Taj Burrow

West Is Best: Epic Day In Western Australia

“Everyone’s home for Christmas,” says Jerome Forrest.
Just as well. If you’re from SW WA and you weren’t home this past Tuesday, you’ll hear all about it over Christmas lunch. Or Jerome, Jacob Willcox and many others who scored it will find a way to let you know...

Filmed By Naomi Adbib & Salt Diaries

An 80 Million Liter Wavepool in the Arabian Gulf?! Surf Abu Dhabi

For the full written story, click here: https://stabmag.com/stabcinema/abu-dhabi-actually/

Like many of us, Taj Burrow had little experience with the Middle East before its waves became a talking point. “I’d only ever passed through Dubai airport,” TB told Stab. “So arriving and seeing these man-made cities, islands, and landscapes was surreal. It felt like stepping into the future, but on another planet.”

In recent years, the Middle East has been unapologetically ambitious in its quest to attract global visitors. Central to this effort is the Tourism Strategy 2030, unveiled by the Department of Culture and Tourism in April 2024. With a $10 billion investment plan, the region is reshaping its tourism infrastructure, focusing heavily on world-class sports facilities and hosting high-profile events.

For surfers, one of the most exciting elements of this futuristic Pinterest board was the KSWC wave pool on Al Hudayriat Island—the largest, longest, and saltiest man-made wave pool on the planet, now complete and set to host its first-ever Championship Tour (CT) event in February 2025.

Pumping Barrels Greet World’s Fanciest Surf Contest in the Maldives

Taj Burrow wins the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy, again.
“I didn’t know it got that big. It was like Sunset out the back.”
That’s Taj Burrow, who just won the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy for the third time. These beautiful Indian Ocean atolls are well known for perfect, silky reef surf, but have rarely been compared to Oahu’s North Shore in terms of power. But the swell of the season decided to show up right on cue with the event last week, much to the delight of competitors — Burrow, Michael February, Jadson Andre, Jeremy Flores, Carissa Moore and Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil, all of whom spent hours in the water, trading off aquamarine blue right tubes.
This particular event is unique beyond its sheer opulence, of which there’s no shortage. (Surfers talked as much about brunch as they did conditions, if that’s any indication.) Competitors surfed in three divisions -- singlefins, twinfins and thrusters -- across varying degrees of perfection and size at Sultans, one of the best right reefs in the wave-rich zone. And this year, it was actually big enough that they switched the twinfin and thruster divisions on day two ’cause it was so solid. Burrow ended up beating February in the final, but they both flew home smiling. Actually, we’re pretty sure everyone flew home smiling.
RESULTS
1. Taj Burrow (AUS) 2700pts
2. Mikey February (ZAF) 2600pts
3. Jadson Andre (BRA) 2500pts
4. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 2500pts
5. Carissa Moore (HAW) 2200pts
5. Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil (MDV) 2200pts

Special thanks to Four Seasons Maldives Kuda Huraa, Tropicsurf, and the Surfline Forecast Team.

Filmed by: Sean Gilhooley, Carlo Coral, Marc Beaty, Connor Quinlan, Zach Cole, Jackson Onfray, Local Films

Still photography by: Jon Frank
Cover image: Sultans by Marc Beaty

Finals Highlights – 2024 Surfing Champions Trophy

Surfing icon Taj Burrow wins his third straight Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy, coming up against Michael February in the final.

Twin Fin Division Highlights – 2024 Surfing Champions Trophy

15-year Championship Tour competitor and Pipe Master, Jeremy Flores wins the Twin Fin Division in flawless 4-6 ft conditions at Sultans.

Thruster Division Highlights – 2024 Surfing Champions Trophy

The Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy ran the thruster division rather than the scheduled twin fins. South Africa’s favourite son Mikey February standing tall at day’s end to claim full points and join Taj Burrow on top of the Surfing Champions Trophy leaderboard.

Single Fin Division Highlights – 2024 Surfing Champions Trophy

The 2024 Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy roars to life with opening-day perfection.

THE REDBULL FOAMWRECKERS HITS WESTERN AUSTRALIA!

The Redbull Foam Wreckers hits Western Australia at the legendary Rabbit Hill! It was a day of Hi-Fi soft shredding and fun with local ripper Jay Davies taking the big win! Special thanks to @surfing_wa and Happy Film Co (Instagram: @happyfilmco.au) for putting together this nice little clip!