Surfline requires Flash Player 9 or higher.
Please download and install the latest version of Flash Player before continuing.
HANG LOOSE SANTA CATARINA PRO: DAY ONE
Kelly, Dane, the Hobgoods banished to Loser's Round as contest kicks off in fun beachbreak
HANG LOOSE SANTA CATARINA PRO: DAY ONE
Kelly, Dane, the Hobgoods banished to Loser's Round as contest kicks off in fun beachbreak
All photos: Sebastian Rojas Seba
Welcome back to the Old Format, folks. Yeah, it's only been two events that saw the sudden death, no loser's round, but it kinda feels like forever since we saw 16 heats go down with no one actually losing. Not that American surf fans are complaining or anything. When Mr. Slater, Mr. Reynolds and both Hobgoods manage to lose out in R1, we're glad to be able to at least see 'em surf one more time before hoping on a plane back across the Atlantic.
This Hang Loose Pro used to happen in late fall, and unless a world title was at stake, many of the ASP Top 45 would opt out. (Last year saw a record 10 no-shows.) Moving it earlier in the year was a twofold idea: it gave the event more influence on the world title race -- and the surf in Brazil is better in June than November, which was made clear in today's fun four- to six-foot beachbreak peaks.
Standouts of R1 include former two-time-event winner and current world number three Mick Fanning, who wailed in his heat against Aritz Aranburu and Nathaniel Curran.
"I couldn't find a rhythm towards the start and Aritz came out with a 5, I came out with a 6, Aritz got a 7 and we went back and forth," Fanning said. "Towards the end, I was able to find a wave that stood up across the bank and it allowed me to really open up. I got one good turn off the top to start and just tried to stay on rail throughout the rest of the wave."
After winning the event in 2006 and 2007, Fanning was one of the many no shows last year, but with the title race still fairly wide open, it's clear he's got his eyes on the prize.
"I've won the event the last two times I've been here so hopefully I can make it a three-peat," Fanning said. "It's still early days, but I'm feeling fit and focused and looking to put some results together over the course of these next events. I'm confident in my abilities in Brazil."
Current points leader Joel Parkinson was another Aussie in fine form today, netting a 16.0 to take down Kai Otton and wildcard Guilherme Ferreira.
"It's difficult out there and there's a lot of water moving but I just tried to stay focused on the task at hand," Parkinson said. "I studied it a lot before the heat and worked out where I wanted to be and just aimed for that. My boards are feeling really good and I felt like I was executing the way I wanted to out there."
When confronted with the obvious question of this year's world title race, Parko was both intense and calculated in his reply. "I don't get ahead of myself," Parkinson said. "I'm happy with the way I've performed out there today, but it was only Round 1. I am looking for a result here in Brazil and I am doing everything I can to achieve it. There are several surfers out there that look to be contenders here. I'm just focusing on my own program."
In the upset of the day, California kid Timmy Reyes took down nine-time world champ Kelly Slater by less than a point. "There are some pretty fun waves out there, but our heat was pretty slow," Reyes said. "I think Kelly needed a 2-something at the end and I just went in. I was exhausted and wasn't going to chase him around for a 2. He easily could have got it, but he didn't. The clock wound down and I came away with the win."
The other upset of the day was Kekoa 'Bam Bam' Bacalso taking down hometown favorite and current ASP World #5 Adriano de Souza.
"I'm absolutely exhausted after that heat," Bacalso said. "There's so much water moving. I thought I was going to get smashed into the rocks. Still though, when you get on them, they can be pretty fun. I was really just trying to redeem myself after a 33rd in Tahiti, but Adriano is phenomenal and he definitely had all the support on the beach. We've surfed against each other at least a dozen times and I think that's the first time I beat him - stoked."
Other rookies to claim victories today alongside Bacalso were Tim Boal and Michel Bourez.
The other surprise of R1 was Chris Davidson, who managed to pull off the day's highest single-wave score, a 9.57, for a death floater into several power hooks.
"I was really lucky that I was able to scratch into that one," Davidson said. "It bowled up and I faded off the bottom and jammed a pretty big floater before linking a couple of turns and finishing with a floater in the end. I was stoked on the score but knew I needed a back up as Jeremy almost got me at the end. I've won down here before on the 'QS and the waves really suit me. I'm definitely aiming for a big result here."
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am for a possible 8am Round 2 start.
|
June 27, 2009
