Movistar O'Neill Pantin Classic

ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) 5-Star event
ASP Women's World Qualifying Series (WQS) 3-Star event
ASP WQS European Series Stop No. 9 of 13
ASP WQS European Women's Series Final Stop
Pantin, Galicia Spain
2 - 7 September 2008

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Cardoso and Pelizzarri Win Movistar O'Neill Pantin Classic

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 7 September, 2008 : - - Pantin, Spain – William Cardoso (BRA), 22, won the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) 5-Star Movistar O'Neill Pantin Classic in three foot (one meter) waves defeating Michel Bourez (PYF) in the final man-on-man battle of the week winning 2000 valuable points counting for the international ratings. Cardoso, who defeated Bourez in tricky conditions, ended a week of high performance big wave surfing after posting some of the event's best scores for his maiden WQS victory.

"I am over the moon right now and I am stoked to get that win," Cardoso said. "It was a week of great waves and I was just feeling good and relaxed. It ends up perfectly for me and today is a special one as I placed second in an event exactly a year ago and I wanted to better that."

Cardoso, who will surf in the upcoming event next week, was impressive all week in the massive ten foot (three meter) waves and it was no surprise to see him grab the title today.

"I like big waves and we had the biggest swell of the summer this week so I was definitely hoping to get a big result," Cardoso said. "I had a tough time this year with an injury that kept me out of the water for two months after an operation and this win definitely puts me back on track for the race. So stoked."

Michel Bourez (PYF), 23, did a remarkable comeback by reaching the final today after a disappointing European leg. Bourez, who posted one of four perfect 10.00 point rides of the event on Day 4 of competition, was on fire all week enjoying the big swell but lacked a last wave in the final encounter and finishes overall second.

Willian Cardoso : photo Alberto Pampín

"I am happy for William (Cardoso) because he surfed really well in the event and totally deserves to win it," Bourez said. "I could not really hear the scores out there but I knew I had to get a second good wave so I waited for a set but it never came. There was nothing i could do but I am happy with that final."

Bourez, who jumps back to No. 26 on the ratings, will be much awaited at all big events coming up including the Canarian 6-Star Prime rated one and the Hawaiian contests where his shallow-reef experience will be a great assett.

"It is a good moment to get back on track as there is still lots of events coming up and it was time I had a result," Bourez said. "The upcoming events usually suit my surfing well so I will be confident for sure. Nothing is over so I will take this one result as a good start to the end of the year."

Nic Muscroft (AUS) made his way to the Semifinals after a week of impressive performances but was out of rhythm in his battle against Bourez. Muscroft, who posted the two best heat scores of the week including a 19.03 point tally (out of a possible 20), paddled out as a favorite against the Tahitian charger but could do nothing but watch his opponent open the heat with solid scores.

"It was really hard to find the better waves and I saw Michel (Bourez) get his scores deeper at the line-up and it was a bit late when I got mine," Muscroft said. "I have had average results this year and this one will hopefully put me on track for Zarautz. It has been two months of competition in a row and it is pretty hard but this result will help a lot."

Ornella Pellizzari : photo Alberto Pampin

Muscroft, rated No. 25 before Pantin, still secured his best result of the summer and remains a serious contender for a possible ASP World Tour inception next year.

Longtime WQS campaigner Antonio Bortoletto (Durban, ZAF) ended up his excellent run in Semifinals placing 3rd overall in the Movistar O'Neill Pantin Classic. Bortoletto, who was looking to clinch a second career win since his last one in a 5-Star event in England three years ago, could not better Cardoso's power surfing finishing in need of a combination of waves to catch up.

"This result really is a confidence boost and I am looking forward to the next event," Bortoletto said. "I am pumped up for Zarautz now but still disappointed to miss the final. The conditions changed fast all day and I just tried and unleash as I knew William (Cardoso) was going to post some pretty big turns. It has been a good week of surfing."

The women's division saw Ornella Pelizzarri (ARG), 21, become the woman of the day clinching her maiden ASP WQS title after showing great talent in both massive and small waves throughout the event. Pelizzarri, who bested Justine Dupont (FRA), Amandine Sanchez (FRA) and Marie Dejean (FRA) in a 4-woman final, impressed with her power surfing on Day 1 of competition and found her way out of a tricky final to win

"It was a great event as I love big waves and Day 1 was just perfect for me," Pelizzarri said. "I was happy to paddle out in consistent conditions and the support I get from my sponsors and family including the Beardmore family, made it a lot easier." Pelizzarri, who was surfing her first event in Pantin, leaves with 875 points and will be heading to Brazil's next Asp WQS 4-Star event confidently.

