Words by Michael Kilcullen
Photos by David Behar
The Vilano Pro Am took place this weekend under lucid skies and pumping swell generated by Hurricane Issac. The sixth stop on the UST attracted a significant amount of pros and the usual amount of amateurs looking to showcase their steez in North Florida’s most touted shorebreak. Those planning on taking home first place met the challenge of increasing wave size and wind speed each day.
Day one held golden daylight and peaky waves in the waist high range. Light north winds and a well groomed slope allowed for lofty boosts and lots of tech. It was all fun in the sun. Delaware phenom, John Weber, made his pro debut and monkey crawled his way into the arduous afternoon sets.
Day two delivered less sun and more shoulder high a-frames. It was sloppy but nonetheless killable. The bigger names shined through, reaching chunky sections and wrapping powerfully back towards the shore. West Coasters, like Mo Just, fought homesickness by connecting pseudo siders to slab-like breakers. Sam Stinnett boasted one of the highest scoring heats possible and made it evident that he was determined to become this year’s UST champion.
The third and final day was a complete storm. A fierce northeast wind made things difficult but the lasting contenders remained determined to see the contest out. Sam Stinnett took first, solidifying his UST crown, Tim Fulton skated into second, J Dub and his wave wisdom landed third while Mo Just earned himself fourth.
