The joy of the Dutch and the music of Alys
Another 8 hour day of surfing in Santa Cruz, for the 5th day of the Eurosurf Junior 2022 and some awesome performances as well as some necessary eliminations as Spain, Portugal, France, England and Italy racing for the top positions.
From Portugal, came one of the top scores of the event, with national junior champion Martim Nunes collecting the second highest total score of the event (17,60, only surpassed by Spain’s Hans Odriozola’s 17,75). Other stand out performances like the ones from Kai Odriozola (Hans older brother), among others.
For England, the name to beat, in the girls under 18 division, is Alys Barton. Coming from a QS final in Pantín (Spain), the young English surfer glows with confidence, having won her heat of round 3 and earning a spot at the decisive round 4, potentially just one step from the final.
Alys, a former gymnast who embraced surfing at the relatively old age of 13, surfs with precision and grace. Traits she inherited from her gymnastics background and probably from her lesser known previous avocation.
“I’m feeling good at the back of a final in Pantin, the conditions are a bit tricky but I’m having lots of fun along with everybody in the team. I came into the sport only 5 years ago, but I’ve been training everyday ever since. The boys back home, like Patrick Langdon-Dark, push me to surf my best and reach my goals. I did a bit of gymnastics and that helped me, perhaps, but apart from that…I played the clarinet.”
So, if you think you are listening to music when you see Alys surf…now you know why.
The day finished off with a bit of a surprise, only if you haven’t watched Hugo Prins surf lately. The young Dutch won the repechage round 4, improvising a celebration on the beach that almost commandeered the flash interview. All smiles for Prins who continues further into the deep end of competition.
It's the joy of surfing and youth coming together at the Eurosurf Junior 2022 after all.
Tomorrow the action will resume at 9h30 after a call at 9h00 GMT.