Taylor Knox : photo Cestari/ASP Covered Images

ASP North America Updates

Taylor Knox Makes History at the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 14 July, 2008 : - - The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) will jot one down in the history books as veteran ASP World Tour campaigner Taylor Knox (Carlsbad, CA) posted the highest combined heat score in Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay history with a near flawless 19.70 out of possible 20 points. The natural footer performed a crushing forehand attack earning him single wave scores of 9.9 and 9.8 out of possible 10.

Knox’s history-making performance allowed him to advance effortlessly into Round 3 over ASP World Tour standout Joel Parkinson (Coolangatta, AUS), who scored a perfect single wave score of 10 out of possible 10 points in his Round 1 heat against the American powerhouse despite the loss. The dominating surfing unleashed on the perfect right-handers of Jeffreys Bay marked Knox’s career best combined heat total.

“It’s really enjoyable to be in a heat like that, it was unreal.” Knox said. “It was exciting, because Parko got the first wave and I could see that it was such a good wave and I knew that once it went by me it would barrel. Right then I saw a big one out the back and just thought, ‘I’m going to get barreled.’”

Aside from his amazing heat total, Knox had a throwaway 9.00 out of possible 10 point score, making his Round 1 performance a heat to remember. “I’ve had 10s before but I don’t think that I have ever backed it up with a 9.70 so I’d say that this was probably the highest scoring heat I’ve ever surfed,” Knox said.

Kelly Slater (Cocoa Beach, FL) was in his usual form, as the 3x Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Champion looked hungry to claim a fourth title, advancing confidently into Round 3 over ASP World Tour legend Mark Occhilupo (AUS). With an astonishing three wins out of the four events held to date, Slater will look to lengthen his ratings lead with another victory in South Africa.

“JBay has been a great place for me competitively,” Slater said. “But if I were to win I know one of those guys close by me would be in second and another would be in third, so it wouldn’t be a huge amount of ground made up, still stranger things have happened. Last year in Trestles most of the best guys lost early on. I could also blow it here and a whole bunch of guys could catch up, so it’s still really open. Everyone gets on a hot streak for a little while, so you can’t count anyone out at this point.”

Bobby Martinez (Santa Barbara, CA) shined in his Round 2 heat against South African wildcard Rudy Palmboom (ZAF), dropping the day’s best single wave score of a perfect 10 out of 10 points.

“It was a weird wave because I took off and couldn’t see – the sun was in my eyes,” Martinez said. “I’m not even sure why I went for the barrel because I haven’t been barreled the whole trip but it just happened. I almost fell in there, I got off balance, but luckily I didn’t. I came out. I was lucky to get a wave out there period and then to get a wave like that… it came from someone I think.”

The young Californian’s backhand attack will be put to test against the Australian Luke Munroe in Heat 6 of Round 3. North American Surfers Ben Bourgeois (Wrightsville Beach, NC/Carlsbad, CA), C.J. Hobgood (Melbourne, FL) and Chris Ward (San Clemente, CA) all advanced into Round 3 as well.

Meanwhile the ASP North America is gearing up for its biggest ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) event of the year, the GO211 Live featuring the Honda U.S. Open presented by O’Neill beginning with the men’s trials on Friday, July 18, 2008.

The U.S. Open will see top ASP North American seeds and ASP World Tour campaigners Taylor Knox (Carlsbad, CA) and Chris Ward (San Clemente, CA) hit the water alongside current ASP WQS ratings leader Patrick Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), Nathaniel Curran (Oxnard, CA), Nathan Yeomans (San Clemente, CA), local Huntington Beach standout Brett Simpson (Huntington Beach, CA), Dane Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), Shaun Ward (Huntington Beach, CA) and the youngest of the Gudauskas trio, Tanner Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA). Karina Petroni (Atlantic Beach, FL), Kyla Langen (Carlsbad, CA) and Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, CA) will be representing North America in the women’s ASP WQS event against their top international rivals.

These top ASP North America surfers will tackle an international contingent of surfing talent at the south side of Huntington Beach Pier as they look to better their ASP WQS ratings at home. Each ASP WQS competitor will look to improve his or her respective campaign towards qualification for the 2009 ASP World Tour, and ASP Women’s World Tour.

To catch more Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay action, log on to billabongpro.com.For all of your GO211 Live featuring the Honda U.S. Open presented by O’Neill needs, check out usopenofsurfing.com

www.aspworldtour.com 
www.aspnorthamerica.org

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Dave Prodan

ASP North America - Surfersvillage