Huge props to the EP Team for winning the Vic Bay Quad in memory of John Pfaff. Conditions were pretty challenging to say the least, but the EP surfers stepped up to the plate and surfed their socks off to take the win.
Well done to JBay lightie Matt McGillivray for taking out the Open title. Not bad for a 16 year old! Plenty of other great results to - Faye Zoetmulder got 2nd & Britney Linder 3rd in the Womens, Clint Fraser 2nd in the Over 30's, Greg Smith 2nd in the Over 40's and Kurt Buchner 2nd & Andre Venter 4th in the Over 50's. Thanks to team sponsors Billabong, and manager Andre Ventre. Here's a wrap from Andre: "This was one great weekend for EP Surfing and we proved that this area is producing talent that is just out of this world!!!Thank you to all the EP surfers who really put in a massive effort especially in the rough conditions which looked worse from the beach but was actually quite fun...especially to Matt Mcgillivray who looked like a spaceman doing that last air which was the turning point for our 1st ever win at the Vic Bay Interprovincial in memory of John Pfaff. Big up to Josh Enslin and Billabong for the sponsor and all the guys behind the scenes, Johnny Bakker, Shirley Fairall, Louisa Lightfoot and David Lipschitz! Thanks to EPSC members for your contribution as this was only possible through the TEAM effort that was made. Next year we are going to go MASSIVE!!!"
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Billabong/NMMU Madibaz hosted a surf comp at Pipe on Saturday. Conditions were pretty tricky to say the least. Hectic onshore and messy swell, but the ou's were all over it like a rash. Some good surfing going down. Grant Beck & Faye Zoetmulder took out the Open divisions, and other winners were Clint Fraser (Masters), Alex van Rijswijck (Juniors), Greg Lutge (Social) and Yongama Dilima (NMMU Learn to Surf program).
Scott Lenton won the Expression Session, and Clint Fraser took the prize for the VonZipper Most Radical Move, and Grant Beck won the DaKine Most Progressive Wave for his perfect 10. Takes some doing getting a 10 in those conditions! Thanks to Luc Hosten for all the images. See the rest of Luc's shots from the day in Latest Shots. Gotto love it when an underdog takes an ASP win! Kai has been on the ASP CT grind for 7 years now - and this is his first win. He was amongst the most stoked out guys you can imagine as he made his way up the beach. Just so cool to see a guy win that appreciates the win so much. He got pretty emotional about it too - dedicating it to his granddad - who he credits with helping him make the tour all those years ago. He unfortunately died before he got to see Kai qualify for the tour - but you could see it was something really close to his heart when he dedicated the trophy to Gramps. Nice one. Shot to Ulrika Moolman for being the only person to pick Kai for the ML Fantasy Surfer comp - she scores herself a rad pair of VZ sunnies and a BIllabong Thermal vest. Second place was decided by a random draw of the few guys who's picked Nat Young for the win (he places 2nd to Kai in the final). Random.org spat out Brett Dodds number - so he scores a Billabong hoodie, leash and grip. Lekker! Nat Young (above) can console himself with the loss in the closely fought final - with the fact that just before he headed out he had racked up enough points to get an unassailable lead in the Rookie of the Year rankings - so at least has something to celebrate!