"I am so stoked to get this win," Pelizzarri said. "I had a disappointng year and this victory is crucial for me. I will be focusing on gaining points to make sure I start 2009 with a good seeding."

The 2008 ASP European Women's Champion was crowned today at Pantin in great climax and tension with Justine Dupont (FRA) getting away with her maiden regional crown in the last heat of the year. Dupont, 17, who had to place third or better in the final to clinch the prestigious title ahead of Pauline Ado (FRA), came up with great surfing and style posting an average of 15.00 points (out of a possible 20) in all hear heats.

"I am so happy to get that title," Dupont said. "I was not really thinking of any ratings but I figured out that I could grab the regional crown when I made the final and it is just so good to make it. It is my best result on a WQS event and we had good waves so it is event better to win the regional championship."

Dupont, a top ASP European Junior surfer and former ASP Women's World Longboard No. 2, will lead women's surfing until next year and keeps rising as one of France's most promissing surfers. "I am definitely starting to think of a career now but I will still keep my studies going," Dupont said. "Things have been going good for me and I am really enjoying my time competing."

ASP Men's WQS 5-Star Movistar O'Neill Pantin Classic   > scroll down for Womens Results

FINAL
Heat: William Cardoso (BRA) 16.50 pts Def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 14.83 pts

SEMIFINALS
Heat 1: William Cardoso (BRA) 15.77 pts Def. Antonio Bortoletto (ZAF) 9.27 pts
Heat 2: Michel Bourez (PYF) 17.73 pts Def. Nic Muscroft (AUS) 14.70 pts

QUARTERFINALS
Heat 1: William Cardoso (BRA) 17.70 pts Def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 16.26 pts
Heat 2: Antonio Bortoletto (ZAF) 13.50 pts Def. Yuri Sodre (BRA) 12.60 pts
Heat 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) 14.83 pts Def. Jarrad Sullivan (AUS) 7.34 pts
Heat 4: Nic Muscroft (AUS) 17.50 pts Def. Hizunome Bettero (BRA) 11.67 pts

Check the Full Results

Men's WQS Ratings After Movistart O'Neill Pantin Classic

1	Curran,Nathaniel	USA	13200
2	Davidson,Chris	AUS	12525
3	Gudauskas,Patrick	USA	11438
4	Kerr,Josh	AUS	11325
5	Boal,Tim	FRA	10988
6	Weare,David	ZAF	10675
7	Nicol,Yadin	AUS	10500
8	Courtney,Drew	AUS	10475
9	Lipke,Marlon	DEU	10375
10	Henrique,Pedro	BRA	10263
11	Bettero,Hizunome	BRA	10000
12	Khodr,Jihad	BRA	9888
13	Pires,Tiago	PRT	9663
14	Paulino,Pablo	BRA	9600
15	MacDonald,Phillip	AUS	9450
16	Emslie,Greg	ZAF	9375
16	Sedley,Leigh	AUS	9375
18	Gossmann,Shaun	AUS	9363
19	Garcia,Sunny	HAW	9350
20	Monteiro,Raoni	BRA	9275
21	Simpson,Brett	USA	9200
22	Dornelles,Rodrigo	BRA	9125
22	Muscroft,Nic	AUS	9125
24	Yeomans,Nathan	USA	9000
25	Melling,Adam	AUS	8975
26	Bourez,Michel	PYF	8913
27	Kling,Gabe	USA	8738
28	Atkinson,Dion	AUS	8713
29	Cansdell,Shaun	AUS	8675
30	Robertson,Adam (Vic)	AUS	8652
31	Ware,Austin	USA	8588
32	Centeio,Joel	HAW	8426
33	Cuizon,Dustin	HAW	8325
34	Barca,Dustin	HAW	8263
35	Alves,Heitor	BRA	8225
35	Sodre,Yuri	BRA	8225
37	Andre,Jadson	BRA	8200
38	Bacalso,Kekoa	HAW	8176
39	Hedge,Nathan	AUS	7975
40	Hall,Glenn	IRE	7950
41	Bombaci,Rhys	AUS	7925
42	Wilkinson,Matt	AUS	7876
43	Romao,Simao	BRA	7850
44	Zubizarreta,Gony	ESP	7650
45	Beven,Patrick	FRA	7625
45	Neves,Leonardo	BRA	7625
47	Flintoff,Kirk	AUS	7450
48	Gudauskas,Dane	USA	7426
49	Duru,Joan	FRA	7419
50	Losness,Mike	USA	7350
51	Cardoso,Willian	BRA	7200

