Jordy Smith (Durban) takes to the air on his way to a convincing heat victory on Day 1 of the Billabong Pro Rio yesterday Photo: ASP / Smorigo

Jordy Smith was on fire on the opening day of the Billabong Pro Rio yesterday, blasting his way directly into Round 3 with the joint highest single ride score and second highest heat tally in thumping one to two metre beachbreak waves at Barra de Tijuca in Brazil.

Rejuvenated after spending his summer break back in Southern Africa, Smith has been one of the form surfers on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) and came into the third stop ranked No. 7 in the world after reaching the semi-finals in the last event at Bells Beach Australia and finishing 13th at the season opener on the Gold Coast.

Trailing after an outstanding tube ride by Adam Melling that earned the Australian 9.57 out of 10, Smith fought his way back with a 7.17, took the lead by adding a 5.73 and then sealed the heat victory with a deep tube and a spectacular close-out re-entry that earned him 9.77 and a heat total of 16.94 out of 20.

“I just started the year off at home,” Smith said. “I wanted to let last year go. I have incredible people around me at the moment from my friends to my girlfriend. I also did a trip and I felt like I’d been behind the speed bump and couldn’t get past my injury. I was still feeling one step behind and then I went on a trip to Mozambique with my best friend and it changed everything for me. It got me over that hump and put a smile on my face again. It got me stoked again and I’m pumped.”

Travis Logie was not as fortunate in his Round 1 match-up, finding wave selection difficult in the challenging conditions and finishing second behind WCT rookie Glenn Hall (IRL). Logie faces fellow WCT veteran Kieren Perrow (AUS) in Round 2 when men’s competition resumes.

Others amongst the world’s top 34 surfers to star on Day 1 included Brazilian prodigy Gabriel Medina, 19, who threaded his way through several hollow barrels on his backhand to record the day’s highest heat total of 18.0, fellow Brazilian and Bells Beach winner Adriano de Souza and the perennial top contenders in reigning ASP World Champion Joel Parkinson (AUS), 11-time world champ Kelly Slater (USA) and two-time world champ Mick Fanning (AUS), all of whom convincingly won their encounters.

The Colgate Plax Girls Rio Pro, stop No. 5 of 7 on 2013 ASP Women’s WCT, got underway in smaller one metre waves and clean conditions at Barra de Tijuca this morning.

South African rookie Bianca Buitendag (George), currently ranked No. 9 after a fifth, two ninths and a 13th place result in her first four events at this level, finished third in the first heat of the day. Buitendag will contest her Round 2 heat later today as the organisers run as far as they can through the women’s draw.

Live webcasts and highlights from the Billabong Rio Pro and Colgate Plax Girls Rio Pro will be available via http://wctbrasil.com/rio13

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 11.50, Josh Kerr (AUS) 10.27, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 1.40
Heat 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.07, Yadin Nicol (AUS) 7.56, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 1.83
Heat 3: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 15.66, Ricardo dos Santos (BRA) 8.93, Taj Burrow (AUS) 8.67
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.20, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 8.27, Jack Freestone (AUS) 7.96
Heat 5: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.34, Messias Felix (BRA) 9.83, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 2.47
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.30, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 4.63, Gustavo Fernandes (BRA) 1.46
Heat 7: Glenn Hall (IRL) 15.46, Travis Logie (ZAF) 10.00, Julian Wilson (AUS) 1.46
Heat 8: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 18.00, Dusty Payne (HAW) 7.26, Damien Hobgood (USA) 4.04
Heat 9: Nat Young (USA) 11.46, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 9.74, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 9.37
Heat 10: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.94, Adam Melling (AUS) 12.44, Kai Otton (AUS) 5.53
Heat 11: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 11.27, Michel Bourez (PYF) 9.77, Brett Simpson (USA) 9.27
Heat 12: Kolohe Andino (USA) 12.43, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 8.56, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 7.43

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Gustavo Fernandes (BRA)
Heat 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Messias Felix (BRA)
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS)
Heat 4: Jeremy Flores (BRA) vs. Ricardo dos Santos (BRA)
Heat 5: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Yadin Nicol (AUS)
Heat 6: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 7: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 8: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 9: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 10: Travis Logie (ZAF) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 11: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 12: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA)

COLGATE PLAX GIRLS RIO PRO ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Lakey Peterson (USA) 14.04, Rebecca Woods (AUS) 12.34, Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 9.33

COLGATE PLAX GIRLS RIO PRO ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Paige Hareb (NZL), Sage Erickson (USA)
Heat 3: Carissa Moore (HAW), Silvana Lima (BRA), TBD
Heat 4: Tyler Wright (AUS), Malia Manuel (HAW), Phillipa Anderson (AUS)
Heat 5: Courtney Conlogue (USA), Laura Enever (AUS), Alize Arnaud (FRA)
Heat 6: Coco Ho (HAW), Alana Blanchard (HAW), Pauline Ado (FRA)

ENDS

Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa
Contact: Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel: 021 534 5738
Email: colin@aspafrica.com

Compiled and Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za
About ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the recognized world governing body of professional surfing and has been crowning surfing’s undisputed World Champions since 1976. The ASP sanctions and crowns World Champions for the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, ASP World Junior Tour, ASP World Longboard and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts and other media platforms. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Japan, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

Jordy Smith (Durban) carves off the top of an overhead wave during his charge to third place in the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach on Tuesday Photo: ASP / Kirstin

Adriano de Souza (BRA), 25, claimed the 2013 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford over ASP Dream Tour rookie Nat Young (USA), 21, in clean three-to-five foot (1 – 1.5 metre) waves at Bells Beach today.

South Africa’s Jordy Smith (Durban), 25, who posted three of the top 10 single ride scores and four of the top 10 heat tallies during the event, placed third overall after dispatching rookie Felipe Toledo (BRA) in a quarter-final match-up this morning before suffering an agonizingly close loss to eventual winner de Souza in their semi-final encounter.

“Definitely disappointed that the score didn’t come in for me at the end,” Smith said after missing out on a finals berth by just 4/100ths of a point. “I really wanted to ring that Bell and felt like I’ve been surfing well all week. Congrats to Adriano (de Souza) though. He’s been ripping. Everyone’s been ripping and there have been some interesting results. Makes the year interesting. I’ll take the momentum into Brazil.”

Smith started the semi-final clash with an excellent 9.53 points out of 10, which proved to be the highest score of the 30 minute heat. But the Brazilian came back strongly with a pair of nine-point rides of his own to take the lead before a squall of onshore wind and teeming rain chopped up the waves, making high scoring more difficult.

Nevertheless, needing 8.91 with seconds remaining, Smith delivered a series of powerful carves on an overhead wave, finishing with a critical re-entry in the close-out section to put himself into contention for the victory. The five judges deliberated over his ride long after the siren had sounded to end the heat, watching it again on video replays before making their decision.

