Arica Chilean Challenge Event 3, Mens Grand Slam Series El Gringo, Chile 20-29 May 2011 ibaworldtour.com
Arica, Chile (Friday 27 May 2011): In solid 6 foot (2.5 meter) waves at El Gringo, round 3 of the leader board stage has been completed, establishing the top 16 and eliminating the last 16 seeds from competition.
Two time World Champion, Ben Player (AUS, NSW, Avalon) is looking unstoppable with a 100% success rate throughout the 3 rounds. “I have had bloody hard heats… I’m feeling pretty confident now” Player elated.
For South American power house Magno Oliviera (BRA, Guarapari), todays round 3 win secured him the 12th slot in the top 16 of the leader board. ” I like the new 3 round leader board format,” Oliviera added, “I am comfortable and feeling safer now.”
Local rider Alan Munoz (CHI) is the lone chilean remaining in the event. His fearless approach and local knowledge at the infamous El Gringo, have attained him two 2nd and a 1st place finish throughout the 3 rounds, earning him a comfortable 4th seed within the top 16. Having already beaten 6 of the top 24 riders in the world, Munoz has proven his worth in the top half of the draw. ” I am motivated and so happy, I feel light.” Munoz added,” I just want to keep this momentum and thank everybody for their support.”
Mark McCarthy (RSA, Richards Bay) scored an impressive 16.50 out of a possible 20 points, securing a much needed win, placing him in the top half of the leader board. McCarthy executed one of his massive signature backflips and backed it up with a roll, earning him a 9.25, one of the highest scores of the day. McCarthy commented: “I have had no rhythm the past few days and am just happy to have a heat where I could find 2 good waves and get the points I needed today.”
2010 World Champion, Amaury Lavernhe (REU, St Gilles) pulled out a spectacular win in the dying seconds of his round 3 heat today, catapulting him into the 2nd spot of the top 16. Lavernhe describes his last wave: “I thought it was a pretty bad wave and paddled really hard for it, but It was actually a really nice with a pit and small ARS out of the barrel”. Lavernhe scored an excellent 8.83 for his efforts. “Tomorrow is going to be really consistent…pretty massive, making for a good comp.” Lavernhe added.
The final day will unfold tomorrow from 7:30am Arica time. Starting with four 4 man heats in round 4 and then moving into man on man quarter and semi finals, finishing with a 30 minute 2 man final.
The call will be made at 7:00am local time, (1:00am Hawaii, 8:00am Rio de Janeiro, 1:00pm Cape Town, 7:00pm Perth, 9:00pm Sydney). For specific time zones, use the IBA World Clock.
After round 3, the updated leader board displays the seeds of the remaining 16 riders left in the event and the bottom half of the field who were eliminated today.
Arica Chilean Challenge El Gringo, Chile May 20 th- 29th 2011 ibaworldtour.com
The IBA Arica, Chilean Challenge Grand Slam kicked off with with round 2 today in clean 4-6 foot barrels at El Gringo’s split-peak setup.
Dallas Singer (AUS, Newcastle) posted the highest total heat score of the day, an impressive 16.50 points out of 20. Singer seemed unstoppable, leaving the other three competitors requiring a combination of scores to take the lead. “Even when you have the rest of the heat in a combo situation, you feel like you need to get another good wave and improve on your scores,” Singer added.
The only two competitors to rack up wins in both round 1 and 2 are Australians, Ben Player (Avalon) and Singer (Newcastle).
Local trialist, Alan Munoz (CHI) was able to improve on his round 1 runner up position, with a convincing win against established top 24 riders, Dave Winchester (AUS, Mullumbimby) and Pierre Louis Costes (FRA, Capbreton). “I am so happy to go into round 3 with this win.” Munoz elated, “This has been an amazing opportunity to surf against the top 24 here at home in Chile.”
