The 2024 Zap World Championships of Skimboarding wrapped up on Sunday, August 11, with victories from Lucas Fink in the Pro Men’s division and Chabe White in the Pro Women’s division. Despite rough weather on Friday due to the remnants of Hurricane Debby, the event saw great conditions on Saturday afternoon and solid east coast conditions for the finals on Sunday.
On Saturday morning a tide pool in the middle of the slope made it difficult for competitors to slide out to waves. However, by Saturday afternoon, the slope cleaned up, providing great conditions for the pros to showcase their skills. Sunday’s finals continued with smaller but consistent waves, allowing athletes to combine a lot of tech with their rides.
Standout riders throughout the weekend include Delaware local Sam McCoy who used his powerful style to make it all the way to the quarterfinals. Timmy Gamboa was another standout rider, who mixed in body varial to switch rides throughout the weekend alongside a variety of ultra critical frontside and backside turns. Dane Cameron who finished in second in the event put together the highest heat total of the weekend during his quarterfinal round, tallying up 26.5 points with an 8.77, an 8.87, and an 8.90. On the women’s side, Alex Yokely who finished in second had one of the best rides of the weekend with a backside hack to 360 on the way in on one of the biggest waves of the day. Brazilian Julia Dias and Delaware local Sydney Pizza also had standout weekends, finishing in third and fourth place respectively.
Lucas Fink, a three-time UST champion from Brazil, came into the event with something to prove after a disappointing finish in OBX. “We’re alive again,” Fink said after his hard-fought win. “Since Dane [Cameron] is the highest contender right now, I knew that I had to pull it off, and I was stoked I did. The heat was insanely close. It feels good to have insane competition like him. I’m gonna give my life and my soul and all my strength to get this title.”
Chabe White, the reigning 2023 UST champion, took home the win in the Pro Women’s division, continuing her strong season. “It feels great. I’m really happy to be here in Dewey,” White said. “This contest was special for me because I felt really good to be around all my friends. It’s been really fun for me.” Following up on her third place finish in Cabo, this win pushes Chabe up to being tied for first on the tour.
Results
Pro Men
- Lucas Fink
- Dane Cameron
- Timmy Gamboa
- Sam McCoy
- Joao Lucas
- Ethan Redefer
See full 2024 UST Men’s standings here
Pro Women
- Chabe White
- Alex Yokley
- Julia Dias
- Sydney Pizza
- Emma Okoniewski
- Amber Torrealba
See Full 2024 UST Women’s standings here
UST Points Race
For the pro men, after four events, Dane Cameron currently holds a commanding lead with 3562 points, followed by Timmy Gamboa in second with 2624 points and Lucas Fink in third with 2590 points. However, because only the top 4 of 6 performances count and because Lucas Fink currently has a 0 point finish as part of his score line from missing UST Stop 1, Lucas Fink is within striking distance of the lead, but he would need an event win and Cameron would need to not improve on his fourth place finish of 706 points from Santa Cruz. Leo Freitas is in fourth with 2349 points and Gerardo Valencia rounds out the top five with 2306 points.
For the pro women, Julia Dias and Chabe White, the reining 2023 UST champion, are currently tied for first, each with 1810 points. Both riders currently have a first place finish and a third place finish going into the second half of the season. Sydney Pizza is in third place with 1260 points and Amber Torrealba is in fourth place with 1180 points. Alex Yokley and Kaori Uno are tied for fifth place, each with 900 points after each securing a second place finish at a single event.
