Grant Baker controlled the final from start to finish at the Arnette Punta Galea Challenge in Basque Country, Spain. Photo: Steve Robertson
Grant Baker, who recently lost his sponsorship with Billabong due to poor results, took home the win at the Arnette Punta Galea Challenge in Spain, kicking off his World Tour campaign in the best way possible. Swell conditions were in the impressive 20 to 30-foot range. Baker scored a near perfect 29.01 out of a possible 30 point final tally. After his win, Baker leads the Xpreshon Big Wave World Tour rankings for this season and is well positioned to win this year’s title.
The South African surfer was unbeatable throughout, scoring two 9.67 point scores ahead of Nic Lamb, Ken Collins, Adur Letamendia, Ramon Navarro and David Bustamante. Grant Baker is a former Mavericks champion and winner of multiple XXL awards.
Baker explained in a press release, “What a day for me, it just got better each heat and in the final I felt like I actually peaked and it just worked out perfectly. This wave surprised us. It is a legitimate big wave in the world of big wave surfing and we all really enjoyed the challenge.”
Arnette Punta Galea Challenge Final Results:
1st Grant Baker (South Africa/Durban) 29.01
2nd Nic Lamb (USA/Santa Cruz) 28.21
3rd Ken Collins (USA/Santa Cruz) 24.87
4th Adur Latamendia (Spain/Zarautz) 23.57
5th Ramon Navarro (Chile) 14.34
6th David Bustamante (Spain) 0.00