SUPERTUBOS, Peniche/Portugal (Thursday, October 17, 2013) – Kai Otton (AUS), 33, has just won the Rip Curl Pro Portugal presented by Moche in a hard-fought final over rookie Nat Young (USA), 22, in three-to-five foot (1 – 1.5 metre) waves at the primary venue of Supertubos. Stop No.9 of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Rip Curl Pro Portugal presented by Moche completed five rounds of action packed competition today, sending the 2013 ASP World Title Race to Hawaii before crowning Otton as event winner. Otton’s victory would come at the hands of a wave-starved 30-minute final. The Australian would kick off the battle with the heat’s high score on his opening ride, building momentum in the tactical affair to eventually defeat Young in his first career ASP WCT event win. “It’s the weirdest feeling ever, I just can’t comprehend it,” an ecstatic Otton said. “I really want to dedicate it to my Granddad, he passed away the year I qualified and never saw me on tour so this is for him. It seems like this event was a little bit of a grind, every heat the tide changed so dramatically you never really knew what was going to happen!” Otton, who now sits at No. 7 on the ASP WCT Rankings following the victory, has been one of the most consistent surfers in 2013 and his road to victory in Portugal saw the Australian best a flock of the world’s best surfers. The goofy-footer was unstoppable on the final day of competition, defeating Hawaiian prodigy John John Florence (HAW), 20, two-time ASP World Champion and current rankings leader Mick Fanning (AUS), 32, and reigning ASP World Champion Joel Parkinson (AUS), 32, en route to the final. “One of the things that has changed for me this year is my girlfriend being pregnant, I’m pretty excited about that,” Otton continued. “It’s unbelievable, it’s the next chapter I’m really looking forward to. It’s amazing to have all of the support, all my home town of Tathra, my Mom and Dad who supported me all of my career. To get here is kind of a pinnacle for me.” Nat Young, who secured the ASP Rookie of the Year title on his way to the final, had a stellar run throughout the event, earning his second final berth of the 2013 season. The Californian would stay busy in his 35 minute clash, but was unable to maintain his rhythm to surpass Otton and would finish runner-up. “The whole final was really frustrating, I couldn’t really get one good wave,” Young said. “I’ve been searching up-and-down the beach for waves and I was exhausted in the end. It’s been a good day for sure, after getting that close a second place is heart-breaking for sure but it’s still a great result, and Rookie of the Year is amazing too.” Young’s road to the final was also impressive, with the rookie topping Australian fly-boy Josh Kerr (AUS), 29, in the Semifinals and Jordy Smith (ZAF), 25, in the Quarterfinals. The result propels Young into the Top 10 before the final event at Pipeline. Josh Kerr was dominant on the final day of competition, posting two incredible rides while attaining the event’s high heat-total of 18.40 out of 20 in a Round 5 win over Taj Burrow (AUS), 35. Kerr managed to navigate through a tricky Quarterfinal heat, but would eventually fall to Young in the Semifinals. “To look back on it, it’s a great result but a pretty frustrating kind of contest for me though,” Kerr stated. “I never really got a good rhythm going in any heat and kind of stumbled my way to the semis, it’s a little bit frustrating not being able to unleash out there and do what I wanted to do. Even in that one high-scoring heat, I got a 9 right at the start and it took me til the end to get my next good score.” Joel Parkinson, reigning ASP World Champion, put in some solid heats to make his way to the Semifinals, defeating form surfers Julian Wilson (AUS), 24, and Matt Wilkinson (AUS), 25. Parkinson however was unable to put a stop to Otton’s efforts, and with an equal third place in Portugal, is officially out of the 2013 ASP World Title Race. Mick Fanning (AUS), 32, further solidified his lead on the World Title Race, collecting a 5th place at the Rip Curl Pro Portugal pres. by Moche. Fanning looked poised to secure a third crown at Supertubos, but was unable to clinch an early third ASP World Title when he was defeated by Kai Otton in the Quarterfinals. “It’s a bit frustrating, obviously I just wanted to surf and unfortunately it didn’t really happen,” Fanning said. “I’m stoked that I made some points here, it puts me in a better position going into Pipe and I’m excited to go to Hawaii. I’ll do the whole triple crown so this could be fun! I’ve had a lot of slow heats this year, snuck through a few, but you know every now and then one’s going to go your way. It probably made it a little bit more significant with what was on the line at that time.” Entering the final stop on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour, Mick Fanning and Kelly Slater (USA), 41, remain in contention for the ASP World Title. Following Fanning’s fifth place at the Rip Curl Pro Portugal, Slater must win the Pipe Masters to surpass Fanning for the ASP World Title. If Slater is to win the event, Fanning must place 3rd or better to claim the title for himself. All results, photos, videos and heats on-demand available via www.live.ripcurl.com For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL FINAL RESULTS: 1 – Kai Otton (AUS) 12.23 2 – Nat Young (USA) 11.03 RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL SEMI-FINALS RESULTS: SF 1: Kai Otton (AUS) 14.83 