Christian Fernandez (CHI) a local wildcard, was unable to top Gastao Entrudo’s (POR, Meco) barrel to roll combos, totalling 16/20 points. Although finishing runner up in his round 2 heat, Fernandez stunned competitors and judges alike with his high risk air-roll-spin to roll combinations. Fernandez mentioned: “It is always an honour to surf with the top 24 here at home. I love watching them tackle and excel at this high performance wave like El Gringo.”
Brazilian GSS rider Lucas Noguiera was another stand out in round 2, launching a huge air-roll-spin over the notoriously shallow end bowl of El Gringo’s left.
Other heat winners of round 2 are Guilherme Tamega (BRA, Copacabana), Charly Chapelet (FRA) and Michael Novy (AUS, Central Coast)
A major spike in swell combined with clean conditions is sure to provide El Gringo with world class waves for the remainder of the event. Event organisers are expecting and action packed round 3.
The call will be made at 7:00am local time, (1:00am Hawaii, 8:00am Rio de Janeiro, 1:00pm Cape Town, 7:00pm Perth, 9:00pm Sydney). For specific time zones, use the IBA World Clock.
After round 2, the updated leader board gives the riders an idea of their performance required in round 3 to ensure a spot in the top 16.
The Australian’s won the World Teams Challenge at El Gringo today as the Arica Chilean Challenge went on hold for another day.
Ryan Hardy, Dave Winchester, Mitch Rawlins and Sam Bennett dominated the line up and took honours ahead of South Africa, France & Hawaii.
This dip in swell is considered the calm before the storm, as forecasts are predicting a flurry of long range swells sending 10 foot plus surf from a South Westerly direction. Event Organisers are expecting an explosive finish to the event as the world’s best battle it out at maxing El Gringo, one of the most notoriously heavy and dangerous waves.
The final day of the Arica Chilean trials was contested at El Gringo this morning with the top 7 riders securing a birth in the main event.
The morning started with some smaller but cleaner 3-5 feet waves as an early offshore groomed the waves into perfect peaks.
The trials were used to showcase a new 4-man priority system that would see less hassling and more focus on getting the best riders on the best waves.
IBA World Tour manager Terry McKenna explains.
“ This was driven by the riders that wanted a system that would be user friendly and make sure that no waves were wasted by excess jostling in the line-up, and it worked perfectly”
First up was the semi finals of the trials and the main mission of the remaining competitors was to get the 2000 GQS points on offer as well as steer clear of 8th position, as this was the only spot that would not be going through to the main event.
Semi 1 was a heavy exchange between 4 of the most consistent competitors in the event going at it with Jones Russell (Aust) & Charly Chapelet (Reunion) proving too strong for the South American trio of Roberto Bruno (Brazil) and Emiliano Tabre (Argentina).
The second semi was a battle of the heavy hitters with the Australian duo of Mitch Rawlins and Tom Rigby sneaking past the two locals Alan Munoz (Chile) and Renato Arellano (Chile) to set up a predominately Australian final.
Semi 1
Charly Chapelet Reunion 2
Emiliano Tabare Argentina 4
Jones Russell Australia 1
Roberto Bruno Brazil 3
Semi 2
Name Info P
Thomas Rigby Australia 2
Renato Arellano Chile 4
Mitch Rawlins Australia 1
Alan Munoz Chile 3
By this time the waves were pumping and El Gringo was serving up some perfect lefts & rights in the 1.5 – 2 mtr range providing a spectacular arena for the competitors to showcase their skills.
Mitch Rawlins looked hungry for a win and picked the best waves to claim victory and snatch the 2000 GQS points that were up for grabs.
“Finally it all came together” laughed Mitch.
“It’s been a while and it feels good but with the first round of the GSS coming up, I don’t have much time to enjoy it” said Rawlins.
The Trials final results are as follows.
Name Info P
Jones Russell Australia 3
Charly Chapelet Reunion 4
Mitch Rawlins Australia 1
Thomas Rigby Australia 2
With the surf still pumping and the crowd building organizers decided to run straight into the first round of the main event.
