Words: Joel Gray Photos: WSL Masurel
Lukas Skinner takes the win and Joshua Karbus runner up in Casablanca event.
The Morocco Mall Junior Pro Casablanca just wrapped up after a super busy week in the shifting beach breaks of Northern Morocco. An expanded field saw a healthy number of British and Irish surfers competing in the scrappy beach break conditions. In the final Joshua sitting and operating on his own peak dominated the start of the heat and even had Lukas in a combo situation. The momentum all changed when Lukas hucked a trademark air reverse to the flats for the first perfect 10 of his WSL career. With little time on the clock the 18 year old Cornishman secured the back up he needed to overtake Irish grom Karbus. Hoisted on the shoulders of his Dad Ben Skinner and best friend Fynn Gillespie the week came to the perfect 10 ending for Lukas.
For 16 year old Joshua Karbus from Lahinch a runner-up place is very much a keeper. "This was a special event for me as it was a good result and also my first event travelling alone with no parents or coach. I stayed with a bunch of the Irish crew who are all competing. I got into a good routine and was journaling everyday and I think that was a biog part of my success. I actually won every heat on the way to the final but although I was winning the final until close to the end I was never too confident - I knew the boys and Lukas could put down big scores. I knew something was coming. Looking forward to the rest of the tour though that’s for sure."
For Lukas it’s another W on his resume. “Im so stoked to win. In the last 4 minutes I was way behind and to get that 10 changed everything. For me it was such a personal boost having that air in the bag and being able to pull it off when I needed it. I proved to myself that Im capable of it and Im just super happy. I had that never give up spirit in my head. It was a different way to how Ive won in the past. We had such a good crew in Morocco; Lila my sister was in the event as her first Pro Junior which was good. Obviously my Dad Ben was there and then my main crew was Fynn Gillespie, Issac Friend, Malakai Hagley, Heath Gillespie. For me it was important to have familiar people around me - kind of like what happened at Boardmasters. It defiantly makes me feel comfortable and makes a difference. Over the moon to get chaired up the beach by a group of my mates. The support online from all over the world win or lose really makes a difference and I appreciate it so much. Super looking forward to the rest of the year.”
For anyone thinking Lukas might take some time to chill after a big event it’s worth noting that after a tricky journey back he arrived back into Cornwall at 4am this morning. By 8am he was back in the gym working on his program.
Both lads now enjoy sitting at the top of the rankings of European Pro Junior talent. A cool spot to be for a couple of juniors who’ve trained and surfed together a bunch since they were young groms. The pair are also fresh back from a dream trip together in the Mentawai Islands which you can read more about in the next issue of Carve magazine.
Next WSL Pro Junior is Galicia in June.
