Lord Dorrington crowned at Cold Water Classic Scotland

Lord Dorrington, to you serfs! (Photo: ASP)

THURSO EAST, Scotland (Sunday, April 17, 2011) – Brent Dorrington (Gold Coast AUS) 24, won the O’Neill Coldwater Classic Scotland, his maiden Asp Star Tour victory, defeating Jay Quinn (NZL) 27, in a low scoring final in inconsistent 2-3ft (1m) waves at Thurso East reef. Competition was placed on hold during the low tide mark and resumed late in the afternoon where a dominating Dorrington claimed his title as Lord of Scotland, the lead in the O’Neill Coldwater Classic Series overall rankings and raised the most sought after trophy on the ASP Men’s Star Tour, the O’Neill Coldwater Classic Scotland Sword.
Dorrington surfed brilliantly on the final day of competition with a stunning semi-final performance defeating equal third placed Richard Christie (NZL) with a combined two-wave total of 18.50 out of 20, the highest of the entire event. Dorrington then went on to control the tactical final heat in the remaining pulses of an epic swell that has been hitting Thurso East for the past 3 days.
“I have never won a comp in my life so to be in a final and win it is truly amazing. I’m on top on the O’Neill Coldwater Classic Series now,” said an elated Dorrington. “l am looking for the bonus at the end of the series and the points from this contest are really important to me. It has just pumped here this week and it has been the best waves I’ve had in a comp.”
“The semi-final was unreal,” continued Dorrington on his massive heat total that included a near perfect 9.50 out of 10. “I just snagged two waves in the first 10 minutes with a first turn and then a barrel on both of them. There hadn’t been any barrels before that or after so they were the only two out there and I got them both, lucky me. (laughs)”
Dorrington, who had never before experienced the freezing waters of Thurso, decided to compete this year thanks to encouragement from good friend and fellow competitor Romain Cloitre (FRA) and made it to the top of the podium at the O’Neill Coldwater Classic Scotland.
“I wasn’t going to come over here but my mate Romain (Cloitre) talked me into coming over and getting on the wetties and I owe him a beer for sure. The sword I am going to hang it up in my pool room. It will look good for sure on the wall. Adam Melling and Royden (Bryson) are good friends of mine and they have one so I am stoked to join the club.”
Jay Quinn (NZL) was unable to get into the race during the 35-minute final which held a restart due to lack of waves in the first 10 minutes. With no real scores on the board the final came down to the final minutes where Quinn was unable to find a decent scoring ride.
“Things just didn’t go to plan and there were a lack of waves in the final so basically nothing went right for me. I was looking for anything and nothing really eventuated. I had a good heat in the quarters and a bit of a slow semi but in the final I wanted to get some waves under my belt but it didn’t pan out like that.”
Quinn held onto his priority wisely throughout the final stages and was unlucky not to catch a scoring ride on the last set of the day and had to be content with the runner-up placing, his second following his narrow defeat in Newquay last season.
“That one set that came through in the end and the wave broke on top of me as I was taking off was a good wave and could have made the difference.”
“Two finals and two seconds is a bit heart wrenching,” continued Quinn. “I have a Prime event next week in California so if I could win that one it would be better then both of them put together for sure.”
Alain Riou (Tahiti, PYF) 27, finished in equal third in a slow tactical heat against Quinn after the midday hold off. Behind the eight ball after the opening exchange where Quinn secured a solid ride, Riou played catch-up surfing, failing to over haul the leader in a one-sided affair.
“Can’t be mad with a semi,” stated Riou. “It has been my best result for the last year. Disappointed that I didn’t get to the final but there weren’t that many waves and I made a mistake in the first place with him getting the first wave. That set the rhythm for him and then he got another wave. It was a slow heat and it could have gone either way but he got the good waves.”
Riou, who at one stage held the lead by the smallest of margins after adding a 3.00 ride to his two-wave total, attempted to place pressure on his opponent by taking away his leadership. Quinn did not fall into the trap and waited for his back-up score and a comfortable win.
“It is always a better position to be in first place. You are a bit more comfortable. He had priority and I was either going to sit with him or try and get the lead, explained Riou. “I got the lead but I knew there was going to be another set and we would both have to get to work on that and unfortunately he got the set. Jay has been surfing well all event so good on him.”
Richard Christie (NZL) 22, who was chasing down his opponents massive 18.50 two-wave total, could do little to peg back a rampaging Dorrington in semi-final No. 2 and had to be content with an equal third placing and 2080 World Ranking points.
“It just didn’t go my way that heat at all. Brent got screamers and he is an amazing surfer so of course he is going to get those scores so good on him”
Christie’s fight for the first wave of the heat back fired on the young Kiwi when the following set waves offered far higher scoring potential which Dorrington latched took 100% advantage of.
“I saw Jay (Quinn) get the first wave in the last heat and it was so slow so I went off that heat. However as soon as I caught that wave two screamers came through before I even had time to get out the back. To get those scores you need good waves and after that I don’t think any more came through.”
The O’Neill Coldwater Classic Scotland is stop nº 2 of 4 of the O’Neill Coldwater Classic Series which now moves on to Tofino, Canada, October 15-21, 2011.
The O’Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland is scheduled from April 13 -19, 2011. For more information, and all upcoming results, photos, video highlights, press releases log on to http://www.oneill.com/cwc/Scotland.html or www.aspeurope.com


