How Sweep It Is, U.S. Men and Women take gold at Summer X

Puerto Escondido, Mexico - In the final day of the X Games Surfing competition, the U.S. scored the first 10 in X Games Surfing history and completed the sweep of the World Team by claiming a gold medal on the men’s side. In an intense neck-to-neck battle, both the USA and World Teams showcased the best surfers in the world in front of a crowd of more than 4,500 in attendance at the three-day event. Four-to-six-foot surf was on offer throughout the first period, and a building swell pushed the surf to six to eight feet for the start of the second period and held for the remainder of the competition.
    Highlighted by standout performances from young gun Julian Wilson (garnered a 9.5 wave score) and Jay Quinn (first standup barrel of the competition), the World Team got off to a strong start and made a run that  kept it exciting in the end. But it was the USA’s second period score of 35 points, a new X Games single heat record, that proved to be the difference maker. The inconsistent surf and subsequent scores of the World Team’s second period came back to haunt them, while the record setting performance of the U.S. in the second period was what propelled them to victory. The action-packed game ended when USA posted a final score of 81.75 over the World Team’s 81.0 with 12 minutes and 15 seconds remaining on the clock and two unused timeouts.
Chris Ward, the MVP of The Game™ and first X Games Surfing competitor to post a pefect 10, along with Shane Beschen looked completely at home, tucking into barrel after barrel with ease. “Today’s conditions were flawless,” Ward said. “I’m so psyched to have earned the first 10 in X Games history. It was one of the best and most important 10’s I've ever posted. Surfing is an open field and it's not set-up like ramps are, so we have to be patient and flow with ocean until it gives us what we need. I've been surfing this break since I was 14, and I knew the perfect wave was coming.”
On the women’s side, the top surfers from around the globe convened to try their luck at the world-class waves of Puerto also. With the conditions in the solid six to eight feet range, the unpredictable and nail-biting duel displayed athleticism, team spirit, emotion and heart as both teams pushed the level of progressive surfing. In the end, the USA Women dominated the World Team with a close score of 55.0 to 52.0, winning the first gold medal in the first women’s surfing competition in X Games history.
“The best women surfers in the world are here and they’re all my friends,” Melanie Bartels, voted MVP of the event in large part for her clean frontside barrel that garnered the competition’s highest wave score (8.5), said. “They charge, we all have different specialties and we played for the team. If it wasn’t for my teammates and the coaching staff cheering me on or directing me, I probably wouldn’t have found those two insane barrels. I’m so stoked to be a part of this experience.”
“What a complete rush. I haven’t felt this feeling since I won a contest back in 2001,” USA Women’s Head Coach Lisa Anderson said. “The excitement in The Game™ format is great for the sport and great for the rivalries, and the overall vibe was incredible. I’m so proud of our team.”
“I’m so overjoyed with the sport of surfing,” X Games Surfing sport organizer and NSL Commissioner Brad Gerlach said. “Today we made X Games history with the first 10 wave by Chris. Yesterday, the USA Women were the underdogs and ended coming out on top. They were full of bravado, teamwork, energy and spirit. They set the stage for the men’s competition today and the men aimed just as high.”