Drew Courtney claims Islas Canarias Santa Pro 09 title

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Drew Courtney : photo Aquashot/aspeurope.com by Masurel

Islas Canarias Santa Pro 2009

ASP 6 Star WQS Mens event
San Juan Lanzarote
1 - 7 November 2009

Live Coverage | Results/Photos/Videos etc

Drew Courtney Claims Islas Canarias Santa Pro in Spectacular Surf at Lanzarote

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 7 November, 2009 : - - La Santa, Lefthanders, Lanzarote – Drew Courtney (New South Wales, AUS), 31, has won the ASP WQS 6-Star Prime Islas Canarias Santa Pro on the island of Lanzarote today, after defeating runner-up Bernardo Miranda (Sao Paulo, BRA), 26, in spectacular nine-to-twelve foot (3 to 4 meter) surf at the back-up venue of La Santa Lefthanders.

“I am speechless right now, it’s just amazing to win this major event and moreover in these waves,” Courtney said. “It’s my first win ever in twelve years on tour and it’s been an epic day with great surf. It was a close heat and to finish on top is pretty amazing.”

Finishing atop the 96-man field of the Islas Canarias Santa Pro, Courtney forced respect from all today displaying extreme-conditions abilities and showing impressive commitment on some of the week’s biggest waves.

Linking a series of powerful top-to-bottom on-the-rail maneuvers mixed with fast shallow-water tuberides to end-up with a 19.23 heat result, Courtney wraps-up his Canarian campaign with solid confidence before the Hawaiian showdown.

“I started off the final well with that seven plus score but broke my board and had to get back in to grab my back-up one,” Courtney said. “Then I got that ten but Bernardo (Miranda) got back with his sick ride and it was like it was starting all over again. I came close to making that last one and it would have been a big one. I am so stoked right now to win the thing in such epic waves.”

Drew Courtney : photo Aquashot/aspeurope.com by Masurel

Courtney’s win was a victory at sea today, the current ASP Top 45 rookie taming the spectacular and shallow lefthand slab in front of breathless crowd. With his win today, Courtney jumps from No. 23 to 9 on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) ratings and gets back in the race for a possible ASP World Tour re-qualification.

“I was aiming at a final here after getting a few good results,” Courtney said. “It is a great confidence boost to win in solid surf before the Hawaiian finals and I am looking forward to finishing the year-off strong.”

Finishing with a second consecutive runner-up placing, Bernardo Miranda did not let Courtney get away easily. The famous regular-foot surfer, who had dominated the Semifinals with an impressive 19.36 point heat score, made a big impression throughout the week catching some of the best barrels of the event and leading the event’s score board with five of the event’s best rides.

“I am really happy I made it that far today in the event and it was such a great call to come down here at the left,” Miranda said. “The waves were sick, we got barrels and great solid waves and I couldn’t ask for much more coming to Lanzarote.

Miranda, who came to the Islas Canarias Santa Pro ranked No. 29, jumps back in the race for a possible ASP Top 45 re-qualification, his 21st rank and a relatively small result still to better in the next two events in Hawaii.

“That second place is crucial and puts me back up there before Hawaii,” Miranda said. “I had two pretty low results to better before this event and that result today gives me great confidence. I will fly to Hawaii soon and hopefully finish off well.”

The Islas Canarias Santa Pro Semifinals saw Eric Rebiere (Biarritz, FRA) and Patrick Gudauskas (California, USA) deliver a breath-taking surf show with sets in the ten foot (3 meter) range unloading over the infamous reef.

Gudauskas was impressive netting the day’s highest heat result of 17.57 points in the Quarterfinals after getting back-to-back excellent waves. Gudauskas, already guaranteed to qualify for the 2010 ASP World Tour, was stopped in the Semis by an inform Miranda, the Californian not finding any barrel exit but still bettering his overall ratings’ points total and climb-up to No. 2 on the international ratings.

“It was super heavy during the Quarters and I underestimated the conditions before paddling out,” Gudauskas said. “I broke my board on that huge set which I reckon was above the ten-foot range. There were a lot of sick waves out there and I just tried to get the bigger ones and make it through them.”