Check the Full Ratings

ASP Women's WQS 3-Star event

FINAL
Heat: Ornella Pelizzarri (ARG) 16.77 pts, Justine Dupont (FRA) 15.00 pts, Marie Dejean (FRA) 11.84 pts, Amandine Sanchez (FRA) 10.20 pts

SEMIFINALS
Heat 1: Ornella Pellizzari (ARG) 14.50 pts, Amandine Sanchez (FRA) 12.30 pts, Lee Ann Curren (FRA) 10.56 pts, Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 7.57 pts
Heat 2: Justine Dupont (FRA) 11.37 pts, Marie Dejean (FRA) 10.73 pts, Anne Cecile Le Tallec (FRA) 9.93 pts, Jessica Grimwood (AUS) 6.26 pts

QUARTERFINALS
Heat 1: Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 13.84 pts, Ornella Pellizzari (ARG) 13.00 pts, Caroline Sarran (FRA) 5.46 pts, Maria Gonzalez (PRI) 4.10 pts
Heat 2: Amandine Sanchez (FRA) 16.16 pts, Lee Ann Curren (FRA) 13.17 pts, Pauline Ado (FRA) 10.17 pts, Filipa Prudencio (PRT) 6.60 pts
Heat 3: Marie Dejean (FRA) 13.50 pts, Jessica Grimwood (AUS) 12.83 pts, Nicole Morgan (IRE) 8.47 pts, Fransisca Santos (PRT) 7.57 pts
Heat 4: Justine Dupont (FRA) 16.24 pts, Anne-Cecile Le Tallec (FRA) 12.50 pts, Charlotte Hand (AUS) 10.00 pts, Martine Geijsels (NDL) 1.50 pts

Check the Full Results

Women's WQS ratings after the Movistar Pantin Classic

1	Fitzgibbons,Sally	AUS
2	Miley-Dyer,Jessi	AUS
3	Hodge,Rosanne	ZAF
4	Woods,Rebecca	AUS
5	Hareb,Paige	NZL
6	Schmitz,Bruna	BRA
7	Silva,Jacqueline	BRA
8	Blanchard,Alana	HAW
9	McGrath,Laurina	AUS
10	Bevilacqua,Claire	AUS
10	Hamilton,Bethany	HAW
12	Mason,Airini	NZL
13	Donohoe,Amee	AUS
14	Ado,Pauline	FRA
15	Gryde,Leilani	HAW
16	Curren,Lee Ann	FRA
17	Brooke,Serena	AUS
18	Langen,Kyla	USA
19	Abubo,Megan	HAW
20	Atherton,Nicola	AUS
21	Mayer,Kim	USA
22	Hosseini,Erica	USA
23	Pellizzari,Ornella	ARG
24	Santos,Francisca	PRT
25	Robb,Nikita	ZAF
26	Naraisa,Suelen	BRA
27	Gilmore,Stephanie	AUS
28	Beardmore,Sarah	AUS
29	Hagiwara,Mizuki	JPN
30	Hickson,Jessica	AUS
31	Enever,Laura	AUS
32	Goncalves,Claudia	BRA
33	Smith,Tammy Lee	ZAF
34	Sarran,Caroline	FRA
35	Caton,Charlotte	FRA
36	Oakley,Rebecca	AUS
37	Chudleigh,Tarryn	ZAF
38	Lima,Silvana	BRA
39	Ho,Coco	HAW
40	Grimwood,Jessica	AUS
41	Sanchez,Amandine	FRA
42	Petroni,Karina	USA
43	Werneck,Marina	BRA
44	Vail,Crystal	AUS
45	Cornish,Samantha	AUS
46	Almeida,Tais	BRA
47	Alms,Paige	HAW
48	Stewart,Amy	AUS
49	Cristina,Diana	BRA
50	Guy,Stacey	ZAF

Check the Full Ratings

Previous reports:
# 1 : Movistar Pantin Classic upgraded to men's 5-Star event
# 2 : Increasing swell kicks off Movistar O'Neill Pantin Classic
# 3 : Day 2 of Movistar O’Neill Pantin Classic sees solid surf
# 4 : Bourez leads top seeds at Pantin / Big swell on the way
# 5 : Chargers take control before Pantin Classic showdown
# 6 : Yuri Sodre leads Int'l field into Pantin Classic 1/4 finals

www.movistar.es
www.oneilltv.com
www.aspeurope.com
www.oneilleurope.com
www.pantinclassic.com

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