Kanoa Igarashi wins first CT event – first for Japan
Kanoa Igarashi became the first Japanese surfer to win a Championship Tour event on Saturday at the Corona Bali Protected. The 21-year-old scored 15.10 points in his final heat, beating France’s Jeremy Flores by 0.47. En the way to winning the third CT event of the season, Igarashi also eliminated Kelly Slater and Adrian Buchan.
The win brings Igarashi to No. 2 in the men’s Championship Tour rankings.
Igarashi, whose parents moved to California to raise him on the waves of Huntington Beach, switched his competitive nationality last year to represent Japan at the 2020 Summer Games.
2019 Corona Bali Protected Final
Men
1. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 15.10
2. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 14.63
Women
1. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.83
2. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 7.00
Watch the final heat video below.