The first heat of the GSS leader-board round set a blistering pace with former World Champion Damian King (Australia) firing in the gaping tubes. “ I lost my board when I was in front and just kept cool” said King. “There are a lot of young guys coming through the ranks so that challenges me to keep on top of my game and keep fresh” he added.
The leader-board section of the event offers riders 6 points for a win, 4 points for second, 2 points for third and 1 point for last across the first three rounds with the Top 16 moving into the round 4 man-on-man heats.
Tomorrow’s forecast is shaping up well with a strong chance of the second round getting underway.
The second day of the Arica Chilean Challenge trials went up a gear today as some of the top seeds hit the water and put on a show in front of a mammoth crowd.
May 21st is a very important day in the history of Arica as the City celebrated with traditional dancers and parades.
The last four heats of the second round featured some outstanding performances with Adam Morley (South Africa) Renato Arellano (Chile) Bruno Kuster (Brazil) & Cristobal Sciaraffia (Chile) all dominating the line up with heat wins.
Round three introduced the trials top seeds and the intensity of the competition lifted with the GQS frontrunners all vying for valuable points and a place in the main event.
Reunion Islands Charlie Chaplet set the standard early with deep tubes and stylish positioning to move into the quarters.
Sam Bennett (Australia) was coming off a win in the Peruvian 6 Star GQS and struggled to find his rhythm in his first ever surf at El Gringo and finished third behind Chaplet and Roberto Bruno (Brazil)
“Yes it wasn’t the best game plan but I trained down the coast at Iquique for a week before arriving yesterday” said Bennett.
Others to impress today included Hugo Pinheiro (Portugal) Emiliano Tabare (Argentina) Kalani Lattanzi (Brazil) and Australians Mitch Rawlins, Tom Rigby and Chase O’Leary who all secured spots in the quarters.
The highlights of the day was undoubtedly the ten point rides from both Tom Rigby and Josh Garner who twisted and turned through deep multi section tubes and emerged to the cheers of the crowd.
“Its insane out there” said Garner.
“ This wave is so consistently good its ridiculous”
Results from the quarters were as follows
Quarter 1
Charly Chapelet Reunion 1
Danton Correa Chile 4
Emiliano Tabare Argentina 2
Julien Miremont France 3
Quarter 2
Hugo Pinheiro Portugal 4
Roberto Bruno Brazil 2
Kalani Lattanzi Brazil 3
Jones Russell Australia 1
Quarter 3
Chase O’Leary Australia 4
Renato Arellano Chile 2
Thomas Rigby Australia 1
Josh Garner Australia 3
Quarter 4
Mitch Rawlins Australia 1
Ardiel Jimenez Canary Is 4
David Phillips Hawaii 3
Alan Munoz Chile 2
When the dust settled the semi finals were decided and the following 8 riders will compete tomorrow for the 7 and join the Top 23 riders in the world and two wildcards in the main event.
Semi 1
Charly Chapelet Reunion
Emiliano Tabare Argentina
Jones Russell Australia
Roberto Bruno Brazil
Semi 2
Thomas Rigby Australia
Renato Arellano Chile
Mitch Rawlins Australia
Alan Munoz Chile
There is a strong chance that the first round of the GSS will get underway tomorrow immediately after the trials wraps up so stay tuned for a call at 8am local time for a possible 9am start.
Day 1 at the Arica Chilean Challenge got off to a cracking start with solid 2 mtr waves at El Gringo.
The first rounds of the trials saw some outstanding riding from the predominately Chilean contingent in front of a vocal local crowd. Lucas Isnard (Brazil) and Danton Correa (Chile) were the two standouts of the day with consistent performances.
