Adrian Buchan : photo ASP Kirstin/Covered Images

Quiksilver Pro France

ASP World Tour event # 8
Hossegor/Seignosse/Capbreton/Saint Jean de Luz, France
19 - 28 September 2008

Live Coverage  |  Results/Photos/Videos etc  

Adrian Buchan Beats Kelly Slater to be Crowned Quiksilver Pro France Champion   > Francaise ci-dessous

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 24 September, 2008 : - - Hossegor, France – Adrian Buchan (AUS) has beaten eight-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) to win his first ever ASP World Tour event – the Quiksilver Pro France – in Hossegor, France today.

Buchan beat Slater 15.73 to 15.16 in a tight heat held at Les Bourdaines this afternoon. The final berth was the first of Buchan’s ASP World Tour career. Prior to winning the Quiksilver Pro France, Buchan he had never advanced from the quarterfinal round.

“I can't believe it, to have Kelly in the final and to beat him, I am speechless,” Buchan said. “He is my hero. I have watched him win five events this year – he has just been phenomenal. He sets the bar so high for all of us guys, I am really thankful that surfing has got such a great custodian."

Had Buchan lost the heat, Slater would have clinched his ninth ASP World Title. Buchan led the heat for most of the 35-minute affair with Slater needing a very attainable 7.51 to change the situation. The eight-time ASP World Champion caught a wave with seconds to go but came up short.

Adrian Buchan : photo ASP Cestari/Covered Images

“I tried not to think about it paddling out for the final,” Buchan said. “I had visions of him winning the title but I just tried to focus on myself and what I had to do out there – get two really good waves. Luckily Kelly did not get that one at the end."

Buchan, who has been on tour for three years, spent the first half of his rookie year injured. He earned an injury wildcard to compete on the tour in 2007 and finished the year rated 19th. He jumps to world No. 9 with this result.  “I have been injured so obviously doing well and to have a win today makes it all sweet,” Buchan said. “My goal this year was to finish in the top 10 so we'll see, we might have to take a look at reassessing that."

Slater dug deep in an effort to win his sixth event of the season, willing a last minute wave to pop up in the dying seconds. Despite needing a relatively small score, he was unable to pull out the last-minute comeback he’s renowned for.

“It’s cool that it came down to a wave in the end, at least it made it interesting,” Slater said. “Truth is though, Ace was more in sync with it. He got those open face ones and did the turns. I had one wave I surfed pretty good on that I knew was going to get me back in it. Then I just needed a chance in the end but there wasn’t quite enough time – I should have pushed for a 40-minute final.”

Slater only earned a 2.23 on the wave he caught with three seconds left. He will now have to wait until the next event in Mundaka to have another chance to clinch.

“I didn’t think I had the chance to win with that last ride,” Slater said. “I would have been bummed if they gave me the score on it. Maybe people didn’t see it, but my foot came off, I didn’t make that 360 very clean and I didn’t really get above the lip on that air.

Maybe if there would have been a punt section where I could have done a big air I could have possibly gotten the score, but I knew that score wasn’t going to be close. It’s frustrating though, to be so close – literally one score away from winning the title. I guess at this point I’m two heat wins from winning the title.”

Kelly Slater : photo ASP Kirstin/Covered Images

If Kelly finishes 9th or better in Mundaka he will win the world title. If he bows out with a 17th or 33rd and Mick Fanning (AUS) or Taj Burrow (AUS) win the event, the race continues until Brazil. Slater beat Adriano de Souza (BRA) in the semifinals today. De Souza and Slater have now met eight times, with Slater getting the best of the Brazilian each time. De Souza moves to World No. 4 with the result.

“It is great to surf against Kelly,” de Souza said. “He pushes my level further and forces you to put so much energy into the heat. I learned so much from this heat and I hope that next time I can get past that one. I am really proud. I came to Europe to get some really good results and I did already so I am really happy. Making the semis is a really good result for me so I hope I can keep it up and stay in the Top 10 –that is my main focus this year.”

Buchan beat Damien Hobgood (USA) in the semifinals en route to his maiden victory. "I never really had a stellar heat the whole contest, so that was kind of a bummer but I’m really stoked with this result and hopefully I can build some momentum,” Hobgood said. “This is the result I needed to get my year started. It is a good start to the end of the year for me."

Hobgood moved from 31st to 26th on the ASP World Tour ratings with the result. Only the Top 27 ASP World Tour surfers at year’s end automatically requalify for the following year. The ASP Top 45 will now head to Mundaka in the Basque Country of Spain for the ninth stop of 11 on the 2008 ASP World Tour.

Michel Bourez : photo ASP Kirstin/Covered Images

For more details visit: www.aspworldtour.com and www.quiksilverlive.com.

