Russell Winter Wins Nike Night Surf

Newquay surfer Russell Winter dominated the Nike Night Surf contest held at Fistral Beach in Cornwall at the end of September. In the first UK Pro Tour stop of the year, Winter’s wave selection and quality of surfing manoeuvres left the other finalists struggling to keep up in the small but surfable 2-4ft waves.

Under the artificial flood lighting, which make the waves more difficult to read, Winter’s confidence and natural ability shone through to take a points lead over the original final favourites Lewis Clinton and an in-form Jayce Robinson.

In the Women’s event 14-year-old Croyde surfer Peony Knight claimed her first senior women’s title and became one of the youngest surfers to ever take a win at this level in the UK.

The Pro Junior title was won by rising star Jobe Harriss from Bude who, after progressing through three rounds in the Open category, picked off his opponents and battled in the finals to take the top podium position after being pushed hard by second placed surfer Luis Eyre.

Dave Reed of the UK Pro Surf Tour said “This was another fantastic Night Surf event by Nike, with competitors giving a display of progressive surfing in contest conditions over both days.”

All podium finishers shared competition winnings from the largest prize purse on the UK Pro Tour and picked up the first points in the tour series. On Saturday night spectators also enjoyed a special screening of Kai Neville’s Surfing film ‘Dear Suburbia’, featuring Nike Surfing’s Kolohe Andino & Julian Wilson.

Results

Open

1st Russell Winter 2500

2nd Jayce Robinson 2150

3rd Johnny Fryer 1825

4th Lewis Clinton 1675

Pro Jnr

1st Jobe Harriss 2500

2nd Luis Eyre 2150

3rd Luke Dillon 1825

4th Taz Knight 1675

Womens

1st Peony Knight 1500

2nd Evie Johnson 1290

3rd Holly Donnelly 1095

4th Jaide Lowe 1005