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12.23 SF 2: Nat Young (USA) 14.07 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 10.66 RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL QUARTER-FINALS RESULTS: QF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.07 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 14.90 QF 2: Kai Otton (AUS) 10.00 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 9.43 QF 3: Nat Young (USA) 15.10 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.54 QF 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) 10.67 def. C.J Hobgood (USA) 8.56 RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 5 RESULTS: Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.17 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 11.10 Heat 2: Kai Otton (AUS) 14.60 def. John John Florence (HAW) 12.16 Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 13.33 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 8.90 Heat 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) 18.40 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.53 RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 4 RESULTS: Heat 1: Julian Wilson (AUS) 14.50, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 10.50, Kai Otton (AUS) 9.90 Heat 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) 12.00, John John Florence (HAW) 11.70, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 4.74 Heat 3: Nat Young (USA) 14.67, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 9.60, Josh Kerr (AUS) 6.46 Heat 4: C.J Hobgood (USA) 15.33, Taj Burrow (AUS) 9.30, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 8.17 Jeepers, there was some seriously good surfing that went down in Rd's 2 & 3 of the Ripcurl Pro. Conditions were tricky, but the guys were busting out some massive turns....and Julian Wilson had mouths agape when he just threw down a monster alley oop and landed perfectly in the pocket like it was...yawn, I do this every day. Super progressive stuff made to look easy. SUPERTUBOS, Peniche/Portugal (Wednesday, October 16, 2013) – The Rip Curl Pro Portugal presented by Moche hosted a long day of action today, completing Rounds 2 and 3 of competition in powerful four-to-six foot (1.5 metre) waves at the primary venue of Supertubos.
Event No. 9 of 10 on the ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Rip Curl Pro Portugal presented by Moche plays a vital role in the World Title Race and could potentially crown an ASP World Champion at Supertubos. Julian Wilson (AUS), 24, struggled to find a rhythm in the opening half of his Round 3 bout against Damien Hobgood (USA), 34, but eventually launched into one of the highest alley-oops ever witnessed in the history of professional surfing. The incredible display by Wilson would earn the Australian the first perfect 10 point ride of the event. “I felt like I bit off a bit more than I could chew when I was in the air on that one, but somehow I pulled it, that section was really really good,” an ecstatic Wilson said. “At that point of the heat I was really quite nervous, I only had one opportunity to do an air, and I was lucky enough to capitalize on it.” Following the perfect score, Wilson continued to go for broke, driving through a beautiful backside barrel to secure the heat lead and eventual win over Hobgood. “That’s the thing I love about competition, you put yourself in those situations where you don’t even for a second think about not making it,” Wilson continued. “In a freesurf I probably would have pulled the eject button like halfway through that air, that was for sure the biggest alley-oop I’ve ever done.” John John Florence (HAW), 20, current ASP World No. 14, would follow up Wilson’s aerial performance by launching his own above-the-lip attack in his win over dangerous rookie Filipe Toledo (BRA), 18. Florence built speed on a long running righthander and lofted a full-rotation frontside air, scoring a 9.07 out of 10 for the maneuver. “I was really nervous going into this heat with Filipe (Toledo), he’s really scary especially with this wind,” Florence admitted. “I kind of had airs on my mind and tried a couple that I didn’t pull together, then I got that one and I’m stoked I landed it.” Mick Fanning (AUS), 32, reaffirmed his leader position on the ASP World Title Race while easily advancing ahead of event wildcard Jacob Willcox (AUS), 16. Applying pressure on the young Western-Australian with two solid scores at the start, Fanning controlled the 30 minute exchange from start to finish. “I guess with anyone you want to put them under pressure early and make them try that little bit harder,” Fanning said. “I was just lucky, he went for the lefts, I was concentrating on the rights and I got two scores and then I was just trying to better some scores and see what else was out there.” Joel Parkinson (AUS), 32, reigning ASP World Champion and current No. 5, found himself in need of a score in the dying seconds of his Round 3 match-up with Alejo Muniz (BRA), 23. However, Parkinson would find a big righthander on the buzzer, unloading a powerful carve to collect the heat-winning ride. “It was a scratchy heat, battling for fives and sixes and it’s been a lot of heats like that in the last couple of events,” Parkinson said. “It’s a super long shot for me in the World Title race, you don’t want to pray for Mick (Fanning) to lose, and I’d have to have two wins or something, I just really hope it goes down to Pipe for me.” Miguel Pupo (BRA), 21, got off to an early start in his round 2 match-up against Brett