It's a case of being in the right place at the right time for Crosby Colapinto, with the nineteen-year-old Californian scoring a wildcard into the Rip Curl Newcastle Cup presented by Corona after traveling to Australia to support his brother.
"I was just planning on coming and being a support crew for my brother and being around the contest because I know the WSL is trying to start contest back up and get the QS up and running so I just thought it would be a good idea to be around, watching it and getting used to contest vibes again," Colapinto told the WSL.Â
Colapinto is coming off a statement-making season on the North Shore of Oahu. This winter he and Griffin threw down the gauntlet, catching some of the best waves at Pipe and Backdoor.
This comes after 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater did not board a recent charter flight from Los Angles to Sydney due to injury, and therefore will be unable to compete in the event. Officially, first replacement Mikey Wright takes Kelly's spot, and event sponsor Rip Curl has selected Colapinto as the final wildcard.
This will be his third-ever Championship Tour event, having previously competed in Portugal and the Surf Ranch.
Crosby was already in Australia when he got the news, having made the trip with Griff who is currently no.17 on the Championship Tour rankings. He's right now sitting out his two-week spell in hotel quarantine in Sydney - a chore all the more bearable knowing he's got a chance to compete against the world's best at a time when his surfing is in top form.
"I'm really excited because when I did the CTs for the Surf Ranch and Portugal I felt kinda young and immature with my surfing," he said.
But now, after a special season in Hawaii and a two-month stint in Indonesia, Colapinto's surfing has found a new level of maturity.
"The Hawaii season was a little confidence booster, and I was in indo for a while before that ... I feel like going away from home for that long has really polished my surfing," he said.
After A Breakout Winter In Hawaii, Crosby Colapinto Scores A CT Wildcard
Ben Collins
It's a case of being in the right place at the right time for Crosby Colapinto, with the nineteen-year-old Californian scoring a wildcard into the Rip Curl Newcastle Cup presented by Corona after traveling to Australia to support his brother.
"I was just planning on coming and being a support crew for my brother and being around the contest because I know the WSL is trying to start contest back up and get the QS up and running so I just thought it would be a good idea to be around, watching it and getting used to contest vibes again," Colapinto told the WSL.Â
Colapinto is coming off a statement-making season on the North Shore of Oahu. This winter he and Griffin threw down the gauntlet, catching some of the best waves at Pipe and Backdoor.
This comes after 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater did not board a recent charter flight from Los Angles to Sydney due to injury, and therefore will be unable to compete in the event. Officially, first replacement Mikey Wright takes Kelly's spot, and event sponsor Rip Curl has selected Colapinto as the final wildcard.
This will be his third-ever Championship Tour event, having previously competed in Portugal and the Surf Ranch.
Crosby was already in Australia when he got the news, having made the trip with Griff who is currently no.17 on the Championship Tour rankings. He's right now sitting out his two-week spell in hotel quarantine in Sydney - a chore all the more bearable knowing he's got a chance to compete against the world's best at a time when his surfing is in top form.
"I'm really excited because when I did the CTs for the Surf Ranch and Portugal I felt kinda young and immature with my surfing," he said.
But now, after a special season in Hawaii and a two-month stint in Indonesia, Colapinto's surfing has found a new level of maturity.
"The Hawaii season was a little confidence booster, and I was in indo for a while before that ... I feel like going away from home for that long has really polished my surfing," he said.
Crosby Colapinto
Moving day implications unfolded as the women made their big debuts and the men continued to overpower Huntington Beach.
The recently announced Challenger Series wildcard got his reps in on Huntington Beach's pristine righthanders.
An all-important start to the regional QS season awaits April 28 - May at the iconic Huntington Beach Pier.
A decisive day for highly-anticipated debuts from top seeds produced brilliantly surfing in tough conditions as breakthrough threats
The former Live Like Zander Junior Pro In Memory of Zander Venezia victor went to work in his Round of 64 with a massive start.
Rip Curl Newcastle Cup presented by Corona
The WSL Photo Dept. offers up some candid moments picked from their thousands of images shot during the four-stop Australian leg of the CT.
Season 1, Episode 14
Mick And Ross talk Newcastle scoring, Rip Curl WSL Finals predictions and the men's Seeding Round super heat.
Season 2, Episode 2
Joe Turpel and Richie Lovett report from the Rip Curl Newcastle Cup to reflect on all the latest action in competitive surfing.
Medina recently joined forced with surf coach Andy King after a career spent traveling with his stepfather for a decade.
Italo Ferreira and Carissa Moore have won the Rip Curl Newcastle Cup presented by Corona in commanding, spectacular fashion.