While watching today’s heats in the 2009 Hurley Pro we got a better understanding of where some of the “Slater Tour” proponents are coming from. While deep down we’re supporters of the ASP and hate the way action sports seem to continually attempt re-inventing their wheels, we have to agree that there are too many heats in ASP WCT events.
Out of the 20 heats run today in moderate, yet somewhat inconsistent surf we cared about five, maybe six. We were stoked C.J Hobgood beat Marlon Lipke, bummed that Bobby Martinez lost to Luke Stedman, proud of Taylor Knox, surprised when Josh Kerr knocked out Ace Buchan, happy when Kai Otton defeated Jay Thompson, and thought Freddy P may have been underscored, but since it was against Roy Powers we were okay with it. When Roy said he was glad to be on the winning side of a close heat after being on the losing end so many times, he was gracious. And that was cool.
The heat that the ASP press release writer was most excited about, however, was when Josh Kerr scored a 17.5 against Dayyan Neve. To us, watching a guy in 25th place on the ASP rankings get all over the number 30 guy just doesn’t seem all that compelling.
Josh Kerr (AUS), 25, current ASP World No. 25, stunned spectators today with his diverse repertoire of progressive surfing, blending rotation aerials with power hacks to net the highest heat total of the day, a 17.17 out of a possible 20, to defeat an in-form Dayyan Neve (AUS), 31, in Round 2 of competition. . . . “I’d been here the last couple of hours and in the heat before I saw that there were a few nice rights shaping up,” Kerr said. “There seemed to be a few in our heat. Dayyan (Neve) got a couple as well. That one wave wasn’t the biggest wave, but it looked like it was going to connect down the line and that’s exactly what it did. I raced down the line and popped a little air, came around, up and down, and it stayed wally for me and I gave it a little bang off of the end.”
While no tour is going to make 100 percent the fans happy all the time, fewer throw away heats might not be that bad an idea.
Follow the jump for the official ASP press release, all the heat results, and the line up for tomorrow which includes banging heats from the get go starting with Dane Reynolds vs. Ben Dunn, Joel Parkinson vs. Rob Machado, and Kelly Slater vs. Brett Simpson.
[Link: 2009 Hurley Pro]
Josh Kerr Wows As Hurley Pro Trestles Moves Into Elimination Rounds
LOWER TRESTLES, California (Monday, September 14, 2009) – The Hurley Pro Trestles re-ignited today with the elimination rounds of competition running in pulsing three-to-four foot (1 metre) surf at Lower Trestles.
Stop No. 6 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Hurley Pro Trestles awoke to cleaner conditions today, but inconsistency would create a minefield of challenges for the world’s best surfers. Despite the difficulties, the ASP Top 45 put on an incredible show, posting some of the highest scores of the event.
Josh Kerr (AUS), 25, current ASP World No. 25, stunned spectators today with his diverse repertoire of progressive surfing, blending rotation aerials with power hacks to net the highest heat total of the day, a 17.17 out of a possible 20, to defeat an in-form Dayyan Neve (AUS), 31, in Round 2 of competition.
“I’d been here the last couple of hours and in the heat before I saw that there were a few nice rights shaping up,” Kerr said. “There seemed to be a few in our heat. Dayyan (Neve) got a couple as well. That one wave wasn’t the biggest wave, but it looked like it was going to connect down the line and that’s exactly what it did. I raced down the line and popped a little air, came around, up and down, and it stayed wally for me and I gave it a little bang off of the end.”
Inverse to the high-flying action of the Round 2 heat, Kerr’s bout against compatriot Adrian Buchan (AUS), 26, was a wave-starved affair. Sitting quiet for the majority of the heat, Kerr would only advance in the dying moments, ending Buchan’s Hurley Pro Trestles run and advancing through to Round 4.
“I guess they’re both exciting because both heats came down to the wire, just in different ways,” Kerr said. “I had a good day though. I had a good heat earlier and got to sit around and get cold in the second one, but I still came through with the win. This year has been a bit slow for me so far, so it’d be good to get a good result here at Trestles. I’d like to get on a bit of a roll with this big leg we have coming up.”
