Andy Irons defending event champion & current world champion
photo : ASP/Tostee

Quiksilver Pro France 2005
presented by Samsung in association with Evian and Wanadoo

ASP WCT Mens Event # 9
Southwest France
23 September - 2 October 2005

Live Webcast / Scores/Results/Photos/Videos etc

Quiksilver Pro France prepares for world's best surfers and ratings lead battle 

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 13 September, 2005 : - - Quiksilver is preparing to welcome the only European stop on the 2005 ASP World Championships Tour (WCT), scheduled to take place in south-west France from 23rd to 2nd October. 45 of the world’s best surfers are expected to battle it out at the best breaks on the Landes and Basque coastlines. Competing in this decisive professional tour event for the world’s elite, each surfer will be vying for a share of the $270,000 prize purse.

What’s more, the attention looks set to focus more than ever on two of the tour’s biggest stars: Andy Irons (Hawaii), three-time World Champion and winner of the last two Quiksilver Pro France competitions, and Kelly Slater (USA), on the hunt for his 7th world title. Slater is currently leading the WCT standings with event in California still to come before the Quiksilver Pro France.

Some of the forces to be reckoned with…
With 3 victories to his name so far this season – in Fiji, Tahiti and South Africa– Slater is considered by many to be the man in form. His early season performances have been mind-blowing. On the perilous reef break at Teahupoo, the Floridian once again entered his name into the record books by scoring two perfect 10’s in the same heat, which just so happened to be the final! It was a first for the Pro Tour.

A closely contested and very symbolic victory against Andy Irons in the final at Jeffrey’s Bay then gave Slater the upper hand over “AI”, his big rival. At the Quiksilver Pro Japan, Irons took his revenge thanks to epic victory on Kelly Slater. Now, the elder Irons brother only trails the Floridian by a mere 578 points (prior to the Quiksilver Pro Japan), and the battle is sure to go down to the wire. All the more so now that genuine title challengers have begun to impose themselves consistently in the early season, most notably in the shape of a back-to-his-best Mick Fanning. The Australian, ranked n°3, cleaned up at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast (Aus) and at Reunion Island while his fellow countryman Trent Munro, currently 4th in the general standings, won a WCT event at Bell’s Beach (Aus). And spare a thought for 2004 Vice-World Champion Joel Parkinson (Aus) too… Consistently in amongst the top 10 at each of the early season events, the Australian is lying in wait to pounce on the 2005 title.

Kelly Slater current ratings leader (Quiksilver Pro France 2004)
photo  : ASP/Tostee

The competition sites
The Quiksilver Pro France 2005 will unfold on two fixed spots in an effort to find the best waves. Two spots have been chosen to host the contest in Hossegor : La Gravière and La Nord. The Lafiténia bay at Saint-Jean de Luz could well be a fallback in the event of extremely heavy swells.
 

The year’s best surfing
In 2001, the Association of Surfing Professionals granted Quiksilver a World Championships Tour event in France, and ever since then the decision to organise the event in the autumn has proved to be a smart one. The waves have always turned up for the occasion.

Worthy of comparison with Sunset (Hawaii), epic conditions blessed the Plage de la Nord in Hossegor that Sunday in October 2004 for the final of the Quiksilver Pro France. Hollow and powerful 4 metre swells, an offshore wind and summer temperatures all made a big impression.
And so did the quality duel between the Irons brothers in the final… Andy came out on top in this one-on-one with younger sibling Bruce, the latter beating Kelly Slater in the ½ finals thanks to a tube that was rewarded with a perfect 10 score.   

Wildcards – a chance to measure up against the best
The Quiksilver Pro France 2005 will provide several surfers with an opportunity to compete in the heats of the WCT competition to obtain a wildcard. Some of the surfers include French rippers Jeremy Flores and Miky Picon, as well as German charger Marlon Lipke. Brazilian surfer Wiggolly Dantas, victorious at the finals of the Quiksilver King of the Groms, the international tour for under-16 year old surfers, will also feature. The wildcard invitation will be handed out to the winner of the trials, set to take place prior to Europe’s most prestigious competition in the surf calendar.  
Two other wildcards will be given to american surfer Dane Reynolds and french rider Miky Picon.

Follow the Quiksilver Pro France live on the Internet
The Quiksilver Pro France will be broadcast live on the internet in its entirety and with commentary in French, English, Spanish and Portuguese. The results of the heats will also be broadcast in real time.