Joa Gabriel (Brazil) held the best two-wave combo (14.00) whilst the single highest score of the day belonged to Sebastian Siede (Chile) who blasted out of the gates in the first heat to post a solid 8 pointer for a deep tube to roll combo. In the last heat of the day Kalani Latanzzi (Brazil) showed why he is one of the next big things coming out of South America with great wave selection and stylish rolls.
The day included countless other highlights as El Gringo showed glimpses of brilliance by pumping out the occasional heaving slab that split in both directions. The forecast for the coming days looks promising with Sunday shaping up for the finish to the trails and a possible start for the main event. By mid afternoon the “Brisa” or onshore breeze kicked in and organizers decided to postpone the last 4 heats of round 2 till tomorrow. The town goes into celebratory mode tomorrow with a public holiday so an army of hardcore spectators is expected to roll up. The competitors are asked to check in at 7am for a 7.30 start.
The top 7 riders from these trials join the Top 23 riders in the world and two wildcards in the main event next week.
Banzai Pipeline, Oahu, HAWAII – January 26, 2011 — Hawaii’s John John Florence started surfing the deadly Banzai Pipeline at age eight and barely four feet tall — about the same time the surfing world’s spotlight fell in love with him. Ten years later, at 18 years of age and heaped with expectation, he proved there hasn’t been an ounce of energy wasted on him, winning the $120,000 Volcom Pipe Pro title at his home break today. An Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) five-star event, this was exactly the kind of springboard into professional surfing that Florence has long dreamed of, and it came in the first rated event of his first season on tour.
Above: Just one of John John’s many brilliant barrels today.
Photo: Bernie Baker
It was a hard-earned victory for Florence who had to work his way through five grueling rounds – four of them held today in barreling waves two stories high. His final ascent required him to take down five-time Pipeline champion Jamie O’Brien and proven Pipe specialists Chris Ward (San Clemente, Ca.) and Aamion Goodwin (Kauai, HI).
Determined not to let the opportunity slip, Florence embarked upon a flurry of insane tube-riding in the opening 10 minutes of the 30-minute heat, locking in back-to-back scores of 7.67, 8.43, and 9.93 to shut the door. He never caught another wave. He didn’t need to. His top two-wave total of 18.36 stood untouched and earned him $16,000, 1,000 ASP ratings points and, more importantly, a wildcard to take on the world’s best in the Pipe Masters, December 8-20.
It has been an incredible month for the now-towering teenager who tasted victory just three weeks ago, right here in a specialty “Backdoor Shootout” event, setting his trajectory for 2011. Somehow, despite a decade of photo shoots, magazine spreads and interviews, he seemed to be the only one surprised with the result.
“Two contests in a row out here, I’m so stoked right now. I’m still kind of in disbelief,” said Florence. “It’s satisfaction. I love doing it and putting it all together and just having fun.”
On his plans to travel the world this year in a bid to qualify for the elite ASP World Tour: “This means everything, my first (ASP) win and my first (ASP) final. I’m gonna try, you know. I’ve got a pretty good start on it. I love it, and I love traveling. Going to all different places, surfing, meeting different people. It’s the best thing ever.
“It’s just crazy to be in a heat with Jamie. I’ve grown up with him and I’m just really stoked. I’ve wanted to win here ever since I was little, ever since I started surfing out here.”
Florence’s rhythm and rapid fire annihilation of the heat was uncanny, breaking out of the gates with a lifetime of motivation behind him. His tube-riding was flawless – the biggest waves, the steepest drops, Backdoor rights, Pipeline lefts; they all seemed to play out the same way: deep, long and successful.
“With guys like Chris Ward, Jamie, and Aamion you know anything could happen. If a good set comes Jamie could get a 10. Anyone could have gotten the scores. So, it wasn’t until the last 40 seconds that I was like……YES!
“I kinda just lucked into it, you know. I got that first one and it was alright and then I paddled back out and got that second one, and then just paddled straight back into that left.”