Ultimately two judges gave Smith high enough scores to advance and three scored him lower than what he required, with the average for the ride coming in at 8.87.

Event No. 2 of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach culminated in dramatic fashion today with de Souza becoming the first South American to claim the men’s title in the event’s storied 52-year history.

“This is the most important event on tour to me,” De Souza said. “Guys like Andy Irons, Kelly Slater, my hero Mick Fanning, they have all rung the Bell. I have been coming here a lot of years. I love the place. It has been a tough time for me recently. I started 2013 without a sponsor for the first time in many years. I had to believe in myself that a company would believe in me and one did. I have to say thanks to Pena for believing in me. I have a lot of people to thank, but all I want to do right now is ring the bell.”

De Souza’s win today vaults the young South American up to ASP WCT No. 4 heading into the third event on tour in Brazil.

Young, a rookie goofy-footer from California’s Santa Cruz, posted a career-best result in just his second event on the ASP WCT today, wowing spectators and competitors alike with his run to the finals.

“It was a huge event for me,” Young said. “Just to be in the field is a dream for me. I’ve looked up to the surfers in this event my whole life. The event has such a history behind it and I was honestly just excited to be here. Making the final, I don’t even have words for it. Of course I wanted to win it. I want to ring the bell as much as anyone else on tour. Don’t get to do it this year, but a runner-up finish is a big result for me and I’ll take that into the next one.”

Young’s runner-up finish today pushes him to No. 5, tied with reigning ASP World Champion Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, on the ASP WCT rankings.

Taj Burrow (AUS), 34, perennial ASP World Title threat, continued his blistering Bells Beach run this morning against compatriot Kai Otton (AUS), 33, in the quarter-finals before coming up short to Young in their semi-final bout.

Smith’s equal third place earned him US $17 500 (approx. R160 000) and 6 500 points which rocketed him from 13th to seventh in the 2013 ASP WCT rankings. Fellow South African Travis Logie (Durban) finished equal 25th at Bells and dropped from No. 9 to No.18 in the rankings.

Kelly Slater (USA), 41, winner of the opening event on the 2013 Dream Tour on the Gold Coast last month, retained top spot in the rankings despite his shock elimination at the hands of injury replacement Willian Cardoso (BRA) in Round 3.

Highlights from the 2013 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach will be available via www.live.ripcurl.com

The next stop on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) will be the Billabong Rio Pro from May 8 – 19, 2013.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 16.26
2 – Nat Young (USA) 15.83

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Nat Young (USA) 15.10 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.43
SF 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 18.44 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 18.40

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.50 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 14.50
QF 2: Nat Young (USA) 17.27 def. Willian Cardoso (BRA) 14.83
QF 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.33 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.76
QF 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.77 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 13.20

CURRENT ASP WCT TOP 5 (Following Completion of Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach):
1. Kelly Slater (USA) 11,750 pts
2. Mick Fanning (AUS) 11,700 pts
2. Taj Burrow (AUS) 11,700 pts
4. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 10,500 pts
5. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 9,750 pts
5. Nat Young (USA) 9,750 pts

South Africans
7. Jordy Smith (Durban) 8,250 pts
18. Travis Logie (Durban) 4,500 pts

ENDS

Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa
Contact: Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel: 021 534 5738
Email: colin@aspafrica.com

Compiled and Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

About ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the recognized world governing body of professional surfing and has been crowning surfing’s undisputed World Champions since 1976. The ASP sanctions and crowns World Champions for the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, ASP World Junior Tour, ASP World Longboard and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts and other media platforms. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Japan, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

Jordy Smith (Durban) throws a sheet of spray as he carves a powerful cutback on his way to the quarter-finals of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach on Sunday Photo: ASP / Kirstin

April 1, 2013 – South Africa’s Jordy Smith, 25, continued to dominate the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford competition today, posting 18.27 points in Round 3 and 19.10 in Round 4 (both scores out of a possible20) to advance directly into the quarterfinals of Stop No. 2 of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT).

Smith was the standout in the unruly triple-overhead conditions at Bells yesterday, posting the highest heat tally of 19.14 on the day, and repeated his superiority today. The lanky Durbanite left Alejo Muniz (BRA) needing a near perfect 9.84 ride in his Round 3 victory and then crushed his Round 4 encounter with both two-time ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) and Brazilian aerial wizard Felipe Toledo combo’d and requiring to improve both their scoring rides to move directly into the last eight in the event.

“Good day at the office for me,” Smith said. “The waves are so fun today. A lot smaller but so clean and plenty coming through. My equipment is feeling really good and I’m excited for a big finish to the event.”
Long considered to be one of the premier surfers on the planet, Smith has yet to attain an ASP World Title – an omission he’s looking to rectify in 2013.

“Massive upsets today with Kelly (Slater) and Joel (Parkinson) going down early,” Smith said. “Parko was ripping too, huh? Losing with a 10 and a 9? That doesn’t happen very often. It definitely opens up the World Title race though and everyone left in the field will be thinking about it heading into the next few days.”

Pristine three-to-five foot (1 – 1.5 metre) waves rolled through the aquatic amphitheatre at Bells Beach this morning as the world’s best surfers battled through three electric rounds.

The day’s action included Carissa Moore winning the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford. Moore, the 2011 ASP Women’s World Champion, defeated Tyler Wright (AUS) in the final to overtake the Australian and move to the top of the 2013 ASP Women’s WCT rankings.

Kelly Slater (USA), 41, 11-time ASP World Champion and current ASP WCT No. 1, suffered a shock elimination this morning at the hands of injury replacement Willian Cardoso (BRA), 27.

“You never want to lose and especially in clean waves in the bowl,” Slater said. “I tweaked my back a few days ago and am nowhere near 100% so I have to go get an MRI on it. That said, Willian (Cardoso) smoked me. Plain as that. He was surfing really well and really powerful (sic) so congrats to him.”

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, reigning ASP World Champion and three-time Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach winner (2004, 2009, 2011), moved quickly to capitalize on Slater’s uncharacteristic loss, posting a 9.10 and a perfect 10 in the following heat. The incredible scoreline, however, would not be enough to overcome a rampaging Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 30, who posted 19.17 to cause the second major upset of the morning.

“No one ever wants to lose,” Parkinson said. “No one wants to lose with a 10 and a 9 either, but Raoni (Monteiro) is surfing really well and if he beats me with those kind of scores then he definitely deserves credit. Losing out at Bells early is a lost opportunity, but it’s a long season ahead. I’m going to regroup and focus on Brazil.”

Other perennial threats to capitalise on the early departures of Slater and Parkinson, who finished first and second respectively in the opening event of the 2013 ASP WCT on the Gold Coast in March, were Australians Taj Burrow, 35, and Mick Fanning, 31, who both reached the quarter-finals along with Adriano de Souza (BRA), Kai Otton (AUS) and rookies Nat Young (USA), 21, and Toledo.

