Our Starboard Dream Team rider Liam Dunkerbeck claimed the U20 World Title during the PWA/IWT Cold Hawaii Youth World Cup last weekend. The young riders experienced storm-chase conditions on the first day with wind gusts up to 50 knots. Liam was on a mission to defend his leading position and he claimed the victory in the single elimination. The conditions didn’t allow the younger athletes to start the competition and the U17, U15 and U13 fleets stayed put on land. Second day delivered still extreme conditions up to 40 knots and proper ramps. The riders headed out for the double elimination. Liam had an extremely tight final heat. After he landed a clean double-forward the winner was decided and he claimed his second in a row U20 Wave World Title. Our Starboard rider Ryu Noguchi competed in the U17 division and finished in third place.
Liam Dunkerbeck about the storm-chase Cold Hawaii Youth World Cup:
“I am really happy to finish the year with the U20 Wave World Title. It has been a really good year full of different kinds of events. I enjoyed the event in Chile as it was something new and different. Here at the PWA/IWT Cold Hawaii Youth World Cup we had really challenging conditions. The first day delivered the most challenging and difficult conditions that I ever sailed. It was around 50 knots off-shore, which meant jumping was a big challenge and while wave riding I was completely overpowered on the smallest gear. Above all, I really liked it. For the double elimination, the wind shifted and we had proper conditions. I was using my 2024 Starboard Ultra 78 and it was perfect. I loved how easy it was to navigate the board despite a lot of current and moving water around. It allows you to ride the wave exactly how you want.”
Photo Credit: Brian Engblad / PWA World Tour