Final Quiksilver Pro France Results:
Final: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.74 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 15.16
 
Semifinal Quiksilver Pro France Results:
Heat 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 14.90 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.97
Heat 2: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.17 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 8.83

Quarterfinal Quiksilver Pro France Results:
Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.93 def. Bobby Martinez (USA) 12.40
Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.50 def. Mick Campbell (AUS) 12.33
Heat 3: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 17.00 def. Dane Reynolds (USA) 13.34
Heat 4: Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.34 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 13.00

Round 4 Quiksilver Pro France Results:
Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 9.50 def. Dayyan Neve (AUS) 9.33
Heat 2: Bobby Martinez (USA) 14.66 def. Ben Dunn (AUS) 12.00
Heat 3: Mick Campbell (AUS) 14.00 def. Luke Stedman (AUS) 11.17
Heat 4: Kelly Slater (USA) 18.27 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 14.77
Heat 5: Dane Reynolds (USA) 16.50 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 10.33
Heat 6: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 14.50 def. Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) 10.66
Heat 7: Michel Bourez (PYF) 13.50 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 11.57
Heat 8: Damien Hobgood (USA) 8.67 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 8.50

Top 10 ASP World Tour Ratings after the Quiksilver Pro France:
1. Kelly Slater (USA) - 7852 points
2. Taj Burrow (AUS) - 6002 points
3. Bede Durbidge (AUS) – 5668 points
4. Adriano De Souza (BRA) – 5426 points
5. Joel Parkinson (AUS) - 5373 points
6. Mick Fanning (AUS) - 5310 points
7. Bobby Martinez (USA) - 5092 points
8. CJ Hobgood (USA) - 4880 points
9. Adrian Buchan (AUS) - 4719 points
10. Jeremy Flores (FRA) - 4407 points

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Dane Reynolds : photo ASP Cestari/Covered Images

Francaise

Adrian Buchan (Australie) remporte le Quiksilver Pro France 2008 et reporte le sacre de Kelly Slater (USA) !

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 23 September, 2008 : - - Hossegor, France – Une ultime journée épique… Pour un souffle, l’octuple Champion du Monde Kelly Slater a laissé s’échapper le 9ème titre mondial qui lui est promis cette saison.

A l’issue d’une finale homérique qui opposait l’australien Adrian Buchan au floridien, plage des Estagnots à Seignosse, c’est finalement le jeune « aussie » qui s’est imposé, décrochant là sa première victoire sur l’ASP World Tour.

« Si la finale avait fait 40 minutes… » déplorait dans un sourire le surfeur le plus titré de l’histoire, en référence à sa victoire à Trestles en Californie. Mené au score une bonne partie de la série, l’américain avait besoin d’une ultime bonne vague à 7.31 points pour repasser devant son adversaire.

Malheureusement pour lui, la houle faiblissante et la rareté des vagues ne lui ont pas permis de reprendre la tête. Pour 0.58 points seulement, Kelly Slater n’a donc pas été sacré en France, devant un public incroyablement nombreux qui était venu encourager le plus grand surfeur de tous les temps.

Adriano de Souza : photo ASP Cestari/Covered Images

« Je suis déçu, bien sûr. Je voulais gagner ici pour le public qui m’a toujours beaucoup supporté en France ». En effet, c’est très probablement en Espagne que King Kelly sera déclaré Champion du Monde 2008. Avec une avance plus que confortable sur Taj Burrow au classement général (1590 points d’écart), Slater ne craint plus d’être rattrapé par ses adversaires, tous marqués par sa domination.

Avec 5 succès sur 8 épreuves cette saison, 39 victoires sur le Tour dans sa carrière (un record absolu), le parcours de Slater, 36 ans, est unique dans le monde du sport.

Côté français, Michel Bourez (wildcard) a été l’auteur d’un parcours flamboyant dans ce Quiksilver Pro France. Après avoir battu Joel Parkinson au 2ème tour puis atomisé Bede Durbridge au 3ème, le polynésien a battu l’australien Kieren Perrow en 8èmes de finale avant de s’incliner face à Damien Hobgood, finalement 3ème ex aequo avec Adriano de Souza.

Il réalise le meilleur résultat de l’effectif européen sur ce Quiksilver Pro France puisque Miky Picon, Aritz Aranburu et Tim Boal ont été éliminés au 2ème tour, Jérémy Florès et Tiago Pires au 3ème. Rendez-vous demain sur la plage des Estagnots à 10h pour la finale du King of the Groms, Championnat du Monde des 16 ans et moins.

Adrian Buchan : photo ASP Kirstin/Covered Images

Previous reports:
# 1 : Quiksilver Pro France starts Friday, Euros eager to do well
# 2 : Quiksilver Pro France starts Friday, Boal wins wildcard..
# 3 : Quiksilver Pro wait period opens but contest off for today
# 4 : Top seeds struggle on Day 1 of the Quiksilver Pro France  

# 5 : Flores and de Souza on fire at the Quiksilver Pro France
# 6 : Euros keep on with Flores, Pires at Quiksilver Pro France
# 7 : No Quiksilver Pro France today, Tuesday looking good..
# 8 : Quiksilver Pro France R3: Bourez eliminates Durbidge..

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www.quiksilverprofrance.com

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