All the action from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach can be found at http://live.ripcurl.com

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH REMAINING ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) 16.50 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 14.17
Heat 5: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 17.47 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 17.16
Heat 6: Willian Cardoso (BRA) 16.66 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 14.96
Heat 7: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 19.17 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 19.10
Heat 8: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 18.06 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 17.74
Heat 9: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 18.67 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 16.00
Heat 10: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 15.10 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.56
Heat 11: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 18.27 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 10.60
Heat 12: Mick Fanning (AUS) 18.50 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 14.73

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Kai Otton (AUS) 15.87, Taj Burrow (AUS) 11.03, Nat Young (USA) 10.36
Heat 2: Willian Cardoso (BRA) 16.50, Josh Kerr (AUS) 16.40, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 16.00
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.60, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 12.97, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 11.70
Heat 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 19.10, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 17.67, Mick Fanning (AUS) 17.03

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 5 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.23 def. Adriano Buchan (AUS) 15.33
Heat 2: Nat Young (USA) 15.50 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 15.13
Heat 3: Mick Fanning (AUS) 16.37 def. Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 14.63
Heat 4: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 18.34 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 12.94

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS:
QF 1: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Taj Burrow (AUS)
QF 2: Willian Cardoso (BRA) vs. Nat Young (AUS)
QF 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Mick Fanning (AUS)
QF 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA)

ENDS

Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa
Contact: Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel: 021 534 5738
Email: colin@aspafrica.com

Compiled and Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

About ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the recognized world governing body of professional surfing and has been crowning surfing’s undisputed World Champions since 1976. The ASP sanctions and crowns World Champions for the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, ASP World Junior Tour, ASP World Longboard and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts and other media platforms. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Japan, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

Travis Logie (Durban) in action at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast in Australia yesterday where the Durbanite finished 9th overall Photo: ASP / Hayden-Smith

KIRRA, Queensland/Australia (Wednesday, March 13, 2013) – Kelly Slater (USA), 41, 11-time ASP World Champion and 2012 ASP World Runner-Up, has claimed the 2013 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover over reigning ASP World Champion Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, in front of a capacity crowd on the Gold Coast.

The opening stop on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast culminated in fine fashion today with a tube-riding shootout in firing three-to-five foot (1-1.5 metre) waves at Kirra between two of the sport’s greatest champions.

South Africa’s Travis Logie (Durban), 32, placed equal ninth overall in the season opening event after his elimination by Matt Wilkinson (AUS) in their Round 5 encounter yesterday, pocketing US $12 000 (about R110 000) and 4 000 points on the 2013 WCT rankings.

Logie, who posted the highest heat total in Round 1 of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, defeated the likes of compatriot Jordy Smith (who finished equal 13th), Adriano de Souza (BRA), Dusty Payne (HAW) and Brett Simpson (USA) on his way to the last 12 in the event.

Slater and Parkinson opened their 40-minute final bout with a rapid-fire exchange of tube-riding displays, vaulting the lead back and forth before Slater nailed a 9.93 for an incredibly-deep barrel punctuated by a full-velocity forehand gaff.

“It was just fun today,” Slater said. “I really wanted to surf Kirra as I made known the other day and it was great fun out there. We thought the swell was going to be too East, but it’s really, really good out there and to get to surf it with Joel (Parkinson) is even better. He’s one of the best and we had a lot of fun out there.”

Today’s win marks Slater’s 52nd elite tour victory of his career, but the iconic Floridian admits that it’s a long season ahead in terms of the hunt for the 2013 ASP World Title.

Parkinson looked unbeatable on the final day of the event, collecting a perfect 10 in his morning semi-final before posting an excellent 17.47 in his Final against Slater. However, the impressive scoreline would prove insufficient against the American’s onslaught and the reigning ASP World Champion would post a Runner-Up finish in the opening event of the year.

“When Kirra is doing what it’s doing out there today, it doesn’t feel like an event,” Parkinson said. “I had some great waves and a lot of fun, and to get to do it with the singlet on is icing on the cake. I appreciate all the local support out here today and Runner-Up is a good start to the season. Bring on Bells.”

Mick Fanning (AUS), 31, two-time ASP World Champion (2007, 2009), went down in a barrel shootout this morning with Slater. Despite opening up with an impressive scoreline and an early lead, the Kirra local would ultimately fall to Slater in the dying moments of the heat – 18.60 to 19.37.

Michel Bourez (PYF), 27, opened up this morning’s action with a semi-final clash against Parkinson. Despite being universally-celebrated as one of the most powerful surfers throughout the event, the Tahitian found himself at odds this morning after the Australian’s quick start to their clash.

The next stop on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) will be the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford from March 27 – April 7, 2013.

Highlights from the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover are available via http://quiksilverlive.com/progoldcoast/2013/

For more information, log onto www.aspworltour.com

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Kelly Slater (USA) 18.56
2 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.47

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.17 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 15.80
SF 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 19.37 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 18.60

CURRENT ASP WCT TOP 5 (Following Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast):
1. Kelly Slater (USA) 10000 pts
2. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 8000 pts
3. Mick Fanning (AUS) 6500 pts
3. Michel Bourez (PYF) 6500 pts
5. Taj Burrow (AUS) 5200 pts
5. Julian Wilson (AUS) 5200 pts
5. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 5200 pts
5. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 5200 pts

South Africans
9. Travis Logie 4000pts
13. Jordy Smith 1750 pts

ENDS

Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa
Contact: Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel: 021 534 5738
Email: colin@aspafrica.com

Compiled and Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

About ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the recognized world governing body of professional surfing and has been crowning surfing’s undisputed World Champions since 1976. The ASP sanctions and crowns World Champions for the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, ASP World Junior Tour, ASP World Longboard and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts and other media platforms. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Japan, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

Travis Logie (Durban) in action on Day 1 of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast in Australia where the Durbanite posted the highest heat tally of the event to date Photo: ASP / Scholtz

RAINBOW BAY, Queensland/Australia (Tuesday, March 5, 2013) –The world’s best surfers donned the competitor’s singlet for this first time this season as Round 1 of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover was completed in clean two-to-three foot (1 metre) waves at Rainbow Bay.

Event No. 1 of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast will set the tone for the world’s best surfers this season and if the performances of today are any indication, the talent pool amongst this year’s ASP Top 34 runs historically deep.

South Africans Travis Logie and Jordy Smith started their respective 2013 campaigns impressively by posting the two highest heat totals of the day’s action. Both progressed directly to Round 3, skipping the cutthroat Round 2 elimination heats.

