Mick Fanning celebrates on the podium : photo ASPWorldtour/Tostee

    

Quiksilver Pro presented by Boost Mobile,
Roxy Pro presented by Boost Mobile

ASP Foster’s Men’s World Championship Tour (WCT)
Snapper Rocks, Gold Coast, Australia
1 - 13 March 2005

Scores/Results/Photos etc

Local Mick Fanning wins Quiksilver Pro presented by Boost Mobile

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 08 March 2005: - - (Snapper Rocks, Australia): COMEBACK kid Mick Fanning (Aus) signalled he is back to his electrifying best with an emotion-charged victory in the Quiksilver Pro Presented by Boost Mobile at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast today.

Before an ecstatic 8,000-strong home crowd, the 23-year-old Gold Coast local hero defeated American rookie Chris Ward in the season-opening Foster’s Men’s World Championship Tour event to complete a remarkable return from injury.

Fanning, who finished 4th in the world in 2003, missed most of last season after tearing his hamstring from the bone in a horrific free surfing wipeout in Indonesia.

After months of frustration spent out of the water in painful rehabilitation, he returned to the WCT this year courtesy of an Association of Surfing Professionals injury wildcard which fellow surfers voted unanimously to award him.

Mick Fanning : photo ASPWorldtour/Tostee

And what a comeback it was - Fanning capping a sensational Quiksilver Pro surfing festival in stunning fashion with his debut victory at home.

In winning the event, he joined fellow ‘Coolangatta Kids’ Joel Parkinson (2002) and Dean Morrison (2003) to have his name inscribed on the prestigious championship trophy. Adding to the parochial crowd’s delight was Gold Coast teenage wildcard Stephanie Gilmore’s triumph in the women’s Roxy Pro Presented by Boost Mobile.

“It’s just a statement to the world of surfing that Mick’s back,’’ said a joyful Parkinson, who with fellow Aussie Nathan Hedge chaired a deliriously happy Fanning from the beach.

“It made it so much sweeter to come back off injury,’’ said a shaking Fanning as he skolled a celebratory can of Foster’s, the US$30,000 winner’s cheque in his other hand.

“Everything that I’d thought about over the whole six months when I was out of the water, it all worked - I’m just so wrapped, just so stoked.’’

Mick Fanning : photo ASPWorldtour/Tostee

While the mercurial Ward caught anything and everything in the 35-minute final, amassing five waves in the first half of the heat before his opponent had a score on the board, Fanning was content to sit and wait for the waves with higher scoring potential.

Ward caught 14 waves to Fanning’s six but the scores were a telling factor. Twelve of the American’s waves scored less than four points, while the Australian amassed two eight point-plus rides and two five-pointers.

Fanning finished with 16.93 points out of a possible 20, leaving Ward on 11.90 points and a two-wave scoring combination adrift.

“I’d waited six months to get a wave so I knew I could wait 20 minutes. I knew there were some high-scoring waves to be had out there,’’ he said.

“I didn’t think this (victory) would happen but I just tried to stay relaxed all week. I didn’t put any pressure on myself, I just really enjoyed the whole time.’’

Chris Ward : photo ASPWorldtour/Robertson

Of his world championship lead, Fanning declared: “Like I’ve been telling everyone all week, it’s game on. I’m really pumped.’’

After 12 years grafting it out on the World Qualifying Series, Ward, 26, was pleased to have made the final of his first WCT event.

“It was just unreal surfing from Mick,’’ said Ward, who delighted the crowd with some spectacular aerial moves.

“From the start with his first wave to the last, he cleaned it up. It was just really slow out there but Mick got the good ones.’’

Fanning’s casualties on his way to the final included his quarter-final opponent, three-time reigning world champion Andy Irons (Haw).

Andy Irons : photo ASPWorldtour/Tostee

Ward accounted for former six-time world champion Kelly Slater (USA) who bowed out in the quarters, at the hands of countryman Chris Ward, in a thrilling battle between the American East and West Coast surfers.

Veteran great and former world champion Mark Occhilupo’s hopes of a maiden Quiksilver Pro triumph in his testimonial year evaporated in the third quarter-final when he lost a low-scoring heat to Tom Whitaker (Aus).

Sydney’s Whitaker, a 2004 Quiksilver Pro semi-finalist, only just failed to go one better when he was pipped by an agonising 0.1 of a point by the electric Ward.

“It’s always going to be close - you’ve got the best 44 in the world surfing against each other,’’ said Whitaker who, while disappointed, was satisfied with his equal 3rd placing.

“The waves weren’t really co-operating but we did our best and to pull up just short ... oh well.’’

