Padang Padang standout and former event winner, Mega Semahd. Photo: WSL / Curley
The World Surf League announced this week that they will be teaming up with Rip Curl for the first time in bringing you the 13th Annual Padang Padang Cup, Indonesia’s longest-running professional surfing event. The contest will be held in Bali’s renowned Bukit Peninsula at Padang Padang, otherwise known as Indonesia’s Pipeline. This year, however, they’ve made a few “adjustments.”
Although the event will only take one day to complete, it will have a waiting period that runs for the entire month of August. As such, contest directors will be provided plenty of time to choose the best possible conditions, bringing you one of the finest barrel-riding contests in the world.
The exclusive invite list, which will officially be announced on July 17th, will now consist of just 16 surfers; eight of Indonesia’s best and eight of the world’s best—Indonesia verses the world. Additionally, the heat format has slightly changed. After the two opening rounds, all heats will be man-on-man to reduce the problem of hassling for waves, ensuring a fairer playing field and providing an all-around better event that is less dependent on priority and more about knowledge and skill.
Photo: Hammish
Among the guaranteed star-studded list of invitees, the barrel master/surfing’s most interesting man, Mason Ho, has been confirmed to be joining the roster for the very first time this year.
“I still remember the last time the CT came to Padang for the Rip Curl Pro Search in ’08 and watching the performances by Bruce and Andy Irons – and of course Kelly Slater’s switchfoot transition in the barrel,” Ho said. “As a fan of surfing, I’m excited the Rip Curl Padang Cup is officially bringing WSL competition back to the Balinese Pipeline. As an athlete, I’m even more excited to be competing this year. An invitation to the Rip Curl Padang Cup is one of the greatest honors you can receive.”
“In the same way Hawaii is the spiritual home of big-wave surfing, Indonesia is like the spiritual home of tube-riding. That’s a big part of the allure of the Rip Curl Padang Cup,” Ho said. “Just look at the list of past winners, guys like Chris Ward and Jamie O’Brien, and living legends from Indonesia like Lee Wilson and Garut. If you can win this contest, you’ll be recognized as one of the craziest tube-riders of all time.”
Watch the 2016 Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang live at live.ripcurl.com and worldsurfleague.com. Check back with us on July 17th for the official roster for the 2016 Padang Padang Cup.