O’NEILL CWC SCOTLAND FINAL RESULT
Brent Dorrington (AUS) 9.00 Def Jay Quinn (NZL) 7.66
O’NEILL CWC SCOTLAND SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Heat 1: Jay Quinn (NZL) 11.17 Def. Alain Riou (PYF) 7.17
Heat 2: Brent Dorrington (AUS) 18.50 Def. Richard Christie (NZL) 12.50

O’NEILL CWC SCOTLAND QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS
Heat 1: Jay Quinn (NZL) 12.70 Def. Joan Duru (FRA) 12.67
Heat 2: Alain Riou (PYF) 14.67 Def. Hodei Collazo (EUK) 10.60
Heat 3: Richard Christie (NZL) 16.96 Def. Leonardo Neves (BRA) 14.33
Heat 4: Brent Dorrington (AUS) 13.40 Def. Vincent Duvignac (FRA) 10.93

Scotland delivers perfect tubes for Day 1 Cold Water Classic

Micah Lester (GBR) getting pitted on the first perfect 10 of O'Neill CWC Scotland competition.

Thurso East – Scotland (Wednesday, April 13, 2011) – The opening day of the O’Neill Coldwater Classic Scotland, an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 6-Star event, saw some of the world’s top surfers offer incredible displays of surfing in clean 6ft (1.5m) barrelling rights at Thurso East. Cold winds and freezing waters were compensated with perfect swell lines wrapping along the slab reef producing an excellent kick-off to stop No. 2 of the O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series 2011.
Micah Lester (GBR) 30, claimed the first 10 point ride of the event with a perfect barrel across the Thurso reef late in the evening. Lester needed only seconds to open his account to perfection and to the delight of the large crowd on hand watching the action.
“In the first minute it just turned on and I lucked into a bomb. A lot of the waves have been pinching on the take off and then you have to pull into the end section. All the guys were trying to hold the inside position so I sat wide and when I saw the set I bolted across, took off and lucked into one that went from the start to the finish. The best wave I’ve ever caught at Thurso East.”
Lester, who only got back into the water after a serious ankle injury that kept him from surfing for almost a year, was unable to find a backup and finished in second place behind heat winner Brent Dorrington (AUS). Lester had to hold off a desperate challenge by Shaun Cansdell (AUS) who fought down to the final siren.
“I was nervous for sure. Against Shaun Cansdell you know for sure he is going to pull something out of the bag but if the waves don’t come through they don’t come through. It is quite typical for Thurso with such long range swells,” explained Lester. “They have to wrap into the bay so you will get a bomb set and then there will be long waits with the cold wind and the cold water and you have to make sure you get the sets.”
Romain Laulhe (Anglet FRA) 26, showed incredible barrel riding skills to claim the highest two-wave total of the day with 17.54 out of 20. Laulhe put it all together and found himself in complete rhythm with the epic late afternoon session.
“I was excited about getting into the water but at the same time I haven’t surfed a lot this winter so I was quite stressed at the beginning but after the first good wave I could relax and enjoy my time in the water. Here, even if you have a good one you can lose a heat,” continued Laulhe. “There are not so many waves in a heat so it all came together today. You just have to thank Mother Nature for this gift.”
Laulhe, who has returned to full time studying, has surfed only on a handful of occasions during the European winter and finds this life style change and break in active surfing has helped him to develop.