Logie, 32, took top honours by racking up scores of 9.27 and 8.93 and a tally of 18.20 out of a possible 20 for a series of critical backhand combinations.

“It feels so good to start the year off with a heat win,” Logie said. “The past few seasons, my starts have been inconsistent, but I’m healthy, I have good boards under my feet and I feel like I’m surfing at the highest level of my career.

“The draw is so gnarly these days – guys like Adriano (de Souza) and Dusty (Payne) are deadly at any venue on tour and that pretty much goes for the entire Top 34 right now. Really stoked to get a win and hope the waves keep pumping this week.”

Competing in the last heat of the day as the tide drained out and wave selection became more critical, Smith, 25, started slowly before finding a wave that ran the full length of the competition area, allowing him to deliver an electrifying series of manoeuvres that earned him 9.63, the day’s third highest single ride score.

Electing to leave the water and run up the beach rather than wasting time with the long paddle back to the take-off spot, Smith found another good wave with two minutes remaining that  the judges rewarded with an 8.30 which left his opponents needing near-perfect nine point rides as the hooter sounded to end the heat.

Matt Wilkinson (AUS), 24, caused the upset of the day, relegating the reigning ASP World Champion and local favourite Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, to the elimination Round 2. Wilkinson’s backhand flow and flair was unmatched today as the Central Coast goofy-footer locked in the event high single wave score of a 9.93 out of a possible 10 en route to his Round 1 win.

“It feels good to post a win over someone like Joel (Parkinson),” Wilkinson said. “He obviously knows the banks here better than everyone, but I feel like I’ve been surfing well the last couple years – things just haven’t been going my way. I definitely feel like I surf stronger on my backhand and the waves lined up for me in that heat. Pumped to be through to Round 3 and hope to keep it pushin’.”

When competition resumes, up first will be Parkinson against event wildcard Brent Dorrington (AUS) in the opening heat of Round 2.

Event organizers will reconvene at 6:30am tomorrow to assess conditions for a possible 8am (midnight SA time) start. After three days of great waves, contest director Jake Paterson is confident that the contest will run again tomorrow.

The Roxy Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover, which is running in conjunction with the Quiksilver Pro Coast, has already reached the quarter-final stage. South African Bianca Buitendag, competing in her first ASP Women’s WCT event, will be up against ASP No. 2 Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) in third heat when the event resumes.

Highlights from the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover will be available via http://quiksilverlive.com/progoldcoast/2013/

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 1 RESULTS:

Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 14.50, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 12.70, Taj Burrow (AUS) 11.94
Heat 2: Travis Logie (ZAF) 18.20, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 17.10, Dusty Payne (HAW) 12.07
Heat 3: John John Florence (HAW) 15.00, Kai Otton (AUS) 14.80, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 12.40
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 17.24, Willian Cardoso (BRA) 14.57, Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 12.10
Heat 5: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.04, Kolohe Andino (USA) 15.73, Dane Reynolds (USA) 12.34
Heat 6: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 17.76, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.73, Brent Dorrington (AUS) 15.37
Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.67, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 14.97, Tiago Pires (PRT) 13.20
Heat 8: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 15.60, Nat Young (USA) 11.90, Josh Kerr (AUS) 10.13
Heat 9: Julian Wilson (AUS) 12.15, Adam Melling (AUS) 11.63, Damien Hobgood (USA) 11.40
Heat 10: Michel Bourez (PYF) 16.43, Owen Wright (AUS) 15.67, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 14.50
Heat 11: Brett Simpson (USA) 15.13, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 14.76, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 13.23
Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.93, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 16.63, Glenn Hall (IRL) 15.07

 QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Brent Dorrington (AUS)
Heat 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Dane Reynolds (USA)
Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Willian Cardoso (BRA)
Heat 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 5: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 6: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 7: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 8: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Nat Young (USA)
Heat 9: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 10: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Heat 11: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Glenn Hall (IRL)
Heat 12: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA)

ROXY PRO GOLD COAST QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Courtney Conlogue (USA)
Heat 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Alana Blanchard (HAW)
Heat 3: Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) vs. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
Heat 4: Carissa Moore (HAW) vs. Pauline Ado (FRA)

ENDS

Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa

Contact:            Colin Fitch – Operations Manager

Tel:                   021 534 5738

Email:               colin@aspafrica.com

Compiled and Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications

PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa

Tel:              +27 (0) 21 783 4965

Mobile:         +27 (0) 82 423 1964

Email:           lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

About ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the recognized world governing body of professional surfing and has been crowning surfing’s undisputed World Champions since 1976. The ASP sanctions and crowns World Champions for the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, ASP World Junior Tour, ASP World Longboard and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts and other media platforms. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Japan, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

Bianca Buitendag, 19, (George) shows the form that took her to victory in the CHIKO Pro Junior women’s event at Newcastle in Australia last year Photo: Red Monkey

South Africa’s hot young crop of aspiring professional surf stars are heading for all points of the compass as the 2013 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) season gets underway with Star rated events for men in Hawaii and China next week followed by further contests in Australia and Puerto Rico during February.

While the world’s top 34 ranked men and top 17 women only commence the race for the 2013 ASP World Titles on Australia’s Gold Coast early in March, the 11-day waiting period for the 5-Star rated Volcom Pipe Pro starts on Sunday 27 January at Pipeline in Hawaii.

Dale Staples from St Francis Bay, who finished 2012 at No.101 on the ASP Men’s World Rankings, is the sole South African in the 112-man field which is headed by defending event champion and current ASP No. 4, John John Florence (HAW).

Meanwhile four Saffas will participate in the second edition of the 4-Star rated Hainan Classic which runs at Riyuewan Bay on the tropical Chinese island of Hainan from 28-30 January. Kommetjie based brothers, Davey and Benji Brand, and Remi Peterson (Jeffreys Bay) will start in the Round of 96 in China with David van Zyl (Glenashley) seeded directly into the Round of 64.

After China, van Zyl travels to Australia for the 4-Star rated Breaka Burleigh Pro at the iconic Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast of Queensland. There he will be joined by Steven Sawyer (Jeffreys Bay) in the Round of 96 with Mikey February (Kommetjie) on the alternates list for the event, which runs from 3-10 February.

The women’s event at the Breaka Burleigh Pro is a one of just six 6-Star rated events on the ASP Women’s Star tour and has attracted a powerful field including four South Africans. The Saffa contingent is headed by Bianca Buitendag who won 6-Star events in Peru and the Azores last year, resulting in the 19 year-old from George qualifying as the only newcomer amongst the top 17 for the 2013 ASP Women’s World Tour.

Compatriots Sarah Baum (Athlone Park), who was in contention for a spot on the Women’s World Tour herself last year, and former top-tier campaigner Rosy Hodge (East London) will start alongside Buitendag in the Round of 48 in the US $40 000 event with Faye Zoetmulder (Port Elizabeth) opening her challenge one round earlier.

