By Taj Burrow became the first three-time champion of the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy, defeating Mikey February in the grand finale to finish off three intense days of competition in the event’s greatest waves ever.
Burrow’s triumph was hard-fought. After coming second in all three classes and surfing a maximum of ten heats, the 46-year-old Australian tried to preserve energy on the last day. While being careful with wave selection may seem paradoxical to a surfer when the waves are four feet and perfect, it was a great decision. Burrow’s six superb wave scores on the last day demonstrated that, while he sacrificed quantity, the quality of his waves was not compromised in the least.
Calm breezes and nonstop waves were the ideal conditions for the twin fin category to begin, and Jeremy Flores went all out. Flores, dissatisfied with his performance on the first two days and with little possibility of victory in general, was surfing for honor alone, and that was ample. An 8.33 and a 7.17, both for wonderfully ridden tubes, served as warning shots to the field, resulting in a straightforward victory against Burrow and local wildcard Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil.
Jadson Andre, another enthusiastic surfer, let off more pyrotechnic in the second heat. Andre went upside down on his backhand, like he had throughout the event, and recorded an 8.33 and a 7.83 to advance to the next round in first place. Mikey February came in second, while a gallant but exhausted Carissa Moore was disqualified.
Andre, who needed to advance to the twin fin final to be in contention for the overall final, was completely outmatched by Burrow’s all-out onslaught in the second semi. The West Australian never looked back after scoring an astounding 9.67 for a deep tube with a crazy foam ball ride.
While Andre’s two last waves were his highest scores, it was Burrow who got the ultimate laugh, landing the event’s first perfect 10 in the closing minutes, awarded unanimously by the judging panel for a deep vanishing performance.
“I almost feel guilty for winning,” said Burrow afterwards. “Mikey was the best surfer here this week. He looks beautiful on any board but especially that twinny. His turns were looking so perfect, he was on point and ripping and I knew he was the one to beat.
“But I know how to surf a heat, and I knew how I could do it. I patiently sat on my spot, got a couple of drainers, did a few turns of my own. Even at the end I knew he could get me, and then the storm hit! The wind ripped in hard offshore, the waves were so groomed and I got maybe my roundest tube for the week. I thought I’d done enough at that point, then Mikey caught another wave on the buzzer, and was in the barrel for ages. I didn’t think it was the score, but you never know, and finally it was read out that’d I’d won.
“I was staring down the barrel of a bunch of seconds, and that led me to dig deep for the final. I was very tired and running on adrenaline, but I knew my formula and the ocean delivered. That might be one of the funnest finals I’ve ever surfed. I don’t know if I’ll ever wear a jersey again … unless I get invited back! I got so tubed, with friends, staying at the Four Seasons, there’s no way you can better that. The pinch-me moments have been non-stop all week.”
Twin Fin Division Results
1. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 1000pts
2. Taj Burrow (AUS) 900pts
3. Jadson Andre (BRA) equal with Mikey February (ZAF) 800pts
5. Carissa Moore (HAW) equal with Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil (MDV) 700pts
2024 Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy Leaderboard
1. Taj Burrow (AUS) 2700pts
2. Mikey February (ZAF) 2600pts
3. Jadson Andre (BRA) 2500pts
4. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 2500pts
5. Carissa Moore (HAW) 2200pts
5. Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil (MDV) 2200pts