O’Brien didn’t give up and is well known for rising to the challenge. He answered back with an 8.57 and a 6.77 (15.34 points total) in the final, but ultimately never found the score he needed to bridge the gap. His consolation was a wildcard into December’s Pipe Masters and $8,000.
For Ward and Goodwin, it might have been a matter of peaking a round too early. Aamion posted the second highest heat score of the entire event in his semi-final against O’Brien, Fred Patacchia (HI) and Ian Walsh (HI) – 18.54. Ward had one of the highest single rides of the competition in his semi-final against Florence, Kai Barger (HI), and Damien Hobgood (FL) – a near-perfect 9.07. Like Florence and O’Brien, Goodwin and Ward win wildcards into the Pipe Masters.
“It was amazing,” Goodwin said of his semi-final heat and best finish in an ASP event. “I’ll remember that for a long time.”
For Ward, it was nothing but satisfaction. His last appearance in a final was here at the Pipe Masters in December of 2009, against world champion Kelly Slater. To podium again was confidence boosting.
“The waves are amazing today, so perfect,” said Ward. “I mean, if you’re in the right spot, your going to get shacked off your head. It’s right up my alley. I love Pipeline and I love surfing with four guys out at Pipeline. This is one of the best contests you can surf in. I’m glad to be hear and glad to be on the podium.”
Other awards handed out today included the Electric Visual Perfect 10s – $1,000 bonuses to the two surfers who posted perfect 10-point rides during the event: Maui’s Ian Walsh, and Oahu’s Kekoa Bacalso; and the Todd Chesser Memorial Spirit Award that went to wildcard charger Kalani Chapman (HI). Wildcards into the Pipe Masters were also won by Hawaii surfers Kai Barger, Fred Patacchia, Bruce Irons, and Evan Valiere.
The highest placed non-Americans in the event were Brazilian pair Wiggolly Dantas and Leandro Bastos. They both lost in the quarter finals, placing equal ninth overall. Bastos lost to O’Brien and Dantas lost to Ward.
The 2011 Volcom Pipe Pro appreciates the support of Surfline.com, the official contest forecaster; Electric Visual; Transworld Surf and Fuel TV.
RESULTS:
-FINAL-
1. John John Florence (HAW) – 18.36, $16,000
2. Jamie O’Brien (HAW) – 15.34, $8,000
3. Chris Ward (USA) – 14.46, $6,000
4. Aamion Goodwin (HAW) – 10.6, $5,000
Semifinals
*Competitors listed in order of placing, 1st through 4th.3rd=5th, 4th=7th
H1: John John Florence (HAW); Chris Ward (USA); Kai Barger (HAW); Damien Hobgood (USA)
H2: Aamion Goodwin (HAW); Jamie O’Brien (HAW); Fredrick Patacchia (HAW); Ian Walsh (HAW)
Quarterfinals
3rd=9th, 4th=13th
H1: John John Florence (HAW); Kai Barger (HAW); Cory Lopez (USA); Kekoa Bacalso (HAW)
H2: Damien Hobgood (USA); Chris Ward (USA); Wiggolly Dantas (BRA); Kalani Chapman (HAW)
H3: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW); Ian Walsh (HAW); Bruce Irons (HAW); Evan Valiere (HAW)
H4: Jamie O’Brien (HAW); Aamion Goodwin (HAW); Leandro Bastos (BRZ); Marcus Hickman (HAW)
Round of 32
1st and 2nd advance to Quarter-Finals
3rd=17th, 4th=25th
H1: John John Florence (HAW); Chris Ward (USA); Brad Ettinger (USA); Cory Arrambide (USA)
H2: Cory Lopez (USA); Wiggolly Dantas (BRA); Reef McIntosh (HAW); Sunny Garcia (HAW)
H3: Damien Hobgood (USA); Kekoa Bacalso (HAW); Mason Ho (HAW); Tim Reyes (USA)
H4: Kalani Chapman (HAW); Kai Barger (HAW); Dane Gudauskas (USA); Damien Fahrenfort (ZAF)
H5: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW); Leandro Bastos (BRA); Flynn Novak (HAW); Roy Powers (HAW)
H6: Bruce Irons (HAW); Aamion Goodwin (HAW); Olamana Eleogram (HAW); Nathan Yeomans (USA)
H7: Marcus Hickman (HAW); Evan Valiere (HAW); Kevin Sullivan (HAW); Dylan Graves (PRI)