“Live at 5”, a new daily rendezvous presented by John Shimooka, 1989 World Champion Martin Potter and 4-time World Champion Mark Richards, will allow internet surfers to dial up and hear what the stars of the WCT have to say about the day’s results.
What’s more, the Quiksilver Pro France press conference starring Kelly Slater among other pros will be broadcast live on Quiksilver’s website and Boardrider TV channel (diffused throughout Quiksilver’s network of Boardrider shops).
www.quiksilver.com

Bruce Irons (2004 event) : photo ASPWorldtour/Tostee

Hotline
A telephone hotline will be set up by Ocean Surf report for the duration of the Quiksilver Pro France. A source for all competition information: the day’s programme, competition site, weather conditions and swell sizes will be available from 8am every morning and updated at 12 and 4pm every day
Telephone: 08 92 68 1 360 – then press 1 (0,35 €/minute)  

Quiksilver Pro France 2005 - Programme

Thursday 22nd September
Morning : Trials wildcard
5pm : Quiksilver Pro France press conference with Kelly Slater in attendance at the QUIKSILVER store in ANGLET – 51, avenue Jean-Léon Laporte.

Friday 23rd September
- Start of the Quiksilver Pro France window of opportunity
- Concert of THE FILM – Salle des Fêtes des Bourdaines - Seignosse

Sunday 2nd October
- End of the WCT waiting period
 

FOCUS

Andy Irons, World Champion

Record:
3-time World Champion (2002, 2003, 2004)
2-time winner of the Quiksilver Pro France
1 win on the WCT this season at Quiksilver Pro Japan
14 WCT career wins
DOB: 24th July 1978 at Kauai, Hawaii

Following on from his exhausting second World Champion title at the end of 2003, Andy Irons really did come into his own during the course of the 2004 season. Extremely consistent, the Hawaiian reached the quarterfinals or better at eight different WCT events, winning two of them (in South Africa and in France). His solid and creative surfing continued to amaze onlookers while his mental toughness allowed him to weather the mounting pressure. As one of the rare three-time Surfing World Champions, you can be sure he’ll be looking to add another title to his tally. Currently 2nd in the world standings, AI is in hot pursuit of the title. Victorious at the US Open (WQS) at the end of July, and recently in Japan, the Kauai boy is used to nice performance in Europe. The Quiksilver Pro France waves on the Landes coastline should suit him down to the ground…

Solid 8 foot waves at 2004 event : photo ASPWorldtour/Tostee

Kelly Slater, Current Leader, 2005 WCT

Record:
6-time World Champion (1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998)
3rd in the 2004 WCT standings
3 WCT victories this season (Fiji, Tahiti, Jeffreys Bay/South Africa)
30 WCT career victories (2005 included)
DOB: 11th February 1972 at Cocoa Beach in Florida, USA

The Floridian made a big impression in 2004, despite his failure to capture a win on the WCT last year. This surf icon, a veritable Quiksilver ambassador, continues to fascinate the public and all surfers with his inspired style and creativity. 14 years on the tour have not diluted his desire to win. A true competitor, he’s set his sights on recapturing the title of World Champion – adding to the record-breaking 6 titles he has won during the course of his illustrious career. With 3 WCT victories under his belt this season, including a world first in Tahiti, Slater is on course for his seventh title.
 

Joel Parkinson, Vice-World Champion

Record:
2002 and 2004 Vice-World Champion
2 WCT victories in 2004 (Bell’s Beach/Australia, Trestles/USA)
5 WCT career victories
DOB: 10th April 1981 at Nambour, QLD, Australia

‘Parko’ kicked things off with a bang in 2004 by winning in Australia. A super-talented surfer, this Kirra local boy then missed the next two events on the World Championships Tour following the birth of his baby girl, Evie. Back on the tour, he didn’t waste any time in catching up on lost ground, reaching the final of the Quiksilver Pro Japan before winning the Boost Mobile in Trestles, California at the expense of Kelly Slater. The sub-standard performance from six-time World Champion Slater in Mundaka (Spain) allowed Parko to slip into 2nd place in the overall standings. With two events to go, the title was very much still within reach. However, the pressure proved too much as Parkinson flopped in Hawaii, going out to a wildcard surfer from Brazil. Despite all that, Parkinson become 2004 Vice-World Champion, and has staked his claim to the world throne for years to come. If his early form in 2005 hasn’t been exceptional, Parko has been nothing but consistent, almost always finishing among the top 10. And a 5th place finish at Jeffreys Bay (South Africa) promises more big things to come.

Fredrick Pattachia, 2005’s Revelation

Record:
8th in the WQS 2004 rankings
Currently 12th in the WCT 2005 standings (after Japan)
1st season on the WCT
DOB: 15th December 1981 in Hawaii

Newly promoted to the circle of the world’s best surfers at the end of the 2004 season, Fred Pattachia has made a remarkable start to the WCT season. For his first season among the elite, the young Hawaiian scored two amazing results at Teahupoo (5th) and Fiji (3rd), propelling him into 12th place in the provisional world rankings, a nice achievement for a rookie. In the past, Pattachia has been fortunate enough to compete in several WCT events thanks to wildcards. Strong off the back of competing at the highest level, this North Shore surfer has all the confidence of a fearless competitor. He could well spring a few surprises on the 2005 World Championships Tour. Fred Pattachia (Hawaii), Kelly Slater (USA), Troy Brooks (Australia) and Travis Logie (South Africa) are all part of the Quiksilver surf team.