Simpson (USA), 28, launching into a huge no-grab backside full rotation to net an excellent 8.93 out of 10 and an eventual win over the American. “Yesterday I tried a lot of airs and didn’t make any because I broke my ankle doing that maneuver and I’ve had trouble doing them since,” Pupo explained. “I knew that wave was a closeout so I guess I’m lucky I pulled it off in the heat. Brett (Simpson) and I are in a tough situation on the rankings, we both knew we really needed to make that heat, that’s probably why it had such high scores.” Pupo’s tear would continue in Round 3 when he went on to defeat ASP World No.7, Michel Bourez (PYF), 27, with a mix barrel rides and powerful turns. “I was just talking to my Dad before my heat and he said, there are lefts down there if you want to surf them, and I was out there pretty much by myself and choosing the right waves,” Pupo said. “I knew Michel (Bourez) was only needing a 7 so I was sitting on him and with two minutes to go that wave came, I had a fun barrel I’m stoked.” Contest officials at the Rip Curl Pro Portugal will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7:45am for a potential 8am start. Up first when competition recommences will be Joel Parkinson (AUS), Kai Otton (AUS) and Julian Wilson (AUS) in the first non-elimination Round 4 heat. The Rip Curl Pro Portugal will be webcast LIVE via www.live.ripcurl.com UPCOMING RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 4 MATCH-UPS: Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Kai Otton (AUS), Julian Wilson (AUS) Heat 2: Matt Wilkinson (AUS), John John Florence (HAW), Mick Fanning (AUS) Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Nat Young (USA), Josh Kerr (AUS) Heat 4: Miguel Pupo (BRA), C.J Hobgood (USA), Taj Burrow (AUS) RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 3 RESULTS: Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 11.84 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 11.77 Heat 2: Kai Otton (AUS) 12.57 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 10.77 Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 17.00 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 12.16 Heat 4: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 14.20 def. Adriano De Souza (BRA) 13.73 Heat 5: John John Florence (HAW) 16.97 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 8.83 Heat 6: Mick Fanning (AUS) 14.00 def. Jacob Willcox (AUS) 11.53 Heat 7: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.33 def. Frederico Morais (PRT) 12.60 Heat 8: Nat Young (USA) 15.10 def. Sebastien Zietz (HAW) 6.03 Heat 9: Josh Kerr (AUS) 10.67 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 8.83 Heat 10: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 15.40 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 8.67 Heat 11: C.J Hobgood (USA) 13.50 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 12.30 Heat 12: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.33 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 8.67 RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 2 RESULTS: Heat 5: C.J Hobgood (USA) 10.34 def. Yadin Nicol (AUS) 8.00 Heat 6: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 8.03 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 6.33 Heat 7: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 14.66 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 8.10 Heat 8: Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.10 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 11.13 Heat 9: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 12.83 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 8.33 Heat 10: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 16.26 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 14.27 Heat 11: Adam Melling (AUS) 13.84 def. Travis Logie (ZAF) 10.37 Heat 12: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 17.60 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 13.93 JBay local Dylan Lightfoot is currently in the land of the G-String aka Brazil. He's over there to compete in the Skol Mahalo Surf Eco Festival in Itacare, Bahia Brazil. It's a Men's 4 star QS event.
Dylan's dad, Gary, reports that conditions are really difficult over there at the moment. Super hollow, very powerful and onshore - and breaking onto a shallow sand bank. Not too many waves are running either, so it's pretty much the opposite end of the spectrum from what Dylan is used to surfing. Gary reckons it's all part of the learning curve. At least the water is warm though, around 24 degrees! He says the standard of surfing in Brazil is very high, with lots of testosterone in the line, which is making it difficult to get waves in the training sessions. "Certainly not for sissy's" says dad! After the 4 star Dyl is off to the ASP World Surfing Games in Florianopolis. It's a really important event for Dylan, as if he can place in the top 4 it will allow him to qualify for all the prime events in 2014. So good luck Dyl. Blaze Brazil bru! (it seems Dyl might have a hard time getting dad to focus on the surf shots. He seems to be enjoying the scenery on offer!) If your Portuguese if up to speed you can check out the comp website here. SUPERTUBOS, Peniche/Portugal (Monday, October 14, 2013) – The Rip Curl Pro Portugal presented my Moche resumed this morning in windy two-to-three foot (1 metre) surf at the primary venue of Supertubos, completing the first four heats of Round 2 before conditions deteriorated and forced event organizers to call competition off for today.
