Mason Ho and Mega Semadhi Win Inaugural Rip Curl X GoPro Challenge


After four weeks of surfing action and suspense, the winners of the Rip Curl x GoPro Challenge were finally revealed at the official Rip Curl Cup Wrap Party at Ulu Cliffhouse in Bali on Friday night.

Mason Ho (HAW) won USD $1,500 for the coveted Best Video Award and Mega Semadhi (BALI) earned USD $500 for capturing the Best Photo of the Rip Curl x GoPro Challenge. Ho and Semadhi were crowned in front of a packed Ulu Cliffhouse crowd for the official closing party of the 2019 Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang, which went off in all-time barreling waves in Bali last week.

The inaugural Rip Curl x GoPro Challenge was a unique social media event that created quite a buzz in the surfing world during the month of July. GoPro gave each of the 16 athletes competing in the 2019 Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang a new GoPro HERO7 Black. The 16 surfers then had four weeks to capture their best video and photo from anywhere in Indonesia during the Rip Curl Cup holding period. With $2,000 up for grabs ($1500 for best clip / $500 for best photo), the surfers spared no time in creating some hi-fi surfing fireworks on their social media.

Ho’s 1-minute POV journey from a wild dirtbike and surf adventure with fellow Rip Curl Cup competitor Sheldon Paishon to a far flung wave in remote Indonesia earned him top honors. Fellow video finalist Garut Widiarta (BALI) submitted a stylish and colorful edit from a Rip Curl Cup warmup session in Bali, and Nathan Florence (HAW) also earned finalist honors for his jazzy slow-mo perspectives from inside the tube at Padang Padang, also captured while preparing for the Rip Curl Cup.

“I’ve had my eye on the Rip Curl x GoPro Challenge since the second I heard about it,” Ho said after receiving his winner’s check on stage. “Thank you so much to GoPro and Rip Curl Asia for putting on this insane Challenge.”

Meanwhile, local Bali surfer Mega Semadhi took top honors and USD $500 for his artistic portrait of a surfer bobbing in the lineup, as viewed from both above and below the water. Semadhi titled his photo “Ocean’s Serenity” and beat out commendable high-action POV barrel shots from Widiarta and Keito Matsuoka (JPN).

“I never had the opportunity to use a GoPro before this Challenge, so this was a big learning process for me,” Semadhi explained.

“I lost my GoPro on my trip to Lombok before the contest, so winning Best Photo makes up for it. I can’t wait to get a new HERO7 Black and get back out there and capture more cool stuff.”

According to GoPro Southeast Asia Marketing Manager Sangeet Singh, Semadhi and the rest of the Rip Curl Cup surfers surpassed expectations for the Challenge content.

“It’s been an amazing partnership with Rip Curl,” Singh said. “GoPro would like to thank all the participating athletes who took the time to capture and submit their amazing content for the #RipCurlxGoPro Challenge and their support for the brand. Big shout-out to Mason Ho and Mega Semadhi for the wins.”

Fans can follow #RipCurlxGoPro on Instagram to see all the amazing entries from a wild four weeks of surfing in Indonesia.

Rip Curl x GoPro Challenge Winners

Best Video:
Mason Ho (HAW) - USD $1,500

Best Photo:
Mega Semadhi (BALI) - USD $500