Gudauskas, who delivered a solid battle with a wave-after-wave approach, leaves Lanzarote with an overall total of 14876 points and a big impression over the local crowds after taking-off on the day’s biggest waves.

“I wanted to do well and get over the 14.000 points’ mark which is done,” Gudauskas said. “It would have been good to win the event because I love coming here and I really liked the waves today. To move the event down here was great. Next stop is Hawaii and I am looking forward at a strong finish.”

Rebiere, a former ASP Top 45 (2003), secured his best result in years with his semifinal run today, the French representative using his local knowledge to edge-out Brazilian Leonardo Neves (BRA) in the Quarterfinals. At ease in solid surf, Rebiere did not hesitate to take-off on several of the day’s biggest waves offering the crowds an exciting spectacle.

“I went out there for the show and to get barreled on that left,” Rebiere said. “I had nothing to lose as I am not even close to qualifying for next year’s ASP Top 45 so I just wanted to have fun and get one big barrel. I am super stoked to do well here because it’s one of my residences and I have lots of friends to celebrate with.”

The ASP European WQS tour is over for 2009 and the ASP WQS will now fly to Hawaii for a much expected grand finale where two consecutive Asp WQS 6-Star Prime will decide the ASP WQS Top 15 who qualifies for next year’s ASP World Tour.

ISLAS CANARIAS SANTA PRO FINAL
1st, Drew Courtney (AUS) 19.23 pts
2nd, Bernardo Miranda (BRA) 16.64

ISLAS CANARIAS SANTA PRO SEMIFINALS
SF 1: Drew Courtney (AUS) 14.30 def. Eric Rebiere (FRA) 11.93
SF 2: Bernardo Miranda (BRA) 19.36 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 13.34

ISLAS CANARIAS SANTA PRO QUARTERFINALS
QF 1: Drew Courtney (AUS) 11.50 def. Eneko Acero (EUK) 7.06
QF 2: Eric Rebiere (FRA) 12.70 def. Leonardo Neves (BRA) 10.84
QF 3: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 17.57 def. Marco Polo (BRA) 8.10
QF 4: Bernardo Miranda (BRA) 14.60 def. Gony Zubizarreta (ESP) 13.33

Men's WQS Ratings After Evt#37 Santa Pro,Lanzarote-Canaries

Ross,Daniel 1 14975

Gudauskas,Patrick 2 14876

Andre,Jadson 3 14813

Wright,Owen 4 14338

Melling,Adam 5 13064

Simpson,Brett 6 12600

Thornton,Blake 7 12325

Logie,Travis 8 12301

Courtney,Drew 9 12200

Dornelles,Rodrigo 10 12150

Wilkinson,Matt 10 12150

Duru,Joan 12 12125

Payne,Dusty 13 11925

Gudauskas,Tanner 14 11825

Munro,Luke 15 11776

Ware,Austin 16 11725

Zubizarreta,Gony 16 11725

Polo,Marco 18 11656

Hall,Glenn 19 11600

Jackson,Brandon 20 11431

Thompson,Jay 21 11351

Miranda,Bernardo 22 11251

Cardoso,Willian 23 11151

Neves,Leonardo 24 10750

Cloitre,Romain 25 10700

Atkinson,Dion 26 10576

Yeomans,Nathan 27 10563

Sedley,Leigh 28 10350

Bryson,Royden 29 10213

Gonzalez,Jonathan 30 10025

Howse,Jarrad 31 9888

Paulino,Pablo 32 9813

Dantas,Wiggolly 33 9700

Padaratz,Neco 34 9551

Nicol,Yadin 35 9501

Gossmann,Shaun 36 9476

Riou,Alain 37 9463

Toth,Brian 38 9332

Hedge,Nathan 39 9175

Pupo,Miguel 39 9175

Rebiere,Eric 41 9038

Aranburu,Aritz 42 8950

Ohno,Masatoshi 43 8802

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