Enter a world of magic and mystery, in my own head, where surfing and snowboarding are considered real jobs! Amazing feats of daring and skill are performed every day - and that's just getting the footage onto film!
Media anarchist, film guru, surf addict and web video blogger!
The Easter Show was great with EFC Africa fighters James "Jambo" Le Roux and Jaydson Costa in studio to discuss their upcoming title fights at EFC Africa 13 at Grand West Casino on Friday 13th April. I will be attending the event and we will have feedback on next week's show. Was great to find out both fighters surf! Robby MacDonald was with me to talk about the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, the Quiksilver Pro Junior in Durban and the Billabong Grom Games in PE over the Easter Weekend. We also had a surprise skype call from Roland Schoeman from his flight back to SA from the States, to come compete in the SA Olympic swimming trials.
Download the Podcast here - Podcast Show 29
(Right click and Save as.)
Gaming was added to the mix this week on Captain Kai's World with Glenn, from 4 Elements Gaming. He brought his resident online gaming guru and we talked online gaming, platforms and of course the latest games, promoting the new "SSX" snowboarding game. The first Monday of every month will now play host to a Gaming review.
Rawlins was back to discuss the new AMA Supercross Champion, ABSA Cape Epic and the start of the 2nd World Tour surf event, the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach.
Download the Show 28 Podcast here - Show 28 Podcast (Right Click, Save as)
Current Tour leader, Taj Burrows, showing how dangerous he can be at Bells. (Photo: ASP)
Who will ring the famous Bell in 2012? After a manic start to the year at Snapper, with some who had been raved about, failing miserably, and others who had been written off, doing well, it is now a tough call to say who should win Bells. The shifty and difficult point break (Though it looks so perfect in those photos.) plays solidly into the hands of the Natural Footers and the poor Goofy guys will be at a severe disadvantage.
Taj took the win and the number 1 slot at Snapper and he will be difficult to beat at Bells. He is surfing fast, loose and hard - all of which will score well at the Rip Curl Pro. He also has the confidence of the number 1 seed, so watch out for Taj.
Bells looks amazing, bu it can be a deceptive arena for the surfers. (Photo: ASP)
Joel Parkinson is the defending champion and always surfs well at Bells, where his smooth, power lines are tailored for the wrapping point waves. Mick Fanning is also always going to be dangerous at Bells. At this point, there is speculation on whether the "Freak", Kelly Slater will arrive or not. Your guess is as good as mine. If he does, add him to the list of could easily win Bells.
Then we have the younger guns. Jordy Smith is looking in great form after Snapper and being 3rd on the rankings will help with the confidence. (Just hope his Dad's snoring does not keep him from waking refreshed!) Bells suits the Jordy package and with 2, 3rds already there, he is ready to step up and ring the Bell. John John Florence, fresh off a huge win at the Margaret river 6 Star, will also be brimming with confidence. If the surf goes to "Point Break" sizes then the youngster from Hawaii will certainly be the one you don't want in your heats.
My outside shot, Josh Kerr. If the waves are super clean, this guy could ring the Bell. He has been surfing really well the last 6 months on tour and is due a win. He has it all from the power lines to the air. Don't be surprised if Kerr and Bells ring each other!
ASP Press Release: BELLS BEACH, Victoria/Australia (Monday, April 2, 2012) – The
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Ranger will commence its
waiting period tomorrow and the Southern Ocean is poised to deliver
excellent conditions for the world’s best surfers to do battle in.
Event No. 2 of 10 on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour, the Rip
Curl Pro Bells Beach will recommence the race for the ASP World Title
and the elite ASP Top 34 will do surf for the honor of ‘ringing the
bell’ by event’s end.
Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, current ASP World No. 1 and former Rip Curl Pro
Bells Beach winner (2007), is fresh off a victory at the season-opening
event on the Gold Coast and will look to consolidate his efforts this
week at Bells Beach.
“Coming off a win definitely helps in terms of confidence,” Burrow
said. “It’s impossible to commit to long-term projections so early in
the year, but I definitely want to back myself up with a good result
here.”
Coastalwatch Plus, official forecaster for the Rip Curl Pro Bells
Beach, are calling for the start of the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach to
be nothing short of excellent. The forecast broadly hinges on an active
storm track affecting the far southern Indian Ocean through to Western
Australian longitudes over the next week.
“I’ve never been much of a forecast guy,” Burrow said. “I usually
just try to approach each day ready to surf anything. From what I’ve
been hearing though, it sounds like we’re going to have a good week of
waves. I’ve been working on my boards and I think I’ve got some good
ones ready for Bells. Equipment is crucial as Bells is such a unique
wave.”
