Billabong SA Champs 2012 - Wrap Up

Max Armstrong with a big Slob Air, winning the Zigzag Blowing Up Award (Photo:AVG)

Lets get one thing straight off of the bat, South Africa has plenty of surf talent. Over the 4 days of the SA Champs in Cape Town I saw plenty to make us positive about the future of this countries surfing. From gale force onshore and rainy Long Beach, to shifty and difficult Misty Cliffs, the surfers in this contest were ripping. I know, because I was there for every minute of every heat - I was commentating.

In the Girls it was Tanika Hoffman who really impressed me the whole event. She ran out of steam in the finals, but that's ok. A bit more international experience and a little more killer instinct and she can go far. (She is a super nice, maybe to nice. She needs some aggro out in the water.) In the Woman's competition Nikita Robb was in a league of her own. Even in the free surf before Day 4 got under way, she was the only woman out in the line up at Misty Cliffs mixing it with the guys. She won hands down and I hope she takes that win on the road to France with her and back to the WCT.

In the boys division one guy stood way above the others. Mikey February is looking the full picture. Big power turns, the full air repertoire on demand and he simply makes surfing a heat look casual and easy. Like a mix between Parko and Jordy. The kid has a big future ahead of him. Max Armstrong is also worth looking out for. The kid was swinging with guys 2-3 years older and holding his own. I also enjoyed watching Jared Veldhuis surf and will be worth keeping an eye on him.

In the men it is hard to start. The old guard of Greg Emslie and Shane Thorne, still ripping and giving it hard to the younger guys. Ryan Payne called it when named Greg, "The Wave Whisperer". Dan Redman was on fire. He kept it simple, by which I mean he treated waves with disdain, power carving and snapping their lips into annihilation. Beyrick de Vries is the complete package. He busted some of the biggest and cleanest airs I have seen in competition and backed this up with solid turns and tube riding. Casey Grant flew a little under the radar, but he certainly made it count when it mattered. Casey is awesome to watch surf!

So have no fear - we have the surfers, now we just need them to get the right support to go out there and take over the world.

Results:
In the team awards it was Western Province continuing their undefeated series of victories on home soil. WP have yet to be beaten whenever the SA Champs are held in Cape Town.

In the U20 Girls Heidi Palmboom from KZNC is the new champion. She beat Tanika Hoffman (WP), Emma Smith (EP) and Nikita Kekana (SKZN) into second, third and fourth place respectively.

The U20 Boys was an air-off between Mikey February (WP) and Dylan Lightfoot (EP), with local boy February getting the nod and beating Lightfoot into second. Jarred Veldhuis (EP) was third and Steven Sawyer (EP) came in fourth place.

Nikita Robb from Border was the eventual winner in the Open Women’s division, retaining her title in the process. She beat Chantelle Rautenbach (Bol) in second, Tarryn Chudleigh (WP) in third and Krystal Tavenor (Bol) in fourth place.

The 2012 Open Mens Champion is Casey Grant (SKZN). Dan Redman (KZNC) was a close second, ahead of Beyrick De Vries (KZNC) in third and defending champion Greg Emslie (Bor) in fourth.

The VonZipper Air Show was a punt-fest into the cross shore conditions, with Diran Zakarian (Bol) taking it, and the R1000.

One of the new awards, the Kustom Kustomized Maneuver, went to Jared Veldhuis (WP) along with the R1000 prizemoney.

The DaKine Highest Heat Score Award and R1000 went to Dan Redman for the highest heat score of the event with 17 points.

The Zigzag Blowing Up Award and R3000 went to Max Armstrong (WP).