Event No. 9 of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Rip Curl Pro Portugal could witness an early crowning of this year’s ASP World Champion, with this morning’s shock elimination of Kelly Slater (USA), 41, in Round 2 opening the door for current ASP WCT No. 1 Mick Fanning (AUS), 32, to capitalize in his hunt for athird world surfing crown. Frederico Morais (PRT), 21, current ASP World No. 96 was the instrument of upset this morning, taking out the 11-time ASP World Champion in Round 2 of competition. The young regular-footer, from the nearby coastal city of Cascais, appeared in rhythm with the tricky morning conditions, executing a number of aerial maneuvers en route to the result of his young career. “I can’t believe it right now, it was a tough heat and I knew Kelly (Slater) could get the score whenever,” Morais said. “Against Kelly Slater, you’re never safe, but I knew with that second good score it was possible and I tried to focus on doing my job and it worked.” Slater was unable to find the best opportunities in a shifty lineup of Supertubos this morning and was handed his first 25th place finish of the year. Today’s result marks another in the icon’s up-and-down season with Slater holding a mixed bag of results heading into the final event of the season in Hawaii. “Frederico (Morais) had the better waves and capitalized on it, he made a couple big moves,” Slater said. “I’m expecting now that I’ll probably need to win or at least make the Final in Hawaii for a shot at it. We got almost two months now, I’m going to go do some rehab, get my body back together and try to get my mind back in it. If this week works out, great; if not, well Mick (Fanning) has been the great performer of the year. Obviously his results have been great at every event, it’s hard to beat a guy like that.” Fanning, current frontrunner in the hunt for the 2013 ASP World Title, survived a dangerous Round 2 match-up against event wildcard Francisco Alves (PRT) 20, in the opening heat of the day. Despite the challenging conditions, Fanning demonstrated his signature speed and power to advance into the third round and move one step closer to his third world surfing crown. “It’s been a long weel of getting up early every morning,” Fanning said. “This morning, conditions felt alright and once we got out there it felt a little bit weaker with that tide coming in. I’m just stoked to get the heat done and start moving. When you get the wildcard, people always want to see the underdog win, especially in Portugal where the fans are just fanatical but it’s really cool to see. Francisco (Alves) surfs really well.” Michel Bourez (PYF) 27, dominated his second round encounter against wildcard Dillon Perillo (USA), 23, putting together multiple combinations in the early minutes of their exchange to net a 14.50 point heat total, the highest of the day. “Dillon (Perillo) is not on tour, but I know him well and I think he was trying to go big,” Bourez stated. “I went there with a plan of putting pressure on him right from the beginning. When I got my two scores I kind of sat on him, I don’t really like to do that but it’s part of the job. Those heats are really slow and there are not that many waves.” Bourez advances directly to Round 3 of competition. Adriano de Souza (BRA), 26, capped off the morning’s action with a strong performance of his own, eliminating compatriot Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 31, in a spirited display of progressive aerial surfing. Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7:45am to assess conditions for a possible 8am start. When competition recommences, up first will be C.J. Hobgood (USA), 34, up against Yadin Nicol (AUS), 27, in Heat 5 of Round 2. Highlights from the Rip Curl Pro Portugal will be available via live.ripcurl.com For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 2 RESULTS: Heat 1: Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.00 def. Francisco Alves (PRT) 8.93 Heat 2: Frederico Morais (PRT) 12.34 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 10.13 Heat 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) 14.50 def. Dillon Perillo (USA) 8.26 Heat 4: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 12.60 def. Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 11.03 RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL REMAINING ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS: Heat 5: C.J Hobgood (USA) vs. Yadin Nicol (AUS) Heat 6: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS) Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA) Heat 8: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA) Heat 9: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) Heat 10: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA) Heat 11: Travis Logie (ZAF) vs. Adam Melling (AUS) Heat 12: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA) SUPERTUBOS, Peniche/Portugal (Sunday, October 13, 2013) – Medium surf and unfavorable wind conditions have forced event organizers at the Rip Curl Pro Portugal presented by Moche to call a lay day for competition.
