Registered or Premium Member? LOG IN | Become a Premium Member: START FREE TRIAL
|
SWEET REPEAT
Nate Yeomans defends his Oakley Newport Pro title with a huge last blast
By:
Mike Cianciulli
Photos: Photos: Tom Cozad/NewportSurfShots.com
|
September 23, 2007
12028 visits
|
|
There was a silent buzz on the 56th Street sand.
It was as if everyone secretly wanted Nate Yeomans to pull off the repeat. There were off-the-cuff remarks by spectators, covert bets placed by team managers, and Yeomans was, in fact, surfing like a man on a mission. Yeomans posted big scores with draining tube rides and above the lip antics while working his way through the WQS two-star draw with ease.
|
|
"I thought I was done. I was melting down out there," Yeomans said after being carried up the beach. "Luckily I got that wave and I knew everything was on the line right there and I had to do something big." What transpired was so dramatic that it could have been called by Al Michaels on Monday Night Football (although announcer Ryan Simmons did a damn good job). Here's the scene: There was less than two minutes left with Yeomans needing a high seven. Both Virs and Yeomans were pushing each other deeper and deeper behind the 56th Street rocks. Yeomans turned around, slid inside, grabbed a wave with serious potential, and pumped past three spots where (if this wasn't his last wave of the final) he would have normally done a turn. He then clicked a huge air on the end section, claimed it, got the score (an 8.5) and defended his title. Virs tried to answer back, but fell, lost his board, came in pissed off and disappeared until the awards ceremony. Talk about drama. "I wasn't sure the judges were going to give me the score and that's why I claimed it -- double hands up like I don't know what else I can do."
Nate Yeomans, on his victory claim.
Easily the move of the event, Yeomans reflected on his monster aerial afterwards, "It was pretty much go for broke on that one. I wasn't sure the judges were going to give me the score and that's why I claimed it -- double hands up like I don't know what else I can do. I threw my hands up as an exclamation point just like 'come on, give me the score.'" While not as much of a nail-biter, the Oakley Newport Pro also featured a Pro Junior event that saw Adam Wickwire emerge victorious over a hefty field including ASP North America Pro Junior ratings leader Cory Arrambide, Nick Rozsa and Sebastian Zietz. Wickwire, who rocketed to number two in the rankings with this win, chose to sit wide off the rocks and pick the larger end corners. His mammoth-sized, free-fall floater to finish a stellar ride netted him an 8.5 and after that he never looked back. "I was watching it for two hours before my heat. All the waves were going wide and I stuck to my guns and stayed down there," Wickwire reflected. "I got a good wave under my belt and a decent back-up and scratched my way back into the lead." As the North American season winds down, everything appears to be coming down to next month's finale - the Cold Water Classic in Santa Cruz. After Newport, Virs now leads Yeomans in the Macy's California Trifecta Series, which concludes after the CWC. Although judging by his performance in Newport, another repeat for the '06 Trifecta champ wouldn't be out of the question. "I know this wasn't the biggest contest but to repeat feels great," smiled Yeomans. "And I definitely got my eyes on the Macy's Trifecta for that Jeep and ten grand." To be continued... Oakley Newport Beach Pro presented by Jeep - ASP WQS 2-Star Final: 4 surfers 1 - Nathan Yeomans (USA) 15.25 2 - Adam Virs (USA) 13.95 3 - Austin Ware (USA) 12.60 4 - Shaun Burrell (USA) 8.85 Oakley Pro Junior - ASP Grade-2 Pro Junior Final : 4 surfers 1 - Adam Wickwire (USA) 15.15 2 - Nick Rozsa (USA) 13.80 3 - Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 12.65 4 - Cory Arrambide (USA) 12.00 MORE SURF NEWS SURFLINE HOME PAGE |
|