The BuchuLife Performance Award and R2000 went to Nikita Kekana (SKZN)

The final team placings were:
1. WP – 43950
2. KZNC – 38782
3. EP – 37418
4. BOR – 36840
5. BOL – 35528
6. SKZN – 33990
7. SC – 24660
8. Zul – 19736

Billabong SA Champs 2012 - Day 1

Dylan Lightfoot on his way to winning his Round 1 Heat in the /20 Boys on Day 1. (Photo: AVG)

Ok, so Day 1 of the Billabong SA Champs rolled through and after a shaky start the waves and conditions at Long Beach improved throughout the day. I managed to survive the first long day on the mic and there was plenty of good surfing to keep me entertained. My standouts for Day 1 were Greg Emslie, the defending Champion, who scored the highest heat score of the day in Round 1 and Berick de Vries, who launched 2 big airs in his heat, including a really clean Air reverse. In the Juniors, it was Dylan Lightfoot and Mikey February who stood out and ripped to victory in their Round 1 heats. Pretty stoked to be the commentator for this event and we are also doing the daily videos, so check out our first day highlights video...

Kerr dominates Day 1 at Quik Pro New York

Kerr was surfing on a magical carpet for Day 1 (Photo: ASP)

 Kerrazy is the man! Josh Kerr dominated proceedings on day 1 of the Quik Pro in New York. The waves looked more like PE or Muizenberg on an average day and one was left wondering what happened to the so called "Dream Tour". WQS events have had better waves than this premier event - just think of 10ft hell tubes at Ballito for the Mr Price Pro. However, the forecast is for much more swell, thanks to a hurricane off the East Coast of the US, so we can hope it will get better. Never the less, some guys excelled in the small beach break and Kerr was the star, scoring a 9.5 and a 9.07 in his first round heat. The "Unlucky" award goes to Matt Wilko who dominated his heat only to get a rather dubious interference call on a Hobgood. The guys were not holding back and there was some amazing progessive surfing - hell, even Kieren Perow popped an air! Check out Kerr's heat and the ASP press release below.