“I couldn’t be happier after that because I didn’t expect to win my heat. I went out to just have fun and to do my best but in the end everything came my way so perfect. It was hard to find my surf again but I think sometimes it is good to stop, think about your surf and you improve when you come back again. I am stoked just to surf because I was sitting in a classroom yesterday so now it`s cool.”
Richard Christie (NZL) 21, stamped his mark with two excellent waves exiting throaty deep barrels combined with huge front-side hacks to achieve a massive two-wave total of 17.50 out of 20 and advances through to Round Two of competition.
“I saw the guys getting barreled in the heats before me and I went out there thinking the same thing that I wanted to get one of those as well. I felt relaxed and it just kept pumping and it was great to get a couple of runners. To get in the tunnel.” (laughs). It is so good to get back to Europe and to Scotland again,” continued Christie. “With the waves as fun as they are today I hope that it just keeps up.”
Lincoln Taylor (North Stradbroke Is, AUS) 22, laid down a series of massive backhand smashes in the most critical sections of a long right to earn a 9.10 out of 10 and finished with one of the highest two-wave heat totals of the day, 15.60. Taylor, who is yet to find a result in the CWC series, felt relieved to get through Round One of the O’Neill Coldwater Classic Scotland.
“I went out there to feel my feet and on my backhand I felt strong for sure. You don’t want to get knocked in Scotland in the first Round because it is a long way to come. I got knocked out in Gisbourne first up which was a bummer so it’s good to get through here to get the ball rolling.”
Dion Atkinson (Seaford SA, AUS) 24, tore into the open faces on offer early this morning, with powerful forehand gouges and skillful tube riding to amass a two-wave combined total of 15.33 and wants to continue with his positive campaign start.
“It is good but it is a bit worrying if you don’t start off with a strong wave. You then have to battle for position so it is always good to get one under the belt and control the heat a little bit more. You can then wait and try and consolidate your position which I did and managed to get 3 or 4 good waves.”
Atkinson, who is accustomed to the icy waters of Thurso East, reveled in the near perfect peeling rights and never looked in doubt of advancing ahead of young Japanese surfer Yujiro Tsuji.
“It is ideal out there at the moment if you can handle the cold you couldn’t ask for more to compete in. It is good enough to be a World Tour event. I’ve been here for the past 4 years and I’m from South Australia where we have cold water and reef set ups like here so I feel right at home here.”
Patrick Beven (FRA), who placed first in his 30-minute clash scoring only one wave, emerged from a huge forehand barrel to earn 9.33 out of 10. In a bizarre wave starved second half of the heat, Bevan searched for a backup score which never eventuated.
“It feels like I haven’t made a heat in months,” laughed Bevan. “I was so happy to make that wave. I knew that there were sets and I just waited and waited. I only had one score but the other guys had no big scores so I tried to find another wave which never came. The wind and size is good today and I hope it stays like this all week.”
The O’Neill Coldwater Classic Scotland is stop No. 2 of the O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series with surfers out to solidify their overall standings as well as gain valuable Asp World Rankings points.
The O’Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland is scheduled from April 13 -19, 2011. For more information, and all upcoming results, photos, video highlights, press releases and LIVE webcast log-on to http://www.oneill.com/cwc/Scotland.html or www.aspeurope.com