Parker Coffin won the Sprite Soup Bow Pro Junior in pumping waves at Soup Bowl.
SOUP BOWL, Barbados (Sunday, November 17, 2013) – Parker Coffin (Santa Barbara, CA), 18, and Chelsea Tuach (BRB), 17, have claimed the inaugural Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 1-Star Sprite Soup Bowl Pro Junior presented by the Barbados Tourism Authority in flawless three-to-five foot reef-break barrels at Soup Bowl.
The Sprite Soup Bowl Pro Junior represents the first stop on the 2013-2014 ASP North America Pro Junior Series, offering up crucial seed points towards qualification for the ASP World Junior Championships.
Parker Coffin took an amazing come-from-behind win in the final of the Sprite Soup Bowl Pro Junior after struggling to amass any scores of significance until the 10-minute mark of the heat. With time winding down on the clock, Coffin would demolish a steep righthand set wave with committed backhand turns for a 9.33 and immediately back up the score to launch in to the lead, eventually securing the win.
“That was the worst and best heat of my life,” Coffin said. “I got one wave 10 minutes in to the heat and fell and thought I broke my ankles. I thought, ‘this is the sickest contest ever and I’m not going to lose with a three-point heat total.’ It was a sick final because I’m good friends with everyone who was in it. I basically had a 10-minute heat and told myself to start over. A bomb came and it was the best wave I’ve had the whole contest. Then I caught another one on my way back out and got really lucky.”
Coffin’s win would come off of the momentum of an amazing Semifinal showing, where the young Californian would drive through an incredible backside barrel. Coffin would earn the day’s high score of a near-perfect 9.50 for the ride en route to a 18.50 heat total before securing the Sprite Soup Bowl Pro Junior Victory.
“I kind of messed up on the barrel in the Semifinal,” Coffin said. “The second part of the wave was the best part. When I pulled in it was foamy and I couldn’t see. Once I got through that section it was the perfect little barrel and it just let me out. This is the most fun I’ve ever had in an event. It feels great and I’m stoked.”
Jake Marshall (Encinitas, CA), 15, put in an electric showing at the Sprite Soup Bowl Pro Junior, combining incredible variety on his forehand in the powerful Caribbean conditions while posting some of the event’s top scores. The Californian led the majority of the Final, but was unable to put a stop to Coffin’s late-heat charge and would finish runner-up.
“The waves here today were the best I’ve ever surfed in a contest and even some of the best waves I’ve ever surfed in my life,” Marshall said. “There were just perfect barrels and you could come out and do huge turns. Every heat was fun. Everyone was enjoying themselves and having fun. It felt like it wasn’t even a contest.”
Chelsea Tuach, defending Women’s ASP North America Pro Junior Series Champion, absolutely dominated the women’s division of the Sprite Soup Bowl Pro Junior, capitalizing on her local knowledge to post the highest scores of women’s competition in the Final of 9.33 and an 18.53 heat total.
“I’m just really happy that Soup Bowl turned on,” Tuach said. “We scored perfect Soup Bowl. In my women’s final, I had the most fun Soup Bowl I’ve ever surfed. I’m so happy all of the Californians and East Coasters could come out. Everyone was ripping and it was a great event. I had to surf my best and it all worked out. I’m stoked to win at home, it feels amazing.”
Tuach, fresh off of an equal 3rd place finish at the ASP World Junior Championships, has been emerging as a standout on the international scene and hopes to carry her recent hot-streak on to the 2014 season.
“Things are going great,” Tuach said. “It was a great last contest for me and I’ve had a good year. I’m going to rest up and get ready for next season. I’m going to try and do some QS events and still want to do the Pro Juniors.”
Tia Blanco (San Clemente, CA), 16, put in a standout performance throughout the entirety of the Sprite Soup Bowl Pro Junior, earning some of the event’s high scores in the Quarterfinals. Blanco was unable to put a stop to Tuach’s domination in the Final, however, and would finish runner-up overall.
“It was a long day and I learned that Soup Bowl has a lot of power and I had to ride my step up board,” Blanco said. “Congrats to Chelsea (Tuach) she was surfing so well the whole event. I was just trying to look for waves with shape and I caught one good one, but my fins skid out. This has been a great event though. Soup Bowl is an amazing wave and I’m glad to be here.”