While Burrow currently sits atop the elite ASP World Championship
Tour ratings, the Western Australian admits that the depth of talent
within the ASP Top 34 is staggering.
“There are absolutely no easy draws on tour anymore,” Burrow said.
“It’s about as elite an ASP Top 34 as you can get and everyone is
capable of posting a win. It makes it really exciting to watch and
hopefully I can put in some good showings this week.”
Burrow will take on highly-touted rookie Kolohe Andino (USA), 18, and
trials winner Nic Muscroft (AUS), 29, in Round 1 of the Rip Curl Pro
Bells Beach.
When competition kicks off, up first will be Jordy Smith (ZAF), 24,
Kieren Perrow (AUS), 35, and Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), 30, in Heat 1 of
Round 1.
Running in conjunction with the men’s event is the second stop on the
2012 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach
presented by Ford Fiesta.
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 24, four-time ASP Women’s World Champion and
current ASP Women’s World No. 1, regained her frontrunner status last
month with a hometown win on the Gold Coast. The young natural-footer
claimed an unprecedented four ASP World Titles from her first four
attempts on tour, but last year fell to No. 3 as she was dethroned by
Hawaiian sensation Carissa Moore (HAW), 19.
“Winning any event on tour is a great feeling, but definitely winning
at home and at the opening event of the year is special,” Gilmore said.
“Compared with 2011, I’m in a much better place this season. I’m not
dealing with any injuries and I’m feeling a lot more relaxed. It’s
definitely a different kind of mindset that you experience when you’re
the frontrunner as opposed to chasing the frontrunner, and I think
that’s played in my favor to start the year off.”
A three-time past winner of the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach
(2007, 2008, 2010), Gilmore’s affinity with the wave will serve her well
this week as she takes on her fellow ASP Top 17 competitors.
“I’ve been surfing and competing at Bells for as long as I can
remember and it’s a special place in surfing,” Gilmore said. “I don’t
mean to sound redundant as everyone says this, but it truly is an
incredible natural amphitheater and when the waves are on, it’s one of
the most rippable spots on the planet. I think my style of surfing
definitely suits the walls at Bells and I just hope we get swell for the
event.”
While a percentage of pundits within the surf media questioned
Gilmore’s motivation and commitment to competition following her
dethroning last season, the progressive natural-footer has brushed such
criticism aside, reaffirming her desire to win and her perspective on
maturation.
“It’d be an easy thing to say that after winning the first event of
the year, my focus has returned, but that’s just not accurate,” Gilmore
said. “My focus never left the tour – I’ve always wanted to compete, and
I compete to win. The ASP Title is still the goal, it’s still a driving
force in my life – it’s just not the case that I have a singular goal
anymore. That said, all my efforts right now are geared towards
preparing for Bells and I’m very much looking forward to it.”
Gilmore will battle rookie Lakey Peterson (USA), 17, and wildcard Nikki Van Dijk (AUS), 17, in the opening round of competition.
Event organizers will convene tomorrow morning at 7am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.
The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach will run from April 3 – 14, 2012 and will be webcast LIVE via http://live.ripcurl.com
WOW that's the common response to this contest! Three days of tube festival deluxe in Portugal. At the end of the day the little Brazza, Adriano da Souza was the winner, taking out King Kelly in the final. Kelly had been doing his usual of slaying all comers, but seemed to finally lose his rhythm in the final and did not find the good waves. Adriano though was in scintillating form on the final day and rode solid tubes right through to the final buzzer.
Kelly Slater needs to just get through 2 heats at the next event in San Francisco to win his 11th World title and most are already pushing the title - Ke11y Slater. The man is simply amazing.
Other standouts for me were John John Florence who only got knocked out when they got the most wave starved heat of the contest, Joel Parko and Taj burrows who were both ripping and Julian Wilson, who is finally starting to show the surfing he was foretold to bring to the tour. Keep watching as the World Title moves to the USA for the Rip Curl Search event next.
SUPERTUBOS, Peniche/Portugal (Tuesday, October 18, 2011) – Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24, has taken out the Rip Curl Pro Portugal over Kelly Slater (USA), 39, in clean three-to-five foot (1 – 1.5 metre) barrels at Supertubos today.
Event No. 9 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title Series, the Rip Curl Pro Portugal culminated in exciting fashion today as a feast of picturesque barrels closed out one of the most memorable events in ASP history.
De Souza tore through the field on the final day of competition, taking down Travis Logie (ZAF), 32, Michel Bourez (PYF), 25, and Bede Durbidge (AUS), 28, en route to his final clash with Slater. The young Brazilian opened up with a solid forehand barrel to secure a 9.00 out of a possible 10 and put pressure on the defending champion. Slater answered back with two solid scores of his own, but De Souza came back in the final minutes to hammer the nail in the coffin and secure the third elite tour win of his career.