H8: Jamie O’Brien (HAW); Ian Walsh (HAW); Makuakai Rothman (HAW); Charles Martin (GLP)
Banzai Pipeline, Oahu, HAWAII – January 26, 2011 –
With a perfect 10 from Ian Walsh, and a dose of trademark Bruce Irons brilliance to reinvigorate the local drive, the Hawaiian contingent at the Volcom Pipe Pro tapped into a rhythm all their own today. As defending event champion Jamie O’Brien prepares to make his first appearance here tomorrow, the local barrel-riding force is gaining momentum right in time for the final day. In excellent 8-foot surf, eight of the top 10 scoring tubes today were laid down by Hawaii surfers, including the 10 and an 8.27 from Maui’s Ian Walsh, and a stand-alone 9-point ride from Irons that left even him in disbelief.
Above: Bruce Irons, shrouded in the mist of his own world.Photo by Bernie Baker.
Stealing a moment away from his larger role in his family’s life on Kauai, Bruce Irons found himself in a world of his own in the barrel at Backdoor today; so much so that he had no idea that his only real score – a nine – was the best wave ridden in his heat and more than enough to move him forward in the competition. He disappeared off into the free-surfing lineup after the heat, looking like he needed a moment alone, before making his way back half an hour later. Speaking in an interview on the beach, he was shocked to learn that he was still in the running.
“You know, Pipe is different from everywhere else…It’s like, where time stands still. If you could bottle that up and give it to someone who doesn’t know anything about surfing, that feeling, you’d be a millionaire! All my thoughts, everything is out the window and it’s pure joy, excitement, euphoria. It’s a real nice feeling. It’s very peaceful.
“You drop in, you’re concentrating, and then you get in the barrel and you’re mesmerized, and then….none of this even exists and then as you come out of the barrel, reality sets back in. You can hear the commentator, wooahh! And you’re like…..back to the real world. I just wanna go back inside. I don’t know, it’s a trip.
“I haven’t really surfed a contest (lately) and it felt good. The reality I came out to was I lost. But it’s only a contest and I don’t really do them anymore.”
At this point, Bruce was informed that he had actually advanced. “No, I don’t think I did….I got a 9 and a zero, maybe a 1. Really?! I thought I lost! I was just staying out there blowing off steam!”
Ian Walsh was flawless, from his wave selection to his body torquing positioning and deep, traveling tube-time. From the beach it was impossible to tell he was surfing with 12 stitches in his ankle from a random swing of his garden machete over the weekend. Clearly, he’s safer in the setting of a dry, dredging reef than dry land.
“I made it through the whole weekend of big swell … surfing Jaws and paddling a few reefs on Maui, and then I was relaxing on Saturday night just cleaning up my yard and the machete slipped out of my hand, and boom! straight to the bone on my ankle. I was kinda on crutches for two days and now the tenderness is slowly going away. It feels better if I’m floating not standing on it.”
Talking about his perfect 10: “I could see the set coming and Healey and I were kind of paddling pretty deep past the boil and it was pretty evident it was gonna be a left coming in, not a right. I thought I might have been a little too far out over the ledge. I got a couple extra scratches and gave a little whistle to Mark because he was pretty head down into it. I just got one big lucky pump without grabbing (rail) which kind of gave me more room to pump, and it just stayed open and I came out happy. It’s my first perfect 10 in this contest or any event in Hawaii, so I’m psyched.”