LONG BEACH, Long Island/New York (Tuesday, September 6, 2011) – The opening day of the inaugural Quiksilver Pro New York saw the world’s best surfers dig into building two-to-four foot (1 metre) waves, compliments of Hurricane Katia, today, completing Round 1 at Long Beach on Long Island, New York. Stop No. 6 of 11 on the ASP World Title Series, the Quiksilver Pro New York is a historic event that not only represents the first ever elite contest on America’s East Coast, but also boasts the richest prize-purse in surfing history of US$1,000,000. Josh Kerr (AUS), 27, reveled in the New York ramps and garnered both of the round’s highest single-wave scores of 9.50 and 9.07 (both out of 10) for monster no-grab air-reverses, scalping a commanding victory over Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24, and Kai Otton (AUS), 32. “It was like an expression session out there,” Kerr said. “I started getting scores and was enjoying myself out there with those little rip bowl rights. We all had 15 waves and I think we all had fun out there. I went for a free surf and the wind came up and I knew I was going to hunt the rights. It was perfect and I found a couple of those ramps so I’m stoked.” Kerr advances directly into Round 3 of competition. C.J. Hobgood (USA), 32, current No. 36 on the ASP World Rankings, is in need of a result at the Quiksilver Pro New York to keep his ASP Dream Tour campaign alive. The former ASP World Champion (2001) earned a Round 1 victory with amazing last-second heroics over an in-form Bede Durbidge (AUS), 28, when he belted an 8.37 (out of 10) with commanding rail-work in the dying moments of the heat. “I guess I’ve had one or two dramatic finishes in my career, but there’s a lot on the line for me in this contest and I was feeling pretty frustrated out there for most of the heat,” Hobgood said. “It had been lefts all day, but there were a lot of rights in my heat and Bede (Durbidge) got some big scores off the bat. I needed a big score at the end and when that wave came through, I pretty much threw everything I had at it.” Hobgood, a veteran campaigner among the world’s best surfers, admitted that the ability to adjust to the ever-changing conditions expected through the event window will be crucial in earning a successful result at Long Beach. “Local knowledge can be an advantage out here, but everyone on tour can surf in every condition,” Hobgood said. “With the storm moving through this week, the conditions are going to change day-to-day so the surfers who adapt the fastest will be the most successful.” Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, capitalized on today’s building swell and displayed a series of powerful rail-gouges on his forehand and critical backhand turns to earn a hard-fought victory over Australian goofy-footer Adrian Buchan (AUS), 28, and Floridian standout Cory Lopez (USA), 34. “It’s pretty fun,” Muniz said. “It’s not that big, but there are still a couple bigger waves and I have a good board for small waves. I just tried to have fun. I started a little slow and my strategy was to go left, but my best wave was on the right and I improved throughout the heat. I always try to do big turns even though it’s small.” Muniz was joined by fellow 2011 ASP Top 34 rookie Julian Wilson (AUS), 22, in posting big Round 1 wins today. Wilson surgically dismantled the playful afternoon peaks, posting an impressive 17.00 out of a possible 20, en route to a victory over Taylor Knox (USA), 40, and Kieren Perrow (AUS), 34. “I tried not to watch Kersey (Josh Kerr) because I knew I’d try to over-surf,” Wilson said. “I started the heat how I wanted to, got a 5 and kind of built house on that. I made some silly mistakes, but I was pretty lucky to get some scores at the end. I knew if I got some sort of finner or reverse I’d get a good score. I was pretty jittery in the beginning of the heat, but as soon as I got the good one I felt confident.” Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion, opened his Quiksilver Pro New York campaign in lethal form with a solid Round 1 victory. “New York has been good,” Slater said. “Everyone is super cool and I’m excited to be here. The waves are a little small, so it’s tough, but it’s the first round and no one loses and the swell should be building. My board felt good, it’s an epoxy, but pretty much same thing I’ve been riding. Hopefully we’ll find some peaky barrels and we’ll see what happens. I know that Hurricane swell is out there, so we’ll just see what happens.” Slater, who regained the lead for the 2011 ASP World Title with his win at Teahupo’o last week, easily made the adjustment from the massive barrels of last week’s competition to today’s tricky beachbreak waves on offer in New York. “After last week, it’s a little different in these waves,” Slater said. “You’ve got to find the sweet spot out there. Last week, you’re just trying to stay with it at spots like Teahupo’o, but on days like today there isn’t much energy so you’ve got to find it.” Tiago Pires (PRT), 31, current No. 33 on the ASP World Ranking, is also in need of a big result at the Quiksilver Pro New York in order to maintain his position among the elite ASP Top 34, and advanced directly through to Round 3 after heat-leader Matt Wilkinson (AUS), 23, suffered an interference on Damien Hobgood (USA), 32.



