Surfing
Surfing
No Contest signs off from an incredible year with 2019's best episode yet
From Oahu to Maui and back again, No Contest sees four world titles claimed as we end a huge year in fitting fashion at surfing's spiritual home, Hawaii.
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The WSL's many tours form an unruly beast that takes the world's best wave riders to all corners of the planet in the hope that by the time they land in Hawaii at year's end they've done enough to be within reach of their goals. For surfers on the Championship Tour that means world titles, while for those on the Qualifying Series, Hawaii offers the chance to graduate to the major leagues.
World Champion Carissa Moore and surfing's ultimate claim – a big tube
© WSL/Cait Miers
For such a sweet soul Carissa Moore's turns sure pack an angry punch!
© WSL/Kelly Cestari
Fourth time's a charm! Riss celebrates her fourth world title in Maui
© WSL/Kelly Cestari
In the midst of this drama there are the big wave maniacs who flock to Hawaii with glory on their minds, with a bonus mix of the globe's best free surfers doing their best to put on a show for the galleries of photographers and videographers who line the beaches of the famous waves. To call the North Shore season a circus would be to do it a disservice, but organised chaos would not be a stretch.
Julian Wilson kicks out of another year on the dream tour, looks to 2020
© Trevor Moran
Jordy Smith deep and driving, a long way back on a North Shore expressway
© Trevor Moran
Famed for her backhand, Caroline Marks is no slouch facing the wall
© Trevor Moran
Confused? Understandable. To help make sense of it all for you we dispatched our friends from Stab magazine to Oahu's Seven Mile Miracle to continue their year-long research into the cast and crew of surfing's global caravan, and uncover a little insider information about the various locales into which it rolls.
Kai Lenny stands strong at the bottom of a Jaws beast
© WSL/Cait Miers
Even backhand, Lucas Chianca attacks big waves like no other man on Earth
© WSL/Cait Miers
Ian Walsh running and gunning at XXL Jaws
© WSL/Keoki Saguibo
To say the team did some miles pulling this episode together would be an understatement. Carissa Moore kicked things off winning her fourth world title in Maui, from young gun Caroline Marks. A short flight later back on the island of Oahu, Stab's Ashton Goggans and crew caught up with a selection of up-and-coming North Shore talent before the Pipe Masters kicked off.
Kolohe Andino leaving some rubber on the road on a playful North Shore day
© Trevor Moran
Nate Florence combining his new passion, airs, with his first love, tubes
© Trevor Moran
Mason Ho rolls into a Pipe bomb with the best bottom turn you'll ever see
© Trevor Moran
With a couple of insane rounds at Pipeline in the books it was back on the bird to Maui, as Peahi came alive for the Jaws Big Wave Championships, where Billy Kemper and Paige Alms were crowned world champions, and our own Ian Walsh, Kai Lenny and Lucas 'Chumbo' Chianca once again put their names up in lights.
Tahitian Michel Bourez looking right at home in Hawaii
© WSL/Ed Sloane
South African-turned-local-resident Jordy Smith sets up a Pipeline home run
© WSL/Kelly Cestari
Introducing surfing's 2019 world champion, Italo Ferreira
© WSL/Ed Sloane
From there another final quick hop to Oahu saw the closest world title showdown since Andy Irons snatched his second crown from Kelly Slater in the 2003 Pipe Masters final. Somehow, 16 years later, Slater is still in the Top 10, and while out of the race for the top of the totem he managed to claim his third-ever Triple Crown, on Pipe's final day.
After Filipe Toledo, Kolohe Andino and Jordy Smith fell in early rounds the 2019 Championship Tour came down to two men, Italo Ferreira, and two-time and reigning world champ Gabriel Medina. Although Ferreira wore the yellow jersey, Medina was hot favourite to claim title number three, but the peroxide spark plug from Baia Formosa in the north of Brazil, had other thoughts. In dramatic scenes played out in front of a packed beach, it was Ferreira who broke through to claim a massively popular world title, which he dedicated immediately to his recently passed grandmother.
It was an emotional conclusion to a wild year, and we're thrilled to have taken you to every event along the way. Massive vote of thanks to Ashton Goggans, Jacob Wooden and the whole of the Stab team for going above and beyond all year long – we've enjoyed the way the series has evolved and we can't wait to see where it rolls to next. Thanks for watching, now bring on 2020!
Watch all episodes of No Contest Seasons 1 and 2 here on Red Bull TV.
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