Tahitian wildcard Michel Bourez may have hindered Kelly Slater’s 2007 ASP World Title hopes by knocking him out of the Quiksilver Pro France last year, but he certainly helped the Floridian’s cause today.
Bourez beat ASP World No. 3 Bede Durbidge (AUS) – one of only two surfers factoring in whether or not Slater can clinch his ninth ASP World Title in France – by posting a near-perfect heat total today. Bourez opened the heat with a 9.80, backed it up with a 9.77 and left Durbidge searching for 19.57 points to swing the scenario his way.
Bourez is currently rated 14th on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) – the top 15 competitors on that series qualify for the ASP World Tour at year’s end. Having eliminated an eight-time ASP World Champion in Slater at this event last year, and then outside hopefuls for the 2008 ASP World Title in Joel Parkinson (AUS) and Durbidge this week, Bourez certainly seems to have the skills to mix it up amongst the world’s best.
Slater is now two steps closer to ASP World Title No. 9 after today’s proceedings. The scenario coming into the event was such that should Slater win the event, with Durbidge bowing out before the Final and ASP World No. 2 Taj Burrow being eliminated before the Semifinals, he would win the 2008 title in France.
Durbidge is out and Slater is into Round 4 after winning a tough heat over wildcard Joan Duru (FRA). Duru had the heat lead until Slater found two 8.00s late in the heat – he admitted that he has been slightly rattled by being so close to clinching ASP World Title No. 9 and that his surfing in France is not what it has been in earlier events this year.
Slater could potentially win the title tomorrow, but he knows that winning the event and watching Burrow lose in Round 4 or the Quarterfinals are both best-case scenarios.
Burrow beat injury replacement wildcard Gabe Kling (USA) in Round 3 today. With the ASP World Title so close to being a done deal, Burrow has his eyes on a different title – winner of the Quiksilver Pro France.
Burrow will have to get by high-flying rookie Dane Reynolds (USA) first. Reynolds beat fellow 2008 Dream Tour rookie Jordy Smith (ZAF) in an exciting aerial affair today. The first 20-minutes of the heat were ultra-exciting, unfortunately, when the waves went flat two-thirds of the way through the heat, Smith still needed a combination of scores to beat Reynolds.
Reynolds has now beat Smith twice in ASP World Tour competition, winning their heat in Tahiti earlier this year.
Minggu, 01 Maret 2009
Quiksilver Pro - Bourez Eliminates Durbidge
Rip Curl GromSearch 2008/2009 - Starts up!
Australia’s best young surfers reveled in the clean 3 to 4ft (1.25m) surf at Jan Juc beach today opening the 2008/2009 Rip Curl GromSearch Series presented by SNICKERS with an exhilarating display of progressive surfing.
Newcastle young talents Ryan Callinan (Merewether/15) and Jake Sylvester (Bar Beach/16) were the standouts, adjusting to the cold waters (12 degrees) without a problem and both posted excellent rides to easily win their opening round heats.
Callinan enjoyed the best of the days early clean surf conditions opening with an excellent 8.25 ride and was never challenged to take a comfortable win.
Jake Sylvester was equally impressive posting the day’s highest scoring ride of a 9.1 on his way to an easy round one win. Sylvester is a product of the GromSearch series having won an amazing seven GromSearch events across all divisions of 12, 14 and 16’s!
Local Surfcoast surfers also performed well today lead by Bell’s Beach resident surfer Shyama Buttonshaw who took an easy win. Torquay 14 year old Harrison Mann also won his heat even though he was surfing in the 16 Boys division. Mann will also surf in the Boys 14 division and over the past three months he has demonstrated that he is very capable of winning at this level.
Other locals to progress through included brothers Sam and Jamie Powell (Jan Juc), Perry Slaven (Jan Juc) and Adam Rawson (Jan Juc) who all advanced by placing 2nd in their four man heats.
Jamie Powell was another surfer who will compete in both the 16 and 14 Boys division and after his successful 16 Boys heat today he said “ It’s great to get through that heat but really I’m concentrating on the 14 Boys division – Both divisions will be really hard though because there’s heaps of excellent interstate surfers here and they surf really well.”
The other impressive Victorian surfer today was Phillip Island’s Mitch Baker. Baker is in his final year of the GromSearch series. Baker is a two time previous GromSearch champion very capable of taking another win here.
No surfers were eliminated today with a second chance round two for surfers who placed 3rd and 4th in their round one heats while 1st and 2nd placed surfers go straight to round 3.
All divisions across 12,14 and 16 Boys and girls will run all day everyday through to the finals on Sunday and conditions all week look ideal.
Today’s SNICKERS wave of the day went to Jake Sylvester for his outstanding 9.1 ride
Each day there’ll be a SNICKERS wave of the day awarded to one surfer who performs outstandingly on a single wave and the SNICKERS expression sessions will again feature, encouraging super progressive moves from Australia’s hottest young talents.
