Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 8 April, 2006 : - - BRAZILIAN surfing comeback king Neco Padaratz has continued his giant killing run at the Vodafone Open presented by Billabong at Newcastle Beach. Following a forced six month suspension from surfing after testing positive to a banned substance in 2005, Padaratz was at his blistering best today, knocking out Australia’s favourite surfing son 1999 world champion Mark Occhilupo (Coolangatta).
Padaratz has amazingly surfed through nine rounds on his way to tomorrow’s quarter finals, his campaign beginning on the first day of competition last Monday. In solid 2m onshore conditions, the 29-year-old blasted his way to a combined two wave total of 16.84 leaving his experienced opponent requiring a combination of scores to over take him.
"Occy is the master to me, we have been competing together since 1995 and I have been watching him since I was a little kid," said Padaratz. "For me he will forever be a teacher." "I went to him at the end of the heat and said, man, I need to get my life back together and he said, Go for it," said Padaratz. "It is one of those heats that I will keep with me forever because I don’t know how much longer Occy is going to be around."
"I do everything in my life with emotion, that’s the way I live. I have had ups and downs and I think right now I am up." When Padaratz faces Australian Nic Muscroft in tomorrow’s quarter final he will have surfed six more heats than his opponent. A feat in itself, the powerful natural footer is unperturbed.
"I have been training three times a day for three hours for the last six months and these heats are just 25 minutes every time I go out for twice a day," said Padaratz. "My heart feels good, my mind feels good and my body feels good so I can keep going."
Surfers contested man on man heats from the round of 16 today, using the assistance of Personal Water Craft (PWC) to get towed back into the often difficult line-up. Jet Ski assistance will continue tomorrow with large 3-4m waves expected to pound Newcastle beaches.
Besides the ousting of the in form Occy, Australians have been dominating the Vodafone Open presented by Billabong in Newcastle. Six of the eight surfers set to contest tomorrow’s quarter finals are Australian with Brazilian duo Padaratz and Leonardo Neves the only internationals remaining from a field of 256 surfers.
Sydney’s Jarrad Howse survived a close count-back decision to progress through to the quarter finals over 2005 event runner up Ben Dunn (Old Bar). In seemingly lost at sea conditions, neither surfer knew how they had performed until returning to the beach. Unbeknownst to heat leader Howse, Dunn scored a 4.67 on his final wave, equaling the former South Australians two wave total of 10.50.
On the count-back rule, where the surfer with the highest scoring single ride wins, Howse secured first position by the narrowest of margins. "You couldn’t hear much and it was victory at sea, there were so many big white waters and bumpy conditions," said Howse. "I was really happy to get through out there."
Prepared for tomorrow’s expected swell, the rookie World Championship Tour (WCT) surfer will face Gold Coaster Cory Ziems in the morning. "All week we have been hearing all these rumours about how it’s going to get big and I’m sure it will," said Howse. "I bought up a few of my Hawaiian boards so I have got the equipment so hopefully the waves will be good at Merewether and we can surf."
Manly surfer Kai Otton caused a major upset by winning through to tomorrow’s quarter finals, eliminating current world number nine Tom Whitaker (Bronte). Finding an excellent 8.33 on his first ride before putting the result beyond doubt with a back-up 7.17, Otton was in fine touch, reveling in the solid 2m surf.
"It’s a lot of luck today, there are a lot of closeouts, you just have to hopefully find the corner on one and it might run," said Otton. Despite winning the heat convincingly and leaving Whitaker needing a 9.50 score to overtake him, it was a nervous final 20 seconds for Otton as he let his world tour opponent take a wave by giving up priority on a smaller inside ride.
Although it only eventuated as an 8.0, not the near perfect ride needed, Otten admitted giving the wave up could have been a crucial mistake. "I was so nervous, I haven’t had much experience in man on man heats," said Otten. "I took an inside wave that fizzled out and turned around to see Whits on a good one. Luckily for me it didn’t hold up the whole way."
Currumbin surfer Cory Ziems won through to the final day of competition tomorrow with a tight win over in form surfer Daniel Ross (Angourie). As the swell continued to build and close out throughout the morning, scoring waves become hard to find and Ziem’s two wave total of 10.67 out of a possible twenty was enough to outpoint Ross’s 10.17.
The progression to the final eight surfers is Ziems best ever result in a four star rated WQS event. The 22-year-old said the building swell made it tough, with the addition of the Jet Ski’s a welcome reprieve to the tough paddle outs. Other Aussies through to tomorrow’s final day include Central Coaster Drew Courtney, Byron Bay surfer Kieren Perrow and Torquay’s Muscroft.
Former world no. 2 Mick Campbell’s elimination from his round eight heat today ended a phenomenal run that saw the goofy footer advance from round one. The 31 year old Port Macquarie surfer failed to find any high scoring rides to be finish in equal 17th overall, bowing out to Portugal’s Tiago Pires and Courtney. His round eight result awarded 600 points and $1000.
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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