Team News

Weare and Roberts into last 24 of Rip Curl Boardmasters in England

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 8 August, 2008 : - - Top seed and 2006 Rip Curl Board Masters champion David Weare (Durban) and compatriot Gavin Roberts (Scottburgh) have advanced to the last 24 of the 5-Star rated ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) event currently running at Fistral Beach in England.

Weare stopped a run of five successive 25th and lower placings since finishing 3rd in the Highland Open in Scotland in April that has seen him drop from second to fifth in the WQS rankings. In the three-man heats used in the Round of 24, Weare and Roberts will face up against former World Grommet champion Gony Zubizarreta from Spain with the top two progressing to the man-on-man heats used from the last 16 to the final.

Antonio Bortoletto (Durban), the 2005 Newquay champion, was eliminated in the Round of 48, finishing fourth in his heat for equal 37th place overall and earnings of US $1 000 (approx R7 500) and 650 ratings points. 

Rudy Palmboom Jnr. (Bluff), Damien Fahrenfort (Kommetjie) and Newquay based Reubin Pearce lost out in the Round of 96 while Dave Richards (Kommetjie) and Warren Tuck (Jeffreys Bay) were ousted in Round 1 (the Round of 120).

After enjoying one of the best day’s of surf in the history of the event on Wednesday, the swell dropped to one metre on Thursday and organisers are considering making Friday a lay day as the waves are even smaller. The next call on when to resume will made at 2pm SA time today

The event ends on Sunday and all the action can be watched live via aspworldtour.com 

Royden Bryson the top Zaffa at Rip Curl Pro Search ‘Somewhere’ in Indonesia

East London’s Royden Bryson was the top placed South African in the Rip Curl Pro Search, Stop No. 6 of 11 on the ASP World Tour, that was won by Hawaiian Bruce Irons “Somewhere’ in Indonesia on Sunday. Compatriots Jordy Smith (Durban), who lost to Bryson in Round 2, Travis Logie (Durban) and Ricky Basnett (Bluff) all finished equal 33rd overall while Bryson placed equal 17th after going down to current World No. 2 Joel Parkinson (AUS) in Round 3.

Earnings of R40 000 and 410 ratings points saw Bryson move from No. 34 to No. 32 in the rankings. Smith dropped from 16th to 24th, Logie fell two places to No. 41 and Basnett is now down to No. 45 amongst the World’s top 45 ranked surfers.

Irons and good friend and travelling companion Fred Patacchia (HAW) fought out the final and once again none of the top eight ranked surfers took advantage of runaway ratings leader Kelly Slater’s shock early exit from the event, this time at the hands of rookie Tiago Pires (POR) in Round 3.

Pires went on to record his career best result of equal 3rd before being dispatched by Patacchia in the semis while Parkinson, fellow Australians Bede Durbidge and Mick Fanning, Bobby Martinez (USA) and Andy Irons (HAW) all suffered Round 4 exits.

Taj Burrow (AUS) was the only one of the top eight to reach quarterfinals and cut Slater’s huge ratings lead by 332 points before losing out to Chris Ward (USA) to move up one place to fourth position, swapping places with Fanning.

The event enjoyed epic, although tidal dependant, waves at the two venues chosen and dozens of near-perfect scores over 9.0 points out of 10 were recorded, with Slater posting the only 10 point ride in Round 1 at the backup venue.

Stop No. 7 on the 2008 ASP World Tour, the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Hurley will be run at Trestles in California from 7-13 September.

South Africans

24        Jordy Smith (ZAF)  2470
32        Royden Bryson (ZAF) 2090
41        Travis Logie (ZAF)  1720
45        Ricky Basnett (ZAF) 1350

Emslie reaches semifinals in Japan, moves to No. 11 on WQS

Veteran campaigner Greg Emslie, South Africa’s highest prize-money earning professional surfer of all time, took a giant step towards his cherished dream of qualifying for a ninth season on the ASP Dream Tour by placing 3rd in the 6-Star rated Yumeya Billabong Pro Tahara at Akabane Beach in Japan last weekend.

The 31 year-old East Londoner, who recently became a father, has amassed US $539 225 (approx. R4 million) in prize-money alone in a career spanning 14 years, but dropped out of the world’s top 45 ranked surfers by the narrowest of margins at the end of 2007.

In Japan, Emslie won five successive heats before going down to eventual event champion Dustin Cuizon (HAW) in their man-on-man semifinal encounter held in tiny beach-break waves. "The waves were very small and Dustin was strong in the semi final. He is good in small waves and deserved to win. I could only catch one wave," Emslie said.

His haul of R33 000 and 1 875 rating points rocketed Emslie from 20th to 11th on the WQS rankings, and he is now well placed to finish the year amongst the top 15 and secure an automatic berth on the 2009 ASP World Tour. Rudy Palmboom Jnr. and Damien Fahrenfort were the next highest placed South Africans in Japan, finishing equal 37th overall with earnings of R9 000 and 813 points each after advancing to the Round of 48.

ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS)

South Africans

44        Fahrenfort,Damien ZAF     6488
46        Wright,Warwick      ZAF     6438
77        Palmboom,Rudy (jnr) ZAF 4932
81        Bortoletto,Antonio ZAF     4775
110     Logie,Travis             ZAF     3913
114     Smith,Jordy             ZAF     3850
116     Roberts,Gavin         ZAF     3651

Rosy Hodge places fifth in Portugal, stays in WQS top 3

Rosanne Hodge maintained her charge for a third consecutive year on the ASP Women’s World Tour when she placed fifth in the Billabong Girls Cascais Festival, a 6-Star rated Women’s WQS event in Portugal. Competing in 1.5 to two metre surf, Hodge, who has been among female surfing's elite since 2007, lost out to eventual runner-up Rebecca Woods (AUS) in a very close quarterfinal battle.

 "It was so close but Rebecca (Woods) got this last minute ride and made it", Hodge said. "We had some good fun out there and the waves were not too big yet so I enjoyed my time out. I am still bummed with the loss." 

Hodge slipped down one slot to No. 3 on the rankings when she was overtaken by Jesse Miley Dyer (AUS), a semifinalist in Portugal. But the top four hold a significant lead over the rest of the girls with just one more 6 star rated event on the 2008 WQS schedule.

The top six women in the yearend WQS rankings automatically qualify for the following year’s ASP Women’s World Tour. Tammy-Lee Smith (Chaka’s Rock) and rookie campaigner Tarryn Chudleigh (Kommetjie) both reached the last 24 in Portugal before finishing equal 19th overall while Nikita Robb (East London) placed equal 25th.

The event was won by Jacqueline Silva (BRA) who defeated Woods in an epic 40 minute confrontation held in solid two metre surf

Women’s Ratings after Billabong Girls Cascais Festival (#9 of 14)

1          Fitzgibbons,Sally       AUS    9695
2          Miley-Dyer,Jessi       AUS    7520
3          Hodge,Rosanne     ZAF     7415
4          Woods,Rebecca       AUS    7230
5          Hareb,Paige              NZL     7120

South Africans

24        Robb,Nikita              ZAF     4465
33        Smith,Tammy Lee  ZAF     4215
37        Chudleigh,Tarryn   ZAF     4100
50        Guy,Stacey              ZAF     2855

www.aspafrica.com 

Survey: Map Surfing’s future 

More African Surfing News available here
Check the latest Africa Surf Reports and Forecasts

New! B2B News ASBE-Surf   |  Receive News-Alerts

Life's a Beach Communications

Team - Surfersvillage