EnergyAustralia Surfest.

EnergyAustralia Open

ASP 4 Star WQS Mens Event
Newcastle Beach, Newcastle, NSW
4 - 10  April 2005

Heatdraw / LIVE Scores/Results  

MICK FANNING MAKES SURFING HISTORY AT ENERGYAUSTRALIA OPEN 

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 10 April 2005: - - GOLD Coast larrikin Mick Fanning continued his incredible comeback at Newcastle Beach today by becoming the first surfer to win three EnergyAustralia Open titles. Having spent five months out of the water last year recovering from an horrific hamstring injury, Fanning produced a power-packed display in clean one-metre waves to take out the $100,000 world qualifying event.

The 23-year-old dominated the 30-minute final, notching a 9.70-point ride for a 100-metre backhand ride to post a combined heat score of 17.93 out of possible 20. Former world grommet champion Ben Dunn from Old Bar on the NSW mid-north coast was second with 15.40 points, followed by North Narrabeen’s Nathan Hedge (14.30) and Brazilian Renato Galvao (12.67).

Fanning, who has a reputation for enjoying himself on the circuit but looks fitter and stronger than he ever has, celebrated today’s victory with a schooner of beer and a carton of chips. “You only get one shot at life so you might as well enjoy it,” said Fanning, who also won the World Championship Tour opener, the Quiksilver Pro, on the Gold Coast last month.

Mick Fanning is carried up the beach : photo Steve Robertson/SurfingAustralia

“I had a lot of stuff to sort out last year but I’m more focused than I’ve ever been on winning the world title. “I’ve been training a lot … I’ve probably done a million squats to get back to where I am now. “It’s funny but that time off has probably worked in my favour because I’m so much more mentally refreshed. “… I obviously needed the break because it’s starting to pay off.”

Today was the third time in five years that Fanning has won the EnergyAustralia Open, held in honour of home-town hero and four-time world surfing champion Mark “MR” Richards.

About 10,000 people lined the shore for the 20th anniversary of the surfing festival, which also featured an awe-inspiring “expression session” featuring former Newcastle contest winners Kelly Slater, Tom Carroll and Tom Curren, who boast 11 world titles between them.

Fanning said it was the “MR factor” that kept enticing him back to Newcastle, the only qualifying event he enters outside of Hawaii. “When I won here the first time I was only 17 so I wasn’t even able to drink,” Fanning laughed. “But I love coming to Newcastle - I want to come back every year because the people make it so enjoyable.”

Results:

1, Mick Fanning 17.93 (Aus)
2, Benn Dunn 15.40 (Aus)
3, Nathan Hedge 14.30 (Aus)
4, Renato Galvao 12.67 (Bra)

Mick Fanning : photo Steve Robertson/Surfing Austrlia

Ratings after WQS event # EnergyAustralia Open
Name Country Rat# Points
   
Kling,Gabe USA 1 3631
Padaratz,Neco BRA 2 2908
Martinez,Bobby USA 3 2857
Powers,Roy HAW 4 2853
Pigmeu,Bernardo BRA 5 2807
Brooks,Troy AUS 6 2750
Merle-Jones,Jesse HAW 7 2463
Daltro,Armando BRA 8 2398
Logie,Travis ZAF 8 2398
Sullivan,Pancho HAW 10 2373
Dunn,Ben AUS 11 2363
Eleogram,Ola HAW 12 2360
Winter,Russell  GBR 13 2301
Buchan,Adrian AUS 14 2283
Acero,Eneko ESP 15 2220
Cansdell,Shaun AUS 16 2217
Todd,Mike USA 17 2169
Monteiro,Raoni BRA 18 2138
Sodre,Yuri BRA 19 2128
Curran,Nathaniel USA 20 2081
Henrique,Pedro BRA 21 2061
Courtney,Drew AUS 22 2037
Howse,Jarrad AUS 23 2007
Shibata,Jason HAW 24 2001
Trekinho,Marcelo BRA 25 1967
Robertson,Adam (Vic) AUS 26 1941
Nunes,Marcelo BRA 27 1940
Ross,Daniel AUS 28 1938
O'Rafferty,Darren AUS 29 1906
Khodr,Jihad BRA 30 1885
Curren,Tom USA 31 1849
Durbidge,Bede AUS 32 1838
Galvao,Renato BRA 33 1823
Thompson,Jay AUS 33 1823
Souza,Adriano de BRA 35 1793
Perrow,Kieren AUS 36 1778
Gouveia,Fabio BRA 37 1747
Hall,Glenn AUS 38 1745
Lopez,Cory USA 39 1732
Cuizon,Dustin HAW 40 1730
Martin,Toby AUS 41 1726
Thompson,Matt AUS 42 1723
Neto,Dunga BRA 43 1720
Emslie,Greg ZAF 44 1696
Neve,Dayyan AUS 45 1695
Davidson,Chris AUS 46 1665
Herdy,Guilherme BRA 47 1647
Campbell,Ryan AUS 48 1643
Bryson,Royden ZAF 49 1621
Pacheco,Brian HAW 50 1618
Valiere,Evan HAW 51 1600
Munro,Luke AUS 52 1593
Bourgeois,Ben USA 53 1586
Santos,Bruno BRA 54 1577
Stedman,Luke AUS 55 1561
Reynolds,Dane USA 56 1532
Rocha,Renan BRA 57 1527
Yeomans,Nathan USA 58 1519
Flores,Jeremy REU 59 1515
Canning,Paul ZAF 60 1510
Helm,Ryan USA 61 1504
Fanning,Mick AUS 62 1500
Riou,Alain PYF 63 1496
Silva,Andre BRA 64 1460
MacDonald,Phillip AUS 65 1457
Moody,Sean HAW 66 1452
Sedley,Leigh AUS 67 1442
Costa,Danilo BRA 68 1427
Gonzalez,Jonathan CNY 69 1400
Rocha,Marcondes BRA 69 1400
Harrison,Zane AUS 71 1393
Picon,Mikael FRA 72 1385
Weare,David ZAF 72 1385
Hobgood,Damien USA 74 1384
Munro,Trent AUS 75 1375
Rosa,Peterson BRA 75 1375
Paulino,Pablo BRA 77 1370
Ribas,Victor BRA 77 1370
Gutierrez,Pablo ESP 79 1365
Rebiere,Eric FRA 80 1345
Centeio,Joel HAW 81 1343
Brown,Yerin AUS 82 1325
Walsh,Anthony AUS 83 1315
Walker,Heath AUS 84 1312
Cabrero,Carlos PRI 85 1307
Barca,Dustin HAW 86 1300
Pereira,Heitor BRA 87 1280
King,Andrew AUS 88 1278
Boal,Tim FRA 89 1273
Whitaker,Tom AUS 90 1265
Barnes,Jock AUS 91 1263
Redman,Daniel ZAF 92 1258
Jones,Mikala HAW 93 1251
Gray,Alex USA 94 1247
Neves,Leonardo BRA 95 1240
Patacchia,Fredrick (jnr) HAW 95 1240
Lovett,Richard AUS 97 1238
Ohno,Masatoshi JPN 97 1238
Reichle,Raymond HAW 99 1237
Quinn,Maz NZL 100 1235

