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With turns like this throughout the event, we have to ask how Jordy Smith did not win?
Ok, I am a South African and Jordy is my mate. This however is not what prompts my feelings on the results on the final day at Bells. I have sat and watched the Semi Final between Jordy and Adriano about ten times and I cannot see how Jordy lost that heat? Compare their two first scoring waves and it is clear that Adriano is over scored. He had a section of wave he had to half turn and hit a wobble and did less aggressive turns than Jordy, its that simple, yet he got a score in the 9's. Now take a look at Jordy's last wave, needing over a 9, he gets an 8.8 and I reckon the entire contest site, surfers and all the viewers were calling him getting the score. Now, I dont blame Adriano for this, in fact I think he ripped the whole contest, but the ASP judges need a good wake up klap! Either that or Jordy needs to start going up the stairs and throwing his weight around a little - maybe get some advice from Sunny Garcia...
Anyway, that is my rant. All in all the contest was absolutely amazing. Cooking waves throughout the rounds, including an old fashioned 8ft day at Bells, you could not ask for much more really. Early losses for Kelly Slater and Joel Parkinson opened the door for the rest of the field and allowed Adriano, Jordy and Taj to play catchup in the rankings. Stand out for the event must be tour rookie, Nat young, who absolutely caned every wave he got all the way to the final. I thought he had it for a while there. Jordy was looking his sublime and powerful best and must be thinking World Tour run this year.
Anyway, congrats Adriano! (Please dont rape the trophy again, a little decorum goes a long way!)
Next up Brazil, with probable shitty waves and the focus back on the air game. All in all, it looks to be a cracker year on the World Tour...
Mick Fanning may have won in 2012, but it was "that air" by Kelly Slater in the final we all remember. (Photo:ASP)
52 Years of iconic contest surfing starts up again tomorrow with the start of the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach. Stop 2 of the World Tour gets underway in small conditions with the forecasters calling epic conditions for the Easter Weekend, just in time for droves of fans to line the point at Bells.
That man Kelly Slater is in the number 1 slot once again, with Joel Parkinson breathing down his neck. Mick Fanning as defending champion will also be a major threat and after watching his turns at Snapper, you best believe that if Bells is big, Jordy Smith will be taking names! Dust Payne has just come off a win at Margaret River and that confidence may well see his best result on tour happening at Bells. Julian Wilson was also in that final and will be feeling good. Dark horses in my opinion will be Kohole Andino and Philipe Toledo.
Anything can happen at Bells though, so look forward to an exiting event!
Tyler Wright has been caning the women's Pro Tour, including winning the season opener at Snapper Rocks this month. But it was the footage from this session at the infamous P Pass that really got my attention. The wave is big, super hollow and runs like a freight train. No problems for this gal, with brother Owen shouting support, she charges some monster pits!
Ok boys, your favorite surfer, Alana Blanchard, is in the new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, as good a reason as any to go buy it. On this episode of her Surfer Girl web show, she shows us behind the scenes footage of the shoot in Las Vegas, as well as some time with her friends on the North Shore. Enjoy...
Greg Long getting a serious shack at early season Jaws. (Photo: Billabong XXL)
Its Friday and that means peeps everywhere are stoked! So to make you even happier here are three videos from the world of action sports to amp you for your weekend.
First off is Greg Long, getting an early entry into the Billabong XXL awards with this massive tube at early season Jaws. The world was going crazy for Shane Dorian's wave, but then this one came along and blew it out of the water.
Red Bull Stratos was called off during the week due to wind conditions, but has been rescheduled for this Sunday, so watch this space.
The Rip Curl Pro in Portugal has had 2 lay days already, but may go live at 1pm today. Check out all the best surfers having a warm up session on Day 1.
Adriano is always dangerous and will be up in Heat 1 of Round 1. (Photo: ASP)
After the crazy mutant tubes in France, we need to prepare for more of the same in Portugal for the Rip Curl Pro. Supertubos is a wave that can deliver insane tubes and great punt opportunities on the smaller days. Just check the videos to see the wide variety of wave on offer at one beachbreak.
