Sid Englert was fresh off the plane from Hawaii when he got the call-up. Tracks had selected the fifteen-year-old WA prodigy to be the Australian representative in the Capitulo Perfeito powered by Billabong (Perfect Chapter), Junior barrel-riding event.
Sid is off to the Mentawai Islands in August to take part in a tube duel with a handful of other junior surfers. “It’s my first trip to the Ments so I am frothing so hard,” Sid told Tracks shortly after he received the news.” Although it may be his maiden Mentawai trip, Sid has already earned a solid rep for his barrel riding back home in Margaret River, WA.
Asked about how he might prepare for the event Sid responded in matter of fact fashion. “I am going to surf more slabbing and tubing waves and try to get to the gym.”
Sid faces stiff competition from five other young tube fiends (Salvador Vala, Martim Fortes, Simão Prazeres, Jaime Veselko, Sassá Catarino) but the confident young West Australian still fancies his chances. “I for sure rate myself as a chance because I surf tubing waves at home all the time.”
The event’s base will be the Hiddenbay Resort in the Playground region of the Mentawai Islands. This brings into play a whole host of hollow wave opportunities, including Kandui, Hideaways and Rifles.
The fundamental criteria will be the same as the Capitulo Perfeito Portugal event, which was recently taken out by teenage sensation, Tiago Stock. It’s all about who rides the barrel the best. However, the judging process will be a little different than the one-day Portugal event. For more than a week, the surfers will be filmed daily and their top three tube rides will be reviewed by a panel. A single wave for each surfer will be posted to social media each day and viewers will be able to weigh in on the final result, which rewards one junior with $1500 EUR prize money.
Stay tuned for updates on Sid’s progress when he heads to the Ments in August to represent Australia and the southern hemisphere in the Capitulo Perfeito Powered by Billabong – the ultimate, Junior Tube Duel.
