87, Grant Washburn (USA), Kodiak Semsch (EUK) 12.33, Adur Letamendia (EUK) 11.34