With 2 wins on the trot, Kelly Slater is definitely back in the Title hunt and he will be pretty confident going to Supertubos. Joel Parkinson is the number 1 surfer on the ratings, but he knows Kelly is breathing down his neck and after losing in the semis to Kelly in France, he may fold. Mick Fanning has done well at this event in the past and needs a solid result to put his campaign back together after a horrid result in France. Mick was looking so good all year, but wave choice let him down at the last event.
John John and Julian Wilson are my dark horses along with the Frenchman, Jeremy Flores. Jordy Smith has been ripping, but sometimes the luck is not with you. That's been his year in 2012! It will only take one win to change everything, so here is hoping both the judges and that fickle bitch, luck, go his way in Portugal.
The gorgeous and talented, Alana Blanchard, is back on the premier surf tour for 2013. All I can say is, thank you Lord! I am sure most of you guys will agree.
The team at Rip Curl have put a new line of Bikinis on the market, specifically designed for the girl that wants to look good and surf well. The campaign was headed by everyone's favorite surf girl, Alana Blanchard. Check out the behind the scenes video of the shoot in Fiji and then see what Alana has to say about being part of the design team for the range...
Welcome to this week's Friday Mix with me, Captain Kai. This week we start with the teasers for 2 live events in the IBA Bodyboard World Tour's Arica Challenge, from Chile, which starts today and you can watch the live webcasts on the IBA Website. Then you should definitely check out the world's toughest Enduro event, the Red Bull Hare Scramble, which you can watch live via the web on Red Bull's Website. Before we get there though, enjoy a tropical surf trip with the Rip Curl ladies, as they put their new bikinis to the test, with Alana Blanchard, Bethany Hamilton, Tyler Wright and Pauline Ado. We finish off with the "Top 10" jumps of all time - could be some debate over these - but a pretty inspiring video all the same! Enjoy your weekend and make sure you get out there and ride...
Current Tour leader, Taj Burrows, showing how dangerous he can be at Bells. (Photo: ASP)
Who will ring the famous Bell in 2012? After a manic start to the year at Snapper, with some who had been raved about, failing miserably, and others who had been written off, doing well, it is now a tough call to say who should win Bells. The shifty and difficult point break (Though it looks so perfect in those photos.) plays solidly into the hands of the Natural Footers and the poor Goofy guys will be at a severe disadvantage.
Taj took the win and the number 1 slot at Snapper and he will be difficult to beat at Bells. He is surfing fast, loose and hard - all of which will score well at the Rip Curl Pro. He also has the confidence of the number 1 seed, so watch out for Taj.
Bells looks amazing, bu it can be a deceptive arena for the surfers. (Photo: ASP)
Joel Parkinson is the defending champion and always surfs well at Bells, where his smooth, power lines are tailored for the wrapping point waves. Mick Fanning is also always going to be dangerous at Bells. At this point, there is speculation on whether the "Freak", Kelly Slater will arrive or not. Your guess is as good as mine. If he does, add him to the list of could easily win Bells.
Then we have the younger guns. Jordy Smith is looking in great form after Snapper and being 3rd on the rankings will help with the confidence. (Just hope his Dad's snoring does not keep him from waking refreshed!) Bells suits the Jordy package and with 2, 3rds already there, he is ready to step up and ring the Bell. John John Florence, fresh off a huge win at the Margaret river 6 Star, will also be brimming with confidence. If the surf goes to "Point Break" sizes then the youngster from Hawaii will certainly be the one you don't want in your heats.
My outside shot, Josh Kerr. If the waves are super clean, this guy could ring the Bell. He has been surfing really well the last 6 months on tour and is due a win. He has it all from the power lines to the air. Don't be surprised if Kerr and Bells ring each other!
ASP Press Release: BELLS BEACH, Victoria/Australia (Monday, April 2, 2012) – The
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Ranger will commence its
waiting period tomorrow and the Southern Ocean is poised to deliver
excellent conditions for the world’s best surfers to do battle in.
Event No. 2 of 10 on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour, the Rip
Curl Pro Bells Beach will recommence the race for the ASP World Title
and the elite ASP Top 34 will do surf for the honor of ‘ringing the
bell’ by event’s end.
Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, current ASP World No. 1 and former Rip Curl Pro
Bells Beach winner (2007), is fresh off a victory at the season-opening
event on the Gold Coast and will look to consolidate his efforts this
week at Bells Beach.