“I’ve just been feeling good and not thinking too much about points,” Pires said. “I just try to think about waves and just surf. I wasn’t nervous until Wilko (Matt Wilkinson) got the interference and I got the lead. Wilko kind of gave the heat to me, it was unlucky for him.” Dane Reynolds (USA), 25, who has yet to compete in an ASP World Title event this season, was scheduled to surf in the Quiksilver Pro New York but withdrew today due to an injury sustained last week to his ribs on a free-surf trip in Japan. “I came to New York with every intention to surf, but I knew it would be a challenge with my rib injury,” Reynolds said. “I tried surfing yesterday and it was painful to even stand up. I’ve never dealt with bruised ribs before so hopefully some more rest will get me ready for the next contest.” Reynolds has been replaced by Keanu Asing (HAW), 18, in Round 2 of competition. Asing will face Adrian Buchan (AUS), 28, in Round 2 when competition resumes. When competition recommences, will be Mick Fanning (AUS), 30, up against Balaram Stack (USA), 20, in the opening heat of Round 2. Even organizers will convene tomorrow morning at 6:30am to assess conditions for a possible 7am start. Surfline, official forecasters for the Quiksilver Pro New York, are calling for clean offshore conditions with occasional light rain, and slowly increasing SE swell from Katia mostly in the chest to shoulder high range with a few head high sets. Longer lines sweeping in but still peaky/fun from yesterday’s leftovers. Highlights from the Quiksilver Pro New York will be available via http://www.quiksilverpro.com For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
QUIKSILVER PRO NEW YORK ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.56, Brett Simpson (USA) 13.50, Travis Logie (ZAF) 6.57
Heat 2: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 9.67, Gabe Kling (USA) 3.43, Dane Reynolds (USA) N/S
Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.93, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 12.84, Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 11.46 Heat 4: Jadson Andre (BRA) 11.77, Owen Wright (AUS) 10.00, Bobby Martinez (USA) 7.10
Heat 5: Heitor Alves (BRA) 13.83, Mick Fanning (AUS) 12.73, Asher Nolan (USA) 8.60
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 14.20, Daniel Ross (AUS) 11.66, Balaram Stack (USA) 6.07
Heat 7: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 14.40, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 14.27, Cory Lopez (USA) 12.97
Heat 8: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.97, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 15.77, Chris Davidson (AUS) 12.00
Heat 9: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 10.80, Adam Melling (AUS) 10.50, Michel Bourez (PYF) 7.66
Heat 10: Tiago Pires (PRT) 12.76, Damien Hobgood (USA) 12.73, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 11.65
Heat 11: Josh Kerr (AUS) 18.57, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.37, Kai Otton (AUS) 11.54
Heat 12: Julian Wilson (AUS) 17.00, Taylor Knox (USA) 12.60, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 10.60

QUIKSILVER PRO NEW YORK ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Balaram Stack (USA)
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Asher Nolan (USA)
Heat 3: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Keanu Asing (HAW)
Heat 4: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Bobby Martinez (USA)
Heat 5: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 6: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Gabe Kling (USA)
Heat 7: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 8: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Cory Lopez (USA)
Heat 9: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 10: Chris Davidson (AUS) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 11: Brett Simpson (USA) vs. Taylor Knox (USA)
Heat 12: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) vs. Daniel Ross (AUS)

Quiksilver Pro New York - The Captain's Preview

The Quiksilver Pro New York begins on Monday and it is a first for Pro surfing. Firstly as this is the first ever CT event in NY and secondly due to the mammoth $1'000'000 prize money. After mind altering and rather frightening waves in Tahiti, the pro show moves to pretty mediocre and cold beach break for this event. There have been many questions asked about the feasibility of taking a contest to these kind of venues, but it seems the bottom line is that the major Brands want pro contests back where they will get huge crowds of spectators.



Major points of interest are that:
1) Kelly Slater is back on top of the ratings, hotly followed by Jordy Smith and Joel Parkinson and it looks like we are going to have a major 3 way battle for the World title this year between these 3. None of them will want a bad result before the half way mark of the tour and moving onto Trestles where all 3 are super dangerous.
2) Will Bobby Martinez and Dane Reynolds surf? Both have been awol for the last 2 events and neither has indicated they will be surfing in NY. Dane is of course a Quiksilver rider and I would be pretty amazed if he does not pitch up for the event.
3) Travis Logie, who got a wildcard thanks to Bobby not pitching up in Tahiti, and ended up making the semi finals and getting a 3rd place, is on the cusp of making the cut off for the premier tour. He needs two withdrawals from the field, as he is the 2nd wildcard option, but if this happens and he can secure a good result, he will almost definitely make the cut. In small beachbreak conditions you have to know the Durban beachfront local will be hard to beat. Only time will tell though and Travis must be praying that some of the Tahiti injured don't make it.
4) The Cutoff! After this contest there is a reshuffle on tour and anyone outside the Top 32 on the World Rankings is gone, while any WQS surfer in the Top 32 will move up to the big leagues. there are a span of amazing surfers, like John John Florence very close and the Brazilian wonder Kid, Gabriel Medina is already in.  



