Final day! Today, La FAE received a solid 3-5 foot swell as athletes powered through nine heats of semi finals, finals repercharges, and the final main event.

Hawaii came close to clinching the gold this year as Australia made a miraculous comeback to take the most honorable spot on the podium for the fourth year in a row. Brazil took third as USA came in right behind to medal.

When all was said and done, Australia delivered some major blows as they took the gold in the Boys Under 18 division as well as the silver and gold in the Girls Under 18 division.

Observing most of the action from the sand today, I cruised up to a bluff overlooking the point to scope out the final heat of the Boys Under 18 division. It was quite a site, as spectators were crammed together cheering loudly with flags raised proudly in the air.

When Boy's Under 18 Australian Dean Bowen got to shore after his heat, he was greeted by his fellow eccentric teammates screaming their national cheer ' Aussie, Aussie, Aussie.' For 15 minutes, the team celebrated in triumphant jubilee romping up and down the beach.

Brazil faced tough competition against the French, Ecuadorians, and South Africans but managed to come out victorious in the finals of The Aloha Cup relay. Ecuador was stoked to take part in the final of this event and show the world how talented and welcoming their surf community really is.

Well it's been a great week in surfing and experiencing the culture here in Ecuador. To top things off, being able to witness the stoke and pure excitement of these groms from all around the world was a treat in itself. I'm amped to see how far these guys will take the sport in the years to come.

Time for a vacation...

Adios!

JimJims