The Brand brothers and Peterson head for the Caribbean after China where they will be joined by California based former Mossel Bay standout Shaun Joubert in the 4-Star Rip Curl Pro Puerto Rico from 9-13 February.

Joubert, 21, ended 2012 ranked No. 95 and will benefit from being one of the top 10 seeds in Puerto Rico as he seeks to maintain a top 100 ranking that guarantees entry into the 6-Star and Prime events with their lucrative prize-money and higher rankings points.

After the Caribbean, Joubert heads for Australia where he and No. 94 ranked Beyrick de Vries (Umhlanga) along with February, van Zyl and Sawyer will contest the 6-Star, US $155 000 Burton Toyota Pro at Merewether beach in Newcastle from 18-24 February.

The Newcastle event sees the first competitive appearance of the year for newly crowned ASP World Champion Joel Parkinson.(AUS) and a dozen more of the world’s top 32 ranked surfers.

Sawyer and van Zyl will also compete against more than 100 international surfers aged 20-and-under in the 2-Star Burton Toyota Pro Junior.

The 6-Star Hunter Ports Women’s Classic, which runs in conjunction with the men’s event at Newcastle, presents a second opportunity for the South African quartet of Buitendag, Baum, Hodge and Zoetmulder to accumulate additional cash and rankings points.

While the quality of the women’s field has been strengthened by the entry of five-time ASP Women’s World Champion, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), who makes her first foray into competition for the year, Buitendag will be encouraged by her results in the beach break waves at Merewether last year where she placed 3rd in the women’s event and won the Pro Junior women’s crown.

The respective men’s and women’s ASP World Championship Tours (WCT) then take centre stage as the $450 000 Quiksilver Pro and the $120 000 Roxy Pro, both presented by Land Rover, run side-by-side from 2-13 March on Australia’s Gold Coast.

South Africa’s Jordy Smith, 24, is determined to improve on his No.12 ranking after an inconsistent 2012 season while Travis Logie, 33, will be looking to build on his career best No.21 ranking after having to re-qualify for the top tier via the Star events a couple of years back.

Bianca Buitendag faces a baptism of fire as the only rookie of the 2013 women’s WCT as she has never before competed at this level, However, a stellar qualifying campaign in 2012 saw her defeat a number of the established campaigners in her first full year on tour and end the year No. 2 in the women’s Star rankings.

Now a year older, wiser, stronger and more confident, Buitendag looks set to not only hold her own, but to upset her more experienced opponents in any conditions.

For more information, including the full schedule of ASP events, surfer profiles, news and results, visit www.aspworldtour.com

ENDS

Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa
Contact: Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel: 021 534 5738
Email: colin@aspafrica.com

Compiled and Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

About ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the recognized world governing body of professional surfing and has been crowning surfing’s undisputed World Champions since 1976. The ASP sanctions and crowns World Champions for the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, ASP World Junior Tour, ASP World Longboard and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts and other media platforms. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Japan, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

BANZAI PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii – Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, claimed his maiden ASP World Title on Saturday at the final stop of the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) season, by winning the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons. The Billabong Pipe Masters was the third and final leg of the Hawaiian Vans Triple Crown of Surfing series.

Only Parkinson and reigning 11-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 40, were in contention for the world title heading into the final day. Parkinson needed to finish one position higher to claim the title that has eluded him for the past 12 years. With Slater’s loss to Josh Kerr (AUS), 28, in the semi-final, Parkinson’s dream became reality. Parkinson went on to beat Kerr in the final.

“Consistency paid off,” Parkinson said. “This is where I wanted to stand at the end of the year. This is what I’ve worked for my whole life. I can’t describe what this feels like. I’ve had runner-ups and ups-and-downs. I’ve been to hell and back and it makes this so much sweeter. All the love from Hawaii and Australia and over the world, I can’t thank you all enough for supporting me.

“One day you wake up feeling good the next day you wake up feeling like a loser. This morning I felt like a Champion when I woke up. Like Andy (Irons) always said ‘I got this, huh?’ I dedicate this to my family, Dad who used to take me to contests when I was 10, my wife and my mom and kids, this is all for us,” said Parkinson.

Parkinson has been the world title bridesmaid four times (2002, 2004, 2009, 2011). His Billabong Pipe Masters victory is his 11th elite event win over the course of his career, and by clinching the ASP World Title has established himself as one of the greatest surfers of all time.

Joel Parkinson 2012 ASP WCT Results:
Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast: 5th
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach: 3rd
Billabong Rio Pro: 2nd
Volcom Fiji Pro: 9th
Billabong Pro Tahiti: 2nd
Hurley Pro at Trestles: 2nd
Quiksilver Pro France: 3rd
Rip Curl Pro Portugal: 3rd
O’Neill Coldwater Classic: 5th
Billabong Pipe Masters: WINNER

Slater was reflective following his Semifinal defeat this afternoon and gracious in honoring Parkinson on stage in front of a capacity crowd at the Banzai Pipeline.

“For whatever reason, the momentum went in Parko’s direction. It was cool that it came down to this, it would have been cooler to have it come down to the Final. Joel’s been on tour for 10 or 11 years now and been in the hunt ever since he started. He’s an amazing surfer. He’s just the guy that makes it look easy. He can pull whatever out when he needs to,” said Slater.

Josh Kerr battled his way to a career first ASP WCT Final. The Australian suffered a heavy wipeout in his round four heat with Slater and Gabriel Medina (BRA), resulting in a brief trip to the hospital. After medical clearance, Kerr overcame the setback to take it all the way to the final and finishing the 2012 ASP season ranked No. 8 on the ASP WCT rankings.

Damien Hobgood (USA), 33, eliminated defending event champion Kieren Perrow (AUS), 35, while attaining his best result of his season. Hobgood was a standout at both Pipeline and Backdoor, but was unable to surpass Parkinson in their Semifinals matchup, finishing equal 3rd, vaulting him up to 16th on the 2012 ASP WCT rankings.