“Kelly (Slater) has been my hero since I ever heard about surfing,” De Souza said. “He is a living legend and to be competing against him at this level is more than a dream come true. He has pushed me more than any other surfer and I owe him a lot. The waves have been incredible for this event. Thanks to Rip Curl for bringing us here and thanks to all the Portuguese who have supported me throughout the event.”
Today’s win vaults De Souza from 6th to 3rd on the ASP World Title rankings and into contention heading into the last two events of the year.
“I haven’t been as consistent as I would like to be this season but I have had two of the biggest results of my career here and in Brazil,” De Souza said. “It’s very special to win in these kinds of conditions. I just want to finish the year with some good results – I’m not thinking about the World Title.”
Slater, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion, moved one step closer to clinching his 11th crown today. Should he finish 9th or better in the upcoming Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco event (two heat wins), he will seal the deal.
“It’s been an amazing event,” Slater said. “I can’t remember a time when we’ve had so many 9s and high 8s and we’ve all just got barreled off our heads for three days straight. It’s been pretty amazing. Unfortunately, there was really only that one good one in the Final and I made a priority mistake and let Adriano (de Souza) have it. It’s obviously a good result for me and it makes things harder on everyone else. Let’s hope for good conditions in San Francisco.”
Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, rampaged through the day’s affairs, claiming a Round 4 win before dispatching of red-hot rookie Julian Wilson (AUS), 22, in the Quarterfinals. Burrow then faced Slater in a heated Semifinal exchange. The Western Australian pulled out to an early lead as both tube specialists went blow for blow in the opening exchanges. However, a last-minute Perfect 10 from the champ would seal the deal and send Burrow home with an Equal 3rd.
“What do you say after that?” Burrow said. “It was another one of those situations where we were both getting good waves. I broke my board and was paddling out when he dropped in on that left – first left of the heat – and I knew it was a 10 straight away. I’m still a bit blown away. It’s been an amazing event though. Some of the best waves I’ve ever surfed.”
Bede Durbidge (AUS), 28, matched his best result of the season today, besting John John Florence (HAW), 19, and Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, en route to his Equal 3rd place finish. Despite having his run halted by De Souza in the Semifinals, today’s result moves Durbidge from 18th to 15th on the ASP World Title rankings and that much closer to cracking the Top 10.
“It’s been a big event for me here so I can’t be upset with losing there,” Durbidge said. “We’ve had incredible waves throughout the event and I just didn’t have the rhythm there in the Semifinal. It’s a big result for me and hopefully that turns my year around heading into the last two events.”
Owen Wright (AUS), 21, current No. 2 on the ASP World Title rankings, was eliminated this morning in a hard-fought Round 3 battle against ASP Dream Tour newcomer John John Florence (HAW), 19. Despite posting an excellent 16.96 out of a possible 20, Wright was unable to overcome the preternatural onslaught from the young Hawaiian.
“When I saw John John (Florence) moving through the draw, I knew there was a real possibility of meeting him early on,” Wright said. “He’s obviously very dangerous in these conditions as it resembles him home at Pipeline. That said, I put together a good heat I think so I can hold my head up. I just didn’t come out on top in this instance.”
Wright’s early ousting from the Rip Curl Pro Portugal doesn’t bode well for his 2011 ASP World Title campaign as reigning 10-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 39, moves closer to clinching the crown. However, the young Australian remains positive in his approach to the remainder of the season.
“I’m going to go home before San Francisco and recharge,” Wright said. “There are still two events to go and I really want to finish my year strong.”
Highlights from the Rip Curl Pro Portugal will be available via http://live.ripcurl.com
Thanks to our broadcast partners at FUEL TV in Australia and Portugal, Ma Chaine Sport in France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland and Africa as well as ESPN in Brazil.
The next stop on the 2011 ASP World Title season will be the Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco from November 1 – 12, 2011.
