Sarah Baum’s 2020 campaign is off to a flying start after she secured another podium finish in her second QS event for the year. Baum finished runner-up to Hawaiian Luana Silva at the Mothernest Great Lakes Pro QS 1000 event in a day of tricky conditions at Boomerang Beach.
It looked like Baum was well on her way to claim her second win from as many events. She already improved her results compared to last year, and being in her second final for the year was a welcoming confidence boost. The 2020 Carve Pro QS champion remained busy at the beginning of the final at Boomerang, until Luana Silva posted the scores she required to take the lead.
It was a close finish, with Silva scoring 13.65 (out of a possible 20) to Baum’s 13.45 points.
“I’m stoked with my start to this year,” said Baum. “I would have loved to go one spot better at this event, but I have no complaints really. I wanted to get busy at the beginning at the heat and see what happened, especially with the higher tide coming through in the final. With Luana being one of the younger girls I wanted to put a bit of pressure on her, but she managed to get a few scores underneath me which allowed her to get the win.”
Silva put on an impressive display throughout the competition and managed to stay calm and patient in the final, waiting for the scarce, clean faces on offer. The 15-year-old surfed beyond her years to gain the edge over Baum’s mature approach.
“I knew Sarah was going to be tough to beat with her winning the last QS event and she posted high scores all event, so I knew I’d have to be on my game to beat her.”
Next up, Baum will compete in the Sisstrevolution Central Coast Pro QS 3000 at Avoca Beach, running from 25 February to 1 March.
The Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series was developed for Australian and International surfers to gain ranking points and prize money on the WSL Qualifying Series. The series also creates a NSW coastal road trip for all to explore the variety of waves, visit local communities and enjoy NSW surfing culture.