SPECIALTY AWARDS:

John John Florence (HAW) – 2012 ASP Rookie of the Year.
John John Florence (HAW) – Hawaiian Airlines Airshow Winner – best aerial of the Vans Triple Crown
Sebastian Zietz (HAW) – Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Champion

Highlights from the Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons are available at www.vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com/billabongpipemasters2012

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS FINAL RESULT:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.17 – US$75,000
2 – Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.83 – US$30,000

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.30 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.63
SF 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.13 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 4.90

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS QUARTERFINALS RESULTS:
QF 1: Damien Hobgood (USA) 9.83 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 9.17
QF 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12.50 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 9.40
QF 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) 15.00 def. Yadin Nicol (AUS) 12.17
QF 3: Kelly Slater (USA) 18.73 def. Shane Dorian (HAW) 18.20

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 5 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Damien Hobgood (USA) 8.23 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 3.26
Heat 2: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 13.94 def. Dane Reynolds (USA) 8.00
Heat 3: Yadin Nicol (AUS) 13.00 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 12.00
Heat 4: Kelly Slater (USA) 19.27 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 10.66

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.57, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.10, Kelly Slater (USA) 8.10
Heat 4: Shane Dorian (HAW) 6.53, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 5.83, Yadin Nicol (AUS) 4.23

2012 ASP WCT Top 5:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS)
2 – Kelly Slater (USA)
3 – Mick Fanning (AUS)
4 – John John Florence (HAW)
5 – Adriano de Souza (BRA)

South Africans (Both requalified for the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour)
12 – Jordy Smith (ZAF)
21 – Travis Logie

ENDS

Pictured: Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, clinched his maiden ASP World Title and the Billabong Pipeline Masters in Hawaii with rides like this at Backdoor Pipeline

Photo: ASP / Cestari

Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa
Contact: Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel: 021 534 5738
Email: colin@aspafrica.com

Compiled and Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za

About ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the recognized world governing body of professional surfing and has been crowning surfing’s undisputed World Champions since 1976. The ASP sanctions and crowns World Champions for the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, ASP World Junior Tour, ASP World Longboard and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts and other media platforms. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Japan, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

Billabong Pipe Masters In Memory of Andy Irons
Event No. 10 of 10 on 2012 ASP World Championship Tour
Banzai Pipeline, Hawaii
Dec 8-20, 2012

Banzai Pipeline, Oahu/Hawaii – South Africans Travis Logie and Jordy Smith were bundled out of the season ending Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons yesterday as the waves continued to produce incredibly hollow tube rides across the shallow Banzai Pipeline reef.

Logie was ousted in Round 2 by in-form Hawaiian wildcard Sebastian Zietz, 24, who was officially crowned the 2012 Vans Triple Crown Champion two heats later when Adam Melling (AUS), his nearest rival for the prestigious title, was eliminated by Miguel Pupo (BRA).

Zietz collected US $100 000, a $30 000 Harley Davidson motorcycle and a $10 000 custom Nixon watch for his Triple Crown victory. The Kauaian went on to cause a major upset by eliminating current ASP WCT No. 4 and crowd favourite John John Florence (HAW) in Round 3 of the Billabong Pipe Masters before becoming the first competitor to reach the quarter-finals when he won his Round 4 match up with Damien Hobgood and Dane Reynolds, both from the USA.

Smith was defeated by 2001 ASP World Champion CJ Hobgood (USA) in their Round 3 clash with the Floridian getting deeper in the left breaking waves than the South African.

Logie and Smith were joined on the sidelines by ASP World Title contender Mick Fanning (AUS) who could not match the high scoring exploits of big wave charger and Billabong wildcard Shane Dorian with the Hawaiian weaving his way through a pair of throaty Backdoor barrels to post a narrow 15.67 vs. 15.07 victory

The battle for the 2012 ASP World Title continues with current rankings leader Joel Parkinson (AUS) comprehensively outpointing dangerous local wildcard Kalani Chapman (HAW) in Round 3 and then winning his three-man Round 4 match-up against defending Pipeline champion Kieron Perrow (AUS) and CJ Hobgood in the last heat of the day to advance directly to the quarter-finals.

“It’s good to get in the water and start the game,” Parkinson said. “It was torture watching yesterday, but it’s a nervous frustration.”

Meanwhile in the bottom half of the draw, Kelly Slater (USA) posted a 9.73 for a really deep ride on a Pipeline left and backed that up with an 8.90 for a hollow Backdoor right to record 18.63 out of a possible 20, the highest heat tally of the event to date, while fending off the challenge of Hawaiian Billy Kemper in Round 3.

“We’ve had enough time to think about it,” Slater said about the importance of focusing on each heat at the Billabong Pipe Masters rather than the distractions that come along with the ASP World Title Race. ” If you’re thinking about that during your heat, you’re not thinking about what’s going on in the water. You have to be clear minded from all of that stuff.”

When the contest resumes, Slater will take on Brazilian phenom Gabriel Medina, who amassed a heat total of 18.50 for his stylish tube-riding on the lefts, and Josh Kerr (AUS), who earned 18.13 for his exploits on the rights, in what promises to be a high performance display of contest surfing. The winner will advance directly to the Quarters while those placed second and third get another chance to move into the last eight in Round 5.

If Slater does not reach the quarters, Parkinson, a four-time runner-up, will clinch his maiden ASP World Title.

The title is decided by the total of each surfer’s best eight results from the 10 stops on the ASP World Championship Tour (WCT). Even though ‘Parko’ has a 3 200 point lead over Slater in the rankings, the 11-time and reigning ASP World Champion will replace a much lower ‘throwaway’ score and, if he does make it into the quarters, Parko will need to advance to the semis.

If Slater then also makes the semis, to win the world title Parko will need to get into the final. If Slater joins him there, and the seeding dictates that the final is only place that the two can actually come up against each other in the same heat, then the situation reverses and Slater will have to win the event to be crowned the ASP World Champion for a record setting 12th time.

Surfline, the official surf forecaster for the Vans Triple Crown events, predicts that the current swell will continue to fade through Monday with 1.5 to three metre mostly right-breaking waves in the morning, getting smaller during the day. The swell will be head-high or smaller though Tuesday and Wednesday with a new medium size swell due for Thursday and a much larger new swell due on Friday if the storms now forming near Japan develop as predicted.

Event organizers will reconvene at 6:30am (6:30pm SA time) today to assess conditions for a possible 8am (8pm) start.

All the action from the Billabong Pipe Masters can be followed live via http://vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com/billabongpipemasters2012/live. The website also features comprehensive coverage of every heat already surfed in the ‘Heat Analyser’ section

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

Sunday’s Results

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS REMAINING ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 4: Shane Dorian (HAW) 13.77 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 11.10
Heat 5: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 14.60 def. Ricardo dos Santos (BRA) 12.76
Heat 6: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 12.73 def. Travis Logie (ZAF) 12.17
Heat 7: Dane Reynolds (USA) 17.00 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 13.26
Heat 8: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 15.66 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 9.90
Heat 10: Yadin Nicol (AUS) 14.17 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 12.17
Heat 11: Kolohe Andino (USA) 9.47 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 3.83
Heat 12: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 16.33 def. Heitor Alves (BRA) 7.12

