Andy Irons won his Round One heat : photo ASPWorldtour/Karen

Fosters ASP WCT Mens Event # 10
Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
31 October - 9 November 2005

Live Webcast: Scores/Results/Photos/Videos etc

NOVA SCHIN FESTIVAL GOES MOBILE FOR ROUND ONE AND SCORES

(Scroll down for Portuguese)

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 01 November, 2005 : - - The decision to move two hours drive south from the home base of Joaquina, Florianopolis, Brazil proved successful today for the organisers of the Nova Schin Festival presented by Billabong.

Getting underway in fun one metre (three foot) beach breaks at a location known as Imbituba, contestants in 10th event on the Foster’s ASP Men’s World Tour had the huge crowd enthralled as they put on amazing displays of new-school surfing.

Obviously, due to the potential for the 2005 Foster’s ASP Men’s World Tour title to be wound up in here in Brazil, the major focus of the day was on the early performances of Kelly Slater (USA) and Andy Irons (HAW) but there were plenty of cheers throughout round one as both local competitors and the international field effortlessly completed some massive aerial manoeuvres. Slater even described the day as being like one massive “expression session”.

In the first heat of the day Cory Lopez came out of the starting blocks with all guns blazing. He certainly showed that he wasn’t going to let the nightmare preparation he faced in the four days leading up to the event affect his performance.

 
Kelly Slater won his opening round heat too : photo ASP/Karen

After facing visa problems on arrival into Brazil, Lopez was forced to spend time in Argentina until the dramas were solved and he arrived in Florianopolis at 2am local time this morning. He then had to scrounge up equipment after his luggage did not arrive. After only a couple of hours sleep he was on hand at 6am ready to compete.

“I tried to come to the event a couple of days early to get warmed up but unfortunately my visa had expired a week before I got here,” said Lopez. “They almost sent me back to Atlanta USA, but luckily instead they sent me to Buenos Aires. I had to sit there for Saturday and Sunday until the consulate opened and then I somehow made the lady give me my visa in one day.

“I made it here at 2am this morning for the 6am call,” Lopez continued. “It was an adventure but I’m here and luckily I came out on top. I got to my room and Chris Ward and brought two boards over for me. My luggage hadn’t arrived either so that was lucky. I’m in a borrowed wetsuit also… I don’t know how it all came together!”

Following on from Lopez’s strong showing was a head turning display from Brazilian Marcelo Nunes. Obviously gaining extra confidence surfing in front of a home crowd he executed numerous large aerials to blitz his heat against Damien Hobgood (USA), and fellow Brazilian Pedro Henrique.

Sitting right on the cusp of the re-qualification boundary, a big result here is important for Nunes's future on the Foster’s ASP Men’s World Tour.

 
Joel Parkinson won his Round One heat : photo ASP/Karen

This event is very important for me. I really need a good result here so I can keep going on the tour next year,” said Nunes. “I’m very happy to win that first heat and even happier that it is in Brazil. I feel good and confident in front of this home crowd. I’ve been training out here and even though it’s smaller today there’s still some good waves and luckily I caught a few. It was good to beat Damien. I knew I had to do some big turns to beat him as he is such a great surfer. I’m 28th at the moment so I really need this result. But I’m confident – I have good boards and a lot of people helping me.”

Making a comeback after a serious medial ligament tear in his knee saw him withdraw from the tour back in September in Japan, was Joel Parkinson (AUS). Although seemingly struggling at the start of the heat, right on the final buzzer Parkinson showed the form that had him sitting in number five on the rankings prior to his injury. Parkinson now sits in 14th and will endeavour to climb back into the top 10. He was elated with his first round win.

“It’s unreal. I was so nervous to see how I’d go and I really thought I was going to struggle more than I did out there,” said Parkinson. “I’d been surfing really good at home but the waves are so much weaker here and I was struggling in the free surf this morning. But with each wave I felt more confident and now I think I’m almost 100 per cent.”

Parkinson defeated Travis Logie (ZAF) and Diego Rosa (BRA) and like all winners of round one will receive instant passage through to round three.

Also getting off to a late start in his heat against Mark Occhilupo (AUS) and local Guga Aruda, was Kelly Slater. He too found some late momentum to come in with a win.

Adriano de Souza giant killer in Round One : photo Ricardo Mega/Wave Networks

“I never really got in synch in that heat and I don’t think anyone else did either. I thought I was in last actually! And then I heard I was in first and that Occy needed a 6.0 or so to catch me. I just never really found my feet out there so it was good to win a heat knowing I didn’t surf all that well. I think it was a cumulation of a few things, jet lag, climate change, sitting around doing nothing. I actually changed the fins in my board too which made it feel terrible… so maybe it was good just to get all that out of the way and I can get into gear from here.”

Knowing he has a huge task ahead of him in the Nova Schin Festival presented by Billabong, Irons took it to his fellow competitors Taylor Knox (USA) and Guilherme Ferreira (BRA) by posting the highest score of the day, a 9.5 out of a possible 10.

On that wave he launched a typical Irons attack pulling off some huge power gouges. On returning to the beach however Irons played down both his sterling performance and the enormity of what lies before him.

“The waves were pretty soft and slow as the tide got higher,” said Irons. “One of the guys out there was really aggressive and it was hard to catch waves but I got a good one at the end which came in a bit wider and it lined up well. I’m glad to get that one out of the way.

