Crystal Cylinders
Local Mark ‘Mono’ Stewart is the most decorated adaptive surfer in the world right now and has confirmed his status by winning two events in the UK.
Stewart won the English International Adaptive Surfing Championships AS2 division held at Fistral Beach in Newquay. He also picked up the award for highest-scoring wave of the whole event, an 8.33.
He went on to Wales where he competed in the artificial wave pool at Surf Snowdonia and won his AS2 division and received a 9.83 score. Again this was the highest ride of the event awarded for some great snaps and a tube ride.
‘I am very stoked to do well. A huge thanks to everyone for their support,’ Mark said.
The Welsh Adaptive Surf Championship was the first international adaptive surf championship to be held on an inland lagoon anywhere in the world, and featured men and women.
The popularity of adaptive surfing has grown significantly since the first ISA World Adaptive Surf Championship in 2015. The International Paralympic Committee will make a decision on whether to include it in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games later this year.
Ballito Pro wipeout
Byron Bay’s pro surfers Matt Wilkinson, Soli Bailey, and Kyuss King along with Lennox Head’s Stuart Kennedy travelled to South Africa to compete at the Ballito Pro, this season’s first QS 10,000 event.
Wilkinson, Bailey, and Kennedy were unfortunately eliminated in their first-round heats with all three finishing in fourth place for an equal 73rd place finish.
King progressed through his first-round heat but was knocked out in the next round. He finished in equal 37th place and collected 1,000 points.
