Do or die for Ja surfers on day 3 of World Surfing Games

LA BOCANA, El Salvador:

Jamaica’s quest for glory at the International Surfing Association’s World Surfing Games enters a critical phase today as all three representatives face the consolation repechage round, their last chance to keep their competition dreams alive.

The nation’s third-ranked surfer, Akeam Phillips, was the final Jamaican to join teammates Javaun Brown and Elishama Beckford in the do-or-die round after a challenging performance on day 2.

Competing in heat 45, Phillips posted scores of 1.93, 0.80, and 2.60 for a two-wave total of 4.53, which was only good enough for a third-place finish and denied him an automatic berth in the second round.

In a post-heat interview, Phillips was candid about the conditions that thwarted his progress.

“My heat was tough but I feel really good, confident and everything. But the wave selection got the better of me in that one, because I went on the first wave in the set, and then it never lined up, and then the set came and caught me. And to get back out was impossible,” Phillips said.

Despite the setback, the surfer’s resolve remains unshaken.

“I still put in work and will make it up in the repechage,” he added.

The path forward is now clear but fraught with peril. The repechage round offers a second life, but a single misstep means elimination from the games.

Phillips will have his shot at redemption in repechage heat 23, where he will take on Curtis Light of Fiji and Eduardo Alciso Jr of the Philippines.

Javaun Brown, who also found himself in the repechage after the opening day of competition, will be the first Jamaican to test the waters today. He is slated for the very first heat of the round and will be battling Jordi Michael Fortes of Cape Verde and Neil Sanchez of the Philippines.

Elishama Beckford will follow shortly after in repechage heat 3. His mission to continue Jamaica’s campaign will see him compete against Noah Evora Angulo of Cape Verde and Manoa Tarroux of Vanuatu.