On the flip side of being ‘psyched’, the Australians were dejected, and ejected today – all of them. Dean Morrison was left with the pain of one of the day’s deepest, longest backdoor barrels that pinched shut on him, leaving him in limbo between what could have been a perfect 10 but ended up worthless. Anthony Walsh and Heath Joske suffered similar fates and the Southern Cross flag came down at the Volcom Pipe Pro.
Since the earliest years of pro surfing at the Banzai Pipeline, Australians have routinely claimed their share of the attention, and the Volcom Pipe Pro has been one of the platforms that has jump-started more than a few of their careers.
The dream start of Brazil’s Dennis Tihara also hit a wall today when Pipe deserted him in favor of fellow-countryman Wiggolly Dantas – one of the top 10 scorers of the day. Only two Brazilians remain in contention as the event readies for the final day: Leandro Bastos and Dantas.
The US mainland contingent is still strong, including Timmy Reyes, Chris Ward, Cory Lopez, Damien Hobgood, and Dane Gudauskas.
Wave heights are expected to drop tomorrow before a new swell starts filling in on Friday. Regardless, organizers will assess the conditions at 7am each morning. The 2011 Volcom Pipe Pro champion will be crowned on the next day that the event runs.
The Volcom Pipe Pro is being broadcast live on the internet as well as live around Hawaii on Oceanic Time Warner Cable digital channels 250 & 1250HD. A full report and VNR will be available at the end of today’s action.
An Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 5-star international event, the Volcom Pipe Pro will be held on the three biggest and best days of surf between January 24 and February 5, 2011.
The 2011 Volcom Pipe Pro has partnered with Surfline.com as the official contest forecaster, along with Electric Visual, Transworld Surf and Fuel TV.
RESULTS:
Remainder of Round 2, starting from heat 11.
Surfers listed in order of placing from 1st through 4th.
1st & 2nd advance. 3rd=65th, 4th=81st
H11: Olomana Eleogram (HI); Flynn Novak (HI); Derek HO (HI); Stephen Walsh (AUS)
H12: Nic Von Rupp (DEU); Sion Milosky (HI); Nils Schweizer (USA); Casey Brown (HI)
H13: Charles Martin (GLP); Evan Valiere (HI); Jonah Morgan (HI); Liam McNamara (HI)
H14: Ian Walsh (HI); Marcus Hickman (HI); Mark Healey (HI); Dege O’Connell (HI)
H15: Makuakai Rothman (HI); Pancho Sullivan (HI); Matthew Bromley (ZAF); TJ Barron (HI)
H16: Kevin Sullivan (HI); Stephen Koehne (HI); Manuel Selman (CHL); Albee Layer (HI)
Round of 64 (Round 3) 13 of 16 heats completed today.
H1: Brad Ettinger (USA); Cory Lopez (USA); Anthony Walsh (USA); Billy Kemper (HI)
H2: John John Florence (HI); Sunny Garcia (HI); Solomon Ortiz (HI); Gabriel Villaran (PER)
H3: Reef McIntosh (HI); Cory Arrambide (USA); Dean Morrison (AUS); Rudy Palmboom (ZAF)
H4: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA); Chris Ward (USA); Jason Shibata (HI); Dennis Thiara (BRA)
H5: Kekoa Becalso (HI); Kai Barger (HI); Dimitri Ouvre (BRB); Angelo Lozano (MEX)
H6: Tim Reyes (USA); Dane Gudauskas (USA); Jesse Mendes (BRA); Jesse-Merle Jones (HI)
H7: Damien Fahrenfort (ZAF); Mason Ho (HI); Danny Fuller (HI); Heath Joske (AUS)
H8: Kalani Chapman (HI); Damien Hobgood (USA); Alexander Gray (USA); Tyler Newton (HI)
H9: Frederick Patacchia (HI); Bruce Irons (HI); Ricky Whitlock (USA); Sean Moody (HI)
H10: Leandro Bastos (BRA); Aamion Goodwin (HI); Kiron Jabour (HI); Luke Davis (USA)
H11: Olamana Eleogram (HI); Roy Powers (HI); Sion Milosky (HI); Chris Waring (USA)
H12: Nathan Yeomans (USA); Flynn Novak (HI); Nic Von Rupp (DEU); Eric Geiselman (USA)
H13: Marcus Hickman (HI); Charles Martin (GLP); Torrey Meister (HI); Granger Larsen (HI)
An extra large swell is forecast to batter Oahu’s North Shore this week, but uncertainty still surrounds the actual height of the waves that will materialize and whether this latest episode will give the green light to The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, Fueled by Monster Energy. There is no question that the north Pacific system generating the anticipated swell has the potential to deliver waves of “Eddie” size, but it now comes down to the directional focus of the swell. Organizers of the event will continuously monitor developments of this swell that is expected to peak on Oahu’s North Shore on Thursday, January 20.
