AUSTRALIAN MASTERS TEAM ARE ISA WORLD MASTERS SURFING CHAMPIONS 2010...

AUSTRALIA determined to improve on their 2nd place in the Peru 2008 ISA World Masters had to stop South Africa from going for their hatrick of titles...it was close...determination pulled it off. Congratulations team AUSTRALIA!

Australia Wins Gold in the Panama ISA World Masters Surfing Championship
Aussies stop two years of South African supremacy

Panama ISA World Masters Surfing Championship
Santa Catalina, Panama
September 4, 2010

Australia won the Team Gold Medal in the Panama ISA World Masters Surfing Championship in clean, well shaped 5 to 7 foot waves. Heather Clark (RSA), Andrew Banks (RSA), Juan Ashton (PUR), Rod Baldwin (AUS) and Chris Knutsen (RSA) won the Gold Medal in the individual divisions.

The Aussie team’s title came after an intense and tight battle with South Africa. A mere difference of less than 300 points gave the first ISA Masters World Championship to the Aussies, stopping two years of African supremacy.

Final Team Medal Standings:

Gold: Australia – 10456 points

Silver: South Africa – 10196 points

Bronze: Brazil – 8770 points

Copper: Puerto Rico – 8684 points

Sandra English, competitor and Team Manager of Australia, said about their victory, “Its hard team work, everyone is cheering each other and it all paid off with a couple of good results in the finals. Since its a hard wave, it was really important to come here one week before”

Banks Puts it in the Bank

It was a hard fought final with two red hot Australians and a defending World Champion, but South African Andrew Banks turned things to his favor in the last five minutes of the final. After scoring 9.07 on a set wave, he secured the Gold Medal with a combined score of 17.57. Brett Bannister (AUS) placed second, Dean Hall (AUS) third, and Juan Ashton (PUR) fourth.

Banks said, “I feel extremely happy; this is the reason why I came here. This is what I was praying for, and I was not going to be happy with second place. It was a tough final and I gave all for my late brother, Robbie - I surf for him.”

Baldwin Wins the Only Australian Individual Gold

The powerful backside attack of Rod Baldwin (AUS) brought the Australian team their only individual golden medal. Midway through the final, Baldwin took off on an excellent set wave, and after linking a series of vertical off the lips, he received an 8.67 from the judges. He added another high scoring 6.37 wave to reach a combination of 15.04. Sergio Penna (BRA) placed second, David Malherbe (RSA) third and Martín Jerí (PER) placed fourth.

Baldwin, the Copper Medalist in the 2008 ISA World Masters, said, “(This) is fantastic; I didn’t expected this. I’m so grateful; I have been surfing for 35 years and this is the best result I have ever had. You just have to keep surfing; it keeps you young and I just love it!”