EXPRESSION SESSION: ASIAN SURFER LAUNCHES AERIAL ATTACK FOR TOOHEYS EXTRA DRY

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 10 April 2005: - - JAPANESE teenager Hideyoshi Tanaka earned himself a cool $1000 cash today through a radical display of aerial surfing at Newcastle Beach. Tanaka took out the Tooheys Extra Dry Expression Session, a feature event of the 20th anniversary EnergyAustralia Surfest. The 17-year-old was the only overseas competitor in the 30-minute free for all.

The other entrants were Mitchell Ross, Rhys Smith, Michael Spencer, Travis Lynch, Toby Martin, Drew Courtney, Phillip McDonald, Matt Seymore and Glenn Hall. Merewether veteran Paul Parkes, having been knocked out in the quarterfinals of the EnergyAustralia Open, later won the Wild Surf Co Shootout – an invitational for the highest-placed Newcastle competitors.

Parkes, whose seventh-round wave score of 9.70 was the best of the entire fortnight-long festival, accounted for Rhys Smith, Travis Lynch and Daniel Frodsham.

NOON REPORT:  FANNING SETS SIGHTS ON HAT-TRICK IN ENERGYAUSTRALIA OPEN

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 10 April 2005: - - GOLD Coast dynamo Mick Fanning is set to create surfing history today in the $100,000 EnergyAustralia Open at Newcastle Beach. Fanning is aiming to become the first person to rack up three victories in the world qualifying series contest, which is the main event of Newcastle’s 20th anniversary EnergyAustralia Surfest.

The 23-year-old natural footer lines up in this afternoon’s final against former world grommet champion Ben Dunn, of Old Bar on the NSW mid-north coast, Nathan Hedge of Narrabeen, and Brazilian Renato Galvao.

The final will follow an expression session featuring former world champions Kelly Slater, Mark Richards, Tom Curren and Mark Occhilupo – dubbed the Greatest Show on Surf.  

10h00 Report: Australian surfers dominated this morning’s quarterfinals. Aussies will fill six of the eight places in the semifinals, to be held later today, with the other spots taken by Hawaiian youngster Dustin Cuizon and Brazilian Renato Galvao.

Heading up the Australian contingent is two-time EnergyAustralia Open titleholder Mick Fanning (Gold Coast, Queensland), former world grommet champion Ben Dunn (Old Bar, NSW mid-north coast), Leigh Sedley (Narrabeen), Darren O’Rafferty (Bonny Hills, NSW mid-north coast), Shaun Gossman (a former South African who now lives on the Gold Coast) and Nathan Hedge (Narrabeen).

Newcastle hopeful Paul Parkes was eliminated by less half a point in the quaterfinal. 

www.surfest.com


Previous reports:
# 1 : EnergyAustralia Open to kick off in Newcastle on Monday
# 2 : EnergyAustralia Open Day 1: Washing machine conditions
# 3 : Aussies take early round honors at EnergyAustralia Open
# 4 : Surfing rarity a convincing winner at EnergyAustralia Open
# 5 : Thrills & spills at EnergyAustralia Open in Newcastle NSW
# 6 : Tom Curren back with a bang at EnergyAustralia Open....
# 7 : Mann & Oleogram eliminate Occy at EnergyAustralia Open

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Cassandra Murnieks
Tel: 0414 908 625
easurfest@hotmail.com  

Paul Scott
EnergyAustralia Surfest
Tel: 0405748284

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