The historical Swatch Girls Pro wrapped in Hainan Island yesterday - the first ever ASP surf contest to be held in China - with Chelsea Williams winning in Wanning, and Lindsay Steinriede taking the Womens' World Longboarding Champion title.
The finals met with a growing swell and offshore winds on Riyuewan Beach, as Roxy up and comer Kelia Moniz surfed against Chelsea in the finals, and Kassia Meador coming a close third in front of local ballerina-turned surfer Darci Liu.
A pretty special event, the Swatch Girls Pro is hoped to inspire an already buzzing Chinese surf scene to develop further - with the island a Hawiaan esque tropical paradise, without the crowds or egos to battle.
"Being a traveling surfer isn't just about contests," explained Kassia, who had been freesurfing elsewhere on the island as much as competing, "It's also about meeting people, sharing their culture and of course sharing waves.
"The local surfers here have been so stoked, it's infectious. They're getting really into surfing, it's not gonna be long before there's all kinds of local rippers out here, and that's really exciting. If kids get inspired by seeing us here, and then get into being out in the ocean and surfing, then that's all the reward I'll ever need."
Day 2 highlights:
