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I can only chuckle away thinking of the last year of surf media and commentary. No one denied that John John Florence had the talent or the desire to be a world champion. It is just that such a song and dance have been made over Gabriel Medina and Kohole Andino. The entire surf media have been claiming these two young and phenomenal surfers as the future, with little to no similar treatment of John John. They would reply, sure John John is amazing at Pipeline and will be a definite threat at Fiji and Tahiti, but that is really, is it not? Well surf media and the world, John John just gave notice in the beach breaks of Brazil, it does not matter what the waves are doing, he wants to win and he wants a world title! Joel Parkinson swooped to the finals with his usual tube riding and incredible turns, but he had nothing to give against John John in the final, where he found himself in combo land after just 4 minutes. The old guard are starting to show chinks in their armor especially when the waves are asking for massive punts and technical aerials. John John has these on demand along with his phenomenal tube riding skills.
The results in Brazil see Joel Parkinson take the lead in the World Title race, with good mate Mick Fanning right behind him and Josh Kerr rocketing into 3rd place. John John's win takes him into 6th place on the rankings just in front of our own Jordy Smith. Heading to Fiji and the possibility of giant Cloudbreak and endless tubes, John John must be a favorite and no one on tour is going to want him in their heats with his confidence this high! I cannot wait for the event, though it is going to be night owl hours for those of us watching in South Africa.
Congrats John John!
Taj Burrows on route to the Number 1 Slot (Photo: ASP)
The WCT finally got under way with the Quik Pro and after a year of drama in 2011, this year could be the same. Taj Burrows walks away for the 3rd time with Quik Pro honors and the number 1 spot on the rankings for the start of the year. He beat an in form Adriano da Souza in the final, after a very controversial victory over Jordy Smith in the Semi's. I will give it to Taj though, he surfed really well throughout the competition and the guy is looking fast and loose as always.
I give Adriano a lot of grief most of the time, but even I must admit that he was ripping. The guy has clearly been working on his aerial game and he came to the party in this event. Needing a high 7 in the final, he went for broke with a massive punt, but just came short.
Another guy who was firing all event was Josh kerr. The tiny Ozzy is looking pretty motivated to win and will be worth keeping an eye on for the rest of the season.
Everyone was waiting to see what the 40 year old Kelly Slater would do and after a great start to the event, he got knocked out in the Quarters. He finds himself back in 5th place on the rankings and this will probably just motivate him even more to come out firing at Bells.
After last year's controversy with the judging, this event had a few close calls. There were certainly a number of surfers who would have been questioning their losses. The most puzzling one had to be Semi 2 with Taj just beating Jordy Smith. I have watched the heat over a couple of times, I have to be honest, I think Jordy was very underscored on his top ride. Watch the heat review and let me know your thoughts -
Taj Vs Jordy Semi 2
The tour now heads off to Bells Beach where Taj will be looking to consolidate his Tour lead. So many times the bridesmaid in the World title hunt, can this be the year that he proves he is a world champ? Jordy Smith also has a lot to prove after leading the tour last year till his season ending injury at Teahupoo. Sitting in 3rd, a good result at bells could see our man making a solid push for the Number 1 slot in 2012. Is Kelly still hungry? Come on, the man only knows one way and that is be the Champ! He will be at Bells.
SNAPPER ROCKS, Queensland/Australia (Sunday, March 4, 2012) – The final day of the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover culminated today with perennial ASP World Title threat Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, and four-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 24, taking the respective wins in clean two-to-three foot (1 metre) waves at the primary venue of Snapper Rocks.
The opening stop on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour, the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast enjoyed sunny weather, light winds and a capacity crowd for the final day of competition, with the world’s best surfers putting on a spectacular display of high-performance surfing.
Burrow defeated dangerous South American Adriano De Souza (BRA), 25, in a Final that came down to the wire. De Souza caught a wave in the dying minutes and launched into a massive air-reverse, requiring a 7.87 out of a possible 10 to take the lead. The judges deliberated until after the siren sounded and when it was announced that De Souza came a mere 0.27 short, Burrow was chaired up the beach and declared the 2012 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast champion.
“I feel so good now!” Burrow said. “I had a really good event last year, but came up short in the Final against Kelly (Slater). Then today when I found myself against Adriano (De Souza), I was really nervous because he got me in a Final in Brazil last year. He’s really tough and I don’t like competing against him to be honest. There was a lot of weight on my shoulders in that Final so it’s pretty rewarding to come out on top.”
The ASP World Championship Tour will next head to Victoria, Australia for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, stop no. 2 of 10 in the race for the 2012 ASP World Title.
“I’ve been going for the ASP World Title for a while now,” Burrow said. “I don’t know what to say. I just want to surf my best and hope that the rest falls into place. I love Bells. I love throwing on a full wetsuit and doing some big arcs in the Bells Bowl.”
De Souza finished runner-up at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast for the second time, after coming 2nd to Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, in 2009. De Souza was easily one of the event’s top performers this season with gouging turns and inverted aerials taking him to a podium finish.
“I’m really happy with my result here today,” De Souza said. “It was such an amazing Final. Last year Taj (Burrow) and I had such a great heat here as well. It was one of the best heats of my life and he beat me. It’s amazing to be on the podium here again. In 2009, it was me and Joel (Parkinson). It’s a great way to start the year and I’m happy to be back up here.”
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 24, reigning four-time ASP Women’s World Champion, her fourth Roxy Pro Gold Coast title after defeating ASP Top 17 sophomore Laura Enever (AUS), 20, in a hard-fought Final. Gilmore was dominant throughout the event, posting scores in the excellent range in every encounter throughout the draw. Gilmore jumps back to No. 1 on the ASP Women’s World Championship Tour ratings, a spot she lost at this event last year after holding it for four years.
“To be carried up the beach with your friends underneath you with thousands of people around has got to be one of the best feelings in the world,” Gilmore said. “It took me back to 2005 when I won here as a grom. Last year went so quickly and it felt like I didn’t even exist on the rankings and that fire wasn’t really there. This year it’s so good to have that back! My cheeks are so sore from smiling already.”
Enever, who defeated Gilmore in the Quarterfinals of the Roxy Pro Gold Coast last year, today was unable to replicate last year’s magic but managed a career-best Runner-Up today against Gilmore. This is the first ASP Women’s World Tour final appearance for Enever, who finished 10th on last year’s ratings.
“Coming into this event I felt like a new competitor,” Enever said. “I’m so stoked to make it all the way to the Final. It was so good to be out there with Steph (Gilmore). She’s coming back now which is great to see. It’s a good way to start off the year. I’m in the ASP Women’s World Title race and it’s not a fluke. I want to be up here for the rest of the year and hopefully go one better next event.”
Kelly Slater (USA), 40, reigning 11-time ASP World Champion and last year’s Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast winner was eliminated in the Quarterfinals this morning by Josh Kerr (AUS), 27. Slater had previously defeated Kerr four times on the 2011 ASP World Championship Tour and was a favourite to take the heat today. However, it was Kerr who advanced thanks to one of a massive forehand air-reverse in the final minutes of the heat.
“If the waves were better I would be really bummed that I lost,” Slater said. “I got one at the end that I thought would be good, I went for the carving 360 and got stuck. Then I turned around and Josh (Kerr) was on a pretty nice one and he got that air at the end. He’s always going to be a threat in conditions like this where he can throw big airs. I got Josh a few times last year, we had four Quarterfinal battles last year where I got him, so he owed me a couple. It never feels good to lose, but I’m happy for Josh. I’m not sure if I’m going to Bells. I’m just going to go find some good waves in the next few weeks. Then I’ll figure out what I’m going to do for the year.”
Highlights from the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast are available via www.quiksilverlive.com/progoldcoast/2012
The next stop on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour will be the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford from April 3 – 14, 2012.
For more information, check out www.ASPWorldTour.com
QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.86
2 – Adriano De Souza (BRA) 15.60
QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF
1: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 14.16 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 13.57
SF
2: Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.56 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.20
QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 16.43 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 13.73
QF 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.43 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 13.04
QF 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.56 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 11.30
QF 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.86 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.97
CURRENT ASP TOP 5 (After Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast):
1. Taj Burrow (AUS) 10,000 pts
2. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 8,000 pts
3. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 6,500 pts
3. Josh Kerr (AUS) 6,500 pts
5. Kelly Slater (USA) 5,200 pts
5. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 5,200 pts
5. Owen Wright (AUS) 5,200 pts
5. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 5,200 pts
Wilko has been hot and cold on the WCT, but when he has fired it has been a pleasure to watch. He thought he would prepare for the start of the tour later this month, with a short trip to Sumbawa in Indonesia. There, he proceeded to annihilate every wave, whether left or right, that came across his path. Trust me on this - Wilko is going to surprise some folks on the WCT this year!
For more from Wilko follow his blog - Out 2 Brunch
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)
The Quiksilver Pro New York begins on Monday and it is a first for Pro surfing. Firstly as this is the first ever CT event in NY and secondly due to the mammoth $1'000'000 prize money. After mind altering and rather frightening waves in Tahiti, the pro show moves to pretty mediocre and cold beach break for this event. There have been many questions asked about the feasibility of taking a contest to these kind of venues, but it seems the bottom line is that the major Brands want pro contests back where they will get huge crowds of spectators.
Major points of interest are that:
1) Kelly Slater is back on top of the ratings, hotly followed by Jordy Smith and Joel Parkinson and it looks like we are going to have a major 3 way battle for the World title this year between these 3. None of them will want a bad result before the half way mark of the tour and moving onto Trestles where all 3 are super dangerous.
2) Will Bobby Martinez and Dane Reynolds surf? Both have been awol for the last 2 events and neither has indicated they will be surfing in NY. Dane is of course a Quiksilver rider and I would be pretty amazed if he does not pitch up for the event.
3) Travis Logie, who got a wildcard thanks to Bobby not pitching up in Tahiti, and ended up making the semi finals and getting a 3rd place, is on the cusp of making the cut off for the premier tour. He needs two withdrawals from the field, as he is the 2nd wildcard option, but if this happens and he can secure a good result, he will almost definitely make the cut. In small beachbreak conditions you have to know the Durban beachfront local will be hard to beat. Only time will tell though and Travis must be praying that some of the Tahiti injured don't make it.
4) The Cutoff! After this contest there is a reshuffle on tour and anyone outside the Top 32 on the World Rankings is gone, while any WQS surfer in the Top 32 will move up to the big leagues. there are a span of amazing surfers, like John John Florence very close and the Brazilian wonder Kid, Gabriel Medina is already in.
Why New York and are there Waves? Quiksilver say -
The surf industry was created by surfers, for surfers. New York surfers represent the core dedication that has made the sport what it is today. This event is as much in honor of that dedication to wave riding as it is to the stars who light the way. For many, cold water and big city living would be reason enough to turn their backs on the ocean. To be a life-long surfer in New York requires considerable sacrifice and unwavering commitment. It means braving the majority of the year for the incredible surf pay-off that typically comes during a brief window at the end of summer.
But the surfing culture is rich and deep on Long Island. The East Coast Surf Championships began on Long Island in 1962 and continues to this day as one of the longest-running surfing competitions in the world. Like California, Hawaii and Australia, New York can lay claim to hometown heroes, mom-andpop surf shops, and die-hard personalities who have supported and influenced generations to become a part of surf history.
WHAT ABOUT THE SURF?
Forecasters and analysts pored over charts and historic data before selecting the National Boulevard surf site on Long Island, New York. The September 4-15 time frame has historically offered the highest incidence of quality surf and hurricane-generated swell opportunities. Surfline.com, the world's leading forecaster of wave and surf conditions, conducted an independent long term 15-year wave study for western Long Island, New York, summarizing that September 4-15 is one of the most consistent time periods for sizable surf in the region. In addition, independent local feedback supports these findings, with September typically averaging 3+ hurricane swells, typically with at least one 3-4 day swell. Surfline.com is the official forecaster for The Quiksilver Pro New York, serving as a key reference point for contest officials in selecting surf contest days.
“ This was a very fascinating study,” said Sean Collins, Chief Forecaster and President of Surfline.com. “The surf climate in Western Long Island is greatly affected by the underwater Hudson Canyon offshore, which can turn average surf into very high quality surf comparable to many of the best surf spots in the world on the right day. We are also in a La Nina year, so we expect the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season to be a little more active and hopefully we can score great surf with the world's top surfers in one of the best cities in the world.”
The Wild Cards -
As with all Association of Surfing Professionals events, there are two wildcards selected to mix it up with the world's Top 34 ranked surfers. The first wildcard was granted to rising professional New York surfer Balaram Stack, hailed as the most talented surfer to emerge from the New York surf scene. Balaram joined the Quiksilver Pro Team at the age of 14. He is now 19 and pairs his supremely smooth surf style with a repertoire of crowd-wowing, gravity-defying aerial antics. Balaram won the coveted New York UnSound Pro title in 2010. He is also a multiple NSSA East Coast champion.
The second wildcard will be given to the top surfer to emerge out of a threestage trials competition that was open to juniors, locals and international talent:
Stage 1: The UnSound ASP Pro Junior, held at Long Beach, Long Island, April 27-30, 2011. The winner of the event, Hawaii's Keanu Asing, earned a berth into the final stage of trials competition:
Stage 2: The Empire State Surfing Championships Trials for the Trials, presented by Quiksilver, held at National Boulevard, Long Island, July 15-17, 2011. This was open to 16 of New York's hottest home-town surfers. The winner, Leif Engstrom (Montauk) advanced to the international trials competition that will immediately precede the Quiksilver Pro New York:
Stage 3: The Quiksilver Pro New York ASP World Tour Trials, presented by UnSound Surf, supported by Vitamin Water, to be held September 1-3 at the National Boulevard main event site. This is open to 14 rising international pro surfers, plus Keanu Asing & Leif Engstrom. The lineup of talent includes solid East Coast representation in Fisher Heaverly, Ryan Carlson, Sam Hammer, Asher Nolan, and Jeremy Johnston. International challengers include: Craig
Anderson (Australia), Masatoshi Ohno (Japan), and Marc Lacomare (Europe). The winner will receive the wildcard into the main event.
And this is where it really gets interesting. The two wildcards are always immediately drawn against the two top seeds of the event. That sounds like a good deal for the top seeds, but as often as not, the youthful ambition and nothing-to-lose mentality of a wildcard can prove to be the undoing of a champion.
So get your Fantasy Team ready, even in crap waves there is a whole lot to do for the surfers at both ends of the ratings and this should be a banger of a Contest.
Yes, it's that time of year again when the world's best surfers head to the islands of French Polanesia to surf the most sphincter clenching wave on the planet, Teahupoo. The contest has disappointed the last few years with not much in the way of death defying antics or giant waves and we can only hope that this year will provide a little more size and action. When Teahupoo is on, its one of the Wonders of the natural world, when it's off, it looks like a hundred other little perfect reef passes.
This is the kind of Teahupoo we want to see. Anthony Walsh standing tall. (Courtesy: Robertson/Billabong)
Local Knowledge is Key
You will hear “Teahupo’o” pronounced in a variety of ways, but when we talk to Billabong’s Manoa Drollet, one of the best surfers ever at the break and a Tahitian local, he pronounces it “Chee-yow-po” so we’re running with that. And what’s “Teahupo’o” translated? Roughly, it means ‘head with no hair’ or ‘place of skulls’. Referring of course to a battle between a couple of tribal groups over the territory pre-European arrival. The area is kind of prized as a really nice piece of farmland with access to excellent fishing -- worth fighting over apparently. The skulls of the losing team were built into a wall to warn off other people who may have been interested in the land value thereabouts.
The freshwater flowing from the mountains inhibits coral growth, thereby creating the reef passes that provide most of the rideable waves in Tahiti. The reef pass at Teahupo’o is known as Passa Hava’e.
If you do get cut by the coral, and it’s kind of inevitable if you’re active in and out of boats and having a surf, the best thing to do in order to prevent infection is rub lime into the cut. Serious! It stings more than hell itself, but sterilizes the wound. The alternative? The bacteria survive inside your body, you get a staph infection (blood poisoning) and the nearest doctor is your new best friend! If you can’t stand the lime treatment, be sure to seek other treatment.
Because most of the surf is off shore in Tahiti, beyond the lagoon that rims the island, ideally you’re accessing the breaks by boat, local-style. Paddling to the breaks is possible, but will often take around 20 minutes one-way. Boats are available for hire to media looking to cover the competition, but booking is required well in advance! Numbers are limited!
There’s normally only one restaurant year-round in Teahupo’o, but roughly 20 when the Billabong Pro is in town! Locals call them ‘Le Snacks’.
Most pros surf something a couple inches longer than their usual shortboards – like a 6’3” - then their quiver moves up in two-to-three inch increments. Eight to ten board quivers are common with the longest board typically around 7’0”. Teahupo’o is a BEAST of a wave so refined, specialised equipment is a must!
Ricrado Dos Santos won the trials. (Photo: ASP)
The Trials
Boasting the second biggest field of Trialists and non-world tour surfers behind Pipeline, the contest has had some big upsets before. This year it was Brazilian surfer, Ricardo Dos Santos who took the win in pretty mediocre conditions to qualify for the main event. He will be joined by local trialist, Heiarri Williams. Expect these two to take some big names down.
Who to Watch
I have a couple of favorites at Teahupoo. These guys have show time and time again that they have what it takes to win at the gnarliest left in the world: Kelly Slater - he changed how people surf the wave, even downing a beer coming out of a massive tube one year in his final! Never write off Kelly in Tahiti. He missed Jbay and has dropped on thr ratings, he will be very hungry to win. Bobby Martinez - The man has not had a great year, but if there is one wave he has show time and time again he can win, it's here. Smooth, committed and a consummate forehand tube rider. Damian & CJ Hobgood - Both brothers have had good results here, in the contest and just free surfing. Neither are intimidated by the big stuff and neither hold back from a possible 10 point ride. They both could use a solid result on the tour, so expect no holds barred action from these guys. Jordy Smith - What you may say? But yes, I am talking him up. Jordy is the current number 2 and fighting for his first World Title. If he ever wants to achieve this goal, he will need to win at the two big left-handers, Teahupoo and Pipe. He is coming off a win in front of his home crowd at Jbay and has just spent time in Namibia charging the frigid tubes of Skeleton Bay. What better place to hone your backhand tube riding? He has no reputation here yet, expect that to change!
I am super excited for the event, the last before the mid year point and things get real confusing on the World Tour, with some leaving and new faces popping up on the scene at Trestles. If the swell comes, there will be some careers on the line and you can bet your salary some guys pushing themselves well beyond their limits!
At the start of the year I was so amped that Kerr had made it back onto the tour. Lets face it, the guy is a freak when it comes to new school surfing and I was really hoping he would blow shit up. His start, however, was a little disappointing and I was wondering if I had a made a bad call. Then along came Jbay. Kerr surfed like a man possessed throughout the event and on the 2nd last day, a day many were calling one of the most progressive in contest history, he was the main reason the other guys were pushing so hard. He was punting ridik airs, throwing "Impossible" turns and just to completely mess with every other contestants heads, pulled what Occy referred to as the "Club Sandwich", a mind altering snap to inverted spin, at least I think that's what it was. It took a rampaging Mick Fanning - who ended up in 2nd place - to halt the Kerr. Watch this space, the man is going to blow up spots like France and Trestles!
While he was in Jbay, Kerr kept a video diary, check it out...
With 2 events behind us on the 2011 WCT, the tour now heads to the vibrant city of Rio, Brazil. The contest moves here from its previous location of Florinoppolis and I for one think this will have a major impact on the competition. The level of support the local Brazillian boys will have from the beach, could see some major upsets on the cards. If you play Fantasy Surfer, you will want to make sure you have some Brazilian representation.
Rio is a city famous for its beauty and geography, for its exotic landscapes that mix sea and mountain and of course, for its beaches. It’s not by chance that during the last 50 years surfing has grown here and has become very popular among the Brazilian youth, at first in Rio South Zone, afterwards in all of Brazil. Today surfing is one of the most practiced sports on the Brazilian coast.
Peterson Crisanto, the young wildcard. He loos dangerous in the water. (Photo: ASP)
The locals to look out for start with Jadson Andre, the defending champion and a man who gets better by the event on the WCT. Fun, punchy beach break is going to suit this guy and nobody will want him in their heats. Also be wary of the wildcard, Peterson Crisanto, the latest representative of Brazil's new generation, was announced as the wildcard for the Billabong Rio Pro 2011. Petersinho, as he is know in his home country, is an aerial specialist and definitely has a full bag of tricks to prove himself in the big stage against the top surfers in the world.
The surfer got his year started with a bang, winning one of the biggest prizes in the PRO JR category at Burleigh Heads, Australia, last January.
Then we have the front runners in the title race right now. King Kelly Slater still sits on top of the rankings, but he is by no means out far ahead. Joel Parkinson lifted himself to 2nd place on the rankings with a well earned 1st at Bells and Jordy Smith has finished 3rd in both early events to secure himself in 3rd on the rankings and within easy reach of the number 1 spot. All three of these guys can deliver in punchy beach break, but I think Smith has the advantage if it is smaller and weaker. His experience in the Durban bowls will see him a lethal threat. Don't think for a minute that he is to big to surf small waves, he will prove you wrong.
My danger men - Taj Burrows, a man who has won multiple titles in Brazil and loves these nuggety little beach break conditions. Likewise, Josh Kerr, has not had the best start to the year, but with his arsenal of arials, new school turns and tube riding small waves, he will be a very dangerous adversary in these conditions.
I have to be honest, I thought Joel was a little lucky in a couple of his heats, with a few over scored waves. On the flip side, he has gone through years of being underscored by judges due to his insanely smooth style. So, well done Parko and game on World Title race.
BELLS BEACH, Victoria/Australia (Sunday, April 24, 2011) – Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, has claimed the 2011 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Ranger over compatriot and former two-time ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS), 29, in an electric Final in solid six-to-eight foot (2 – 2.5 metre) waves at Bells Beach.
The second stop of the 2011 ASP World Title season, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach celebrated its 50th year of operation this season and the Southern Ocean delivered one of the best swells in recent history for the world’s best to sink their collective fangs into. Today’s Final ran in front of a capacity crowd at Bells Beach, maxing out as early as 11am with cars lined back to the center of Torquay, and the elite ASP Top 34 delivered in sensational fashion.
Leaving little to chance in the highly-anticipated Final, Parkinson opened up with an 8.53 on the first ride of the heat and drove the nail into the coffin with a Perfect 10.
“To me, Mick (Fanning) has been the form surfer of the event and I was never going to take him lightly,” Parkinson said. “I think we both had the same game plan of getting the first good one that came through and putting the momentum behind us. We scrapped for that first wave and I got the nod. Even though it was a mid-8, I knew I needed a lot more to hold him off so I just kept the pressure on from there.”
Today’s victory marks the third Bells title for the Gold Coaster and his 10th elite tour win overall.
“It’s incredible,” Parkinson said. “It’s not so much the fact that I’ve won the event, but more so that it’s the 50th anniversary. It feels that much more special. We’ve had such good waves too. I can’t remember the last time that Bells had such good waves. I’m so excited. I can’t believe this.”
Parkinson, who’s last two ASP World Title campaigns have been marred by injuries, is adamant that he is 100% healthy this season and surfing better than ever.
“I definitely feel like I’m back,” Parkinson said. “I feel like I’m surfing better than I was back in ’09 before I hurt my ankle. I’m feeling fit, I have some really good boards under my feet and I’m excited for the rest of the year.”
Parkinson vaults from 9th to 2nd on the ASP World Title Rankings.
Fanning, who last rung the bell as a wildcard in 2001, was the in-form surfer of the event, consistently notching the highest single-wave scores and heat totals from Round 1 onwards. However, the lightning-fast natural-footer was unable to overtake his Gold Coast sparring partner in the Final.
“It was a tough Final,” Fanning said. “For some reason overtime we have a heat he gets in sync real early. I tried to fight back but it was too little too late. Surfing against your mate is just like surfing against anyone else you’ve just got to go out and think about yourself and catching waves and getting scores. To have a mate beat me makes it a bit easier to swallow, but I’m still fired up for the rest of the year.”
Fanning moves from 13th to 6th on the ASP World Title Rankings.
Jordy Smith (ZAF), 24, 2010 ASP World Runner-Up, cruised through to the Semifinals of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach despite admittedly feeling out of rhythm throughout the event.
“It was a nice last wave, but it was a pity I didn’t get any before that,” Smith said. “I’ve felt off all week so to get a 3rd is pretty good. I’ve got two 3rds now, which is kind of frustrating because you want to make the Final, but that’s how it goes sometimes. 3rd is better than 5th.”
Smith further cements his position at ASP World No. 3.
Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24, flew the South American flag high through the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, scalping a number of high-profile competitors before falling to Parkinson in the Semifinal.
“I found my rhythm in the heat against Kelly (Slater),” De Souza said. “But against Joel (Parkinson) I couldn’t find any waves. I’m so frustrated because I wanted to ring the Bell, but I’m really happy with my result. Kelly is my hero, 10 x ASP World Champ, he just didn’t get any waves, then it happened to me in the next round. It happens to everyone. Next up is my home event in Brazil, I hope Brazil is proud of me and Jadson (Andre) for doing well at this event.”
De Souza goes from 9th to 4th on the ASP World Title Rankings.
Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion and current ASP World No. 1, suffered a surprise elimination at the hands of De Souza in this morning’s Quarterfinal clash. The young Brazilian left little room for the Champ to respond and an admittedly out-of-rhythm Slater saw his Bells Beach title defense cut abruptly short.
“It’s not my day, not my week and that happens,” Slater said. “For some reason you don’t make the right choices and you’re not in sync with it, I’m definitely not in the zone this week at all. Every heat of mine has had slow surf and then when there were, waves I was on the wrong ones. It’s the way it goes, you win some you lose some.”
Slater’s Equal 5th at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach sees the American holding the lead in the race for the 2011 ASP World Title heading into the next stop in Brazil.
“We’re two events in and I’ve got a 1st and a 5th so I’m averaging about a 3rd, you want to be there and higher,” Slater said. “These kind of waves favor the best guys, the guys you’re going to expect to be at the top at the end of the year and all those guys are still in the event. A 5th isn’t that bad a result, but when all the guys who you expect to be in the world title hunt finish higher than you it feels like a 17th.”
Highlights from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by FORD will be available via www.live.ripcurl.com
The next stop on the 2011 ASP World Title season is the Billabong Pro Rio in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from May 11 – 22, 2011.
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
Full report coming soon…
RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.53
2 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.26
RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.33 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.00
SF 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) 18.87 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.23
Ok, so we thought he might not even surf on tour this year, but Kelly declined that rumor and simply stormed through to win the first event of the year. Beating Taj Burrow in a super close final, you could see the anguish in Taj's body language after the final siren. On paper, Taj was the most consistent surfer in the event, with not one heat loss till the final and an average heat score of over 16 out of 20. But Kelly pretty much mind fucked him in the final - check out Kelly's stall spraying Taj in the face in the heat video!
Kelly back on top! (Photo: ASP)
“I’m having a lot of fun,” Slater said. “It’s pretty easy. You go out and surf Snapper by yourself, it’s pretty fun. To get to surf a contest is a bonus. I’d like to thank my girlfriend and everyone at Quiksilver for throwing the event. Everyone loves this event because the waves are so fun. I don’t think I’m the only one that thought Taj was the standout of the event. At some point had to stop getting 9s and I just picked the right heat.”
“I’m excited about the tour for 2011,” Burrow said. “It was a fun event and it’s just a bummer the waves didn’t hang in there at the end. I couldn’t better a 3. Hats off to Kelly, he built a house and it worked. I’d just like to thank everyone that organized the contest, it was awesome.”
Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, 2010 ASP World Runner-Up, surfed with style, punch and bite throughout the duration of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, securing exciting last-minute victories over Joel Parkinson (AUS), 29, and Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, to advance through to the Semifinals. However, the big South African was unable to overtake Burrow in a repeat of last season’s Final.
“It’s disappointing when everything seems to be going well and the surf doesn’t cooperate,” Smith said. “Taj (Burrow) surfed amazing though and it’s still a good start for me. I’m looking forward to the next event and I’ll just put my head down and work hard until then.”
I am now so excited for Bells, I literally have to take valium! Check out Kelly's final day below.
I have always loved the way Dane Reynolds surfs! He combines power with new school flavor almost better than anyone else on tour. Check the first turn he cracks out in his round 1 heat at the Rip Curl Search event in Costa Rica - its mammoth!