“Coming off a win definitely helps in terms of confidence,” Burrow
said. “It’s impossible to commit to long-term projections so early in
the year, but I definitely want to back myself up with a good result
here.”
Coastalwatch Plus, official forecaster for the Rip Curl Pro Bells
Beach, are calling for the start of the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach to
be nothing short of excellent. The forecast broadly hinges on an active
storm track affecting the far southern Indian Ocean through to Western
Australian longitudes over the next week.
“I’ve never been much of a forecast guy,” Burrow said. “I usually
just try to approach each day ready to surf anything. From what I’ve
been hearing though, it sounds like we’re going to have a good week of
waves. I’ve been working on my boards and I think I’ve got some good
ones ready for Bells. Equipment is crucial as Bells is such a unique
wave.”
While Burrow currently sits atop the elite ASP World Championship
Tour ratings, the Western Australian admits that the depth of talent
within the ASP Top 34 is staggering.
“There are absolutely no easy draws on tour anymore,” Burrow said.
“It’s about as elite an ASP Top 34 as you can get and everyone is
capable of posting a win. It makes it really exciting to watch and
hopefully I can put in some good showings this week.”
Burrow will take on highly-touted rookie Kolohe Andino (USA), 18, and
trials winner Nic Muscroft (AUS), 29, in Round 1 of the Rip Curl Pro
Bells Beach.
When competition kicks off, up first will be Jordy Smith (ZAF), 24,
Kieren Perrow (AUS), 35, and Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), 30, in Heat 1 of
Round 1.
Running in conjunction with the men’s event is the second stop on the
2012 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach
presented by Ford Fiesta.
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 24, four-time ASP Women’s World Champion and
current ASP Women’s World No. 1, regained her frontrunner status last
month with a hometown win on the Gold Coast. The young natural-footer
claimed an unprecedented four ASP World Titles from her first four
attempts on tour, but last year fell to No. 3 as she was dethroned by
Hawaiian sensation Carissa Moore (HAW), 19.
“Winning any event on tour is a great feeling, but definitely winning
at home and at the opening event of the year is special,” Gilmore said.
“Compared with 2011, I’m in a much better place this season. I’m not
dealing with any injuries and I’m feeling a lot more relaxed. It’s
definitely a different kind of mindset that you experience when you’re
the frontrunner as opposed to chasing the frontrunner, and I think
that’s played in my favor to start the year off.”
A three-time past winner of the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach
(2007, 2008, 2010), Gilmore’s affinity with the wave will serve her well
this week as she takes on her fellow ASP Top 17 competitors.
“I’ve been surfing and competing at Bells for as long as I can
remember and it’s a special place in surfing,” Gilmore said. “I don’t
mean to sound redundant as everyone says this, but it truly is an
incredible natural amphitheater and when the waves are on, it’s one of
the most rippable spots on the planet. I think my style of surfing
definitely suits the walls at Bells and I just hope we get swell for the
event.”
While a percentage of pundits within the surf media questioned
Gilmore’s motivation and commitment to competition following her
dethroning last season, the progressive natural-footer has brushed such
criticism aside, reaffirming her desire to win and her perspective on
maturation.
“It’d be an easy thing to say that after winning the first event of
the year, my focus has returned, but that’s just not accurate,” Gilmore
said. “My focus never left the tour – I’ve always wanted to compete, and
I compete to win. The ASP Title is still the goal, it’s still a driving
force in my life – it’s just not the case that I have a singular goal
anymore. That said, all my efforts right now are geared towards
preparing for Bells and I’m very much looking forward to it.”
Gilmore will battle rookie Lakey Peterson (USA), 17, and wildcard Nikki Van Dijk (AUS), 17, in the opening round of competition.
Event organizers will convene tomorrow morning at 7am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.
The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach will run from April 3 – 14, 2012 and will be webcast LIVE via http://live.ripcurl.com
For this week's Friday Mix, we have a real mix of sports. We start with FMX and the Masters of Dirt tour of the UK. This really is the world's best FMX show and makes me sad that the Cape Town show was cancelled. This is followed by the a quick teaser of Alana Blanchard, probably the world's hottest surfer. Then take a ride through the Winter XGames Europe, Superpipe, with Gold Medalist, Shaun White. We finish off with a ride down the recent World Cup Downhill course in Pietermaritburg with Red Bull rider, Gee Atherton. Enjoy and hope you ride this weekend!