Stop No. 9 of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Rip Curl Pro Portugal completed Round 1 in clean conditions on the opening day of the competition window and will recommence when conditions improve. “We had hopes this morning that the conditions would improve significantly throughout the day,” Rich Porta, ASP International Head Judge, said. “But unfortunately the side-onshore wind has picked up and destroyed the lineup. We will be back early tomorrow with hopefully better waves on offer.” Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 7:45am to re-assess conditions for a potential 8am start. When competition recommences, up first will be current ASP WCT No. 1 Mick Fanning (AUS), 32, against Fancisco Alves (PRT), 20 in the first heat of Round 2. The Rip Curl Pro Portugal will be webcast LIVE via www.live.ripcurl.com UPCOMING RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS: Heat 1: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Francisco Alves (PRT) Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Frederico Morais (PRT) Heat 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Dillon Perillo (USA) Heat 4: Adriano De Souza (BRA) vs. Raoni Monteiro (BRA) Heat 5: C.J Hobgood (USA) vs. Yadin Nicol (AUS) Heat 6: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS) Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA) Heat 8: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA) Heat 9: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) Heat 10: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA) Heat 11: Travis Logie (ZAF) vs. Adam Melling (AUS) Heat 12: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA) SUPERTUBOS, Peniche/Portugal (Wednesday, October 9, 2013) – The Rip Curl Pro Portugal presented by Moche commenced today at the iconic venue of Supertubos, with the world’s best surfers battling through Round 1 in clean three-to-five foot (1 – 1.5 metre) waves. Stop No. 9 of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Rip Curl Pro Portugal possesses the very real possibility of crowning the 2013 ASP World Champion – an event that played out through today’s opening round drama. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 25, put on a dominant performance this morning, netting a 17.37 out of a possible 20 to advance over current ASP frontrunner Mick Fanning (AUS) 32 and event wildcard Francisco Alves (PRT), 20. “I knew where I wanted to sit and I was just hoping that the conditions wouldn’t change too much,” Wilkinson said. “I got a few okay ones at the start and it was kind of scary I saw Mick (Fanning) get a wave before my last one and I thought it might be the score so I didn’t know if I was chasing a score or not. That last one, I knew I was deep, I took off and was just pumping as hard as I could cause I really wanted to make it, I was stoked.” Currently sitting No. 24 on the 2013 ASP WCT rankings, Wilkinson is in need of a strong finish to the year if he is to remain amongst the world’s elite next season. “I feel like I’m competing well, hopefully I can keep doing it,” Wilkinson said. “I love it here, getting barrelled on a sandy bottom is the funnest thing you can do, and here’s one of the best places in the world to do that. This year the bank is more lefts than rights, which I’m pretty stoked about. It makes you feel good running down the beach and knowing there’s a lot of support, I’m not really sure why but they seem to always liked me so I like it here too !” Jacob Willcox (AUS) 16, winner of the yesterday’s Moche trials and wildcard into this event, caused another major upset this morning, relegating 11-time ASP World Champion and current ASP WCT No. 2, Kelly Slater (USA), 41, into the elimination Round 2. “It was pretty fun out there, I got a couple of good ones,” Wilcox said. “I was stoked to get the opportunity to surf against those guys in the Trials, let alone win so I’m really happy. I got a few waves out here yesterday so I knew the banks pretty well and this is my second time competing in a WCT so I just knew I had to keep calm and it worked out pretty well.” Wilcox opened strong against his battle with the sporting icon, finding a big lefthand barrel to net an excellent 8.00 point ride. “Kelly (Slater) had priority and I was just up the beach a little bit more,” Wilcox continued. “This left came and I just pulled into it and got a pretty good score. That got me rolling through the heat and I managed to get a couple other ones to back it up.” Julian Wilson (AUS) 24, defending event winner, launched his 2013 campaign in Peniche with a convincing heat win in the sluggish high tide lineup. Wilson locked into a clean backside barrel to take the lead and spent the remainder of the 30-minute exchange trying