Surfing
Surfing
It’s Time to Look Ahead to the Bali Edition of the Red Bull Airborne Series
Our rolling coverage of the Red Bull Airborne Series continues with a preview of everything that's set to go down above the waves of Keramas, in Bali, Indonesia. Get to know some new contenders here.
Bali day 1
The black sand of Keramas Beach in Bali provides a stunning location for the second stop of the 2019 season.
10 min
No Contest 2018 – Bali
See the surf world tour's best railing perfect waves in Bali, Indonesia.
After kicking off the year on Australia's Gold Coast, and with Brazil's flamboyant Italo Ferreira claiming a huge win over Australian sensation Reef Heazlewood (scroll down for highlights), the Red Bull Airborne Series is heading north to the east coast of Bali, in Indonesia.
Since it first burst onto the global surfing radar a dozen-or-so years ago, the lava reef and volcanic black sands of Keramas Beach have witnessed more than their fair share of iconic aerial moments, so it's only fitting that the Red Bull Airborne Series stops in the Island Of The Gods for its second event of 2019, with the window open from May 13-19.
Think of Keramas and you think of Andy and Bruce Irons shot from a helicopter in Taylor Steele's seminal ode to travel, Sipping Jetstreams. Cast your mind back to John John Florence's incredible alley-oop at the 2013 Oakley Pro. Remember Jack Freestone claiming his second World Junior Championship with a display of above the lip surfing never again seen in the junior ranks, in 2012. And how could we forget Julian Wilson's groundbreaking flat spin alley-oop that highlighted his blistering Wayward edit, just two short years ago?
After Italo Ferreira claimed glory on the Gold Coast we've switched a few surfers in and out of the roster, and look forward to welcoming a ton of Indonesian talent to the field as well, headlined by young gun Bronson Meidy and long time local standout Lee Wilson. Others joining them include Hawaiian wunderkind Eli Hanneman, who filmed the majority of the edit above at Keramas, long time Bali-lover Eric Geiselman, and resurgent former Championship Tour surfer Matt Banting.
There will also be local trials run on May 12 at Padma Beach in Kuta, which will see hometown stars such as Garut Widiarta, Raditya Rondi, Betet Merta, Lempog Jackson and Rio Waida, to name but a handful, vying for the last available spots in the main event. If you thought the Gold Coast event was good, you ain't seen nothing yet!
Stay tuned to this page for all the details about the live Red Bull TV broadcast.
Watch this video to find out how Italo Ferreira won Red Bull Airborne.
Day 1
Watch as the top surfers go head-to-head at the first of three epic Red Bull Airborne events this season.
Wait. What? You missed the final day of the Gold Coast edition of Red Bull Airborne? Best be hitting the highlights above then.
Italo Ferreira goes loopy, wins Red Bull Airborne
© Steve Sherman
Day 2: Duranbah turns on the ramps for the Final
It was the best of times, it was the best of times, as Italo Ferreira hoisted the trophy at the end of the first Red Bull Airborne outing for 2019. While Italo's top-of-the-podium backflip was never going to be beaten on land, the aquatic competition wasn't settled until the final hooter blew and the rampaging Brazilian claimed the win from a rampaging-and-borderline-ripped-off Reef Heazlewood. Third place went to defending champion Yago Dora, while Mitch Parkinson, Filipe Toledo and Mateus Herdy filled the minor placings.
Reef, Italo and Yago sing the blues for you
© Steve Sherman
And while the heavens opened up on the Gold Coast, the song remained the same. Last year it was Yago Dora who took out Red Bull Airborne, this time around it was compatriot and 2018 Championship Tour world number four Italo Ferreira who leapt to the top of the leaderboard. Toledo was the man to beat, but iceman and aerial savant Ferreira couldn't be kept down as Aussie young gun Heazlewood leapt for the heavens but fell an inch short.
Day 1: Defending champ Yago Dora kicks off the action
The first day of the first full season of the 2019 Red Bull Airborne series played out at Duranbah Beach, back-up site for the Quiksilver Pro, today. After an exciting opening men's round of serious surfing the call was made to send in the clowns, and Harry Bryant, Finn McGill and defending champion Yago Dora were among the first responders. Kalani David was the man who stole the show however, beating the previous surfers, Mitch Parkinson and Aaron Kelly in a tough first heat.
Next up, two of the Championship Tour's finest – Filipe Toledo and Italo Ferreira – came up against some of the biggest names in the air game – Noa Deane, Matt Meola and Kael Walsh to name a few – and it was the former partnership that took home the honours.