Why New York and are there Waves? Quiksilver say - The surf industry was created by surfers, for surfers. New York surfers represent the core dedication that has made the sport what it is today. This event is as much in honor of that dedication to wave riding as it is to the stars who light the way. For many, cold water and big city living would be reason enough to turn their backs on the ocean. To be a life-long surfer in New York requires considerable sacrifice and unwavering commitment. It means braving the majority of the year for the incredible surf pay-off that typically comes during a brief window at the end of summer. But the surfing culture is rich and deep on Long Island. The East Coast Surf Championships began on Long Island in 1962 and continues to this day as one of the longest-running surfing competitions in the world. Like California, Hawaii and Australia, New York can lay claim to hometown heroes, mom-andpop surf shops, and die-hard personalities who have supported and influenced generations to become a part of surf history. WHAT ABOUT THE SURF? Forecasters and analysts pored over charts and historic data before selecting the National Boulevard surf site on Long Island, New York. The September 4-15 time frame has historically offered the highest incidence of quality surf and hurricane-generated swell opportunities. Surfline.com, the world's leading forecaster of wave and surf conditions, conducted an independent long term 15-year wave study for western Long Island, New York, summarizing that September 4-15 is one of the most consistent time periods for sizable surf in the region. In addition, independent local feedback supports these findings, with September typically averaging 3+ hurricane swells, typically with at least one 3-4 day swell. Surfline.com is the official forecaster for The Quiksilver Pro New York, serving as a key reference point for contest officials in selecting surf contest days. “ This was a very fascinating study,” said Sean Collins, Chief Forecaster and President of Surfline.com. “The surf climate in Western Long Island is greatly affected by the underwater Hudson Canyon offshore, which can turn average surf into very high quality surf comparable to many of the best surf spots in the world on the right day. We are also in a La Nina year, so we expect the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season to be a little more active and hopefully we can score great surf with the world's top surfers in one of the best cities in the world.”

 
The Wild Cards - As with all Association of Surfing Professionals events, there are two wildcards selected to mix it up with the world's Top 34 ranked surfers. The first wildcard was granted to rising professional New York surfer Balaram Stack, hailed as the most talented surfer to emerge from the New York surf scene. Balaram joined the Quiksilver Pro Team at the age of 14. He is now 19 and pairs his supremely smooth surf style with a repertoire of crowd-wowing, gravity-defying aerial antics. Balaram won the coveted New York UnSound Pro title in 2010. He is also a multiple NSSA East Coast champion. The second wildcard will be given to the top surfer to emerge out of a threestage trials competition that was open to juniors, locals and international talent: Stage 1: The UnSound ASP Pro Junior, held at Long Beach, Long Island, April 27-30, 2011. The winner of the event, Hawaii's Keanu Asing, earned a berth into the final stage of trials competition: Stage 2: The Empire State Surfing Championships Trials for the Trials, presented by Quiksilver, held at National Boulevard, Long Island, July 15-17, 2011. This was open to 16 of New York's hottest home-town surfers. The winner, Leif Engstrom (Montauk) advanced to the international trials competition that will immediately precede the Quiksilver Pro New York: Stage 3: The Quiksilver Pro New York ASP World Tour Trials, presented by UnSound Surf, supported by Vitamin Water, to be held September 1-3 at the National Boulevard main event site. This is open to 14 rising international pro surfers, plus Keanu Asing & Leif Engstrom. The lineup of talent includes solid East Coast representation in Fisher Heaverly, Ryan Carlson, Sam Hammer, Asher Nolan, and Jeremy Johnston. International challengers include: Craig Anderson (Australia), Masatoshi Ohno (Japan), and Marc Lacomare (Europe). The winner will receive the wildcard into the main event. And this is where it really gets interesting. The two wildcards are always immediately drawn against the two top seeds of the event. That sounds like a good deal for the top seeds, but as often as not, the youthful ambition and nothing-to-lose mentality of a wildcard can prove to be the undoing of a champion.



So get your Fantasy Team ready, even in crap waves there is a whole lot to do for the surfers at both ends of the ratings and this should be a banger of a Contest.