Matt Wilko keeps the vids coming on his blog - Out 2 Brunch - and for his latest upload decided to use our very own, Die Antwoord. While I cannot say I am a fan of the music coming out of the band right now, in fact it hurts my ears, no one can deny that the SA music outfit are making waves, haha. What I do enjoy though, is Wilko's surfing. He surfs like a Jack Russel on speed and amphetamines! Don't believe me? Just watch the video...
Mick Fanning warmed up for the Quik Pro with some serious tubes at P-Pass. He makes it look so easy, but believe me, those are some deadly dangerous tubes!
Wilko has been hot and cold on the WCT, but when he has fired it has been a pleasure to watch. He thought he would prepare for the start of the tour later this month, with a short trip to Sumbawa in Indonesia. There, he proceeded to annihilate every wave, whether left or right, that came across his path. Trust me on this - Wilko is going to surprise some folks on the WCT this year!
For more from Wilko follow his blog - Out 2 Brunch
Portugal delivers the goods once again for the Rip Curl Pro (Photo: ASP)
Day 2 went absolutely mental at Supertubos. Highlight for me was Travis Logie winning his Round 2 heat on the buzzer, it sure must have felt good for him. Surfers to watch are definitely John John Florence, Taj Burrows, Damien Hobgood, Julian Wilson and Kelly Slater. The competition is on right now for Day 3!
ASP Press Release: SUPERTUBOS, Peniche/Portugal (Monday, October 17, 2011) – The Rip Curl Pro Portugal stormed through 21 heats of competition today as the primary site of Supertubos delivered flawless six-to-eight foot (2 – 2.5 metre) barrels from sun up to sun down.
Event No. 9 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title Series, the Rip Curl Pro Portugal enjoyed an historic day of action with the world’s best surfers posting near-perfect scores throughout the day as Supertubos delivered world-class action.
Julian Wilson (AUS), 22, 2011 ASP Top 34 rookie, went blow-for-blow against compatriot Kai Otton (AUS), 31, in the heat of the event today. Otton posted a near perfect 9.97 out of a possible 10 on his opening ride and backing it up with an excellent 8.43 to put the youngster on the back foot early on. However, Wilson would answer back in champion fashion, netting a 9.43 early in the heat before pulling into a cavernous bomb for a 9.70 and the heat win.
“That was an amazing heat,” Wilson said. “My hat goes off to Otto (Kai Otton) as he was getting some ridiculous barrels and really put the pressure on me early. I’ve been watching the conditions all day long and have been trying not to froth out too hard, but they’re just so perfect. It’s truly Dream Tour stuff out there today.”
Finishing Equal 3rd at Lower Trestles and Runner-Up at La Graviere, the young Australian has been building an impressive momentum throughout the last several events and would be considered one of the more dangerous surfers remaining in the field.
“I’ve been very confident in my surfing the past few events and I really feel like I belong at this level of competition,” Wilson said. “I felt like I was right there at the last event in France and I’m really keen to put up another result. The win is always the goal.”
Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion and current ASP World No. 1, navigated the challenging high tide afternoon conditions today with characteristic aplomb, besting an in-form Daniel Ross (AUS), 28, to advance through to Round 4.
“There are still a lot of fun waves out there but the tide is definitely changing things up,” Slater said. “My plan was to go out and catch a lot of waves and I actually made a little priority mistake in there. Dan (Ross) is one of those underrated guys. He’s a big guy so I knew he wouldn’t be taking the smaller waves and I knew he was capable of getting big scores.”
With his Round 3 victory this afternoon, Slater moves one step closer to clinching ASP World Title No. 11, but the iconic Floridian remains characteristically nonchalant about the possibility.
“Counting Portugal, there are still three events left and a lot of points so it’s far from over,” Slater said. “Obviously another result here would long ways towards it but there’re still quite a few guys remaining in the hunt that are still in the event so we’ll see how it all pans out.”
John John Florence (HAW), 17, newcomer to the ASP Top 34 following September’s rotation, posted the highest heat total of the event this morning, a 19.53 out of a possible 20, to eliminate Adrian Buchan (AUS), 29, in Round 2 of competition.
