Mr Price Pro

ASP 6 Star Mens WQS Event
ASP 5 Star Womens WQS Event
North Beach, Durban
30 June- 9 July 2006

Scores/Results/Photos/Video etc

Surfing Hots Up with Hodge at the Mr Price Pro

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 7 July, 2006 : - - It was just last year that nineteen-year-old Roseanne Hodge (Queensbury Bay, East London) made headlines for Beating the Boys in Durban, and at the five star World Qualifying Series Mr Price Pro women's event, at Durban’s North Beach on Friday, Hodge did it again. Well, so to speak.  

Taking-on a host of international talent including former Mr Price Pro champion Jacqueline Silva (Brazil), Hodge posted the highest individual wave score of the entire competition, a near perfect 9.73 out of a possible ten points, the highest of both the men's and women's divisions so far.  

Taking off on a reeling 1.5 meter set wave, Hodge, who was groomed on the reeling walls of Queensbury Bay, racked up five of her trademark round-house turns, throwing buckets of spray and riding almost all the way to Bay Pier, eliciting bursts of applause from spectators. 

Backed up by a 7.83 (out of ten) Hodge's combined two wave heat total of 17.56 out of a possible twenty points, eclipsed aerial maestro Josh Kerr's (Aus) earlier 17.50 and Hodge now holds the highest individual wave score and two wave heat total of the entire contest, which has been underway for exactly one week.  

I was really nervous because I had a really hard heat and before I went out I said to myself, just don't embarrass yourself admitted the former South African Junior Champion. “There were some really good waves coming through, and I really enjoyed myself out there.  

Hodge defeated former Mr Price Pro Champion and ASP World number 16 Jacqueline Silva who needed a 9.73 to take the lead from Hodge. Both surfers have advanced into the round of 12. 

Earlier in the afternoon South Africa' highest rated South African female on the WQS Tammy Lee Smith (Balitto), currently rated 10th, secured her place in the round of 12 on Saturday. 

Blasting off a wave out the back with two gauging turns, Smith took the lead from world number one on the WQS Karina Petroni (USA) and maintained this position for the rest of the twenty-minute heat.

Petroni meanwhile found herself up against five times ASP African Champion Tamarys De Marroussem (Westbrook) for second place. With one minute remaining and Petroni holding down second, the American employed a game of tactics to keep De Marroussem off the approaching set waves, a strategy that paid off handsomely, with Smith and Petroni advancing into the next round.  

"It feels good to beat the international girls,” said Smith who defeated Petroni for the second time after her initial victory in the pro junior division. “Karina is a good competitor but it’s good to know the South African’s are on the same level as the best in the world." 

With the Women's final swiftly approaching, a handful of girls emerged as possible title contenders for Saturday's final clash, scheduled for 14h30.  

World Championship Tour winner Stephanie Gilmore (Aus), who won the Roxy Pro Phillip Island as a wildcard in 2005, posted an outstanding performance, winning the first heat of the women’s division on two excellent eight-point rides. Gilmore advanced into the round of twelve ahead of Lauren Sweeney (USA).  

Other standouts included Australian Amee Donohoe whose visually pleasing style earned her the second highest wave score of the women’s event a (9.57 out of ten), while defending Champion Melanie Bartels’s innovative surfing earned her yet another win and a place in the next round 

In the men’s round of 48, completed on Friday morning, the South African contingent lost just three surfers with five advancing into the round of 24. 

South Africa’s top seed Travis Logie (Durban) posted yet another fast and furious performance, with five lightening backhand snaps that screamed at the judges, earning him an excellent 8.5 (out of ten) off his first ride.  

“I seem to be starting off all my heats with 8.50's so I'm stoked to keep that tradition going. That was one of the hardest heats in small little left-handers. With all those guys, small lefts are their forte. I was pretty nervous going in but I'm stoked I came through,” said Logie who advanced in first place defeating Japan’s Masatoshi Ohno and reining world junior champion Kekoa Bacalso (Hawaii).  

Heat ten proved to be a unanimous success for South Africa with Warwick Wright (Durban) and world number 16 Greg Emslie (East London) advancing in first and second places respectively, on a great exchange of seven and eight point rides.   

Ricky Basnett (Bluff) was the only other victory for the South African’s, taking down world number 14 Luke Stedman (Aus), Mr Price wildcard Clinton Gravett (East London) and world number 41 Roy Powers (Hawaii). 

The week’s earlier standouts Jordy Smith (Umbilo) and Antonio Bortolleto (Durban) also advanced, Bortolleto in an exceptionally close heat that saw him earn the score he needed, to advance in the last 30 seconds ahead of Australian Rhys Bombaci.  

Competition resumes at 07h00 tomorrow culminating with the pro junior women’s finals at 13h40 and the women’s finals at 14h30. The 2006 Women’s champions will be crowned at approximately 15h15.  

Men’s Round of 48
Heat 1: Peterson Rosa(Bra)- 17.16; Neco Padaratz(Bra)- 14.50
Heat 2: Ricky Basnett(Rsa)- 14.83; Luke Stedman(Aus)- 12.26
Heat 3: Jarrad Sullivan(Aus)- 15.13; Josh Kerr(Aus)- 14.10
Heat 4: Darren O’ Rafferty(Aus)- 14.73; Antonio Bortoletto(Rsa)- 14.20
Heat 5: Aneko Acero(Esp)- 14.00; Drew Courtney(Aus)- 12.50
Heat 6: Micheal Cambell(Aus)- 13.33; Jordy Smith(Rsa)- 12.60
Heat 7: Kieren Perrow(Aus)- 11.56; Fred Patacchia(Haw)- 10.84
Heat 8: Travis Logie(Rsa)- 15.73; Masaoshi Ohno(Jpn)- 12.67
Heat 9: Kai Otton(Aus)- 12.50; Troy Brooks(Aus)- 11.14
Heat 10: Warwick Wright(Rsa)- 15.33; Greg Emslie(Rsa)- 13.47
Heat 11: Beto Fernandes(Bra)- 13,44; Maz Quinn(Nzl)- 11.44
Heat 12: Victor Ribas(Bra)- 15.83; Dayyan Neve(Aus)- 14.90 

Women’s Round of 24
Heat 1: Melanie Bartels(Haw)- 14.33; Caroline Sarran(Fra)- 11.84
Heat 2: Stephanie Gilmore(Aus)- 17.16; Lauren Sweeney(Usa)- 13.20
Heat 3:Tammy Lee Smith(Rsa)- 12.00; Carina Petroni(Usa)- 8.77
Heat 4: Amee Donohoe(Aus)- 16.07; Rebecca Woods(Aus)- 12.63
Heat 5: Rosy Hodge(Rsa)- 17.56; Jacqueline Silva(Bra)- 13.16
Heat 6: Jessi Miley-Dryer(Aus)- 15.00; Jaimee Wheatley(Aus)- 11.33

To watch all the action live from North Beach log-on to www.mrpricepro.com  

Previous reports:
# 1 : Mr Price Pro WQS in Durban expecting a fantastic start
# 2 : Big upsets as Mr Price Pro Junior finalists are decided
# 3 : Eight surfers advance into the Mr Price Pro main event
# 4 : Jordy Smith an early standout at Mr Price Pro in Durban

# 5 : Four South Africans ‘in the Money’ at the Mr Price Pro...
# 6 : Rautenbach leads SA girls charge at Mr Price Pro '06
# 7 : Durban duo Bortoletto & Smith on a roll at Mr Price Pro
# 8 : South African trio advance to next round at Mr Price Pro    

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