Kelly Slater & past champs into R.48 at Drug Aware Pro

Kelly Slater © ASP / Robertson

Telstra Drug Aware Pro

ASP Prime Men's Event
Surfer's Point, Margaret River WA
18 - 25 March 2012

Live Coverage | Results/Photos/Videos etc | Slideshow

Kelly Slater and Past Champions Progress to Round of 48 at Telstra Drug Aware Pro Margaret River

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 20 March, 2012 : - - Margaret River; - Eleven times world champion Kelly Slater breezed through his round one heat this afternoon at Margaret River. Slater dominated the heat from the outset, with his strategy to sit on the right hander paying off quickly as he soon got two scoring waves under his belt. Riding a 5 foot 9 '5 -fin', the iconic Slater looked to be enjoying his time in the water toward the end of the heat as he pulled off a carving 360 re-entry to the delights of the strong crowd at Surfer’s Point.

After the heat Slater said he was glad to be back at Margaret River. “It is really great here. Last year we had an awesome time, the waves were not great but we relaxed and went and saw the wineries and ate some beautiful food,” he said. “But this year is different. The swell forecast is great and I am looking to do a lot of free surfing and hopefully get through the comp to Friday when the waves look like being spot on.”

Taj Burrow © ASP / Robertson

It was a great day for past champions at Margaret River as a number of previous winners progressed into the Round of 48. Following the heat of Slater was local favourite and past event champion Taj Burrow who was lucky to progress through his heat. Burrow struggled to find a decent wave, leaving it to almost half way through his heat before his first scoring wave. Needing a score of 4.53 late in the heat to progress, Burrow pulled out a 4.63 on a late right hander to sneak through to the next round.

The highlight heat of the morning saw 2010 Champion Josh Kerr win through in a building 3 meter swell. He faced inaugural (1985) Margaret River Pro winner Mark Occhilupo, who made the most of his event wildcard and the solid surf to burst his way into the next round. Occhilupo won the event for a second time twenty years later in 2005.

Occhilupo attacked the large waves with reckless abandon, with the 45 year old taking a number of whipeouts. But his enthusiasm carried him through as he turned back the clock to his World Champion days, executing a number of his trademark power turns on his way to second place in the heat.

Josh Kerr © ASP / Robertson Mark Occhilupo © ASP / Robertson

“It is just awesome to be back at Margaret River and I am so thankful for getting a wildcard into the event. I feel really great and if the waves stay good and solid like the forecast is saying, who knows, I could go all right,” laughed a jubilant Occhilupo after his heat.

World number 8 ranked surfer Josh Kerr was also laughing after his heat. “It was fun surfing with Occy. I had never surfed a heat with him and he was just making me laugh in the water. We split the peak at one stage and he was just frothing to go left and I was just laughing to myself as I went right,” said Kerr. “It is a good feeling to be back here and I had chicken skin paddling out today with all the great memories coming back.”

Defending men’s champion Damien Hobgood and 2008 champion Tom Whitaker also progressed through from this mornings’ heats. They will join top seeds Owen Wright, Adrian Buchan, John John Florence and Bede Durbidge who have also moved through to the Round of 48 which is expected to be completed tomorrow.

Heats 10 to 12 Heats 7 to 9

Heats 4 to 6 Heats 1 to 3

TELSTRA DRUG AWARE PRO MEN’S ROUND OF 96 RESULTS:
HEAT 1: Owen Wright (AUS) 16.16, Joan Duru (FRA) 11.43, Jerome Forrest (AUS) 9.66, Alain Riou (PYF) 6.24
HEAT 2: Jay Quinn (NZL) 11.43, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 11.16, Perth Standlick (AUS) 9.44, Maxime Huscenot (FRA) 9.10
HEAT 3: Tom Whitaker (AUS) 15.00, Messias Felix (BRA) 8.70, Alex Ribeiro (BRA) 7.57, Brett Simpson (USA) 5.73
HEAT 4: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.57, Gabe Kling (USA) 12.60, Jay Thompson (AUS) 11.30, Masatoshi Ohno (JPN) 8.10
HEAT 5: Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.53, Billy Stairmand (NZL) 12.27, Royden Bryson (ZAF) 9.90, Thomas Woods (AUS) 5.76
HEAT 6: Blake Thornton (AUS) 13.50, Hizunome Bettero (BRA) 12.00, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 10.84, Flavio Nakagima (BRA) 7.56
HEAT 7: Dion Atkinson (AUS) 12.40, Jadson Andre (BRA) 10.17, Charlie Brown (BRA) 8.43, Vincent Duvignac (FRA) 7.43
HEAT 8: Josh Kerr (AUS) 15.00, Mark Occhilupo (AUS) 14.27, Shaun Joubert (ZAF) 9.57, Kai Barger (HAW) 8.67
HEAT 9: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 14.50, Nathan Yeomans (USA) 9.94, Hodei Collazo (EUK) 8.27, Yujiro Tsuji (JPN) 5.40
HEAT 10: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 13.97, Mitch Crews (AUS) 13.67, Luke Davis (USA) 13.07, Andre Silva (BRA) 11.83
HEAT 11: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 10.70, Olamana Eleogram (HAW) 9.96, Brandon Jackson (ZAF) 8.34, Jesse Mendes (BRA) 7.84
HEAT 12: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.60, Tom Innes (AUS) 10.50, Mitchel Coleborn (AUS) 5.93, Marc Lacomare (FRA) 4.97
HEAT 13: Heath Joske (AUS) 10.20, Taj Burrow (AUS) 8.23, Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 7.50, Luke Campbell (AUS) 4.27
HEAT 14: Willian Cardoso (BRA) 12.70, Charles Martin (GLP) 11.34, Thiago Camarao (BRA) 10.84, Tim Reyes (USA) 1.94
HEAT 15: Brent Dorrington (AUS) 13.46, Adam Melling (AUS) 12.67, Halley Batista (BRA) 10.66, Cory Lopez (USA) 9.87
HEAT 16: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 14.33, Granger Larsen (HAW) 13.33, Stu Kennedy (AUS) 10.74, Matt Banting (AUS) 9.83
HEAT 17: John John Florence (HAW) 16.13, Lincoln Taylor (AUS) 9.90, Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 6.92, Dean Bowen (AUS) 4.10
HEAT 18: Jack Freestone (AUS) 13.03, CJ Hobgood (USA) 12.93, Nat Young (USA) 11.10, Kiron Jabour (HAW) 9.03
HEAT 19: Gony Zubizarreta (ESP) 12.33, Jonathan Gonzalez (CNY) 11.97, Travis Logie (ZAF) 11.43, Daniel Ross (AUS) 9.44
HEAT 20: Tomas Hermes (BRA) 6.70, Nic Muscroft (AUS) 6.50, Luke Cheadle (AUS) 6.20, Heitor Alves (BRA) 1.77

Check the Live Coverage

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Previous reports:
# 1 : Telstra Drug Aware Pro returns to Margaret River
# 2 : It's that time again: Telstra Drug Aware Pro launches
# 3 : Girls kick-off Day One at the Telstra Drug Aware Pro
# 4 : Coming soon

THE EVENT IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
Telstra, Drug Aware, Eventscorp, Healthway Department of Sport & Recreation, Health Insurance Fund of Australia, Mambo, Air Asia, Surfing Western Australia, Association of Surfing Professionals, Lexus of Perth, MargaretRiver.com, Shire of Augusta Margaret River, Nine, WIN, Tracks, CINEads, Movie Masters, The Wire Magazine, South West Times Magazine, 92.9