SA’s Grant Baker battles giant waves in Peru

SOUTH Africa’s Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker, the reigning ASP Big Wave World Tour (BWWT) champion, finished fifth at the Billabong Pico Alto event in Peru, battling 40-foot seas and a field of 24 of the world’s best watermen in the first event of the 2014/2015 ASP BWWT season on Thursday.

Baker displayed the consistency that saw him reach the final in all the BWWT events last season, winning two of them, by again advancing through round 1 and the semi-finals held in heaving 25 to 40 foot (eight to 13 metres) surf to reach the last six in the final at Peru’s renowned big wave venue of Pico Alto, 60km South of Lima.

Hawaiian Makua Rothman claimed victory in the event. His “go-for-broke” approach throughout the contest paid off and the young Hawaiian showcased his commitment, strength and confidence as the surf grew in size during the day by netting the highest scores of the entire event in the final.

The six-man final boasted a “who’s who” of the global big wave community with reigning world champion Baker leading Greg Long (USA), Gabriel Villaran (Peru) Shawn Dollar (USA) and Anthony Tashnick (Hawaii) into the brink, but it was the newcomer Rothman that came out on top, announcing himself as a major threat on the BWWT.

Baker was fortunate to get through his opening encounter when the heat was extended by 30 minutes after only one ride, by Baker was recorded in the initial 45 minutes. A flurry of sets during the extension saw him overtaken by Rafael Velarde (Peru) and Jamie Sterling (Hawaii) but the Saffa held onto third place

He also finished third in his semi-final, behind Rothman and Long, progressing to the final where he waited patiently and caught arguably the biggest wave of the entire event. However Baker could not find a second score and placed fifth overall.