“It’s unreal out there this morning,” Florence said. “It reminds me a lot of Backdoor and Pipe but with a sandy bottom. I was having so much fun. I just kept taking off on everything that came through.”
Florence will now face current ASP World No. 2 Owen Wright (AUS), 21, in Round 3 of the Rip Curl Pro Portugal.
“Owen (Wright) is good in pretty much any conditions,” Florence said. “We had a pretty close heat in Trestles and he beat me. I feel confident in these kinds of conditions though. So hopefully we have good waves for our heat.”
Florence was joined by fellow Hawaiian Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), 29, who dispatched of current No. 5 on the ASP World Title rankings Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, in Round 3 of competition.
Bede Durbidge (AUS), 28, punctuated the day’s affairs with the first Perfect 10 of the event for a monster forehand barrel to the adulation of the thousands on the beach.
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7:45am for a possible 8am start.
When competition resumes, up first will be Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24, and Travis Logie (ZAF), 32, in Heat 9 of Round 3.
The Morning Show from the Rip Curl Pro Portugal will be webcast LIVE from 7:30am to 8pm tomorrow morning, as well as broadcast LIVE on FUEL TV in Australia and Portugal, Ma Chaine Sport in France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland and Africa as well as ESPN in Brazil.
Surfline, official forecasters for the Rip Curl Pro Portugal, are calling for a strong northwest swell will fill in further on today, ease on Tuesday and then fade further on Wednesday. A smaller, reinforcing north swell could then move in on Thursday to keep the surf from dropping too quickly. Wind conditions will be generally favorable for Supertubos Monday with light wind in the morning building in the afternoon.
For additional information log on to www.aspworldtour.com
RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.74 def. Bruno Santos (BRA) 10.97
Heat 2: Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.10 def. Francisco Alves (BRA) 6.57
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 16.83 def. Justin Mujica (PRT) 8.64
Heat 4: Michel Bourez (PYF) 16.77 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 15.23
Heat 5: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 14.43 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 12.90
Heat 6: John John Florence (HAW) 19.53 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 13.97
Heat 7: Heitor Alves (BRA) 15.50 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 13.20
Heat 8: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 16.04 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 15.87
Heat 9: Kai Otton (AUS) 14.97 def. Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 13.93
Heat 10: Dusty Payne (HAW) 16.63 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 12.27
Heat 11: Travis Logie (ZAF) 16.43 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 14.76
Heat 12: Taylor Knox (USA) 13.73 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 9.30
RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.57 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 8.43
Heat 2: Damien Hobgood (USA) 16.33 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 15.30
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 19.13 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 18.40
Heat 4: Chris Davidson (AUS) 14.10 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 5.10
Heat 5: Heitor Alves (BRA) 12.77 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.20
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.86 def. Daniel Ross (AUS) 16.37
Heat 7: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 15.06 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.90
Heat 8: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 18.33 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 17.17
RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL REMAINING ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 9: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 10: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 11: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Heat 12: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. John John Florence (HAW)
Gabriel Medina reveling in the hollow Left at Supertubos! (Photo: ASP)
After a rather slow start at Supertubos yesterday, the waves picked up and the tubes started. Joel Parko, after a dismal result in France, switched back onto form and posted the best wave score of the day. Right behind him was the red hot wonder kid, Gabriel Medina, who after winning in France, is looking full of confidence. There should be banging waves today and Jordy Smith is up in the first heat of Round 2 against wild card, Bruno Santos.
ASP Press: SUPERTUBOS, Peniche/Portugal (Sunday, October 16, 2011) – Clean four-to-six foot plus (1.5 – 2 metre) left and right barrels graced the primary site of Supertubos this afternoon as the Rip Curl Pro Portugal completed the opening round of competition.
Event No. 9 of 11 on the 2011 ASP World Title season, the Rip Curl Pro Portugal will play a pivotal role in determining the 2011 ASP World Champion as well as provide an important opportunity for the world’s best surfers looking to remain amongst the elite ASP Top 34.
Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, wasted no time in lighting things up today, opening the round with the highest heat total of the day, a 17.87 out of a possible 20, with some inspired tube-riding on his forehand.
“The conditions improved so much in the span of one heat when compared to the warm-up just before,” Parkinson said. “It was great and everyone was getting barrels and scores. I guess it just shows how quickly things can change out there.”