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 15.00 def. John John Florence (HAW) 7.83
Heat 2: Damien Hobgood (USA) 16.10 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 10.83
Heat 3: Dane Reynolds (USA) 17.83 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 8.50
Heat 4: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 14.16 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 13.17
Heat 5: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 11.60 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 8.87
Heat 6: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.17 def. Kalani Chapman (HAW) 13.50
Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 18.50 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 14.06
Heat 8: Josh Kerr (AUS) 18.13 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 17.13
Heat 9: Kelly Slater (USA) 18.63 def. Billy Kemper (HAW) 15.50
Heat 10: Yadin Nicol (AUS) 12.83 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 11.66
Heat 11: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 11.83 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 10.10
Heat 12: Shane Dorian (HAW) 15.67 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.07

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 16.40, Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.17, Dane Reynolds (USA) 9.96
Heat 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.10, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 6.20, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 5.83

REMAINING BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 4 MATCH UPS:
Heat 3: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Josh Kerr (AUS), Kelly Slater (USA)
Heat 4: Yadin Nicol (AUS), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Shane Dorian (HAW)

ENDS

Pictured: Travis Logie (Durban) was eliminated from Billabong Pipe Masters by Hawaiian wildcard Sebastian Zietz in their Round 2 clash on Sunday

Photo: ASP / Cestari
Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa
Contact: Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel: 021 534 5738
Email: colin@aspafrica.com

Compiled and Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za
About ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the recognized world governing body of professional surfing and has been crowning surfing’s undisputed World Champions since 1976. The ASP sanctions and crowns World Champions for the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, ASP World Junior Tour, ASP World Longboard and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts and other media platforms. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Japan, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

Billabong Pipe Masters In Memory of Andy Irons
Event No. 10 of 10 on 2012 ASP World Championship Tour
Banzai Pipeline, Hawaii
Dec 8-20, 2012

Banzai Pipeline, Oahu/Hawaii – The Billabong Pipe Masters in Memory of Andy Irons completed all 12 heats in Round 1 and the first three heats of Round 2 of competition on Saturday in pumping two to three metre waves at Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii.

Day one at the final stop on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), which will determine this year’s ASP World Title and is the final jewel of the Vans Triple Crown, saw the lower seeds amongst the ASP Top 34 battling the notorious local wildcards in a rising swell as they attempted to re-qualify for the 2013 ASP WCT.

Surfline, the official surf forecaster for the Vans Triple Crown events, predicts that the current swell will peak overnight Saturday with Sunday featuring general three metre waves with occasional five metre sets and favourable offshore trade winds before the swell starts to fade going into Monday.

South Africans Travis Logie and Jordy Smith get their respective campaigns underway in the challenging conditions later today. Both face tough opponents with Logie taking on in-form Hawaiian wildcard Sebastien Zietz in Heat 6 of Round 2 and Smith pitted against 2001 ASP World Champion CJ Hobgood (USA) in Heat 5 of Round 3.

Logie, equal 17th on the ASP WCT rankings going into the event, is well placed to retain his spot amongst the top 22 who automatically qualify for next year’s WCT. Although seven of those currently outside the qualification cut-off mark are still in contention and could potentially overtake the 33 year-old Durbanite, winning his Round 2 encounter would all but ensure Logie another year in the highest echelons of international competition while a loss would leave him sitting nervously on the beach waiting for his rivals’ results.

Logie’s task is complicated by facing Zietz, an opponent who will not only have the parochial local crowd supporting his every ride but who is in sensational form. The young Hawaiian earned a wildcard into the Billabong Pipe Masters by topping the Van Triple Crown rankings after winning the Prime rated first leg at Haleiwa in November and finishing third at Sunset Beach in the second stop earlier this month.

Zietz will be fiercely determined to advance to secure the Triple Crown title, second only to the ASP World Title in prestige, which earns the winner a US $100 000 (approx. R850 000) payout plus a $30 000 Harley Davidson and a $10 000 jewel encrusted Nixon watch.

Smith faces an equally stern test of his credentials against CJ Hobgood who defeated the 24 year-old South African in similar hollow, powerful waves in Fiji earlier this year. Hobgood reached Round 3 here via a comprehensive 15.17 vs. 13.57 point victory yesterday over former Pipe Masters champion and acknowledged Pipeline standout Jamie O’Brien (HAW).

Ranked No. 12 coming into this event, Smith will want to advance through at least a couple of rounds to end the year ranked in the top 10 which will give him preferential seeding in 2013 and earn performance bonuses from his sponsors.

An aspect that may well benefit Smith in his clash with Hobgood is Surfline’s prediction that the swell direction will become progressively more Northerly as the day wears on. This will produce more right-breaking waves on the Backdoor section of the dangerously shallow Pipeline reef which would suit Smith more than his opponent whose goofy-foot stance is more advantageous on the traditional left breaking waves at Pipeline.

Besides the South Africans, all eyes will be on current rankings leader Joel Parkinson (AUS), 11-time and reigning ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) and two-time ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) who are locked in a titanic battle for the 2012 title.

All three start in Round 3 and are thus guaranteed to earn at least equal 13th place. Fanning’s chances of a third title rely on him winning at Pipeline with Slater not reaching the semis and Parkinson eliminated before the final.

If Parko finishes13th (R3 loss), 9th (R5 loss) or 5th (quarter-final loss), Slater will win the title if he reaches the quarters. If Parko loses out in the semis (3rd place), Slater also needs to reach the semis for an unprecedented 12th title while if Parko makes it to the final then Slater needs to win the contest.

Round 3 sees Parkinson and Slater drawn against local Pipe experts Kalani Chapman and Billy Kemper respectively, each of whom won two heats against established top 32 stars yesterday, brining all of the above scenarios into play in what will be a pivotal day in the 2012 ASP World Title race.

Event organizers will reconvene at 6:30am (6:30pm SA time) today to assess conditions for a possible 8am (8pm) start.

All the action from the Billabong Pipe Masters can be followed live via http://vanstriplecrownofsurfing.com/billabongpipemasters2012/live. The website also features comprehensive coverage of every heat already surfed in the ‘Heat Analyser’ section

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 15.00 def. Evan Valiere (HAW) 9.50
Heat 2: Kolohe Andino (USA) 6.50 def. Tyler Newton (HAW) 6.26
Heat 3: Kalani Chapman (HAW) 15.83 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 5.70
Heat 4: Yadin Nicol (AUS) 15.33 def. Flynn Novak (HAW) 9.76
Heat 5: Fred Patacchia (HAW) 8.43 def. Tanner Hendrickson (HAW) 5.93
Heat 6: Billy Kemper (HAW) 11.00 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 10.17
Heat 7: Adam Melling (AUS) 11.66 def. Bruce Irons (HAW) 7.73
Heat 8: Jamie O’Brien (HAW) 16.34 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 9.94
Heat 9: Shane Dorian (HAW) 14.50 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 9.83
Heat 10: Ricardo dos Santos (BRA) 14.73 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 7.84
Heat 11: Dane Reynolds (USA) 11.34 def. Granger Larsen (HAW) 3.10
Heat 12: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 14.27 def. Glenn Hall (IRL) 10.77