to back it up. “The waves looked fun before it started, obviously the tide is a little bit high but I think today will probably be one of the best days,” Wilson said. “I thought there was going to be a few more opportunities than what was out there, my first wave ended up being my best wave and at the time I thought it was just something to get started.” Fresh off a Quarterfinal berth in France and sitting at No. 6 on the ASP WCT rankings coming into Portugal, Wilson kept the ball rolling and will look to put on another strong performance to solidify his position. “I know I can do good here, I really enjoy these waves and I know what boards have worked here in the past,” Wilson continued. “I have a lot of experience cause I’ve won it here before, so I take it as a positive and will take it wave by wave. I really enjoy coming here and getting barrelled, hopefully I can get on a roll and try to defend my title.” John John Florence (HAW) 20, back in full flight from an early season injury, capped off Round 1 with a strong performance, exhibiting his supernatural affinity with the barrel. “There’s still little barrels out there, it’s just a matter of finding them,” Florence said. “When the tide really dropped out, it got really slow and made the waves kind of weaker, I just got really lucky. This is the last event travelling before I get home, and ending here in big barrels it’s kind of like Pipeline but on a beach, it’s pretty sick.” When competition resumes, up first will be Mick Fanning (AUS), 32, against Fancisco Alves (PRT), 20, in the opening heat of the elimination Round 2. Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 7:45am to assess conditions for a possible 8am start. Highlights from the Rip Curl Pro Portugal will be available via www.live.ripcurl.com For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 1 RESULTS: Heat 1: Julian Wilson (AUS) 11.34, Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 4.63, Yadin Nicol (AUS) 4.20 Heat 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 11.50, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 6.53, Brett Simpson (USA) 4.93 Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.00, Travis Logie (ZAF) 7.77, Dillon Perillo (USA) 2.96 Heat 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 11.43, Frederico Morais (PRT) 9.16, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 5.90 Heat 5: Jacob Willcox (AUS) 13.07, Kelly Slater (USA) 9.60, Kolohe Andino (USA) 5.50 Heat 6: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 17.37, Mick Fanning (AUS) 12.60, Francisco Alves (PRT) 7.56 Heat 7: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 12.77, Michel Bourez (PYF) 12.07, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 3.73 Heat 8: Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.37, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 12.10, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 7.16 Heat 9: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 11.30, Damien Hobgood (USA) 10.50, Adriano De Souza (BRA) 9.83 Heat 10: Kai Otton (AUS) 11.40, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 5.63, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 5.43 Heat 11: John John Florence (HAW) 13.66, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 13.24, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 2.37 Heat 12: Nat Young (USA) 8.77, Adam Melling (AUS) 7.66, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 6.47 UPCOMING RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS: Heat 1: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Francisco Alves (PRT) Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Frederico Morais (PRT) Heat 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Dillon Perillo (USA) Heat 4: Adriano De Souza (BRA) vs. Raoni Monteiro (BRA) Heat 5: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Yadin Nicol (AUS) Heat 6: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS) Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA) Heat 8: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA) Heat 9: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) Heat 10: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA) Heat 11: Travis Logie (ZAF) vs. Adam Melling (AUS) Heat 12: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA) Don't forget to pick your winner and enter the ML Fantasy Surfer comp - kiff prizes to be won <ENTER HERE> SUPERTUBOS, Peniche/Portugal (Tuesday, October 8, 2013) – The Rip Curl Pro Portugal presented by Moche, Event No. 9 of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), will commence its competition window tomorrow and the world’s best surfers have arrived in Peniche ready to do battle in the barrels of Supertubos.