Winners of the 16’s division of the Rip Curl GromSearch ratings will receive a guaranteed place in the National Finals at Bells Beach, Victoria during the prestigious World Tour event, the Rip Curl Pro. The Rip Curl GromSearch National Series is held during this event at Easter next year, in front of the thousands of people it attracts – quite a prize for a young surfer who aspires to this.
2008 Movistar Classic Mancora Peru
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 20, reigning ASP Women’s World Champion and current No. 2 on the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour, is currently battling the rest of the ASP Top 17 at the 2008 Movistar Classic Mancora Peru pres. by Rip Curl, but her home country of Australia is busy honoring her.
Gilmore was most recently listed as a finalist in the prestigious Australian Sports Performer of the Year Awards.
Be sure to cast your vote and see Steph take home the much-deserved accolade.
Cast your vote at www.performerawards.com.au
The Australian Sports Performer of the Year Awards nominate finalists for the most prestigious sports awards in Australia. It’s up to the public to decide the Sports Performer of the Year and the winner of five other exciting categories.
The winner will get $50,000 courtesy of Colonial First State, and you could win $5000 just for voting.
The winners will be announced at a gala night at Crown Casino in Melbourne on November 26, 2008. Apart from the Performer of the Year, there are five other award categories – for team, coach, international, disabled and young performer of the year.
The finalists have been chosen by experts from The Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, Fairfax media online and radio.
Owen Wright claimed his third straight event
As conditions rapidly increased overnight with the arrival of a fresh 3-4m swell, competitors were greeted with solid, rugged, storm-like peaks as they battled at Coffs Harbour Jetty.
However, as the swell, rainsqualls and wind abated, what was left was near-perfect four-to-five foot (1.5 metre) waves which were welcomed with open arms by competitors and officials alike.
None moreso than Wright, who dominated the Final defeating, Garrett Parkes(Lennox Head, NSW), Perth Standlick (Bondi, NSW) and Davey Cathels (North Narrabeen, NSW), who finished second, third and fourth respectively.
Wright, who now holds a massive lead on the ASP Australasian Pro Junior ratings after three straight victories, was in super-human form once again, accruing a combined heat total of 17.00 (out of a possible 20).
High scores dominated the day’s competition as the finest junior surfers in Australasia pushed the boundaries of competitive surfing.
Wright locked in a virtually perfect 9.90 (out of a possible 10) in his Semifinal, Standlick followed suit with a 9-point ride, whilst Dean Bowen (Gerroa, NSW) added an 8.00 (out of a possible 10) only to be eliminated.
While the second Semifinal saw event standout Parkes awarded the highest accolade in surfing a perfect 10 after combining a mind-blowing barrel with a radical combination of turns. Only to be followed up by a 8.65 (out of a possible 10) to Cathels a mere two minutes later.
As the third stop on the prestigious 2009 ASP Australasia Pro Junior Series, the ASP Grade-3 rated Boys event saw a whopping $20,000 up for grabs, with Wright taking home $4,000 for his troubles.
Having started the year better than any other junior competitor in history, Wright has had a dream start, something which he was looking for before entering 2009.
Throughout the entire Billabong Pro Junior Coffs Harbour, Billabong, Surfing NSW, competitors and Coffs Harbour residents alike, all rallied together to raise much needed funds for the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal.
In a show of mateship, compassion and generosity over $1200 was raised, including a $200 donation from champion, Owen Wright, with a minute silence observed before the Final.
ASP WQS Situation Room
Bruno was able to hold off fellow Brazilian Raoni Monteiro in the man-on-man Final and move to the top of the ratings, with Semifinalists being Marcelo Trekinho and Marco Polo.
This year’s event attracted a field of 96, nearly all Brazilians, except 14 foreigners, with everyone winning prize money and gaining valuable early ASP WQS ratings points plus being treated to perfect surf.
The ASP WQS 6-Star O’Neill Cold Water Classic in Tasmania and the ASP WQS 6-Star PRIME Drug Aware Pro at Margaret River are only one month away and expected to be full so anyone thinking of entering should do so now. The ASP WQS 2-Star MR Pro at Newcastle has plenty of room for those surfers coming to Tassie and Margs so you should take advantage of this smaller-rated, but well worthwhile event, which is on the way to Tassie.
Roxy Pro Gold Coast update
Event No. 1 of 8 on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour season, the Roxy Pro Gold Coast will see the return of such high-profile athletes as reigning two-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, defending Roxy Pro Champion Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 25, among others, but the new faces this season have been generating a bit of buzz themselves.
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 18, 2008 ASP WQS No. 1 finisher, made history last season, wrapping up her Dream Tour qualification well before the halfway mark. Now a full-fledged ASP Women’s World Tour campaigner, Fitzgibbons enters into the Roxy Pro Gold Coast as the No. 1 rookie.
Despite unprecedented success at the ASP WQS level, Fitzgibbons remains guarded about her transitional efforts to the elite level of competition, but the prodigious natural-footer is sure to make an impression in the coming weeks.
Firzgibbons will face Silvana Lima (BRA), 24, and Megan Abubo (HAW), 31, in Round 1 of competition when the Roxy Pro Gold Coast commences.