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Kalani Chapman (HAW) 13.84 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 10.60
Heat 2: Billy Kemper (HAW) 9.33 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 5.04
Heat 3: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.17 def. Jamie O’Brien (HAW) 13.57

REMAINING BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 2 MATCH UPS:
Heat 4: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Shane Dorian (HAW)
Heat 5: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Ricardo dos Santos (BRA)
Heat 6: Travis Logie (ZAF) vs. Sebastian Zietz (HAW)
Heat 7: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Dane Reynolds (USA)
Heat 8: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 9: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Fred Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 10: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Yadin Nicol (AUS)
Heat 11: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA)
Heat 12: Heitor Alves (BRA) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)

BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: John John Florence (HAW) vs. TBD
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 5: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. C.J. Hobgood (USA)
Heat 6: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Kalani Chapman (HAW)
Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. TBD
Heat 8: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 9: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Billy Kemper (HAW)
Heat 10: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. TBD
Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. TBD
Heat 12: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. TBD

ENDS

Pictured: Hawaiian wildcard Sebastian Zietz weaves his way through the tube at Pipeline on his way to yesterday’s Round 1 victory and a match-up with Travis Logie (Durban) in Round 2 at the Billabong Pipeline Masters later today
Photo: ASP / Kirstin
Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa
Contact: Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel: 021 534 5738
Email: colin@aspafrica.com

Compiled and Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za
About ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the recognized world governing body of professional surfing and has been crowning surfing’s undisputed World Champions since 1976. The ASP sanctions and crowns World Champions for the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, ASP World Junior Tour, ASP World Longboard and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts and other media platforms. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Japan, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.

South Africa’s Travis Logie matched his career best result on the ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) when he surfed his way into third place at the O’Neill Coldwater Classic at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz, California, yesterday (Tuesday).

Needing a big result to re-qualify for the 2013 WCT, Logie was in devastating form in the two metre plus waves on the final day of the event, dispatching giant-killer Raoni Monteiro (BRA) in Round 5 and WCT rankings leader Joel Parkinson (AUS) in the quarter-finals before being ousted by eventual winner Taj Burrow (AUS) in their semi-final encounter.

“I’m pretty stoked with how I surfed in this event,” Logie said after his exit. “I’m really disappointed because I had one really good score (8.33 out of 10) in that heat and I feel like I just needed an average one to make it through. Taj has been ripping though and congratulations to him.”

Logie, who entered the O’Neill Coldwater Classic ranked 26th, vaults up the rankings to 17th, well inside the cut off point of 22 who automatically re-qualify for a spot on the following year’s elite tour, with just one event at Pipeline in Hawaii still to be run.

“This result is huge for me,” Logie said. “These points are massive. I was looking pretty out of it going in to this event and a third place here shoots me quite a bit up the rankings. I’m still not home and dry, but hopefully in Hawaii I can make up some points.”

Logie earned US $17 500 (approx. R150 000) and a priceless 6 500 points which also elevated him to 10th place on the ASP World rankings where the top 10 who have not already qualified via their WCT rankings, also qualify for the WCT. With two Prime rated events scheduled for Hawaii, the 33 year-old Durbanite is guaranteed an additional 500 points on these rankings just by entering.

Burrow built momentum through the event and took out three goofy-foot standouts on the final day with an amazing variety of forehand manoeuvres, toppling young Brazilian Gabriel Medina (BRA), 18, Logie and then compatriot and good friend Matt Wilkinson in the final.

Burrow’s win marks his second of the season after snatching the opening event on the Gold Coast of Australia. Western Australia’s favourite son now sits at No. 6 on the 2012 ASP WCT rankings.

“I really wanted to win another event this year, especially since I’m out of the race for the title,” Burrow said. “That’s pretty depressing, but I’m really happy that it just fell into place here in Santa Cruz. To get two wins in a year, I’ve only done that once before so I’m really happy.”

Wilkinson, a former winner at the venue when it hosted a Prime rated event in 2010, continued his lethal backhand assault at Steamer Lane, belting the day’s highest heat total of 17.73 while defeating Adriano de Souza (BRA), 25, and Michel Bourez (PYF), 26, to attain his first ASP WCT Final appearance.

“I was stoked when I made it through the third round,” Wilkinson said. “Every heat after that, I just kept building. I felt amazing. I was getting 9’s and backing them up. All year I’ve been dropping one big score. Out here, I felt like I was getting better every heat. I had that one (in the final) that would have been a 9 if I made it out of that last turn.”

Heading into the final event of the year, three surfers remain mathematically in contention for the 2012 ASP World Title: Joel Parkinson, Kelly Slater (USA) and Mick Fanning (AUS).

Highlights from the O’Neill Coldwater Classic are available at www.oneill.com/cwc/

The final stop on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour will be the Billabong Pipeline Masters from December 8 – 20, 2012.

For more information, log onto www.ASPWorldTour.com

O’NEILL COLDWATER CLASSIC FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.10
2 – Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 12.70

O’NEILL COLDWATER CLASSIC SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.57 def. Travis Logie (ZAF) 12.40
SF 2: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 17.73 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 12.10

O’NEILL COLDWATER CLASSIC QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.83 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 8.60
QF 2: Travis Logie (ZAF) 13.83 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.00
QF 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) 16.27 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 12.50
QF 4: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 13.07 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 11.83

O’NEILL COLDWATER CLASSIC ROUND 5 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 13.16 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 6.70
Heat 2: Travis Logie (ZAF) 10.50 def. Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 8.90
Heat 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) 15.00 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 8.00
Heat 4: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 10.50 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 9.40

CURRENT ASP WCT TOP 5 (After O’Neill Coldwater Classic):
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 53,900 pts
2. Kelly Slater (USA) 50,700 pts
3. Mick Fanning (AUS) 47,000 pts
4. John John Florence (HAW) 44,350 pts
5. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 42,350 pts

South Africans
12. Jordy Smith 26,650 pts
17. Travis Logie 16,250 pts

Ends

Pictured: Travis Logie (Durban) blasts off the lip at Steamer Lane on his way 3rd place in the O’Neill Coldwater Classic in California on Tuesday

Photo: ASP / Kirstin
Issued on behalf of:

ASP Africa
Contact: Colin Fitch – Operations Manager
Tel: 021 534 5738
Email: colin@aspafrica.com

Compiled and Distributed by:

Life’s a Beach Communications
PO Box 48272, Kommetjie 7976, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 783 4965
Mobile: +27 (0) 82 423 1964
Email: lifesabeach@mweb.co.za
About ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the recognized world governing body of professional surfing and has been crowning surfing’s undisputed World Champions since 1976. The ASP sanctions and crowns World Champions for the following tours: the ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, ASP World Junior Tour, ASP World Longboard and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts and other media platforms. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Japan, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.