O'Neill World Cup of Surfing

ASP 6 Star WQS Mens Event
Sunset Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
24 November - 6 December 2006

Live Coverage  |  Results/Photos/Videos etc

VANS TRIPLE CROWN CONTENDER TAJ BURROW ELIMINATED IN FIRST HEAT AT O'NEILL WORLD CUP OF SURFING

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 30 November, 2006 : - - Sunset Beach, HAWAII - - Australian Taj Burrow, who is currently ranked second on the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Series and third in the world, made a rapid entry and exit from the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach today. A rising swell, difficult conditions and a hungry heat of hopefuls determined to overcome the odds saw Burrow eliminated from the event at breakneck speed.

Outer-island Hawaii surfers Jesse Merle-Jones (Kauai) and Ian Walsh (Maui) slipped straight into gear, amassing points and scouring the lineup of eight- to 12-foot surf while Burrow and Canary Island surfer Jonathan Gonzalez battled to find anything deserving of even an average score. Strong rip-currents and an unpredictable mixed swell meant that being in the right place at the right time was the real contest.

Merle-Jones found two top scores of 6.67 and 5.67 for a winning total of 12.34 points out of a possible 20. Walsh managed a total of 11.3, but Gonzalez and Burrow were way off the mark with 7.8 and 4.03 respectively. Burrow's top two scores were 3.13 and 0.9.

Kieran Perrow : photo ASP/Covered Images

Burrow was one of the first four heats of the fourth round (the round of 64) that were staged at the tail end of today's competition, after the conclusion of the round of 96. The only other surprise from the fourth round was the elimination of Luke Stedman (Australia).

But Burrow and Stedman weren't alone in their disapointment. Also eliminated today after their first appearances in the third round were former Vans Triple Crown and World Cup champion Sunny Garcia (Hawaii), California's Taylor Knox, Brazilians Marcelo Nunes and Danilo Costa, and Australians Luke Munro and Bede Durbidge.

Highlights of today's surfing were high-scoring wins by super-charged Brazilian Neco Padaratz, (16.5 points which helped to eliminate Garcia), and former O'Neill World Cup and Vans Triple Crown champion Myles Padaca (Hawaii, 15.0 points).

Waves in the 10- to 12-foot range are expected to persist into tomorrow and conditions are expected to improve with the storminess calming down and offshore Tradewinds set to prevail. If and when competition resumes tomorrow, it will be with the remainder of the fourth round - including the highly anticipated entrance of eight-time world champion Kelly Slater (Florida), and current Vans Triple Crown of Surfing leader Andy Irons (Kauai). Tomorrow may also see a conclusion to the women's Roxy Pro, which is currently at quarter final stage.

- More images from the event -
 

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Check out the Live Coverage and the Results/Photos/Videos etc 

The O'Neill World Cup of Surfing is now at round three stage, with top seeds set to start entering the fray. Multiple World Cup and Vans Triple Crown champion Sunny Garcia will be among them. Joining Padaca in moving through today were Australians Drew Courtney, Nic Muscroft and Dayyan Neve; Mainland American Alex Gray, Brazilians Neco Padaratz, Bruno Santos and Andre Silva; and Hawaii's Sean Moody and Hank Gaskell.

 
Previous reports:
# 1 : O'Neill World Cup of Surfing Kick-off party November 24
# 2 : Prestigious O'Neill World Cup of Surfing gets underway  
# 3 : Myles Padaca in top form at O'Neill World Cup of Surfing
# 4 : O'Neill World Cup of Surfing Sunset, postponed Sunday
# 5 : O'Neill World Cup of Surfing on hold due to lack of swell
# 6 : O'Neill World Cup of Surfing is on hold again Wednesday 

www.oneill.com
www.aspworldtour.com
http://www.triplecrownofsurfing.com/oneill/index.html

About O'Neill: The World’s Original Surf Brand
O’Neill was founded in the bone-chilling waves of Northern California when a young man named Jack O’Neill and his unstoppable passion for surfing found a way to beat Mother Nature at her own game. Back in 1952 Jack pioneered the first neoprene wetsuit and opened the doors (garage door) to his first Santa Cruz surf shop.

While many things have changed since these humble beginnings, Jack’s initial vision to produce functional and innovative board riding continues to lie at the core of everything we do. From the first ever neoprene wetsuit back in 1952, to the world’s first stitchless Boardshorts, and now a range of groundbreaking wearable electronics, innovation continues to be the fuel that powers O’Neill onwards.

The family-owned and operated company distributes its products to 85 countries, including more than 2,500 specialty wetsuit and clothing retailers in the U.S and Australia. Consumer information is available at www.oneill.com

About Vans
Vans, Inc., a subsidiary of VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC), is a leading lifestyle brand for the youth market. Vans® collections, which include active and performance footwear, apparel and accessories, snowboard boots and bindings and the Pro-tec® line of protective gear, are sold in the United States through 150 company owned stores and factory outlets as well as independent retailers. Internationally, Vans sells its goods in approximately 50 countries through a network of distributors, sales agents and foreign offices. Vans supports and promotes the action sports lifestyle through such events as the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing™, the Vans Warped Tour™, and the Vans Cup at Tahoe™.

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