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LAUNCHING
Nathaniel Curran wins OP Newport Classic
California surf contests can be fickle at times. Everything from runouts, currents, and pea soup like fog will surely dampen spirits. But all it takes is a window of Newport perfection to realize American pro surfing isn't going away.
At this year's Op Newport Classic, held September 21-25 at 56th Street, competitors were graced with some of the best conditions of the year. Friday proved to be the biggest, cleanest day for the early rounds. In just about every heat, someone was either clocking serious tube time or flying over one of Newport's reliable launch ramp sections. Although the final day dwindled a bit, Oxnard's Nathaniel Curran strengthened his World Championship Tour quest by making the most of 56th Street's head-high, shifting lumps.
"It was hard," Curran admitted holding his $5000 check in hand. "I tried to get the ones from the shoulder and make the most of them." At first, while the rest of the finalists were unsuccessfully trying to crank over-exaggerated turns on the outside, Nathaniel attacked the smaller, cleaner insiders with precision. His rapid-fire backside slash attack linked by mean floaters put him out front early, posting a 7.75 and a 6.5.
When the five-minute horn sounded, it served as an alarm clock to Brett Simpson, Asher Nolan and young Hawaiian Hank Gaskell. Simpson tried to answer back with numerous flyaway aerial attempts, finally notching a 7.4 with less than three minutes left -- good enough to secure second place. Floridian Asher Nolan, in his third final in as many World Qualifying Series events, recorded the contest's only perfect 10 in the early rounds – racing through a seemingly endless double barrel. But in the final, "Slasher" brought too little too late, finishing third.
Curran and Simpson aim to be the next two Cali-kids to make the big show. Before their one-two finish in this two-star event, they were ranked 28th and 41st respectively on the WQS. Both will continue forward to the upcoming four-star Cold Water Classic in Santa Cruz and the next six-star event in Brazil. "I hope we can show the world that the US guys are back," stated a stoked Nathaniel.
Sunday also saw the finals of the Newport City Championships as well as the "Shop Off" local surf shop battle. Congrats to Surfline.com's ripper Mark Beaty, who was one of only two multiple finalists. Beaty made the finals in Masters along with the heavily contested Open Men's division. During the Shop Off, Jack's Surfboards' Tanner Gadauskas and Chris Schiavone outlasted Surfside and Froghouse in a division that pitted one pro with one shop employee.
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2005 RESULTS?
1st-Nathaniel Curran: $5,000?
2nd -Brett Simpson: $2,500?
3rd -Asher Nolan: 2,000?
4th -Hank Gaskell: $1,500
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Mike Cianciulli
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