Locals shred waves at Vanuatu’s surf festival

Two Surf Coast women proved dominant at the Leimalo Surf Festival in Vanuatu last week, with Jan Juc’s Emma Webb taking the top spot in the women’s longboard division.

Hosted by the Vanuatu Surfing Association, Emma scored 14.14 in the four- to six-foot reef break conditions, while Anglesea’s Sam Suendermann claimed second place with a score of 13. The local surfers faced tough competition, powering through epic conditions alongside surfers from across the Pacific and Oceania regions. Emma Webb walked away with 50,000 vatu (approximately AUD $630) for her win. The 3228 local has been surfing for over a decade and said she was impressed with the local girls’ ability to charge big reef breaks with ease.

“My first surf out there was scary. It was about six to eight foot and hitting the reef hard. I pulled back on so many waves, but my confidence built as I got more comfortable each surf and the size dropped through the week to a comfortable three to four foot,” Emma said.

Arlene Bax took photographs over the course of the event and said the festival was an “epic show of fine footwork”.

“Emma Webb from Victoria, Australia, took out first place in the women longboard division with her powerful turns and controlled nose riding,” she said.

Emma was crowned “queen of the waves”.