Kelly Slater : photo ASPWorldtour/Tostee

In the other semi, Fanning made a mockery of the crumbling conditions to score a day’s high 17.27 points out of a possible 20 and leave the in-form Trent Munro (Aus) in need of a two-wave scoring combination.

“It’s a good start to the year - better than 33rd which I’ve had the last two years in a row (on the Gold Coast),’’ commented Munro, of Scotts Head on the NSW North Coast.

“Hat’s off to Mick. It’s his home break and he’s pretty good out there. I guess there was just something missing there for me at the end.’’

Finishing in equal fifth today was 2000 World Champion C.J. Hobgood (USA), Irons (HAW), Occhilupo (Aus), and Slater (USA).

Renowned Hawaiian tube-rider Bruce Irons sealed the Evian Longest Tuberide specialty award for locking into the longest barrel of the event, an incredible seven second tube ride on day four that earned the 24 year-old natural footer an 8.83 and a $5,000 bonus courtesy of Evian.

Bruce Irons : photo ASPWorldtour/Tostee

The Quiksilver Pro presented by Boost Mobile has been proudly supported by the Gold Coast City Council. In 2004 the tournament was awarded Gold Coast Sporting Event of the Year.

The next event on the Association of Surfing Professionals Foster’s Men’s World Tour will be held at Bells Beach March 22 – April 1.

Quiksilver Pro presented by Boost Mobile official results:

Final
1st Mick Fanning (Aus) 16.93 - 1200 pts, US$30,000
2nd Chris Ward (USA) 11.90 - 1032 pts, US$16,000

Semi-finals
(1st>final, 2nd=3rd place, 876 pts, US$10,000)
SF1: Mick Fanning (Aus) 17.27 def Trent Munro (Aus) 13.10
SF2: Chris Ward (USA) 14.10 def Tom Whitaker (Aus) 14.10

Quarter-finals
(1st>semis, 2nd=5th place, 732 pts, US$8,000)
QF1: Trent Munro (Aus) 15.20 def C.J. Hobgood (USA) 9.67
QF2: Mick Fanning (Aus) 15.66 def Andy Irons (HAW) 15.10
QF3: Tom Whitaker (Aus) 9.67 def Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 6.73
QF4: Chris Ward (USA) 14.77 def Kelly Slater (USA) 13.07

Huge spectator crowd for the final : photo ASPWorldtour/Tostee

The Quiksilver Pro Presented by Boost Mobile, and the Roxy Pro Presented by Boost Mobile, are both made possible by the support of the Gold Coast City Council. Both tournaments will feature the specialty awards made possible by co-sponsor Evian. The Evian Longest Tube Ride is worth $5000 for the winning male and female surfer to slot into the longest Gold Coast barrel of the tournament. Timekeepers will be their eyes on their stopwatches.

Both the Quiksilver Pro presented by Boost Mobile and the Roxy Pro presented by Boost Mobile are webcast live daily in five languages. The live webcasts also include unique camera angles (water and land), highlights and replays, scoring updates, early a.m. shows and afternoon wrap ups.

One of many features of the webcast will be the panel style ‘Live at 5’ show broadcast over the web at the completion of each day of competition. The show hosted by Quiksilver commentators John Shimooka and former world champions Martin Potter and Barton Lynch will wrap up the day’s event with special guests, hi-lights, antics, forecasts, interviews, insights and lots of laughs. On competition lay days a down sized version of the ‘Live at 5’ show will be broadcast at 8am local time with competition hi-lights and updated forecasts.

www.quiksilver.com
www.aspworldtour.com

Previous reports:
# 01 : Quiksilver Pro wildcards face rematch with Wolrd Champ
# 02 : Variety and flow to earn points at Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast
# 03 : Gossman and Gilmore win wildcards to Quiksilver/Roxy Pro
# 04 : Beachley blazes Roxy Pro as girls push limits & each other
# 05 : Trials winner Gilmore knocks out World Champ Mulanovich

# 06 : Joel Parkinson tops of an 'A' Grade class at Quiksilver Pro
# 07 : Wildcard Munro faces World Champ Irons at Quiksilver Pro
# 08 : Aerial ace soars to victory in Quiksilver Airshow grand final
# 09 : Teenage wildcard Stephanie Gilmore victorious at Roxy Pro
# 10 : World Champion draws brother in Quiksilver Pro round four

More Australasian Surfing News available here
Check the latest Australasian Surf Reports and Forecasts

Sarge “Paul Sargeant”
sarge@aspworldtour.com  

Mandy McKinnon
mandy.mckinnon@bigpond.com

Quiksilver Pro/Roxy Pro - “JJ”
jj@qsilver.com.au

WCT Contests - Surfersvillage

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