Although currently sitting at No. 3 on the ASP World Title rankings, Parkinson admits that his uncharacteristic early round loss at the previous event in France has significantly altered his mental approach to the rest of the year.
“With that loss in France, it seems like it really took me out of the World Title race,” Parkinson said. “It was disappointing, but I just went surfing after for a few daysit and focused on that and had a lot of fun. I think it was a good opportunity to reset for me and hopefully I can finish the season strong.”
Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, hot off the heels of his first elite tour victory in France last week, matched Parkinson’s best result for the day with a 17.87 out of a possible 20 for a commanding display on both his forehand and backhand. In an impassioned heat between compatriot Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 29, and Tiago Pires (PRT), 31, it was the youngster that came out on top.
“We were all battling for waves out there,” Medina said. “At one point, Raoni (Monteiro) got his arm caught in my leash. That’s competition though. We’re all hungry for the win. The waves are really fun out there. I had two really good ones and I’m happy with the win.”
Brett Simpson (USA), 26, scrapped his way to his own victory this afternoon. The Californian has been in sizzling form throughout the last several events and dominated his Round 1 bout in challenging high tide conditions.
“The tide is definitely pretty full this evening and I wasn’t expecting to get those ones that I did,” Simpson said. “With three guys and a small takeoff spot, you don’t want to be sitting there when the waves come – you want to be able to paddle into them. I’ve had some close heats in the last few events, but am stoked to be putting some scores on the board and am keen for a result in Portugal.”
Julian Wilson (AUS), 22, 2011 ASP Dream Tour rookie, posted an impressive Round 1 victory today, carrying over the momentum from a career-best Runner-Up finish in France last week to secure a 17.50 out of a possible 20 en route to his opening victory over Miguel Pupo (BRA), 19, and Adam Melling (AUS), 26.
“I think everything came together for me at the event last week,” Wilson said. “I was able to back myself and convince myself that I was able to take on the best guys in the world and I think that confidence has just been carrying over to Portugal. This is my first time to Peniche and probably my first proper surf out there. It’s a really fun wave and the forecast looks like we’re in for more as well.”
The frontrunners in the hunt for the 2011 ASP World Title continued to perform well today. Both Kelly Slater (USA), 39, current ASP World No. 1, and Owen Wright (AUS), 21, current ASP World No. 2, posted commanding wins in their respective Round 1 bouts, advancing directly into Round 3 of competition.
When competition resumes, up first will be Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, and wildcard Bruno Santos (BRA), 28, in the opening heat of Round 2.
The Morning Show from the Rip Curl Pro Portugal will be webcast LIVE from 7:30am to 8pm tomorrow morning, as well as broadcast LIVE on FUEL TV in Australia and Portugal, Ma Chaine Sport in France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland and Africa as well as ESPN in Brazil.
Surfline, official forecasters for the Rip Curl Pro Portugal, are calling for a new, long period northwest swell to be strongest tomorrow and then will fade through the middle to second half of the week. At this point, wind conditions look generally favorable for tomorrow. Much stronger wind will pick up for Tuesday-Thursday, but will still be from a decent direction for Supertubos.
RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.87, Jadson Andre (BRA) 15.47, Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 11.93
Heat 2: Julian Wilson (AUS) 17.50, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 15.80, Adam Melling (AUS) 10.00
Heat 3: Daniel Ross (AUS) 10.07, Taylor Knox (USA) 9.14, Taj Burrow (AUS) 7.12
Heat 4: Owen Wright (AUS) 14.23, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 10.34, Justin Mujica (PRT) 4.80
Heat 5: Chris Davidson (AUS) 14.60, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 8.90, Francisco Alves (PRT) 7.67
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 13.10, Bruno Santos (BRA) 7.53, Travis Logie (ZAF) 4.70
Heat 7: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 16.43, John John Florence (HAW) 13.50, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 4.87
Heat 8: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.87, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 12.90, Tiago Pires (PRT) 2.79
Heat 9: Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.07, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 13.60, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 6.00
Heat 10: Brett Simpson (USA) 17.43, Heitor Alves (BRA) 6.23, Michel Bourez (PYF) 6.17
Heat 11: Mick Fanning (AUS) 16.10, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.77, Kai Otton (AUS) 9.73
Heat 12: Josh Kerr (AUS) 16.30, Dusty Payne (HAW) 16.24, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 10.33
RIP CURL PRO PORTUGAL ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Bruno Santos (BRA)
Heat 2: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Francisco Alves (BRA)
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Justin Mujica (PRT)
Heat 4: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 5: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 6: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. John John Florence (HAW)
Heat 7: Heitor Alves (BRA) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 8: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 9: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 10: Jadson Andre (BRA) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 11: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 12: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Matt Wilko gives us all a lesson on how to murder perfect warm water lefts. If you want more from Matt, you should check out his new blog - Out 2 Brunch
6 Months cruising from one end of the Indonesian Archipelago to the other surfing perfect waves, catching Game Fish, drinking liters of Bintang Beer and they had hot Rip Curl girls on the boat. Jealous much, you think, haha. I definitely want to see this movie and Ricky Bobby and Franky should feature.