In the final heat for the day perennial favourite Chippa Wilson battled it out with Mateus Herdy, Matt Meola, Eithan Osborne, Jack Freestone and the guy who won the Quiksilver Pro trials, in what appeared to be a Red Bull Airborne test run yesterday, Reef Heazlewood. It was a closely fought shootout that gave us a sneak peek of what we might be in for when Red Bull Airborne continues. Check out the player above to see what you missed!
Get to know Josh Kerr, the man behind Airborne
Come and meet Josh Kerr, the man behind Red Bull Airborne, which will be held at three World Surf League CT events throughout 2019 – the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, which starts on April 3, the Corona Bali Protected and the Quiksilver Pro France.
Before his long career on the Championship Tour and his brief but successful swing on the Big Wave World Tour (and before owning a brewery and enjoying a recent 'retirement' run of surf travel and adventure) Kerr used to run riot on the air show scene of the late '90s and early 2000s.
1 min
Red Bull Airborne ready for takeoff in 2019
After debuting in France last October, aerial wizard Josh Kerr is bringing the Red Bull Airborne Series back in a play that will see the world's best sail the skies of Australia, Indonesia and France.
Kerr didn't grow up bouncing on a fit ball, grimly studying the ocean and doing endless heat drills with an army of coaches. Kerrzy grew up under the wing of surfing's outcast aerialists, guys like Jason 'Ratboy' Collins, Shawn 'Barney' Barron and Aarron Cormican in the US and Ozzy Wright, Nick Wallace and Kirk Flintoff in Australia. They toured the world's busiest beaches to party like madmen by night and pushed aerial progression by day. Aged just 17, Kerr finished 2001 as world air show champion.
Jack Freestone tweaking a stalefish
© Laurent Masurel/WSL/Red Bull Content Pool
Kael Walsh kicks his tail to the sky and puts it down smooth
© Laurent Masurel/WSL/Red Bull Content Pool
Kalani David stomping a stalefish en route to a fourth-place finish
© Laurent Masurel/WSL/Red Bull Content Pool
Eithan Osborne throws a huge lien grab and lands in the finals
© Laurent Masurel/WSL/Red Bull Content Pool
Although Kerr went on to forge a successful CT career – highlighted by a long stint in the top-10 and a runner-up finish in the 2012 Pipeline Masters – and settled into life as a family man, deep down the passion for the rat bag league of his youth still burned bright. In 2017, and now very much the modern entrepreneur, Kerr presented the WSL with a pitch to bring back surfing's loosest form of competition, and Red Bull Airborne was brought to life in Europe last year during the Quiksilver Pro France.
The essential details you need to know about the Airborne Series
With a successful first outing in France, Red Bull and the WSL decided more was called for and this year we're proud to announce the Red Bull Airborne Series will kick off this week at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, with 18 of the world's best aerial surfers waiting in the gates, ready to launch. Here's what you need to know:
When does it run?
Red Bull Airborne enjoys the same waiting period as the three World Tour events it runs over. The contest only takes four hours, meaning the WSL can call it 'on' at short notice. This might happen when onshore or cross-shore winds hamper the waves for traditional surfing, but create perfect conditions for aerials.
What's the judging criteria?
Each air is scored from 0-10, even if a surfer completes multiple aerials on one wave. Airs are judged on completion, commitment, degree of difficulty, innovation and progression, style, speed, power, height and technicality. The goal of the judging criteria is to push the limits of aerial surfing.
Who gets to compete?
Eighteen surfers compete in each Red Bull Airborne event. The field is a combination of CT surfers, underground talent, and local wildcards, with each competitor surfing two rounds of three-man heats and the six highest scoring surfers advancing to the final. The field is hand-picked by Josh Kerr, while the local wildcards compete in trials before the main event.
At Snapper the field is:
Yago Dora (BRA)
Kalani David (HAW)
Harry Bryant (AUS)
Finn McGill (HAW)
Mitch Parkinson (AUS)
Aaron Kelly (AUS)
Griffin Colapinto (USA)
Matt Meola (HAW)
Noa Deane (AUS)
Kael Walsh (AUS)
Thomas Woods (AUS)
Jack Freestone (AUS)
Eithan Osborne (AUS)
Chippa Wilson (AUS)
Reef Heazlewood (AUS)
Mateus Herdy (BRA)
Italo Ferreira (BRA)
Filipe Toledo (BRA)