For additional information log on to www.aspworldtour.com
RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL REMAINING FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.67
2 – Kelly Slater (USA) 14.73
RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL REMAINING SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 19.50 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.87
SF 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.83 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.03
RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL REMAINING QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 17.94 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 17.50
QF 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 18.70 def. Heitor Alves (BRA) 7.67
QF 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 17.60 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 17.53
QF 4: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 17.10 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.60
RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL REMAINING HEAT 5 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Julian Wilson (AUS) 6.83 def. Chris Davidson (AUS) 3.50
Heat 2: Heitor Alves (BRA) 15.40 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.74
Heat 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) 18.93 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 17.96
Heat 4: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 17.44 def. John John Florence (HAW) 17.06
RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL REMAINING ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 17.13, Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.70, Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.10
Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 19.30, Heitor Alves (BRA) 17.20, Chris Davidson (AUS) 13.40
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.30, Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 14.64, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 11.67
Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.00, John John Florence (HAW) 17.84, Michel Bourez (PYF) 16.10
RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL REMAINING ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 9: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 11.60 def. Travis Logie (ZAF) 8.10
Heat 10: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.56 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 12.30
Heat 11: Michel Bourez (PYF) 16.27 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 14.54
Heat 12: John John Florence (HAW) 17.33 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 16.96
ASP WORLD TITLE TOP 5 (after Rip Curl Pro Portugal)
1. Kelly Slater (USA) 58,150 pts
2. Owen Wright (AUS) 45,650 pts
3. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 42,450 pts
4. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 41,100 pts
5. Taj Burrow (AUS) 40,950 pts
Portugal delivers the goods once again for the Rip Curl Pro (Photo: ASP)
Day 2 went absolutely mental at Supertubos. Highlight for me was Travis Logie winning his Round 2 heat on the buzzer, it sure must have felt good for him. Surfers to watch are definitely John John Florence, Taj Burrows, Damien Hobgood, Julian Wilson and Kelly Slater. The competition is on right now for Day 3!
ASP Press Release: SUPERTUBOS, Peniche/Portugal (Monday, October 17, 2011) – The Rip Curl Pro Portugal stormed through 21 heats of competition today as the primary site of Supertubos delivered flawless six-to-eight foot (2 – 2.5 metre) barrels from sun up to sun down.
Event No. 9 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title Series, the Rip Curl Pro Portugal enjoyed an historic day of action with the world’s best surfers posting near-perfect scores throughout the day as Supertubos delivered world-class action.
Julian Wilson (AUS), 22, 2011 ASP Top 34 rookie, went blow-for-blow against compatriot Kai Otton (AUS), 31, in the heat of the event today. Otton posted a near perfect 9.97 out of a possible 10 on his opening ride and backing it up with an excellent 8.43 to put the youngster on the back foot early on. However, Wilson would answer back in champion fashion, netting a 9.43 early in the heat before pulling into a cavernous bomb for a 9.70 and the heat win.
“That was an amazing heat,” Wilson said. “My hat goes off to Otto (Kai Otton) as he was getting some ridiculous barrels and really put the pressure on me early. I’ve been watching the conditions all day long and have been trying not to froth out too hard, but they’re just so perfect. It’s truly Dream Tour stuff out there today.”
Finishing Equal 3rd at Lower Trestles and Runner-Up at La Graviere, the young Australian has been building an impressive momentum throughout the last several events and would be considered one of the more dangerous surfers remaining in the field.
“I’ve been very confident in my surfing the past few events and I really feel like I belong at this level of competition,” Wilson said. “I felt like I was right there at the last event in France and I’m really keen to put up another result. The win is always the goal.”
Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion and current ASP World No. 1, navigated the challenging high tide afternoon conditions today with characteristic aplomb, besting an in-form Daniel Ross (AUS), 28, to advance through to Round 4.
“There are still a lot of fun waves out there but the tide is definitely changing things up,” Slater said. “My plan was to go out and catch a lot of waves and I actually made a little priority mistake in there. Dan (Ross) is one of those underrated guys. He’s a big guy so I knew he wouldn’t be taking the smaller waves and I knew he was capable of getting big scores.”
With his Round 3 victory this afternoon, Slater moves one step closer to clinching ASP World Title No. 11, but the iconic Floridian remains characteristically nonchalant about the possibility.
“Counting Portugal, there are still three events left and a lot of points so it’s far from over,” Slater said. “Obviously another result here would long ways towards it but there’re still quite a few guys remaining in the hunt that are still in the event so we’ll see how it all pans out.”
John John Florence (HAW), 17, newcomer to the ASP Top 34 following September’s rotation, posted the highest heat total of the event this morning, a 19.53 out of a possible 20, to eliminate Adrian Buchan (AUS), 29, in Round 2 of competition.
“It’s unreal out there this morning,” Florence said. “It reminds me a lot of Backdoor and Pipe but with a sandy bottom. I was having so much fun. I just kept taking off on everything that came through.”
Florence will now face current ASP World No. 2 Owen Wright (AUS), 21, in Round 3 of the Rip Curl Pro Portugal.
“Owen (Wright) is good in pretty much any conditions,” Florence said. “We had a pretty close heat in Trestles and he beat me. I feel confident in these kinds of conditions though. So hopefully we have good waves for our heat.”
Florence was joined by fellow Hawaiian Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), 29, who dispatched of current No. 5 on the ASP World Title rankings Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, in Round 3 of competition.
