History was made over the weekend, as Albee Layer became the winner of the first-ever 2015 Red Bull Unleashed surf contest, which was held at the UK’s brand new Surf Snowdonia wave park in Wales on September 18th and 19th.
Skepticism was blown right out the window over, as some of the most progressive surfers in the world gathered in one spot to compete in what can only be described as a spectacle. It was a beautiful battle.
Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the event was the accessibility of the surfing and the competitors to the enthusiastic crowd. There were two giant screen showing live action and replays sent by the overhead cable cam. The spectators were also allowed to walk out onto the pontoon above the wave generator in the middle of the wave. There, they cheered for their favorite surfers from just a few feet away. This is the future of competitive surfing.
This was undoubtedly great for the surf fans, but was it good for the competitors? I caught up with event champion Albee Layer, semifinalist Mitch Crews, and a few others to get the scoop on the event from a competitor’s point of view.
“The vibe is amazing and the crowd is great,” commented Albee. “It’s strange and good that the crowd is close. You can really feel them get behind you. It’s an incredible wave, but we are still not seeing the gnarliest. And I don’t like that you don’t get to fall. People are too scared to fall on a wave so they’re playing it safe, so it’s tough to air.”
That trend, of course, was thrown aside when Albee, Billy Stairmand, Mitch Crews, and Ian Crane, among a few others, began to throw their tails around. The crowd was treated to a host of air reverses, shove-its, and a myriad of different maneuvers.
“I had a ball out there!” exclaimed semifinalist Mitch Crews. “It’s so surreal surfing in an arena. I never imagined I’d be doing it and that it would be like this. I’ve been having chats with the fans and hear the kids cheering us on, but it’s still a competition. There is pressure, but it’s a good pressure.
There’s no priority system in this competition. With each surfer getting five perfect waves per heat and taking turns, it’s perhaps more of a level playing field than out in the ocean. The wave you surf is exactly the same as your opponent’s. It’s a wave riding competition, not a wave catching competition, like other heats these days turn out to be.
“Yeah, it’s a repetitive wave, but that’s what you want,” said Jack Freestone. It’s good that you don’t have to worry about the priority. It’s really chilled out and lets you focus on your surfing.”
Representing Hawaii, Ezekiel Lau was stoked on the wave and the entire event. “It’s super fun. It’s bigger than I expected. I saw some videos before coming out here and knew it would be good, but I wasn’t expecting this. I started out with an epoxy when I first got here, as I thought I would need a lighter board because of no wind or chop. But I switched back to a heavier board to push through the waves.”
At the end of the day, the 2015 Red Bull Unleashed was a big win for artificial waves, particularly in the competitive realm. Spectators and surfers alike were pleased at the event’s success. Hats off to Red Bull for changing up the game and bringing a breath of fresh air to competitive surfing.
2015 Red Bull Unleashed Results
Final
Albee Layer (HAW) 3 def. Billy Stairmand (NZL) 1
Semi Finals
SF1. Billy Stairmand (NZL) 3 def. Jack Freestone (AUS) 0
SF2. Albee Layer (HAW) 3 def. Mitch Crews (AUS) 2
Quarter Finals
QF1. Billy Stairmand (NZL) 3 def. Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 1
QF2. Jack Freestone (AUS) 3 def. Kai Hing (AUS) 1
QF3. Albee Layer (HAW) 3 def. Jayce Robinson (GBR) 1
QF4. Mitch Crews (AUS) 3 def. Ian Crane (AUS) 1
Round One
H1. Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 3 def. Alan Stokes (GBR) 0
H2. Billy Stairmand (NZL) 3 def. Leo Fioravanti (ITA) 1
H3. Jack Freestone (AUS) 3 def. Evan Geiselman 0
H4. Kai Hing (AUS) 3 def. Kalani David (HAW) 0
H5. Jayce Robinson (GBR) 3 def. Hiroto Arai (JPN) 0
H6. Albee Layer (HAW) 3 def Ian Gouveia (BRA) 2
H7. Ian Crane (AUS) 3 def. Mikey Wright (AUS) 2
H8. Mitch Crews (AUS) 3 def. Reubyn Ash (GBR) 1
