Fink and White Crowned UST Champs in Newport
Lucas Fink clinches fourth UST title, while Chabe White secures her second at Balboa Pier
The 2024 United Skim Tour (UST) season came to a close at the Exile Oktoberfest on September 14th and 15th, as the world’s best skimboarders gathered at Balboa Pier for the final stop of the year. With clean 2-4 foot waves, the conditions set the stage for a weekend of fierce competition, with UST titles on the line for both the men’s and women’s divisions.
The event drew a stacked international field, including competitors from Japan, Brazil, Mexico, and across the United States. The field included 35 pro men and 10 pro women in one of the sport’s most anticipated events of the year.
In the women’s division, Chabe White of Mazunte, Mexico, entered the contest needing only a top-four finish to secure her second consecutive UST title. She clinched the title on the first day of competition after advancing to the semifinals.
In the semifinals, White faced off against Brazil’s Julia Dias in one of the most memorable heats of the season. White and Dias traded waves back and forth in a close battle, with multiple lead changes. White ultimately edged out Dias in the semifinals and went on to defeat Amber Torrealba in the final, winning her first Oktoberfest title and sealing her second UST championship.
“It feels amazing. It’s hard to describe in words. Oktoberfest was something that I really wanted to win, this year I would say more than the title,” White said after her victory. “The first title was for me. This second title is for all the girls.”
On the men’s side, the title race boiled down to two top riders, Brazil’s Lucas Fink and Laguna Beach’s Dane Cameron. Both competitors advanced through the early rounds, setting up a high-stakes semifinal that would determine the 2024 UST champion.
Cameron came out strong, landing a big air re-entry followed by a tre shuv re-entry. However, Fink responded with a few high-scoring combos, including a tre shuv out to a backside 180 on the way in. Fink was also choosing some of the biggest waves of the heat, helping him gain the upper hand in the heat. Though Cameron fought back with a tre-shuv out to a backside full rotation air re-entry, it wasn’t enough to close the gap, and Fink secured his fourth UST title.
Fink carried his momentum into the final, where he faced fellow Brazilian Joao Lucas. He delivered his best performance of the weekend, scoring 25.46 points, including three standout waves with scores of 7.93, 8.53, and 9.00.
“What a day. Oh my god. […] It’s the best scenario that I could ever imagine,” said Fink. “I came here with hope and a lot of positive energy to make this happen. It was a lot of mental work. I would like to thank those people who supported me through my mental journey. I would like to thank my family, my sponsors. Without them, I wouldn’t be here ever. So stoked. Fourth world title. Finally won Oktoberfest…in my opinion, it is the ultimate skimboarding event out there these days.”
Results
Pro Men
- Lucas Fink
- Joao Lucas
- Zac Henderson
- Dane Cameron
- John Weber
- Gerardo Valencia
Pro Women
- Chabe White
- Amber Torrealba
- Julia Dias
- Alex Yokley
- Kaori Uno
- Irais Ibarra
For the pro men, Lucas Fink clinched his fourth UST title after defeating Dane Cameron in the semifinals. Dane Cameron finished in second place on the tour, and Timmy Gamboa held onto his third place spot, their highest finishes yet respectively.
For the pro women, Chabe White advanced into the semifinals, and that was enough for her to clinch her second UST title. Julia Dias held onto her second place tour finish after finishing in third at the event. Amber Torrealba moved up in the rankings to claim the third place spot on the final UST standings.
Special thanks to the team at Exile Skimboards for putting on such a great event.
Photos by Tyler Brooks (IG), Kayla Buck (IG), Kami Lockwood (IG) Dingo (IG) and David Haefele (IG). Words by David Haefele (IG).
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