Bede Durbidge (AUS), 28, punctuated the day’s affairs with the first Perfect 10 of the event for a monster forehand barrel to the adulation of the thousands on the beach.
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7:45am for a possible 8am start.
When competition resumes, up first will be Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24, and Travis Logie (ZAF), 32, in Heat 9 of Round 3.
The Morning Show from the Rip Curl Pro Portugal will be webcast LIVE from 7:30am to 8pm tomorrow morning, as well as broadcast LIVE on FUEL TV in Australia and Portugal, Ma Chaine Sport in France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland and Africa as well as ESPN in Brazil.
Surfline, official forecasters for the Rip Curl Pro Portugal, are calling for a strong northwest swell will fill in further on today, ease on Tuesday and then fade further on Wednesday. A smaller, reinforcing north swell could then move in on Thursday to keep the surf from dropping too quickly. Wind conditions will be generally favorable for Supertubos Monday with light wind in the morning building in the afternoon.
For additional information log on to www.aspworldtour.com
RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.74 def. Bruno Santos (BRA) 10.97
Heat 2: Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.10 def. Francisco Alves (BRA) 6.57
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 16.83 def. Justin Mujica (PRT) 8.64
Heat 4: Michel Bourez (PYF) 16.77 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 15.23
Heat 5: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 14.43 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 12.90
Heat 6: John John Florence (HAW) 19.53 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 13.97
Heat 7: Heitor Alves (BRA) 15.50 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 13.20
Heat 8: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 16.04 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 15.87
Heat 9: Kai Otton (AUS) 14.97 def. Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 13.93
Heat 10: Dusty Payne (HAW) 16.63 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 12.27
Heat 11: Travis Logie (ZAF) 16.43 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 14.76
Heat 12: Taylor Knox (USA) 13.73 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 9.30
RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.57 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 8.43
Heat 2: Damien Hobgood (USA) 16.33 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 15.30
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 19.13 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 18.40
Heat 4: Chris Davidson (AUS) 14.10 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 5.10
Heat 5: Heitor Alves (BRA) 12.77 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.20
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.86 def. Daniel Ross (AUS) 16.37
Heat 7: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 15.06 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.90
Heat 8: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 18.33 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 17.17
RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL REMAINING ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 9: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 10: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 11: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Heat 12: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. John John Florence (HAW)
Shew, hard to believe that I have already done 10 shows on 2 Oceans Vibe Radio. Never thought I would be on the radio to be honest, what with my passion for film and TV. It was such a pleasant surprise to see how much I have enjoyed doing the show and that it now feels like an important part of my future. Big thanks go out to Richard Hardiman, who made it all possible!
Chris Cab was back for Show 10 - this time a good deal more sober - and we discussed Ryan Villipoto winning a Million Dollars at the Monster Energy Cup, the biggest purse in MX history. The Rip Curl Pro in Portugal is ongoing and got the full treatment. Had a little look ahead to Halloween Jam next weekend and talked the life of being a sponsored athlete, with both the ups and downs. Then don't forget the amazing playlist of music that got played.
Gabriel Medina reveling in the hollow Left at Supertubos! (Photo: ASP)
After a rather slow start at Supertubos yesterday, the waves picked up and the tubes started. Joel Parko, after a dismal result in France, switched back onto form and posted the best wave score of the day. Right behind him was the red hot wonder kid, Gabriel Medina, who after winning in France, is looking full of confidence. There should be banging waves today and Jordy Smith is up in the first heat of Round 2 against wild card, Bruno Santos.
ASP Press: SUPERTUBOS, Peniche/Portugal (Sunday, October 16, 2011) – Clean four-to-six foot plus (1.5 – 2 metre) left and right barrels graced the primary site of Supertubos this afternoon as the Rip Curl Pro Portugal completed the opening round of competition.
Event No. 9 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title season, the Rip Curl Pro Portugal will play a pivotal role in determining the 2011 ASP World Champion as well as provide an important opportunity for the world’s best surfers looking to remain amongst the elite ASP Top 34.
Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, wasted no time in lighting things up today, opening the round with the highest heat total of the day, a 17.87 out of a possible 20, with some inspired tube-riding on his forehand.
“The conditions improved so much in the span of one heat when compared to the warm-up just before,” Parkinson said. “It was great and everyone was getting barrels and scores. I guess it just shows how quickly things can change out there.”
Although currently sitting at No. 3 on the ASP World Title rankings, Parkinson admits that his uncharacteristic early round loss at the previous event in France has significantly altered his mental approach to the rest of the year.
“With that loss in France, it seems like it really took me out of the World Title race,” Parkinson said. “It was disappointing, but I just went surfing after for a few daysit and focused on that and had a lot of fun. I think it was a good opportunity to reset for me and hopefully I can finish the season strong.”
Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, hot off the heels of his first elite tour victory in France last week, matched Parkinson’s best result for the day with a 17.87 out of a possible 20 for a commanding display on both his forehand and backhand. In an impassioned heat between compatriot Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 29, and Tiago Pires (PRT), 31, it was the youngster that came out on top.
“We were all battling for waves out there,” Medina said. “At one point, Raoni (Monteiro) got his arm caught in my leash. That’s competition though. We’re all hungry for the win. The waves are really fun out there. I had two really good ones and I’m happy with the win.”
Brett Simpson (USA), 26, scrapped his way to his own victory this afternoon. The Californian has been in sizzling form throughout the last several events and dominated his Round 1 bout in challenging high tide conditions.
“The tide is definitely pretty full this evening and I wasn’t expecting to get those ones that I did,” Simpson said. “With three guys and a small takeoff spot, you don’t want to be sitting there when the waves come – you want to be able to paddle into them. I’ve had some close heats in the last few events, but am stoked to be putting some scores on the board and am keen for a result in Portugal.”
Julian Wilson (AUS), 22, 2011 ASP Dream Tour rookie, posted an impressive Round 1 victory today, carrying over the momentum from a career-best Runner-Up finish in France last week to secure a 17.50 out of a possible 20 en route to his opening victory over Miguel Pupo (BRA), 19, and Adam Melling (AUS), 26.
“I think everything came together for me at the event last week,” Wilson said. “I was able to back myself and convince myself that I was able to take on the best guys in the world and I think that confidence has just been carrying over to Portugal. This is my first time to Peniche and probably my first proper surf out there. It’s a really fun wave and the forecast looks like we’re in for more as well.”
The frontrunners in the hunt for the 2011 ASP World Title continued to perform well today. Both Kelly Slater (USA), 39, current ASP World No. 1, and Owen Wright (AUS), 21, current ASP World No. 2, posted commanding wins in their respective Round 1 bouts, advancing directly into Round 3 of competition.
When competition resumes, up first will be Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, and wildcard Bruno Santos (BRA), 28, in the opening heat of Round 2.
The Morning Show from the Rip Curl Pro Portugal will be webcast LIVE from 7:30am to 8pm tomorrow morning, as well as broadcast LIVE on FUEL TV in Australia and Portugal, Ma Chaine Sport in France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland and Africa as well as ESPN in Brazil.
Surfline, official forecasters for the Rip Curl Pro Portugal, are calling for a new, long period northwest swell to be strongest tomorrow and then will fade through the middle to second half of the week. At this point, wind conditions look generally favorable for tomorrow. Much stronger wind will pick up for Tuesday-Thursday, but will still be from a decent direction for Supertubos.
RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.87, Jadson Andre (BRA) 15.47, Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 11.93
Heat 2: Julian Wilson (AUS) 17.50, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 15.80, Adam Melling (AUS) 10.00
Heat 3: Daniel Ross (AUS) 10.07, Taylor Knox (USA) 9.14, Taj Burrow (AUS) 7.12
Heat 4: Owen Wright (AUS) 14.23, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 10.34, Justin Mujica (PRT) 4.80
Heat 5: Chris Davidson (AUS) 14.60, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 8.90, Francisco Alves (PRT) 7.67
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 13.10, Bruno Santos (BRA) 7.53, Travis Logie (ZAF) 4.70
Heat 7: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 16.43, John John Florence (HAW) 13.50, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 4.87
Heat 8: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.87, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 12.90, Tiago Pires (PRT) 2.79
Heat 9: Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.07, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 13.60, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 6.00
Heat 10: Brett Simpson (USA) 17.43, Heitor Alves (BRA) 6.23, Michel Bourez (PYF) 6.17
Heat 11: Mick Fanning (AUS) 16.10, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.77, Kai Otton (AUS) 9.73
Heat 12: Josh Kerr (AUS) 16.30, Dusty Payne (HAW) 16.24, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 10.33
RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Bruno Santos (BRA)
Heat 2: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Francisco Alves (BRA)
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Justin Mujica (PRT)
Heat 4: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 5: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 6: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. John John Florence (HAW)
Heat 7: Heitor Alves (BRA) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 8: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 9: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 10: Jadson Andre (BRA) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 11: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 12: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
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
BELLS BEACH, Victoria/Australia (Wednesday, April 20, 2011) – Today marks the commencement of the 50th Anniversary of competition surfing at Bells Beach as Round 1 of the 2011 Rip Curl Pro Bells presented by Ford Ranger got underway in clean four-to-six foot (1.5 – 2 metre) surf.
