Kahea Hart & Thomas Woods shine at HIC Pro

HIC Pro

ASP 4 Star WQS Mens Event
Sunset Beach, North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii
29 October - 10 November 2012

Live Coverage | Results/Photos/Videos etc

Kahea Hart's recent stint coaching comes in handy at HIC Pro

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 9 November, 2012 : - - Training the best up-and-coming surfing talent in Hawaii has helped veteran North Shore competitor Kahea Hart, 40, get to the top of his own game, and he has shown it heat after heat this week at the HIC Pro presented by Vans.

Hart, a long-time local at Sunset Beach, has been on fire in this event, taking down kids half his age with dreams twice as large. Victims along his way at the HIC Pro have included Clay Marzo (Maui); Jonah Morgan (Big Island); Ian Walsh (Maui); and Chris Ward (California). Hart advanced today alongside an inform Nathan Hedge (Australia).

"I've been doing a lot of coaching with kids so just playing the game, watching them play the game, and repeating back to them how to play the game helps a lot," said Hart. "It's not who you're against in the water - it's yourself, the ocean, and time. I try to tell the kids that. It's very important. Just making it out of every heat and having fun is the goal."

Hart is through to the Round of 32 tomorrow morning, with the final showdown of the 2012 HIC Pro set for tomorrow afternoon. A win here is worth $15,000 and would also rocket Hart to first on the ASP Hawaii year-end rankings and grant him a wildcard into the $1million Vans Triple Crown of Surfing that starts on Monday.

"I hadn't even thought about (the Vans Triple Crown)...," said Hart. "I'd need to adjust my schedule, that's for sure."

                                                             Keanu Asing © Bernie Baker

Australian rookie Thomas Woods (Burleigh Heads) fired a warning shot late in the day when he posted the highest heat score (17.82 out of 20), and the highest single wave score (9.5) of the contest so far.

He easily took the win ahead of local Kekoa Bacalso and eliminated long-time Sunset charger Marcus Hickman and Brazil's Caio Ibelli. A complete unknown Junior of just 19 years of age, this was Woods' first contest ever at Sunset Beach. The technical head-high conditions didn't fluster him at all.

"This was my first contest ever at Sunset and I was just cruising," said Woods. "There wasn't any hassling going on like I saw in some of the heats earlier in the day. We all took turns and I ended up getting some really good waves."

Woods, like Hart, is through to the Round of 32 - one round short of the quarter finals. Other casualties today included Mark Occhilupo (Aus); Pancho Sullivan; and Myles Padaca. Among those advancing were Keanu Asing, defending event champion Ezekiel Lau, and Lincoln Taylor (Australia). Organizers expect a continued rise in wave heights overnight for great surf for the final day tomorrow.

                                                             Nathan Hedge © Bernie Baker

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Heat results show in order of 1st through 4th place. Surfer is from Hawaii unless specified otherwise.

REMAINING HEATS FROM ROUND OF 96:
H14: Nathan Carvalho; Brady Ruysschaert (USA); Derek Ho; Rikiya Kitada (JPN)
H15: Flynn Novak; Teppei Tajima (JPN); Kento Takahashi (JPN); Robert Patterson
H16: Sunny Garcia; Jake Davis (USA); Kevin Sullivan; Brad Ettinger (USA)

ROUND OF 64: (Heats 1-14 only)
H1: Tanner Hendrickson; Jamie O'Brien; Isaiah Moniz; Brian Toth (PRico)
H2: Eala Stewart; Ezekiel Lau; Makana Eleogram; Mark Occhilupo (AUS)
H3: Ian Gentil; Torrey Meister; Myles Padaca; Charles Martin (GLP)
H4: Alex Smith; Fred Patacchia; Pancho Sullivan; Ty Watson (Aus)
H5: Keala Naihe; Dylan Goodale; Olamana Eleogram; Masatoshi Ohno (JPN)
H6: Keanu Asing; Kiron Jabour; Charlie Carroll; Mikey Bruneau
H7: Lincoln Taylor (Aus); Kenta Hayashi (JPN); Tyler Newton; Mason Ho
H8: Jean Da Silva (Brz); Gregg Nakamura; Nathan Florence; Davin Torres-Jaime
H9: Shane Beschen; Joshua Moniz; Love Hodel; Sebastien Zietz
H10: Kahea Hart; Nathan Hedge (AUS); Soli Bailey (Aus); Chris Ward (USA)
H11: Roy Powers; Davey Cathels (Aus); Izuki Tanaka (Jpn); Joan Duru (Fra)
H12: Thomas Woods (Aus); Kekoa Bacalso; Marcus Hickman; Caio Ibelli
H13: Hank Gaskell; Hizunome Bettero (Jpn); Koa Smith; Brady; Brady Ruysschaert (USA)
H14: Dion Atkinson (Aus); Nathan Carvalho; Anthony Walsh; Adrien Toyon (Fra)

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www.vans.com/hicpro
www.aspworldtour.com

Previous reports:
# 1 : HIC Pro starts Monday - Lau to defend title
# 2 : HIC Pro ready, waiting for swell to kick in
# 3 : HIC Pro kicks off at Sunset in classic surf
# 4 : HIC Pro sets the stage in 12-foot- surf

About HIC - Hawaiian Island Creations:
Hawaii's biggest and best selection of surf gear - since 1971 HIC has provided Hawaii with quality surfboards, skateboards, clothing and accessories - by surfers, for surfers. Locally owned and operated, the HIC retail chain includes eleven stores across Oahu, Maui and Hawaii and two in Japan. Through a commitment to quality, service and aloha spirit, the brand has built a reputation as an icon of Hawaiian surfing recognized throughout the world. Enjoy the ride!
Official HIC PRO event gear available at HIC stores in Hawaii and hicsurf.com

About Vans Surf:
Vans supports and promotes surfing and surfers through a full line of footwear and apparel and events such as the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, the ASP 4-Star Vans Pier Classic at Huntington Beach and the ASP 6-Star Vans Pro and Vans Pro Junior at the East Coast Surfing Championships and the progressive longboard Joel Tudor Duct Tape Invitational contests. The Vans Surf team is led by a talented group of riders including Nathan Fletcher, John Florence, Joel Tudor, Dane Reynolds, Pat, Dane and Tanner Gudauskas, Ivan and Nathan Florence, Alex Knost, Andrew Doheny, Dylan Graves, Kalani Chapman, Wade Goodall and Leila Hurst. For more information on Vans' surf happenings, our team plus our footwear and apparel, visit vanssurf.com and follow us on Twitter @vanssurf.

Source: Ocean Promotion

Author: Jodi Wilmott

Tags: HIC Pro, ASP World Qualifying Series, Vans Triple Crown of Surfing

WQS: Surfersvillage