Taj Burrow defends his title!
This was Taj's second win in as many years
Taj Burrow riding a wave at the sultans
Australian Taj Burrow has won the Four seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy for the second year running.
The championship was hosted on-board Four Seasons Explorer which was anchored near the sultans wave break off the island of Thamburudhoo.
A total of six surfers took part in the competition which was divided into three divisions: single-fin, twin-fin and triple-fin thruster division.
Brazilian Maya Gaberia, Australian Taj Burrows, Americans Rob Machado, CJ Hobgood and Ross Williams took part in the event with local wild card Ismail Miglal (Kuda Isse).
On the first day of the competition the surfers competed in the single-fin division. It was the American Rob Machado who won this division by defeating his fellow countryman CJ Hobgood with a score of 16.67 out of a possible 20.
On the following day in the twin-fin division the Maldivian surfer Ismail Miglal (Kuda Isse) defeated 2001 world champion CJ Hobgood in the first heat, helping him to advance to the semis where he was knocked out by eventual runner-up Machado.
During the single-fin semis Machado had knocked out Taj. However the following day Taj got his revenge by defeating Machado in the finals of the twin-fin division, helping him to move a step closer to the finals.
On the morning of the final day, the triple-fin thrusters division took place with Taj taking out CJ Hobgood in the division finals.
With this division win it meant that it would be Taj and Machado who would compete for the title. With Machado coming into the finals as the winner of the single-fin and runner-up of the twin-fin Taj anticipated a tough fight for the title.
In the title decider Taj’s fast and composed surfing was far too strong for Machado. Taj scored 16.73 points against Machado’s 14.93 out of a possible 20.
After taking home the title for the second consecutive year Taj said that he wishes to come back to defend his title next year and the waves were perfect for the event to conclude with a huge success. He also said that the Maldivian surfer Ismail Miglal (Kuda Isse) is immensely talented and he showed great composure during the event.
Dubbed by many as the world’s most luxurious surfing event, Taj took home the trophy and the prize money of 25,000 US Dollars.
The Four seasons Surfing Champions Trophy returns next year with many surfers who took part this year expressing their desires to compete next year.
