DEFENDING CHAMPIONS ELIMINATED AT MAITLAND TOYOTA SURFEST

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 16 March, 2007 : - - The defending champions in both the men's and women's competition at the Maitland Toyota Surfest were today bundled out of their respective World Qualifying Series competitions – the 4 star Maitland Toyota Open and the 5 star  Midori Pro at Merewether beach in Newcastle.

Surfers from the elite Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour - Brazil's Neco Padaratz and Australia's Rebecca Woods – were surprise eliminations from the weekend's finals. In the men's competition, 19 Aussies, five Brazilians, two Americans and two Frenchmen, as well as sole contestants from the Canary Islands, South Africa, Portugal and Spain are all that remain for tomorrow's eighth round of the Maitland Toyota Surfest.

Padaratz, who surfed through every round here last year on his way back to the elite ASP world tour after a year's suspension from the tour, was unable to find the waves needed in the clean but small conditions. Despite a 6.57 point barrel ride in the final two minutes of his heat, the effort was not enough to help the Brazilian secure a spot in tomorrow's round of 32.

The winner of his heat was another former event champion, 2007 ASP World Tour rookie, Dayyan Neve. Neve, from Manly in Sydney, won the Newcastle competition in 2003. Padaratz clearly thought his last wave would score him the 8.33 needed to advance to the next round. He punched his board and threw his hands in the air as the score denying him advancement was announced.

"I really would have liked to have gone further and won again here at Newcastle," a deflated Padaratz said. "I've been training really hard and counting down the many, many days before I could surf here, and it's such a good event and always so much fun. "I'm very disappointed I couldn't get through."

There was however no surprises in heat eight, with current world number one and three-time champion of this event, Mick Fanning (AUS),   breezing through the round of 64 with an impressive and crowd pleasing score of 16.63 – the highest heat score of the entire day.  "I think I surfed well, but I've just come here to have fun, enjoy the waves and to catch up with a few of the boys," the relaxed Gold Coast surfer said.

"This event won't change my position on the ASP World Tour, so there's not so much pressure. "When I'm not surfing I'll be cruising around and looking for some fun," Fanning said. "Fanning said he had great respect for 19-year-old Julian Wilson (Coolum, Qld), who also advanced through in the same heat. Julian is next big thing in Australian surfing," Fanning said.

"He is always pushing those around him, so he's going to be a dangerous threat in the future." Wilson, current U/18 world champion, is getting used to surfing against some of the world's best. "It definitely registers that it's Fanning out there," Wilson said.  "He's the in-form surfer for sure, number one in the world. I knew he was gonna be hard to beat.