The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, the second stop on the 2011 ASP World Title season, enjoyed consistent surf throughout the day as the world’s best surfers unleashed a barrage of high-performance ripping on the classic canvas of Bells Beach.
Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, 2009 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Champion put in a sensational performance this afternoon, electing to sit up at Rincon to secure the day’s highest scores.. Parkinson locked in the highest wave score and the highest heat score of the opening day of competition scoring 17.74 (out of a possible 20.00) to advance directly through to Round 3 of competition.
“I fell off twice on the bowl,” Parkinson said. “It was really hard to ride. Then CJ (Hobgood) went across to Rincon and got a score, so we followed him over and it worked out for me. It’s great to get that opening heat win, especially at Bells. You never know what conditions you’re going to get in a heat, so to be able to skip round two and maybe get a day off is a huge advantage.”
Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion and defending event winner, was clinical in his attack in his Round 1 heat. Slater had his fellow competitors Adam Robertson (AUS), 28, and Kai Otton (AUS), 31, on the ropes only minutes into the heat, scoring an impressive 16.00 (out of a possible 20.00) on his opening two rides.
“I don’t free surf out at Bells a whole lot,” Slater said. “When the waves are good the comp is on and outside of that it’s pretty crowded. So I’m still learning with each heat out there still, surfing against a guy like Robbo (Adam Robertson) you’ve got to watch where he’s sitting, how far our and how deep.”
Mick Fanning (AUS), 29, currently equal 13th in the hunt for the 2011 ASP World Title, went into today’s competition with renewed vigor after a shock early exit at the last event on the Gold Coast. The past two-time ASP World Champion came out and dominated his Round 1 battle over Tiago Pires (PRT), 31, and Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17.
“I’m stoked to get a good start,” Fanning said. “It’s been 10 years since I won here as I wildcard, I got close last year but Kelly Slater got me in the final. You want to win every event, but being the 50th Anniversary and so much history at this event, it’s like the Wimbeldon of surfing, it’s a hard one to win but it’s the one everyone wants.”
Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, led today’s rookie charge, continuing his sensational run after the and equal 5th on the Gold Coast, and dispatching of fellow Brazilian Ranoi Monterio (BRA), 28, and Australian Adrian Buchan (AUS), 28 in this morning’s opening round heat.
“It’s so good out there!” Muniz said. “This is my first time surfing at Bells and it’s the most amazing place. It’s got perfect rights, and it’s the kind of wave that I love to surf. It’s the best place ever, best waves, best weather and I love surfing in wetsuits.”
Jeremy Flores (FRA), 22, bounced back after missing the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast with a knee injury, to score a comprehensive win over Taylor Knox (USA), 39, and Cory Lopez (USA), 34.
“I wasn’t very confident before the heat,” Flores said. “But I got that first wave and did a big turn at the end and got a good score. I think that’s what you need to do these days, finish the wave strong. My knee still isn’t 100%, but I went for it and it’s good to win. Big thanks to everyone at the Gold Coast Suns Football Club for helping with my knee, it’s feeling much better now.”
Stu Kennedy (AUS), 21, scored a last minute wildcard into the event and caused the upset of the day, eliminating 2010 ASP World Title runner-up Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, and Dusty Payne (HAW), 22.
“I’ve been coming here for years,” Kennedy said. “I won a Pro Junior here in 2008 and I know where to sit. I don’t think Dusty and Jordy know the break as well as I do so that helps. I’ve been up since 3am because I’m jet-lagged from coming home from Scotland. I woke up with a bunch of energy it’s my shaper’s birthday so I woke him up at 5am to go surfing. I had to win my heat for him for his birthday.”
When men’s competition resumes, up first will be 2010 ASP World Runner-Up Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, up against Trials Winner Adam Robertson (AUS), 28, in the opening heat of Round 2.
Following the completion of the men’s Round 1 today, the ASP Top 17 hit the water for Round 1 of the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Fiesta.
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 23, reigning four-time ASP Women’s World Champion and defending three-time Rip Curl Women’s Bells Beach winner, returned to her winning ways today, after bowing out early at the last event, the Roxy Pro Gold Coast.
“My first two years on tour I didn’t have great results on the Gold Coast,” Gilmore said. “I always bounced back at this event and then finished the year well, so hopefully I’ll do that again this year. The Gold Coast was a fine showing of what women’s surfing is up to now and everyone has to try and keep up. It really pushes me and I think anyone who wins an event from now on will be a very deserving winner because of that fact.”
Pauline Ado (FRA), 19, the French rookie caused the upset of the women’s event, defeating current ASP World Title front runner Carissa Moore (HAW), 18, in a nail biter of a heat.
