Billabong Pro Junior Series@Kuta Beach

Ketut “Mega” Semadhi Captures First Balinese Win in Billabong Pro Junior Series at Kuta Reef


(Kuta-Bali, July 12, 2008): With his win today at Kuta Reef, Ketut “Mega” Yoga Semadhi became the first Balinese surfer to climb atop the podium in a Billabong Pro Junior Series competition, taking on a strong field of international Pro Juniors and coming back to the beach with a hard fought victory.

After exchanging the lead several times in the hotly contested final, an on-fire “Mega” Semadhi charged into the lead with three minutes to go, nabbing the highest single wave point score of the competition, a 9.7, to wrestle the lead away from a stunned Caleb Boquist.

Boquist needed just minutes before he ripped into a glassy 3 footer and netted a 9.5, leaving Semahdi requiring a 9.2 to take the lead and seemingly having the win well in hand, but on the paddle back out to the lineup he watched Mega take off on small but nicely formed wave. A mixed bag of snaps, floaters, rail grab cutbacks, and punting a small air in the critical inside section kept the judges busy, and when the MC announced the score the spectators and crew on the boats cheered wildly.

“I didn’t know how good of a wave it was going to be, but I knew I had to go for it and make the most of it. I just didn’t want to fall and so I had to focus on completing every move. I’m so lucky it was a good wave so I could do my best,” said Mega later back on the beach grinning widely.

The winners presentation was held at the Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel where Mega couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as his friends and fans went berserk. “I want to thank Billabong for bringing this series here and for all the sponsors that support it. I’m so happy to win today for my country and my island, its unbelievable. Thanks everybody, now lets have a drink!” Then the champagne bottles erupted and he generously doused his fellow competitor and runner up Caleb with the contests. Later, when he got down from the podium, he was asked what he would do with his $2000USD prize money. He answered, “I’ll be making a couple extra car payments I think!”

Unlike the previous Billabong Pro Junior event at Keramas in which no Indonesian surfer had advanced past Round Four, the Kuta Reef event quarterfinals included Mustofa Jekson, Ketut “Mega” Sumadhi, and Agus Purnawan. Earlier action in Quarterfinal One saw Mustofa Jekson looking set to continue his run for the podium by getting on the scoreboard first over Josh Baxter, but a tactical priority error by Jekson with 30 seconds to go let Baxter back in and so ended the run. Back at the boat Baxter said, “I got a bit lucky there in the end. There was a lull for awhile and I was expecting some bigger sets like the ones coming through while it was raining so I kept waiting, and at the end one finally came my way.”


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