Laguna Beach skimboarder Blair Conklin defeated Lucas Fink in the men’s pro final of the United Skim Tour (UST), held at Aliso Beach last weekend, Aug. 26 and 27, using surf-style moves and finding the longest and biggest waves of the heat.
“The lineup at the pro final was the gnarliest crew I’ve ever skimmed against,” Conklin said. “Being up there with Lucas, Gerardo, Yahir, Timmy, Chad, and Dane…those [guys] are the future of our sport. I’m honored to be a part of it and be in the mix of things. I’m really excited to see what those guys have to bring for the next few years. Hopefully, I can be nipping at their heels here and there.”
Conklin’s best wave was a frontside liner with an alley-oop big spin air on the end section. His final heat total was 22.94 points to Fink’s 21.83.
Conditions at Aliso for the Vic competition, which is the fifth stop on the tour, were two to four feet on Saturday and one to three feet on Sunday, offering plenty of opportunities for the top pros to perform. The pros found long lines running down the beach from the north to the south, with many riders traveling farther than 40 yards on their best rides.
Fink clinched the pro men’s UST title for the 2023 season with a second-place finish. With 3823 points for the season, he has pulled far enough ahead that no other competitor can catch him.
Amber Torrealba edged out Ashley Poshard in the women’s pro final, finishing with 16.74 points over Poshard’s 16.40 points. It’s Torrealba’s fourth professional win at the Vic, having previously won in 2016, 2018 and 2019.
The Vic contest was the fifth of six events for the pro men’s division of the United Skim Tour. The pro men’s and women’s divisions will wrap up at the Exile Oktoberfest in Newport Beach on Sept. 16 and 17. The event will be the sixth event for the pro men and tahe fourth event for the pro women. While the pro men’s division has been clinched by Lucas Fink, the UST title for the women’s division is still up for grabs, with both Mexico’s Chabe White and Casey McCullough in the mix for the title. McCullough has previously won the UST title three times, first in 2014, again in 2016 and most recently in 2022. White, currently in first in the standings, has never won a UST title. If White wins, she would be the first international woman to win the UST title.
, held at Aliso Beach last weekend, Aug. 26 and 27, using surf-style moves and finding the longest and biggest waves of the heat. ){kind=link}