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TANNER GUDAUSKAS WINS MR PRICE PRO BALLITO
San Clemente frother celebrates 21st birthday + becomes highest-ranked American on WQS
Photos: GREG EWING
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July 5, 2009
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As clichéd as is sounds, Tanner Gudauskas was in fact born on the Fourth of July.
The San Clement frother turned 21 this year, and to celebrate, he won the 'QS 6-Star Mr Price Pro Ballito on July 5th, making it a damn good start to the year. He took down Aussie James Taipan Wood, rocketing to No. 6 on the WQS and pocketing R159 000 (US$20 000).
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Attacking the 30-minute final with unprecedented determination, Gudauskas rode every lump of swell, snatching an early heat lead with a 6.83 for some clean backhand turns, riding out in an explosion of whitewater off his final maneuver. While his opponent Wood opted to play the patience game catching his first wave at the 11 minute mark, Gudauskas projected fast out of his top turns, maintaining speed and power in the wind affected waves to score a 6.67 and further extend his lead over the Australian, who was left looking for a 7.67. "I just got into this mindset that when the surf got worse I was going to get better and as the tide came up and it got less consistent, I just got more fired up and more pissed off," said Gudauskas. "It's crazy because I can hardly remember half of it now but my priority exchange worked out and it all came together and I'm just super fired up!" "I just got into this mindset that when the surf got worse I was going to get better and as the tide came up and it got less consistent, I just got more fired up and more pissed off."
--Tanner Gudang
"When I came out of the water and saw my brothers and some of my friends all standing on the beach cheering for me I was almost in tears," said Gudauskas. "We have a really strong crew from America right now and we're all pushing as hard as we can to bust down the door and make the ASP World Tour and I think this year could be the year." Guduaskas is now the highest rated American surfer on the WQS tour, surpassing both WQS No. 7 Brett Simpson and his older brother WQS No. 10 Patrick Gudauskas. Mr Price Pro Ballito runner-up James Wood, a former U16 World Champion who until today was yet to make his mark on the WQS circuit, joined Gudauskas in posting his career best result, taking home R79 000 ($10 000) as well as a serious boost of confidence. "This second place is amazing, it's the best I have ever done," said Wood. "Obviously my strategy wasn't the best but this result is going to help a lot. I didn't expect to do this well and I just ended up on a good roll so I'm stoked and just want to keep the momentum going into the next few contests." Finishing in equal third positions were aerial maestro's Australians Wade Goodall and Matt Wilkinson, who kept spectators glued to the action with their radical near perfect 9-point rides this morning. Both surfers earned R40 000 (US$ 5000) each as well as 1625 ratings points; Wilkinson jumping to WQS No. 12. Netting good to excellent scores all week, including a near perfect 9.17 in his quarterfinal match-up against Dylan Graves, Wilkinson was relegated into second place by an on-form Wood during their semifinal, the Australian needing only a 6.61 to advance. "If I had known I was going to come here and get third I would have been stoked, but to need a 6 to make a final is incredibly disappointing because I've caught a hundred sixes this week," said Wilkinson. "It's disappointing but I'm still very happy with this result." Sponsored freesurfer and new-school innovator Wade Goodall suffered a similar semifinal loss. After posting a near-perfect 9.33 during the quarterfinals against South African Klee Strachan, Goodall lost confidence against Gudauskas in the semis. Failing to land any of his trademark air reverses, Goodall slipping into a combination situation as Gudauskas racked up scores advancing into the final. "I'm amped with this result," said Goodall. "I got really nervous in that heat and my legs kept giving way on many of my airs. I hardly ever actually have to think that I have to make an air going into it, but still I'm stoked with how things went today." WQS No. 1 Daniel Ross took home an equal fifth place finish, joining fellow quarterfinalists Dylan Graves, Klee Strachan, and Nathan Hedge, all of whom earned R23 000 ($2950). South African Klee Strachan was the top placed local surfer in the event, finishing in fifth place after being defeated by Goodall in the semifinals. Strachan also went on to win the Best Wave award during the Glodina Expression Session, pocketing an extra R5000 in cash. "Obviously you want to make it to the final and I was thinking maybe I can do this and was feeling confident in every heat," said Strachan. "Unfortunately things didn't go my way this morning, I didn't get the waves but to get a result like this in my first year on the WQS is amazing, it's the biggest confidence boost of my life." Australian Stuart Kennedy took out the Best Maneuver award while and Adam Melling won the Best Aerial during the Glodina Expression Session both surfers pocketing R5000 for their efforts. Results Finals: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 13.50 def James Taipan Wood (AUS) 8.73 Semi Finals: Heat 1: James Taipan Wood (AUS) 13.77 def Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 12.17 Heat 2: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 13.33 def Wade Goodall (AUS) 7.70 Quarter Finals: Heat 1: James Taipan Wood (AUS) 14.67 def Daniel Ross (AUS) 0.00 Heat 2: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 16.84 def Dylan Graves (PRI) 12.33 Heat 3: Wade Goodall (AUS) 17.83 def Klee Strachan (ZAF) 11.40 Heat 4: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 15.00 def Nathan Hedge (AUS) 9.90 MORE SURF NEWS SURFLINE HOME PAGE |