It was a case of winning the hearts of Barbadians by losing the bigger battle in the quarter-finals for the Burke brothers, Josh and Jacob yesterday in the BTMI Barbados Surf Pro Presented by Diamonds International at the renowned Bathsheba Soup Bowl in St Joseph.
After their dazzling display in the earlier rounds, it was disappointment for the siblings following some stunning performances by the foreign surfers in the Men’s Qualifying Series (QS) 5 000 event.
The quarter-final action provided all the exhilaration, drama and heartbreak to all but settle the men’s Challenger Series qualifiers with big performances from defending event victor Lucca Mesinas, of Peru, and former, Championship Tour competitor Carlos Munioz.
Mesinas’ win over Jacob Burke solidified his place atop the North America rankings heading into today’s finals but he was full of praise for the local surfer.
“Jacob (Burke) is a really good surfer from here and that it was going to be a hard heat. I’m stoked to make it to the semis and just happy to be here,” Mesinas said.
For Munoz, his massive quarter-final win over local favourite Josh Burke set his place among the 2025 Challenger Series elite in his first full QS season as he joins the semi-finals alongside fellow Mexican
Sebastian Williams. (EZS/PR)
