Santa Barbara’s Lakey Peterson had a shot at a World Title on Thursday in New Zealand, winning two heats on the final day of the ISA World Juniors Surfing Championship to make the Under-18 girls final.
Australia’s Tyler Wright ended up winning the four-person final, while Peterson finished fourth overall for the Pac-Sun USA Surf Team at the world’s top amateur surfing competition.
Santa Barbara's Lakey Peterson took advantage of the familiar right-hand break to win two heats on Thursday, advancing to the girls Under-18 final at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in New Zealand. (ISA Photo)
Peterson, 15, was on a roll before the final having won her first two heats of the day, including a come-from-behind win in the heat just prior to the final. Peterson trailed with three minutes left in the heat before a 4.78 ride with two and a half minutes left helped her edge Quizon 11.18-11.02.
Luckily for Quizon, the top two from each heat advance, placing Peterson and Quizon in the final against already-qualified Wright and South Africa’s Sarah Baum. The final had even more drama, featuring two lead changes in the closing 90 seconds.
Wright held a lead for most of the 25-minute heat but Quizon put together a ride that scored a 8.30 with only 1:19 left on the clock to give the Hawaiian a slight two-wave edge, 12.74-12.60. Wright refused to give up on the world title, however, somehow collecting the heat’s highest score, 8.50, with 19 seconds left on the clock to regain the lead.
Peterson pocketed a 5.96-point ride half-way through the heat but couldn’t find another high-scoring wave after that.
Two other surfers from Santa Barbara competed in New Zealand for Team USA. Parker Coffin recorded an equal-9th place in the Under-16 boys while his older brother Conner bowed out in the earlier rounds, posting an equal 37th in the Under-18 boys.
The ISA World Junior Surfing Championship is a 30-year old event showcasing the world’s best competitive surfers under the age of 18. Santa Barbara has a rich history at the event, as Tom Curren was champion in 1980 and Chris Brown in 1988.
Final Results:
Under 18 Boys Final
1, 19.90, Gabriel Medina, BRA
2, 14.92, Jordin Watson, AUS
3, 14.90, Tamaroa McComb, TAH
4, 12.96, Beyrick de Vries, ZAF
Under 18 Girls Final
1, 16.00, Tyler Wright, AUS
2, 12.74, Alessa Quizon, HAW
3, 9.72, Sarah Baum, ZAF
4, 9.66, Lakey Peterson, USA
Under 16 Boys Final
1, 15.90, Matt Banting, AUS
2, 11.60, Jake Halstead, USA
3, 10.40, Koa Smith, HAW
4, 10.24, Hiroti Arai, JPN
