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

FINAL 16 SET FOR O'NEILL WORLD CUP OF SURFING SHOWDOWN - Slater, Fanning, Irons & Parkinson Among Them

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 5 December, 2006 : - - Sunset Beach, HAWAII -- Eight-time world champion Kelly Slater (Florida, USA), world #2 Mick Fanning (Queensland, Australia), former world champion Andy Irons (Kauai, Hawaii), and world #6 Joel Parkinson (Queensland, Australia) head the final field of 16 surfers remaining in the $125,000 6-star O'Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach.

The remaining seven heats of this, the second of three events making up the men's Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, will take place tomorrow morning in what is anticipated to be extra large (approximately 15-feet) surf.

While Slater and his tour-seasoned cohorts command the limelight, darkhorses like O'Neill's wildcard entry of Ian Walsh, and 18-year-old South African rookie Jordy Smith are proving to be legitimate contenders for this title. Walsh, from Kuau, Maui, posted one of the highest scores of the day in his heat with Parkinson, Patrick Gudauskas (USA), and Odirlei Coutinho (Brazil) - 14.03 out of a possible 20 with top wave scores of 7.53 and 6.5.

Andy Irons : photo ASP/Covered Images

Walsh will take on world #10 Dean Morrison (Queensland, Australia), world #14 and Sunset Beach local Fred Patacchia, and Coutinho in the second quarter final heat tomorrow. "It helps to be surfing in an O'Neill contest, but for me it's more about doing well at home," said Walsh, 23. "I've been surfing Sunset since I was 12 years old. I'd almost consider it a second home. It's definitely one of my favorite waves in the world."

Walsh has tasted success at Sunset Beach before, winning a 4-star event here a little more than a year ago, but has not been a competitor on the world tour this year. He hasn't wasted a moment of opportunity by way of his sponsor's wildcard during this event.

Without doubt, the most high-profile heat of the quarter finals will be the match-up between Slater, Sunset Beach local Pancho Sullivan, young Australian surfer Jay Thompson (24, Queensland), and the event's highest heat scorer so far, Joel Parkinson. Parkinson posted a whopping total of 17.8 points out of 20 today in his heat with Walsh, registering scores of 9.8 and 8.0 points. In contrast, Slater posted 11.67 points in his heat today, placing second to Odirlei Coutinho to advance out of their four-man heat.

Tuesday crowd : photo ASP/Covered Images

South African David Weare, ranked 22nd on the Association of Surfing Professionals World Qualifying Series tour, was as impressive as Parkinson today, posting a total of 17.5 points. Riding just three waves during his 25 minute heat with Neco Padaratz (Brazil), Troy Brooks (Australia), and Jason Shibata (Hawaii), Weare's first two rides posted were his best, scoring 9.0 and 8.5 points respectively.

His third wave, a "throw away" of 8.23 points, was still better than any of his rivals' scores, and better than 98 per cent of the total 140 waves surfed throughout the round today. "I actually got off to a really slow start," said Weare, 26, from Durban, South Africa. "But they were really good shaped waves - super fun to surf. Coming from South Africa, we get a lot of point breaks and I'm definitely more accustomed to surfing right-handers, so Sunset suits me fine.

"This is pretty much make or break time for me. I don't even want to look at the ratings, but this is the event that will decide my future." A strong finish here will almost surely secure Weare a spot on the coveted World Championship Tour of 2007.

Being that tomorrow is the final day of the official holding period for the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing, competition must go on regardless. But as good fortune would have it, the biggest swell of the winter to-date is scheduled to arrive in the early morning, allowing the O'Neill World Cup to wrap up before the extra-large swell reaches unrideable proportions of around 20 feet. Sunset Beach is not rideable once waves grow in excess of 15- to 18-feet. 
 

- More images from the event -

More photos 
 

The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is made possible through the support of Op, O’Neill, Rip Curl, Roxy, Billabong, Surfing Magazine, Oahu’s Turtle Bay Resort, Hawaiian Airlines, G-Shock, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, FUEL TV, and Road Runner High Speed Online. To learn more about the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, please visit www.triplecrownofsurfing.com.

Check out the Results/Photos/Videos etc 

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 
# 7 : O'Neill World Cup: Burrow bows out, Slater to surf Friday
# 8 : Late Kelly Slater survives at O'Neill World Cup of Surfing  
# 9 : No comp for O'Neill World Cup today - Tues looks good 

www.oneill.com
www.aspworldtour.com
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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