Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 5 April, 2006 : - - Former world number two surfer Michael Campbell wants back on the world tour. The fiery red head, looking fitter than ever, spurned the world surfing circuit in 2004. Following a year’s break from the relentless demands of professional surfing, the Port Macquarie goofy-footer has astounded onlookers at the Vodafone Open by winning each of the four heats he has contested at Newcastle Beach.
Having rediscovered the competitive that Campbell said had deserted him, the 31-year-old is supremely confident he still has what it takes to match the world’s best. He will be forced to start from the opening rounds of every World Qualifying Series (WQS) event he enters this year. "I don’t care if I finish 1st or 16th on the ’QS - I want to qualify this year," Campbell said today.
"I have got 14 events lined up, so first I want to get this one out of the way and see how I go. "To start in the first round of any contest is really hard mentally and physically, you have to be on the ball every heat. It takes a lot out of you but I think I’m ready to do it." A former Newcastle titleholder (2001), Campbell has dominated the early rounds of the four-star tournament this week, surfing with the speed and precision that once had him earmarked as a possible World Championship Tour (WCT) title contender.
Having progressed through to tomorrow’s round of 96 surfers, he finds himself alongside the world’s best for the first time in two years. "I love coming to Newcastle - I’ve been coming here ever since I was a kid to watch Surfest and to be part of it is pretty special," said Campbell. "To win here again would be awesome for me."
Fellow comeback hopeful Neco Padaratz, of Brazil, continued his good run of form today, winning his round of 160 heat over Australian Will Lewis (Gold Coast), Justin Mcbride (US) and Hugo Savilli (Reunion Island). Leading from the outset, Padaratz cemented his reputation as one of the fiercest competitors in surfing history, dominating the encounter.
His two scores of 6.17 and 6.37 out of a possible 10 were enough to outpoint Lewis, who came back with only seconds remaining to move from third to second and progress.
In the day’s best exchange, Sydney surfer and former Newcastle runner-up Matt Bemrose blasted three critical top turns to post an 8.00 on his opening ride against top-ranked Brazilian Jean da Silva and fellow Sydney pair Blake Thornton (Little Bay) and Jason Salisbury (Newport).
Thinking it was enough to safely see him through, powerful goofyfooter Bemrose (Curl Curl) rode smaller inside waves before da Silva answered late in the heat with a seariing 8.67. In a flurry of final waves for all competitors, both Thornton and Salisbury came close to knocking Bemrose out of second position.
Mick Campbell : photo Robertson/Vodafone Open
The Brazilian’s top ride and back up 5.97 were enough to defeat all three Australians, with Bemrose narrowly scraping through behind him. "I saw Matt surfing well at the start of the heat, and that made me nervous because not many waves were coming through," da Silva said. "At the end I caught a left for a good score and I was leading the heat but the other guys were surfing really good as well."
"The Australian guys surf very well, they have good equipment, good waves and get to train with the best surfers in the world. For me being here is an excellent experience for everything in my life." The 22-year-old da Silva is looking forward to when seven-time world champion Kelly Slater begins competition in the Vodafone Open on Friday. Slater, who rarely competes on the second-tier WQS tour enters in the top seeded round of 64 surfers as firm favourite.
"When I knew that Kelly was coming I thought maybe if I get through I can surf with him, which in a WQS is not normal," da Silva said. "He normally only surfs in the CTs so to win through and surf against him would be something special." The red-hot da Silva will move through to face fellow South American Heitor Alves, Western Australian Luke Campbell and Hawaiian Dustin Cuizon. Bemrose will surf against TJ Barron (HAW), Cory Ziems (Currumbin) and Anthony Walsh (Lennox Head) in the sixth round.
Other Australians to progress through to round six include Walsh, Luke Campbell (Trigg), Matt Thompson (Avalon), Matt Hoar (South Coast) and Darren Turner, who hails from the Gold Coast but now lives in Japan.
The Vodafone Open is the main event of the Vodafone Surfest presented by Billabong is supported by the NSW Major Events Board, NSW Tourism, NBN Television, NEW FM and The Herald.
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