Kelly Slater 2004 event : photo ASP/Tostee

 
MEMO:

Former winners of the Quiksilver Pro France:
2002 – Neco Padaratz (Brazil)
2003 – Andy Irons (Hawaii)
2004 – Andy Irons (Hawaii)

WCT Provisional Standings after 6 stops (after the Quiksilver Pro Japan)

1 Slater,Kelly USA 6374 $127300/$1263305 5,17,1,1,9,1,2,,,,,
2 Irons,Andy HAW 5796 $103200/$971233 5,2,9,9,9,2,1,,,,,
3 Fanning,Mick AUS 4962 $96800/$454460 1,9,17,17,1,17,5,,,,,
4 Munro,Trent AUS 4886 $69500/$380200 3,1,9,9,9,17,9,,,,,
5 MacDonald,Phillip AUS 4331 $55100/$340775 9,17,33,5,2,9,5,,,,,
6 Burrow,Taj AUS 4170 $49600/$682797 17,5,3,17,9,17,5,,,,,
7 Lopez,Cory USA 3985 $54700/$568960 33,3,9,5,5,17,17,,,,,
8 Parkinson,Joel AUS 3957 $39100/$508525 9,9,9,9,9,5,33,,,,,
9 Hobgood,C.J. USA 3956 $49300/$541558 5,9,5,2,inj,33,17,,,,,
10 Irons,Bruce HAW 3911 $63300/$363200 9,33,9,3,17,9,9,,,,,
11 Morrison,Dean AUS 3899 $39300/$280850 17,9,5,5,inj,9,9,,,,,
12 Hedge,Nathan AUS 3853 $44200/$326000 9,33,3,9,5,17,17,,,,,
12 Patacchia,Fredrick (jnr) HAW 3853 $44400/$162925 9,17,5,3,17,9,33,,,,,
14 Whitaker,Tom AUS 3807 $45900/$236575 3,17,9,33,17,17,3,,,,,
15 Wills,Daniel AUS 3658 $42200/$500885 17,3,17,17,5,17,17,,,,,
16 Hobgood,Damien USA 3634 $42500/$433150 9,5,2,inj,inj,17,17,,,,,
17 O'Rafferty,Darren AUS 3329 $46250/$261900 17,5,17,17,5,33,17,,,,,
18 Egan,Luke AUS 3260 $33900/$802670 17,9,33,9,9,9,33,,,,,
19 Knox,Taylor USA 3250 $37400/$620772 17,17,17,17,17,9,9,,,,,
20 Brooks,Troy AUS 3202 $57100/$217675 9,9,33,17,17,33,5,,,,,
20 Logie,Travis ZAF 3202 $46600/$148500 17,33,17,5,9,33,9,,,,,

ASP World Championships Tour 2005 calendar:
1-13 March  Gold Coast, Australia Quiksilver Pro  Mick Fanning
22 March/1 April  Bell’s Beach, Australia Rip Curl Pro  Trent Munro
5-17 May  Teahupoo, Tahiti  Billabong Pro  Kelly Slater
22 May/3 June  Tavarua Namotu, Fiji Globe WCT  Kelly Slater
23 June/4 July  St Leu, Reunion Island Rip Curl Search  Mick Fanning
12-22 July  Jeffreys Bay, South Africa Billabong Pro  Kelly Slater
31 August/7 Sept  Chiba, Japan  Quiksilver Pro  Andy Irons
13-18 September  Trestles, CA, USA  Boost Mobile Pro 
23 Sept/2 October South-West, France Quiksilver Pro France 
31 Oct/9 November Florianopolis, Brazil Santa Catarina Pro
8-20 December  Banzai Pipeline, Hawaii Rip Curl Pipeline Masters

The Billabong Pro Mundaka (Spain) scheduled from 4th to 15th October is cancelled in 2005

Danny Wills 2004 event : photo ASP/Tostee

Guide

Qualification for the WCT
The international professional surfing WCT circuit (World Championships Tour) comprises 46 surfers.
At the end of each season, the top 27 surfers from the final WCT standings maintain their position among the elite for the following year. There, they are joined by the top 15 surfers in the WQS standings (World Qualifying Series). In the event of one of the 27 surfers on the WCT also featuring among the top 15 on the WQS, the surfer in question will free up his place to the surfer ranked 16th on the WQS and so on.

