Margienson wins Nias surfing meet

JAKARTA (JP): Brendon Margienson, an unseeded surfer from Australia, won the world surfing championship at Sorake in Nias, off northern Sumatra, on Saturday.

Margienson, a newcomer to the Nias championship, beat world number 28 David Vetea of Tahiti in the final and pocketed US$5,000. As runner-up, Vetea earned $2,000.

Margienson's final score of 26.67, however, was still below defending champion and compatriot Jye Gofton's, who scored 28.82 on a scale of 30. Gofton was ousted in the fifth heat after being thrown off one of Sorake's waves and had his board broken into two on Friday. (arf)