Kuta Beach, Bali (Sunday April 5th, 2009) - Agus Frimanto won the Rusty Gromfest Halfway surfing competition today, surpassing fellow Lembongan prodigy Putra Hermawan in the overall rankings, resulting in a dramatic conclusion to the three-stage Rusty Gromfest Series Bali, 2009.
The series launched at Keramas in February, followed by an event at Pererenan in March, then culminated at 'Halfway' Kuta Beach today in challenging conditions.
Competitors were split into two age divisions - under 14 and under 16 - with Rusty's team of pro surfers taking on scoring duties under the watchful eye of ISC head judges. Over eighty grommets participated in each event.
The contests were free to enter with complimentary lunch and goody bags for everyone. Fun games and product giveaways were held throughout the day to engage the hordes of spectators and beach-goers.
Over the duration of the series the stand out surfers in the under 14 division have been Jeren (Canggu), Koko (Nusa Dua), Mansyur (Sumbawa), Blacky (Legian), and Ediana (Lembongan).
The future of Indonesian surfing is in good hands with this lot, who all come from diverse backgrounds but have one thing in common: they absolutely rip!
Today Jeren was in his element, winning each of his heats, and then claiming his maiden victory after going mental in the final. Ediana lost in the semis but still clenched the overall series title after finishing runner-up at Keramas and winning Pererenan.
In the under 16 division much of the attention has been focused on the Lembongan duo of Putra Hermawan and Agus Frimanto who have had consistent finals berths.
Putra had built a commanding ratings lead following two consecutive victories in the first two events (Agus placed 2nd and 3rd) but the additional 25% points up for grabs at Halfway meant that Agus was mathematically still in the running to take the overall title.
Today Putra and Agus met in the semi finals where Agus took it to the next level with a spectacular display of confident, critical surfing. He stomped a 360 air-reverse to take the heat and advance into the final alongside Ahmad Kamal while Putra fell victim to the flat, unresponsive ocean.
This left the door wide open for Agus, who would need to finish second or better to take the series title. With so much at stake, Agus Frimanto put all the pressure aside and destroyed every wave he caught in the final, winning convincingly.
He has been awarded a chance to compete against the best international junior surfers at the 14th annual Rusty Gromfest held at Lennox Head, Australia in July 2009.
"I'm so happy to win the event and get the ticket to Australia" beamed Agus after the podium celebration. "I can't wait to surf Lennox Head, Snapper Rocks and all the great waves there... but first it's time to party!!!"
The Rusty Gromfest Series Bali 2009, held in conjunction with the Coca-Cola ISC Junior Tour, has been a great success that was made possible with the generous support of the local communities at Keramas, Pererenan, and Kuta.
Thanks also to our sponsors Creatures, Macbeth, Sabre, Wall's, GUS, Surftime, and Magic Wave. See you next year!!
Gromfest Halfway Results:Under 161. Agus Frimanto
2. Tia Nustawan
3. Ahmad Kamal
4. Putu Anggara
Under 141. Jeren
2. Koko Mitsua Antara
3. Mansyur
4. Luke Hynd
Overall Rusty Gromfest Series Bali 2009 Rankings:Under 16
1. Agus Frimanto - 5850 points
2. Putra Hermawan - 5500 points
3. Tia Nustawan - 5100 points
Under 14
1. Ediana Putra - 5350 points
2. Jeren - 5183 points
3. Koko Mitsua Antara - 4750 points
Full ratings, photo gallery, and videos at
www.isctour.comMEDIA: For hi-res photos please contact dedot@rustyindo.com
Photos by Amin & Harry / Text by Thai
The Rusty team is in town shooting some new ads and getting clips for an upcoming video project. Jay and Jayke have already left but Jamie, Nate, and Josh are still in town hanging out with local boys Marlon and Awan. Here's a couple of sly shots I grabbed off Coastal Watch.