Above: Yesterday’s 15-18 foot surf at Waimea was from such a westerly direction that “Eddie” Invitee Mark Healey opted for the left-hander on the opposite side of the Bay – a largely unridden realm. Photo: Bielman.
The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau is a one-day big wave invitational staged at Waimea Bay with a minimum wave height requirement of 20 feet. It was last held on December 8, 2009, in 20- to 25-foot surf and was won by California’s Greg Long. The event is held in memory of one of the greatest Hawaiian watermen of all time, Eddie Aikau, who was a pioneer big wave rider and highly respected lifeguard at Waimea Bay. In its 26 year history, the event has only been held a total of eight times.
“The system generating the surf is definitely gigantic and certainly as strong as predicted, covering roughly 18,000 square miles of the north Pacific,” explains George Downing, Contest Director of The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau. “But up to now, the strongest winds generating the open ocean swells have not been aimed at Hawaii. This can change as the system passes the dateline, so we will have to be patient.”
A further 24 hours of watch-and-wait will provide a better indication of the true potential of the swell and what it will produce for Waimea Bay. There are still three full days of developments yet to unfold and ultimately “The Bay calls the day”.
The National Weather Service expects that beyond this week the favorable jet stream flow will continue to lend itself to more extra-large to giant surf through the end of the month/into early February. The holding period for the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau runs up to and including February 28.
The most recent storm activity in the Pacific produced quality surf of up to 18 feet along Oahu’s North Shore yesterday, allowing many of the Invitees and Alternates to “The Eddie” to test their equipment and ready themselves for what lies ahead.
Updated information can be found at www.Quiksilver.com/Eddie where you can also sign up for text alerts.
The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau is the world’s longest running and most prestigious big-wave invitational and is the only one sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), the governing body of professional surfing.
Marc Lacomare (Hossegor, FRA) (pictured) won the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships at Sydney’s North Narrabeen in Australia defeating Nat Young (USA) in the final on Saturday January 15, 2011.
Lacomare was one of the form surfers of the entire event, taking an early heat lead with a 6.50 ride (out of ten) and following up with a fantastic 7.50 to defeat Young with a 14.00 to 11.50 (out of 20.00) two wave heat score.Lacomore’s victory destroyed Young’s chances of claiming the 2010 ASP World Junior Title which went to highest rated surfer Jack Freestone (AUS). While Freestone was eliminated in equal 9th position, the Australian surfer had enough points lead to clinch the prestigious ASP World Junior Title for 2010
Alize Arnaud (Capreton, FRA) (pictured) has been crowned the 2010 ASP World Junior Champion after reaching the semifinals at Sydney’s North Narrabeen on Tuesday January 11, 2010.
Arnaud who was leading the ratings going into the semifinals, overcame her closest rival and defending ASP World Junior Champion Laura Enever (AUS) during the semifinals after Enever was knocked out of the event during semifinal heat one.
While Arnaud was defeated by Bianca Buitendag (RSA) in the following heat, her points lead over Enever was enough to secure her the 2010 title.
