Pure stoked from these warriors who are getting off on the right foot in 2015. Photos: WSL
The sun was shinning, waves were pumping and the fans were going mad during Sydney’s biggest surfing event of the year. On the final day of the Hurley Australian Open of Surfing, Kolohe Andino and Laura Enever were beaming with joy as they were carried to the winner’s podium at Manly Beach, New South Wales.
In the action-packed Final Heat against Tahitian Mateia Hiquily, Kolohe started out the heat with three explosive backside hacks, earning him a near-perfect 9.73. Shortly after his first wave, Kolohe dropped a 7.33, comboing Mateia and putting the nails in the coffin. Mateia answered back with a couple of 5s. It wasn’t enough to overtake Kolohe, but a great result nonetheless.
Giant punts like these carried Andino to the Final. Photo: Matt Dunbar
This is the second ‘QS victory this year for Andino, who took 1st place at the Shoe City Pro in Huntington Beach in early January. The exuberant Andino told the World Surf League, “This has been a great event, but I’m not going to take my foot off the gas at all and I’m going to keep getting ready for Snapper. I had a couple of heats where my back was up against the wall and I was able to fight through which is good mental prep for Snapper. I hadn’t really heard of Mateia [Hiquily] before, but I was super impressed by his surfing at this event, he was lighting these waves up – I told him to keep the momentum going and to go and get another result in Newcastle next week.”
As equally impressive as Kolohe’s victory was hometown hero Laura Enever, whose result marks her first win in a professional event since 2010. In the Final Heat against fellow ‘CT competitor and World No. 2, Tyler Wright, Enever locked in a 7.77 and 7.0, comboing Tyler and setting the pace for the rest of the heat. In addition to winning her first professional event since 2010, Laura’s result at Manly Beach was particularly special having her family and hometown crowd watching on the beach.
“Just before this event I went over to P-Pass to surf some perfect waves and I’ve been wanting to do that for the last five years,” Enever told the WSL. “Lately I’ve been grinding away in contests and to be able to get away and chase a swell made all the difference. It feels so good, it’s almost a relief to win something again and in front of the home crowd makes it even better.”
Congratulations to Kolohe Andino and Laura Enever. Their confidence and tenacity gained this week at Manly Beach will certainly be important contributions in carrying the momentum into the Australian leg, beginning with Snapper Rocks on February 28th.