Chelsea Hedges (AUS), 25, former ASP Women’s World Champion, has returned this season as the ASP wildcard, following a one-year sabbatical where she had daughter Meika. Hedges was awarded the ASP Wildcard for 2009 and will begin her comeback on the ASP Women’s World Tour at home on the Gold Coast for the Roxy Pro.
Since stepping away from the ASP Women’s World Tour in 2007, Hedges has been absent for some major transitions on the Dream Tour: the acquisition of a second consecutive ASP Women’s World Title by Stephanie Gilmore, the semi-retirement of former seven-time ASP Women’s World Champion Layne Beachley (AUS), 36, etc.
Hedges will face defending Roxy Pro Gold Coast Champion Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 25, and 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour rookie Coco Ho (HAW), 18, in Round 1 when competition commences.
The Roxy Pro Gold Coast pres. by LG Mobile boasts a mobile venue, and while the primary site will be the world-famous Snapper Rocks, the event will be able to utilize the nearby breaks of Duranbah, Greenmount, Kirra, Burleigh Heads and as far north as Stradbroke Island should conditions call for it.
ASP Top 45 Ready for 2009 Kickoff at Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast
Event No. 1 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast will see the return of reigning and nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 36, in his bid for an unprecedented tenth crown, but a swath of the world’s top talents will be standing in his way.
Taj Burrow (AUS), 30, current ASP World No. 3, is one of the few on a short list of favored athletes who could potentially usurp Slater, and Burrow’s reputation in righthand pointbreaks such as Snapper Rocks is unrivaled by most.
“The first couple of weeks I was having a hell time and enjoying the summer, but beginning in January, I’ve been training full on,” Burrow said. “I’ve been working with Johnny Gannon, and he’ll be traveling the season with me. We’ve been training harder than ever before and I’ve been working on my flexibility and fitness and I feel like I’m surfing better than ever before.”
With his progressive bag of tricks and his penchant for lightning-fast surfing, Burrow enters into Snapper Rocks as one of the favorites, and will look to kick off his 2009 ASP World Title campaign at the opening event.
“I think my surfing certainly suits warm water righthand pointbreaks and I’m always excited for the opening event of the season,” Burrow said. “To get to surf Snapper Rocks with only one or two guys out is really special and I hope we get waves. I don’t plan on changing too much in terms of my game plan this season. I felt like I was surfing really well last year and made few mistakes. Kelly (Slater) was just in really scary form last season so we’ll see what happens.”
Burrow will open up his 2009 season against Mikael Picon (FRA), 29, and one of the event wildcards in Round 1 of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast.
Joel Parkinson (AUS), 27, current ASP World No. 4 and former Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast winner (2002), is excited to start off the 2009 season at home on the Gold Coast.
“I can’t wait,” Parkinson said. “I’m excited for another good year and hopefully we get really good waves. It’s such a bonus to start the season here at home where I’m familiar with everything and know the banks really well. I’m really excited.”
Parkinson has long been heralded as one of the leading contenders for the ASP World Title, but a career-high Runner-Up finish in 2002 and 2004 is as close as he has gotten.
“I’ve just been surfing a lot and training a lot,” Parkinson said. “Just trying to get everything sorted before the season starts. In regards to Kelly (Slater), I haven’t really figured that one out yet. You just have to be bigger, stronger, faster and more determined. I’m hungry this season though.”
Parkinson will battle Dane Reynolds (AUS), 23, and Aritz Aranburu (EUK), 23, in Round 1 of competition when the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast commences.
Jeremy Flores (FRA), 20, current ASP World No. 10, will enter into his third season on the ASP Dream Tour in 2009, and after two Top 10 finishes, the prodigious natural-footer is emerging as one of the dominant surfers of the new class.
“I don’t have any specific goals for this season,” Flores said. “I am very happy with the way my past two years have gone, finishing in the Top 10, and I’m only 20, so I’m just taking it in, gaining experience and training hard. Maybe in a couple of years I will go for the ASP World Title, but until then, I am just living the Dream.”
Flores will face Roy Powers (HAW), 28, and Tim Boal (FRA), 25, in the opening heat of competition when Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast competition commences.
The 2009 ASP Top 45 will kick off this season’s Dream Tour at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, which boasts a waiting period from February 28 – March 11, 2009.
The Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast is a mobile event, with Snapper Rocks serving as the primary venue, but utilizing nearby Duranbah Beach, Greenmount, Kirra, Burleigh Heads and as far north as Stradbroke Island should conditions call for it.
Cronulla Beach Sydney NSW - Tourist Information
Surfing, body boarding & sandy beaches at Sydney's Cronulla Beach will fill your day with watersport fun. And don't forget the nightlife - with pubs, clubs, restaurants, cafes and movies the entertainment and attractions don't end at sunset!
Catch great waves at Sydney Australia's Cronulla Beach. Top surfing conditions to suit professional surfers and beginners alike with annual surfing events and surf competitions held regularly.
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