Float is the film version of the RC Tip 2 Tip Project,a 6-month quest on the Infinite Search, stretching from one end of the Indonesian Archipelago to the other aboard the mighty Quest 1.
It's a story of adventure and surfing spirit and the surfers who put their lives on hold to chase it by sea.
From perfect waves to cabin fever - Float lives the surfing dream and takes you everywhere except a final destination.
Starring: Dean Brady, Dillon Perillo and Bruno Santos,
Featuring: Mick Fanning, Owen Wright, Matt Wilkinson, Taylor Knox and others on The Search.
ONE BOAT
SIX MONTHS
13,000 ISLANDS
25,000 BINTANGS
THE INFINITE SEARCH
BELLS BEACH, Victoria/Australia (Wednesday, April 20, 2011) – Today marks the commencement of the 50th Anniversary of competition surfing at Bells Beach as Round 1 of the 2011 Rip Curl Pro Bells presented by Ford Ranger got underway in clean four-to-six foot (1.5 – 2 metre) surf.
The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, the second stop on the 2011 ASP World Title season, enjoyed consistent surf throughout the day as the world’s best surfers unleashed a barrage of high-performance ripping on the classic canvas of Bells Beach.
Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, 2009 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Champion put in a sensational performance this afternoon, electing to sit up at Rincon to secure the day’s highest scores.. Parkinson locked in the highest wave score and the highest heat score of the opening day of competition scoring 17.74 (out of a possible 20.00) to advance directly through to Round 3 of competition.
“I fell off twice on the bowl,” Parkinson said. “It was really hard to ride. Then CJ (Hobgood) went across to Rincon and got a score, so we followed him over and it worked out for me. It’s great to get that opening heat win, especially at Bells. You never know what conditions you’re going to get in a heat, so to be able to skip round two and maybe get a day off is a huge advantage.”
Kelly Slater (USA), 39, reigning 10-time ASP World Champion and defending event winner, was clinical in his attack in his Round 1 heat. Slater had his fellow competitors Adam Robertson (AUS), 28, and Kai Otton (AUS), 31, on the ropes only minutes into the heat, scoring an impressive 16.00 (out of a possible 20.00) on his opening two rides.
“I don’t free surf out at Bells a whole lot,” Slater said. “When the waves are good the comp is on and outside of that it’s pretty crowded. So I’m still learning with each heat out there still, surfing against a guy like Robbo (Adam Robertson) you’ve got to watch where he’s sitting, how far our and how deep.”
Mick Fanning (AUS), 29, currently equal 13th in the hunt for the 2011 ASP World Title, went into today’s competition with renewed vigor after a shock early exit at the last event on the Gold Coast. The past two-time ASP World Champion came out and dominated his Round 1 battle over Tiago Pires (PRT), 31, and Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17.
“I’m stoked to get a good start,” Fanning said. “It’s been 10 years since I won here as I wildcard, I got close last year but Kelly Slater got me in the final. You want to win every event, but being the 50th Anniversary and so much history at this event, it’s like the Wimbeldon of surfing, it’s a hard one to win but it’s the one everyone wants.”
Alejo Muniz (BRA), 21, led today’s rookie charge, continuing his sensational run after the and equal 5th on the Gold Coast, and dispatching of fellow Brazilian Ranoi Monterio (BRA), 28, and Australian Adrian Buchan (AUS), 28 in this morning’s opening round heat.