“I’m really happy, I had a lot of fun out there,” Ado said “I got one of my good waves in the first few seconds so after that I felt confident and knew I could be more selective and wait for the right wave. A heat against Carissa is always a tough one, so I’m really stoked to win.”
When women’s competition resumes, up first will be Paige Hareb (NZL), 20, and Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), 24, in the opening heat of Round 2.
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.
Highlights from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by FORD will be webcast available via www.live.ripcurl.com and broadcast live on Fuel TV in Australia and ESPN in Brazil.
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.23, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.26, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 7.37
Heat 2: Adam Melling (AUS) 14.50, Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.30, Taj Burrow (AUS) 11.00
Heat 3: Heitor Alves (BRA) 14.36, Bobby Martinez (USA) 14.14, Owen Wright (AUS) 10.60
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.60, Tiago Pires (PRT) 11.07, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 9.27
Heat 5: Stu Kennedy (AUS) 11.70, Dusty Payne (HAW) 10.50, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 9.00
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.00, Kai Otton (AUS) 10.13, Adam Robertson (AUS) 8.53
Heat 7: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.17, Cory Lopez (USA) 5.83, Taylor Knox (USA) 4.67
Heat 8: Michel Bourez (PYF) 12.60, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 10.20, Gabe Kling (USA) 3.50
Heat 9: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 14.60, Damien Hobgood (USA) 11.23, Daniel Ross (AUS) 11.07
Heat 10: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.74, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 11.44, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 8.17
Heat 11: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.60, Chris Davidson (AUS) 10.83, Julian Wilson (AUS) 9.83
Heat 12: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 13.40, Jadson Andre (BRA) 9.43, Brett Simpson (USA) 8.93
Welcome to Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia. Made famous through the years by one of the most famous surf contests in history, the Bells Rip Curl Pro, and not by that stupid movie claiming a 50 year storm and that Keanu could surf. This year is Bell's 50th as it officially becomes the greatest surf contest in history. Heavy call? Just take a look at the roster of past champions - Bells through the Ages
So tomorrow the battle between the world of pro surfers and Mr Kelly Slater continues. Kelly, with a couple of rings of the famous Bell should be pretty confident, especially considering there is some serious looking swell on the way and we hopefully wont have to watch this historical contest go down in shitty beach break at Johanna Beach.
In line with the great past, I decided to interview the man with possibly one of the greatest victories ever at Bells (He also started a surfing revolution in the process, thanks to his then "Radical" board design, with 3 fins, yes the Thruster was born!) I chatted to Simon Anderson...
Simon on his way to a historic win for himself and the thruster
Kai - Bells turns 50 this year. What are your thoughts on this momentous occasion for a surf contest?
Simon - Bells has always been the longest running professional surfing event globally and if surfing needs traditions then this is a good thing.
I believe surfers like the idea of Icon events with a great history particularly in good wave locations.
Kai - When did you first surf Bells?
Simon - In 1971 at the Australian Titles.
Kai - How has it changed since then?
Simon - The surf not a bit, the town quite a lot, the contest has evolved a lot but still primarily setting the standard for presentation of pro surfing at the highest level.
Kai - What was the best board you ever had for Bells?
Simon - That's a hard question, generally my boards suit Bells and Winki. I had good boards in 77 and 81 but I guess my favourite has been a 7'8 19 3/4 2 7/8 Rounded Pin vee bottom that I've surfed a lot at Winki Pop on 6 to 8' plus days through the 90's
Kai - What went through your head standing on the rocks with a new board design, about to paddle out at huge Bells for the finals, the day you won?
Simon - I won at Rincon the surf was 1 to 2 feet and I thought Cheyne Horan was going to kill me. On the big day initally I was concerned about getting out, being able to sneak through between the Winki button and Bells bowl inbetween the massive sets and then once out the back whether or not I could catch a 12 footer on a 6'6. fortunately at that size Bells seemingly breaks in the one spot so it wasn't too hard to track one down.
Kai - Besides your victory, what was the best win at Bells for you?
Simon - The best win is when you get a clean offshore heat at 6 to 8 feet.
Kai - Who is your favorite Bells surfer?
Simon - I have many Sunny Garcia, Andy Irons, Adam Robertson, Occy, Tom Curren, Wayne Lynch, Mark Richards to name a few.
Kai - Who you calling for 2011?
Simon - It's wide open the wave really suits Parko, there are a few dark horse new guys, Dane has a good chance if fit and maybe Jordy if it's sizeable.
Thanks Simon! What a legend. Here is hoping it is sizeable and Jordy can ring the Bell for the first time!
Ok, so today's video of the day is actually 4 videos. Why you ask? Well first off, I like you guys and felt you could be spoilt. Secondly, The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, turns 50 next week and I thought you should get ready by watching the highlights from years past! Enjoy!