Mick Fanning (AUS), 32, two-time ASP World Champion (2007, 2009) and current ASP WCT No. 1, is coming off a win last week in France and holds the frontrunner position in the hunt for the 2013 ASP World Title. “The European leg has historically been a strong leg for me and I’m looking forward to the coming days,” Fanning said. “There are so many good surfers on tour right now and the talent at the very top is so strong. There may only be two events, but there’s a long way to go before the 2013 title is decided.” Fanning will face Matt Wilkinson (AUS), 25, and Francisco Alves (PRT), 19, in the opening round of competition. Kelly Slater (USA), 41, 11-time ASP World Champion, suffered an uncharacteristic early exit in the Quarterfinals of France last week, and the former event winner will have to improve if he is to remain in the hunt for the 2013 ASP World Title. “Not the result I was looking for in France, but sometimes you have off heats,” Slater said. “It worked in Mick’s advantage and I will have to perform in Portugal and Hawaii if I want to remain in the race. They’re both events I’ve done well in in the past so I’ll be trying to have similar form this year. Last year wasn’t great for me in Portugal so I’ll want to improve there definitely.” Slater will take on Kolohe Andino (USA), 19, and Jacob Willcox (AUS), 16, in Round 1 of the Rip Curl Pro Portugal. Julian Wilson (AUS), 24, defending Rip Curl Pro Portugal winner, is having a banner year of his own, posting consistently strong performances to currently sit No. 6 on the ASP WCT rankings. “It’s great to be back in Portugal,” Wilson said. “The people, the culture and the waves are all amazing. I collected my first ‘CT win here and it will always hold a special place for me. Looking forward to getting some solid barrels in over the next couple of days.” When competition commences, Wilson will face Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), 31, and Yadin Nicol (AUS), 27, in the opening heat of Round 1. Event organizers will convene tomorrow morning at 7am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start. Magicseaweed, official forecasters for the Rip Curl Pro Portugal, are calling for a four-to-six foot (1.5 – 2 metre) swell to be on tap for the opening day of the window. The Rip Curl Pro Portugal will run from October 9 – 20, 2013 and will be webcast LIVE via www.live.ripcurl.com For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS: Heat 1: Julian Wilson (AUS), Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Yadin Nicol (AUS) Heat 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Brett Simpson (USA), Raoni Monteiro (BRA) Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS), Travis Logie (ZAF), Dillon Perillo (USA) Heat 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Frederico Morais (PRT) Heat 5: Kelly Slater (USA), Kolohe Andino (USA), Jacob Willcox (AUS) Heat 6: Mick Fanning (AUS), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Francisco Alves (PRT) Heat 7: Michel Bourez (PYF), Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Kieren Perrow (AUS) Heat 8: Josh Kerr (AUS), Jeremy Flores (FRA), Alejo Muniz (BRA) Heat 9: Adriano De Souza (BRA), Filipe Toledo (BRA), Damien Hobgood (USA) Heat 10: Kai Otton (AUS), Gabriel Medina (BRA), Patrick Gudauskas (USA) Heat 11: C.J. Hobgood (USA), John John Florence (HAW), Miguel Pupo (BRA) Heat 12: Nat Young (USA), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Adam Melling (AUS) Wanna pick a winner? Cos you can win some kiff prizes - <ENTER HERE> The world’s best surfers are currently converging on the sand-bottom barrels of Supertubos for the second and final stop of the ASP’s European leg, the Rip Curl Pro Portugal presented by Moche from October 9 – 20, 2013.
Stop No. 9 of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Rip Curl Pro Portugal will host the world’s best surfers as they battle for reqaulification for next season’s elite tour as well as this year’s world surfing crown. Heading into Portugal, there remain five contenders for the 2013 ASP World Title: Mick Fanning (AUS), 32, Kelly Slater (USA), 41, Jordy Smith (ZAF), 25,Taj Burrow (AUS), 35, and Joel Parkinson (AUS), 32. Only Fanning can clinch the crown in Portugal. If Fanning wins the event: - Slater will need a 3rd or better to take the title decision to Hawaii. - Smith, Burrow and Parkinson will be out of the race. If Fanning finishes Runner-Up in Portugal: - Slater will need a 9th or better to take the title decision to Hawaii. - Smith will need to win the event to take the title decision to Hawaii. - Burrow and Parkinson will be out of the race. If Fanning finishes 3rd in Portugal: - Slater will need a 9th or better to take the title decision to Hawaii - Smith, Burrow and Parkinson will need to win the event to take the title decision to Hawaii. If Fanning finishes 5th or worse in Portugal: - The ASP World Title decision will go to Hawaii as, even with a 25th in Portugal, Slater can still win in Hawaii. |
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