Wildcards
Each year, the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), organisers of the WCT and WQS Pro Tours, give two permanent wildcards to surfers returning from injury. In 2005, Mick Fanning (Aus) and Shea Lopez (USA) rejoined the WCT circuit thanks to this wildcard system. In addition, a further 2 ‘one-off’ wildcards are handed out by the ASP to organisers of every WCT event. These wildcards are generally given to locals or team surfers. 
The number of wildcards can be increased during the course of the season in the event of WCT surfers withdrawing from competition.

According to the ASP rules, Quiksilver should obtain a minimum of two wildcards for the Quiksilver Pro France. However, given the high numbers of injured surfers on the tour at present, it is likely that the number of “organiser” wildcards will be increased. This should offer European surfers a chance to compete in the only European leg of the WCT World Championships Tour.

WCT Points
The winner of a WCT competition earns himself 1200 points; the runner-up 1032 points and the surfer in third position 876 points.

Scoring
In an effort to stay true to sporting performance and the essence of the sport, also know as free surfing, the ASP has broadened the judging criteria for 2005.
Perry Hatchett, ASP Head Judge, believes the broader scoring system on the Professional Tour will reward progressive surfing and will also favour surfers with a varied repertoire.
“A surfer has to execute radical and controlled moves with power, speed and rhythm on the critical section of the wave to earn the best scores. The innovative and varied nature of the surfing will be taken into consideration when scores are determined. The surfers applying these criteria with the most commitment and difficulty on the wave will earn the best scores.  

Each wave is marked out of a maximum score of 10 points. The best and worst scores are taken away and the average of the three remaining scores becomes the final score for each wave. The result of each heat is determined by the sum of the two best scores from each surfer.

Rankings, statistics, and rules can be found on www.aspworldtour.com

 
Estagnots 2004 Contest site : photo ASP/Tostee

The Quiksilver Pro France – Partners

SAMSUNG
Samsung Electronics continues its involvement in alternative sports, once again assuming the role of ‘presenting sponsor’ of the Quiksilver Pro France.
The current Samsung team is made up of Quiksilver surfers Miky Picon (France) and Alain Riou (Tahiti), Quiksilver skater Javier Mendizabal (Spain), Quiksilver freestyle skier Candide Thovex (France) and Quiksilver snowboarder Martin Cernik (Czech Republic). Samsung invites all fans of MP3 players, mobile phones and laptops to discover Samsung’s latest innovations and gadgets on the Quiksilver Pro France competition sites.

EVIAN
As in previous years at the Quiksilver Pro France, Evian will sponsor an expression session for WCT surfers and qualifiers alike to fight it out for a $10,000 prize purse.

A real hotbed of avant-garde tricks and moves, the expression session provides the surfers with a welcome interlude and the spectators with a wonderful spectacle. Last year, crowds on the Plage du Penon were left stunned by Australian Troy Brooks’s audacious ‘Superman Air’ and Kelly Slater’s perfect ‘air reverse’ – not something you’re likely to forget in a hurry.

Evian will also be associated to Quiksilver Initiative and make sure that the Quiksilver Pro France respects the environment: public awareness raising on recycling and on the water cycle, supported by a full display of an environmental action named "Du Flocon à la Vague" (from the snowflake to the wave).

The public will have the chance to meet the Quiksilver Evian pro- teamriders including Jeremy Flores whose image is featured on the latest Evian Freeride bottles.

WANADOO
The Quiksilver Pro France is also pleased to annouce its partnership with Wanadoo and France Télécom, a first which will allow, thanks to an important technical assistance with high speed solutions, a quality live transmission over the internet. At the same time, the Quiksilver Pro France will benefit from unprecedented media coverage thanks to France Telecom’s website www.wanadoo.fr (10,8 million visits and 1 billion pages seen in march 2005 – Nielsen)

Official event website

http://quiksilver.com/profrance

Previous reports:
# 1 : Coming soon
# 2 : Coming soon
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon   
 

Updated & Revised European Surforecasts

More European surfing news available here

Contacts:

Cathy Rourre / Agence Olivia Payerne
payerne@club-internet.fr

Organisation :  Quiksilver Europe
ZI de Jalday - BP 119 64501 Saint-Jean de Luz cedex
Tel : +33 (0) 5 59 51 57 57

Mathieu Darrigrand / Event manager
mathieu.darrigrand@quiksilver-europe.com

Sophie Nicolet / Communication Manager
sophie.nicolet@quiksilver-europe.com

Garry Wall / Marketing Director
garry.wall@quiksilver-europe.com

Simon Wootton / Marketing Quiksilver
simon.woottoon@quiksilver-europe.com

Alex Ekstrand / Webmaster
alex.ekstrand@quiksilver-europe.com

WCT Contests - Surfersvillage