FOLIO
MORE THAN 7,000 PEOPLE LINED THE JACKSONVILLE BEACH PIER
TO WITNESS AMAZING, ILLUMINATED PRO SURFING
AT RED BULL NIGHT RIDERS
Forty thousand watts of well-choreographed light illuminated the waters and night sky off the Jacksonville Beach Pier Friday night as some of the east coast’s top surfers battled out for best tricks and biggest air for Red Bull Night Riders. When the final horn blew, it was local hero Cody Thompson, 26, who took the accolades with a Front Side No Grab Air, scoring 8.9 out of 10.
Balaram Stack, 24, from Point Lookout, NY took Second Place with a Backside No Grab Air nearly as high as Thompson. Third Place went to returning champion Tristan Thompson, 19, Cody’s younger brother.
This is Cody Thompson’s second Red Bull Night Riders title, having won the competition in 2011 when it was hosted in Flagler Beach, FL.
“This is the coolest thing ever,” Cody said from the podium in his winner’s speech. “It means so much to Jacksonville Beach and myself, please bring it back!”
Returning after its inaugural Jacksonville Beach event in 2014, Red Bull Night Riders welcomed a record number of spectators and surfing enthusiasts in picture-perfect conditions for an amazing evening of competition.
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