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Ok, so we all know about the Bobby drama last week in NY at the Quik Pro. The surf media have been aflutter with attempts at getting the man to do an interview to explain himself and why he told the ASP World Tour to go F**ck themselves. Little surprise then that our guy, Wok, was the only journo, hardcore enough, to face the wrath of the Tennis hating Mexican. I am pretty sure this interview will win a Pulitzer!
Adriano letting his surfing do the talking! (Photo:ASP)
Outside of the Bobby Fiasco, there were actually some pretty amazing waves and surfing on display in New York for day 2 of the Quik Pro. While the waves can certainly not be considered the ideal for a "Dream Tour", they were super fun and the world's best had no compunction in ripping them apart. I would love to see the stats on aerials landed in this comp, would be interesting reading. The big news was obviously Bobby's tirade and consequent disqualification from the competition. In some ways though the bigger news is actually who benefited from this... None other than Mr Kelly Slater, who gets a free pass through to Round 4 thanks to Mr Martinez. That should keep the conspiracy theorists going for a while. In sad news, Travis Logie was knocked out in Round 2 and he now will have to go cane the last WQS contest to have any chance of making the cut. He is however really well positioned for the rest of the year and has a great chance of qualifying for 2012. The ASP Press release below.
LONG BEACH, Long Island/New York (Wednesday, September 7, 2011) – The Quiksilver Pro New York continued for the second consecutive day at Long Beach in Long Island, New York and saw the completion of Round 2 as well as the first four heats of Round 3.
Stop No. 6 of 11 on the ASP World Title Series, the Quiksilver New York marks the final event before the mid-year rotation while also offers up the richest prize purse in surfing history of US$1,000,000. Hurricane Katia continued to deliver increasing three-to-four foot (1 metre) surf throughout the day, and there was no shortage of fireworks that went off in Long Beach.
Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24, current No. 4 on the ASP World Title Series, vigorously attacked the Long Beach lefthanders on his backhand and belted the day’s highest single-wave score of 9.20 while netting the top heat-total of 17.93 (out of 20), in Round 2 before taking his Round 3 heat.
“I’m really happy with my performance today,” De Souza said. “My first heat was better for sure, I got the 9 and the 8, but I tried to get in rhythm in Round 3 and I hope I can keep going and get a good result in here. My house is really similar to these waves in New York and I feel at home out in these conditions.”
De Souza, who defeated Travis Logie (ZAF), 33, in Round 2 before topping Patrick Gudauskas (USA), 25, in Round 3, kept his ASP World Title campaign alive with today’s effort and is hunting a strong result in New York to regain the No. 1 position on the ASP World Title Rankings.
“I’m stoked to make my heats today,” De Souza said. “We had tough conditions and I knew for me that if I fell in that heat I would be out of the World Title Race. I’m happy to make it and hope I can keep my rhythm for the rest of the event. I’m looking forward to the no-loser’s Round 4 and hopefully I can keep going in this event.”
Taj Burrow (AUS), 32, put on an amazing aerial performance on his forehand in Round 3 compliments of the side-shore winds blowing into the Long Beach right-handers and lofted a 17.10 heat-total while eliminating Adam Melling (AUS), 26, from competition.
“It’s pretty good out there,” Burrow said “Us natural footers that like to do airs rub our hands together when wind’s like that. I did that big alley-oop on that first wave and I stacked it, but when I was through air I felt the board sticking to my feet. I knew that heat was going to be fun. I wasn’t aware of his (Adam Melling’s) position on the rankings, but I’m thinking about the money. I’m trying not to, but it’s there in the back of my head.”
Melling, current No. 35 on the ASP World Ranking, will not make the mid-year rotation for Trestles, but could possibly appear as an alternate in the remainder of the ASP World Title events.
Mick Fanning (AUS), 30, two-time ASP World Champion, rebounded after a Round 1 loss yesterday, making a change in his equipment to dispatch of dangerous local wildcard Balaram Stack (USA), 20, with a dominant performance.
“It’s always hard when you lose that first round, you’ve got to go back and pick up the pieces and go again,” Fanning said. “Wildcards are difficult because they’re usually locals and they know spot. I tried to get moving early and keep moving. The tide was dropping out and I just tried to get them in early. My board yesterday wasn’t working to well, so I went back to my normal shortboard that I’ve been riding all year.”
Brett Simpson (USA), 26, got the best of a series of exchanges over ASP Dream Tour veteran Taylor Knox (USA), 40, in their Round 2 match-up. Knox, current No. 30 on the ASP World Ranking, will wait on the results of the surfers ranked behind him who are still alive in the Quiksilver Pro New York to see if he maintains his position among the ASP Top 34 entering Trestles.
“We all knew coming into this event that Taylor (Knox) needed to do something and I am coming off momentum from Teahupo’o,” Simpson said. “He’s been a mentor and friend since I started on tour last year. He’s inspired all of us. It’s just the way it goes. I was anxious. I knew there was a lot on the line for him and I want to climb the rankings too.”
Simpson will face off against ASP Dream Tour rookie Julian Wilson (AUS), 22, in Round 3.
Jeremy Flores (FRA), 23, who was a standout at Teahupo’o, maintained his form in the beachbreak conditions on offer at the Quiksilver Pro New York, eliminating fellow European and close friend Tiago Pires (PRT), 31, in a hard-fought Round 3 battle.
“I didn’t like surfing against Tiago, I want him on tour,” Flores said. “He’s my friend, but I want to do well here, I want to make heats, but I wanted to see him do well here because I knew he needed a result. I couldn’t find any really good waves. The guys in the heats before had fun waves with great walls and mine were fat or wide. I guess my wave choice was bad, but I made it.”
Bobby Martinez (USA), 29, has been disqualified from ASP competition in New York. An explanation is available on the ASP website.
When competition resumes, up first will be Josh Kerr, 27, (AUS) against Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 29, in Heat 5 of Round 3.
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 6:30am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.
Highlights from the Quiksilver Pro New York will be available via http://www.quiksilverpro.com
Surfline, official forecasters for the Quiksilver Pro New York, are calling for Solid SE swell from Hurricane Katia expected during the second half of the week before fading headed into the weekend.
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
QUIKSILVER PRO NEW YORK ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.20 def. Balaram Stack (USA) 7.06
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS) 14.07 def. Asher Nolan (USA) 11.33
Heat 3: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.10 def. Keanu Asing (HAW) 9.00
Heat 4: Bobby Martinez (USA) 14.06 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 13.73
Heat 5: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 13.10 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 11.27
Heat 6: Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.13 def. Gabe Kling (USA) 10.00
Heat 7: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 17.93 def. Travis Logie (ZAF) 14.40
Heat 8: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 13.17 def. Cory Lopez (USA) 12.50
Heat 9: Adam Melling (AUS) 15.70 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 13.97
Heat 10: Kai Otton (AUS) 13.50 def. Chris Davidson (AUS) 12.43
Heat 11: Brett Simpson (USA) 12.93 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 11.20
Heat 12: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 14.93 def. Daniel Ross (AUS) 8.83
QUIKSILVER PRO NEW YORK ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 17.10 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 12.87
Heat 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.60 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 12.67
Heat 3: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.60 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 12.73
Heat 4: Jadson Andre (BRA) 13.17 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 7.93
QUIKSILVER PRO NEW YORK REMAINING ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 5: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Bobby Martinez *Will not be surfed. Martinez disqualified from competition.
Heat 7: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 8: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 9: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 10: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 11: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat
12: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. C.J. Hobgood (USA)
Bobby turns his back on the "Dream Tour" (Photo: ASP)
I am sure you have all heard about this incident already. Yesterday after winning his Round 2 heat at the Quik Pro in New York, Bobby decided to use his post heat interview on the live webcast to pretty much tell the ASP to go "Fuck" themselves (His words not mine.) Bobby has been vocal for some time now about his unhappiness about the new ASP Tour format and mostly the fact that guys on the Qualifying tour are able to jump above WCT surfers at the half way point of the tour. This has massive ramifications for Bobby and a couple of other long time WCT surfers, who are about to be relegated back to the WQS. Here is the Interview and the response from the ASP Rules & Disciplinary Team.
LONG BEACH, New York/USA (Wednesday, September 7, 2011) – Bobby Martinez (USA), 29, has been disqualified from the ASP World Title competition in New York. What follows is the correspondence between the ASP Rules and Disciplinary Committee and Bobby Martinez:
Date: 7 September 2011
To: Bobby Martinez
Date of offence: 7 September 2011
Dear Bobby,
We are writing to officially notify you that you have breached Article 151, contained in the 2011 ASP International Rule Book (Rule Book).
Article 151 outlines that all Surfers shall not at any time damage the image of the sport of Surfing and can be found by clicking here.
Article 151 has been breached as a result of the numerous comments you made publicly in an interview on the webcast of the current ASP World Tour Event in New York City, which included the following language:
“First of all, I’d like to say (an the ASP are going to fine me) ‘cuz I don’t want to be a part of this dumb f***ing wannabe tennis tour. All these pro surfers want to be tennis players. They want to do a halfway cutoff. How the f*** is somebody who’s not even competing against our caliber of surfers ahead of 100 of us on the one world ratings. They’ve never been here. They’ve never f***ing made the right to surf against us, but now we’re ranked upon them. Come on now. That’s Bullshit. That’s why I ain’t going to these stupid contests no more. This is my last one because FTW, my sponsors is here and I just tell it like it is. This is my last one and I don’t like tennis. I don’t like the tour… Who gives a f***? You know what I mean?”
“I’ve been here before. I love this city. I’ll tell you right now, if my sponsor wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be here for this dumb contest. ASP? They f***ing…surfing’s going down the drain thanks to these people.”
The interview was conducted on the event live webcast being watched by a global audience, which includes many young children.
Article 147 of the Rule Book provides the ASP Rules & Discipline Committee with the authority to decide appropriate penalties to be issued where there is a breach of the Rule Book.
After careful consideration of these comments and taking into account your multiple offenses of this Article during 2011 that clearly “efface a pattern of unacceptable conduct,” the Rules and Discipline Committee have approved the following action in accordance with Article 147.03 of the Rulebook:
Rule Breach: Article 151 – Damage to Surfing’s Image
Action: You are suspended from the ASP World Tour IMMEDIATELY. You will not take part in the remainder of the World Tour Event currently underway in New York City. A Rules and Discipline Report will be submitted to the ASP Board of Directors to consider expulsion for the remainder of the 2011 Surfing Season. Your suspension will remain in place until such time that the ASP Board of Directors have considered the Report.
Please refer to the ASP Rulebook at the link here for your rights to appeal this decision. Should you wish to have a written submission considered with the Rules and Discipline Report to be considered by the ASP Board of Directors in relation to this incident, please send it to rules@aspworldtour.com before 12 September 2011.
Yours Sincerely,
ASP Rules and Disciplinary Committee