“Everyone’s talking it [the title showdown] up and there’s so much going on, but really I’m in cruise mode,” he continued. “There’s a lot riding on it and it’s a long shot but I’m just having fun with it and I’m not going to get too stressed out. It’s plain and simple what I have to do and I’m going to go for it and try to win every single heat.”

The full results of round one heats one to 12 can be found at www.aspworldtour.com or at www.billabongpro.com

 
Mick Fanning opened with a shocker : photo ASPWorldtour/Karen

Round One Results
Ht 1: 1st Cory Lopez, 2nd Chris Ward, 3rd Jihad Kohdr
Ht 2: 1st Marcello Nunes, 2nd Pedro Henrique, 3rd Damien Hobgood
Ht 3: 1st Nathan Hedge, 2nd Mick Lowe, 3rd Yuri Sodre
Ht 4: 1st Joel Parkinson, 2nd Travis Logie, 3rd Diego Rosa
Ht 5: 1st CJ Hobgood, 2nd Ordirlei Coutinho, 3rd Darren O'Rafferty
Ht 6: 1st Victor Ribas, 2nd Flavio Costa, 3rd Trent Munro
Ht 7: 1st Richard Lovett, 2nd Heitor Alves, 3rd Mick Fanning
ht 8: 1st Kelly Slater, 2nd Guga Arruda, 3rd Mark Occhilupo
Ht 9: 1st Andy Irons, 2nd Taylor Knox, 3rd Guilherme Ferreira
Ht10: 1st Phillip MacDonald, 2nd Paulo Moura, 3rd Pablo Paulino
Ht11: 1st Adriano de Souza, 2nd Bede Durbidge, 3rd Bruce Irons
Ht12:1st Jake Paterson 2nd Tim Reyes 3rd Fabio Gouveia

See www.aspworldtour.com or www.billabong.com for the new draw plus stay tuned for all the action on the live webcast.

 
Paulo Moura : photo ASP/Karen
 

Mineirinho impõe respeito    Por Ader Oliveira
 
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 01 November, 2005 : - - Nesta terça-feira foram realizados 12 confrontos da primeira rodada do Nova Schin Festival 2005, etapa brasileira do WCT. A prova foi iniciada em ondas de meio a 1 metro na praia da Vila, em Imbituba (SC), município situado 90 quilômetros ao sul de Florianópolis.

Dos 15 brasileiros que entraram em ação, apenas três avançaram direto para a terceira rodada – o potiguar Marcelo Nunes, o carioca Victor Ribas e o paulista Adriano de Souza. Já os atletas Jihad Khodr (PR), Pedro Henrique (RJ), Flávio Costa (BA), Heitor Alves (CE), Odirlei Coutinho (SP), Yuri Sodré (RJ), Pablo Paulino (CE), Diego Rosa (SC), Guga Arruda (SC) e Fábio Gouveia (PB), Paulo Moura (PE) e Guilherme Ferreira (SC) caíram para a repescagem.  

Cinco brasileiros ainda não estrearam na prova. O paranaense Peterson Rosa, o paulista Renan Rocha, o pernambucano Bernardo Pigmeu e os cariocas Guilherme Herdy e Raoni Monteiro estão escalados nas baterias pendentes do primeiro round. A melhor atuação do dia ficou por conta do potiguar Marcelo Nunes, autor de 16.90 pontos em vinte possíveis na segunda bateria.  

O atleta abusou dos aéreos e descolou notas 8.67 e 8.23, se dando ao luxo de descartar um 8.17 para derrotar o carioca Pedro Henrique e o norte-americano Damien Hobgood. Victor Ribas protagonizou a segunda vitória brasileira nesta terça-feira. O carioca não se intimidou com a atuação do baiano Flávio Costa, que ficou na frente durante boa parte do tempo, e terminou o confronto em primeiro lugar, seguido por Flávio e o aussie Trent Munro.

 
Imtuba Beach :: photo ASPWorldtour/Karen

O paulista Adriano de Souza, o Mineirinho, deu uma dura no havaiano Bruce Irons e no australiano Bede Durbidge. Mineirinho mostrou um surf polido, invertendo a prancha nas manobras e jogando muita água. Durbidge amargou a segunda posição, seguido por Bruce. Decisão – Os candidatos ao título mundial entraram em ação nesta terça-feira e não decepcionaram. O norte-americano Kelly Slater venceu o aussie Mark Occhilupo e o brasileiro Guga Arruda, terceiro colocado no circuito catarinense em 2004. 

O havaiano Andy Irons espancou uma esquerda para obter a maior nota do dia, 9.50, e assumir a liderança na disputa contra o norte-americano Taylor Knox e o brazuca Guilherme Ferreira, vice-campeão catarinense.  

Uma nova chamada será realizada às 6h30 desta quarta-feira, na praia do Joaquina, para avaliação das condições do mar.

Full reports     (Portuguese), ........ Translator here  

Previous reports:
# 1 : World title showdown expected at Brazil wct: Burrow out
# 2 : Parkinson returns to bolster draw at Nova Shin Festival  
# 3 : Nova Shin Festival WCT Brazil put onto hold for Day One 
# 4 : Coming soon
  

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