Kerr will face current ASP World No. 3 Adriano de Souza (BRA), 22, in Round 4 of the Hurley Pro Trestles.
Kai Otton (AUS), 29, current ASP World No. 19, enjoyed a career first in yesterday’s Round 1, besting ASP ratings’ leader Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, and continued the momentum through today’s Round 3. In one of the more exciting heats of the afternoon, Otton flared electric on his backhand this afternoon, netting solid scores to take down a rampaging Jay Thompson (AUS), 25.
“I was actually a little bit shaky at the start of that heat,” Otton said. “I don’t really think I felt nervous, I just felt a bit tired. I had to calm myself down and luckily I picked off two good ones. I’m coming off of a good result in Jeffreys Bay, and if I can get through a few more heats here I’ll be feeling really good.”
Otton will take on former event winner Bede Durbidge (AUS), 26, in Round 4 when competition resumes.
Day 2 of the Hurley Pro Trestles was not without upsets though. Highly-touted favorites Bobby Martinez (USA), 27, Jordy Smith (AUS), 21, and Chris Ward (USA), 30, were all bundled out in Round 2 of competition, garnering equal 33rds and shifting their attention to the European leg.
Surfline, official foreer of the Hurley Pro Trestles, is calling for today’s of Northwest swell to slightly today and are still tracking a south swell for later in the week.
When competition resumes, first up will be California wunderkind Dane Reynolds (USA), 24, against Ben Dunn (AUS), 23, in Heat 7 of Round 3.
Highlights from today’s Hurley Pro Trestles will be available via www.hurley.com/hurleypro/
Downloadable media is available at http://www.hurley.com/downloads/hurleypro
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
HURLEY PRO TRESTLES ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12.16 def. Kai Barger (HAW) 9.93
Heat 2: Rob Machado (USA) 15.16 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.00
Heat 3: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.84 def. Marlon Lipke (DEU) 11.33
Heat 4: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.40 def. Phillip MacDonald (AUS) 8.53
Heat 5: Luke Stedman (AUS) 12.70 def. Bobby Martinez (USA) 11.00
Heat 6: Nic Muscroft (AUS) 13.24 def. Tom Whitaker (AUS) 12.16
Heat 7: Taylor Knox (USA) 12.93 def. Drew Courtney (AUS) 12.83
Heat 8: Tiago Pires (PRT) 13.50 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF)13.24
Heat 9: Greg Emslie (ZAF) WIN, Mick Campbell (AUS) Injured
Heat 10: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 11.56 def. Jihad Khodr (AUS) 8.90
Heat 11: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 13.50 def. Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 11.60
Heat 12: Dean Morrison (AUS) 10.50 def. Nathaniel Curran (USA) 8.93
Heat 13: Roy Powers (HAW) 12.13 def. Tim Reyes (USA) 11.57
Heat 14: Jay Thompson (AUS) 16.26 def. Chris Ward (USA) 11.26
Heat 15: Josh Kerr (AUS) 17.17 def. Dayyan Neve (AUS) 15.23
Heat 16: Ben Dunn (AUS) 8.23 def Dustin Barca (HAW) 7.67
HURLEY PRO TRESTLES ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 14.33 def. David Weare (ZAF) 12.83
Heat 2: Kai Otton (AUS) 16.67 def. Jay Thompson (AUS) 13.50
Heat 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) 8.23 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 7.76
Heat 4: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.07 def. Nic Muscroft (AUS) 12.26
Heat 5: Taylor Knox (USA) 13.17 def. Greg Emslie (ZAF) 9.77
Heat 6: Roy Powers (HAW) 13.06 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 12.00
HURLEY PRO TRESTLES REMAINING ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 7: Dane Reynolds (USA0 vs. Ben Dunn (AUS)
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Rob Machado (USA)
Heat 9: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 10: Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) vs. Chris Davidson (AUS)
Heat 11: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 12: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 13: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Luke Stedman (AUS)
Heat 14: Dean Morrison (AUS) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 15: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Michael Picon (FRA)
Heat 16: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Tim Boal (FRA)