“It’s so good out there!” Muniz said. “This is my first time surfing at Bells and it’s the most amazing place. It’s got perfect rights, and it’s the kind of wave that I love to surf. It’s the best place ever, best waves, best weather and I love surfing in wetsuits.”
Jeremy Flores (FRA), 22, bounced back after missing the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast with a knee injury, to score a comprehensive win over Taylor Knox (USA), 39, and Cory Lopez (USA), 34.
“I wasn’t very confident before the heat,” Flores said. “But I got that first wave and did a big turn at the end and got a good score. I think that’s what you need to do these days, finish the wave strong. My knee still isn’t 100%, but I went for it and it’s good to win. Big thanks to everyone at the Gold Coast Suns Football Club for helping with my knee, it’s feeling much better now.”
Stu Kennedy (AUS), 21, scored a last minute wildcard into the event and caused the upset of the day, eliminating 2010 ASP World Title runner-up Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, and Dusty Payne (HAW), 22.
“I’ve been coming here for years,” Kennedy said. “I won a Pro Junior here in 2008 and I know where to sit. I don’t think Dusty and Jordy know the break as well as I do so that helps. I’ve been up since 3am because I’m jet-lagged from coming home from Scotland. I woke up with a bunch of energy it’s my shaper’s birthday so I woke him up at 5am to go surfing. I had to win my heat for him for his birthday.”
When men’s competition resumes, up first will be 2010 ASP World Runner-Up Jordy Smith (ZAF), 23, up against Trials Winner Adam Robertson (AUS), 28, in the opening heat of Round 2.
Following the completion of the men’s Round 1 today, the ASP Top 17 hit the water for Round 1 of the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Fiesta.
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 23, reigning four-time ASP Women’s World Champion and defending three-time Rip Curl Women’s Bells Beach winner, returned to her winning ways today, after bowing out early at the last event, the Roxy Pro Gold Coast.
“My first two years on tour I didn’t have great results on the Gold Coast,” Gilmore said. “I always bounced back at this event and then finished the year well, so hopefully I’ll do that again this year. The Gold Coast was a fine showing of what women’s surfing is up to now and everyone has to try and keep up. It really pushes me and I think anyone who wins an event from now on will be a very deserving winner because of that fact.”
Pauline Ado (FRA), 19, the French rookie caused the upset of the women’s event, defeating current ASP World Title front runner Carissa Moore (HAW), 18, in a nail biter of a heat.
“I’m really happy, I had a lot of fun out there,” Ado said “I got one of my good waves in the first few seconds so after that I felt confident and knew I could be more selective and wait for the right wave. A heat against Carissa is always a tough one, so I’m really stoked to win.”
When women’s competition resumes, up first will be Paige Hareb (NZL), 20, and Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), 24, in the opening heat of Round 2.
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.
Highlights from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by FORD will be webcast available via www.live.ripcurl.com and broadcast live on Fuel TV in Australia and ESPN in Brazil.
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.23, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.26, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 7.37
Heat 2: Adam Melling (AUS) 14.50, Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.30, Taj Burrow (AUS) 11.00
Heat 3: Heitor Alves (BRA) 14.36, Bobby Martinez (USA) 14.14, Owen Wright (AUS) 10.60
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.60, Tiago Pires (PRT) 11.07, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 9.27
Heat 5: Stu Kennedy (AUS) 11.70, Dusty Payne (HAW) 10.50, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 9.00
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.00, Kai Otton (AUS) 10.13, Adam Robertson (AUS) 8.53
Heat 7: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.17, Cory Lopez (USA) 5.83, Taylor Knox (USA) 4.67
Heat 8: Michel Bourez (PYF) 12.60, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 10.20, Gabe Kling (USA) 3.50
Heat 9: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 14.60, Damien Hobgood (USA) 11.23, Daniel Ross (AUS) 11.07
Heat 10: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.74, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 11.44, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 8.17
Heat 11: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.60, Chris Davidson (AUS) 10.83, Julian Wilson (AUS) 9.83
Heat 12: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 13.40, Jadson Andre (BRA) 9.43, Brett Simpson (USA) 8.93
The world of the internet has been going mental over the discovery of a tidal bore in deepest Indonesia, called Seven Ghosts. Rip Curl took a hardy crew, including Tom Curren, to this amazing location and they scored epic waves. You have watched the first teaser, now take a look at this...
