CJ Hobgood gets thrown into the harbour  : photo ASP Cestari/Covered Images 

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C.J. Hobgood Beats Joel Parkinson to Win the Billabong Pro Mundaka   >   Francaise ci-dessous

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 4 October, 2008 : - - Mundaka, Basque Country/Spain – Former ASP World Champion C.J. Hobgood (USA) defeated Joel Parkinson (AUS) in three-foot (one meter) barreling waves at the Billabong Pro Mundaka to claim his first ASP World Tour victory in four years today.

The heat was a déjà vu affair of a 2004 final they shared in Japan with Hobgood garnering a last minute win over Parkinson in the dying seconds of the heat.

“If I was Joel I would want to kill me right now,” Hobgood said. “I honestly don’t know how that happened. Some things are just meant to be. I’ve had a very difficult year. I probably struggled with my surfing more than I should have, but that’s life. You get older and life throws curve balls at you and that’s what makes this feeling right now so good.”

Despite opening the heat with a near-perfect 9.93, Hobgood was trailing Parkinson by 5.90 points with 15 seconds to go. With a set approaching, Parkinson took the first wave in an effort to increase his lead. Hobgood snuck into a small barrel on the wave behind it, earned an 8.57 and won the heat.

CJ Hobgood : photo ASP Kirstin/Covered Images

“Me and Joel were looking at that last wave and he was thinking about it hard,” Hobgood said. “I just made sure he was going to go or I was going to go. I didn’t know there was another one behind it, but I did hear a couple of whistles and turned around and saw the wave. I knew it was my last chance.

I put my head down and didn’t even look at the wave and paddled to the shoulder as hard as I could because I didn’t want to get stuck behind it. I saw Joel in the peripheral and just threaded the needle. I could have been a little bit greedier, but I knew if I got a barrel and rode the rest of the wave I’d have a good chance.”

Hobgood moves to ASP World No. 6 with the result today. Parkinson moves to ASP World No. 3. The final was Hobgood’s second this season – he lost to Slater in Fiji – and Parkinson’s first. “I’m just stoked it was a good final,” Hobgood said. “Parko went mad on his waves and I just had a chance at the end. I think it was a good final for both of us. I’m just stoked Mundaka broke for three days.”

Despite having an amazingly consistent year, Parkinson was unable to claim the victory that has eluded him for over two years. “That was really frustrating,” Parkinson said. “He got the best waves in that heat and I got the scraps. I was holding on to a thin lead and it slipped away from me as soon as I turned around and saw that last wave coming.”

Adriano de Souza : photo ASP Cestari/Covered Images

Like many of the top-seeded surfers, Parkinson entered the event disenchanted with the season given nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater’s supremacy. Parkinson’s interest piqued as he found himself at the pointy end of the Billabong Pro Mundaka draw. “I was kind of excited,” Parkinson said. “I wanted to win one. I hadn’t won one in awhile so I was going to try to.”

Despite the loss, Parkinson was gracious in defeat – giving credit to Hobgood for his impressive surfing throughout the event. “He deserved it,” Parkinson said. “He ripped this week. Sometimes you come to an event and some people just get suited to them and this event really suited him. Everything he touched turned to gold and his surfing just really flowed this week.”

Parkinson defeated Adrian Buchan (AUS) in the semifinals in a fashion similar to his elimination by Hobgood in the final.

 “It’s always disappointing to lose when you have a good lead but I knew there was going to be opportunities for Joel given the way the waves went,” Buchan said. “I had one good barrel that just went a little bit long on me and Joel caught a really good wave and made the most of it. Joel is an amazing surfer and it was good to have a heat out there with him while there were good waves coming through.”

Ace Buchan : photo ASP Kirstin/Covered Images

Buchan won the last ASP World Tour event in France, and with his 3rd place result today, jumps to World No. 7. He was rated 14th before the European tour leg.

“I’m happy with a 3rd,” Buchan said. “Obviously I would have loved to have been up on the podium again with a 1st or 2nd this week but it’s been a good leg.  After my 33rd at Trestles I was pretty disappointed because I really wanted to do well there, but then I just put everything into my European leg and it was a pretty good one for me.”

Hobgood beat Luke Stedman (AUS) en route to his final berth today. Previous to his Billabong Pro Mundaka semifinal finish, Stedman hadn’t advanced beyond Round 4 in a 2008 ASP World Tour event. His 3rd place finish equals his career best result .

“It’s my best result this year so I’m pretty happy,” Stedman said. C.J. is in good form right now and the conditions are definitely favoring a goofy footer. I’m happy with the result, happy with the event, I’m just a happy guy right now.” Stedman rounds out the Top 10 with a World No. 10 rating post the Billabong Pro Mundaka. He will look to maintain the momentum heading to Brazil and France – the last two events of the season.

“My goal is totally to be in the Top 10 at the end of the year and as high up in the Top 10 as possible,” Stedman said. Coming 10th after Mundka and having a couple more events to work on that is good – I’m definitely excited for the next couple of events.”

Joel Parkinson : photo ASP Kirstin/Covered Images

Check the Results/Photos/Videos etc

Billabong Pro Mundaka Final Results:
Final: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 18.50 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.83

Billabong Pro Mundaka Semifinal Heat Results:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.80 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 14.50 Heat 2: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 14.66 def. Luke Stedman (AUS) 6.70

Billabong Pro Mundaka Quarterfinal Heat Results:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 14.34 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 6.17 Heat 2: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.83 def. Tom Whitaker (AUS) 7.40 Heat 3: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.34 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 8.10 Heat 4: Luke Stedman (AUS) 13.16 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 10.24

ASP World Tour Top 10 after Stop No. 9 of 11 – the Billabong Pro Mundaka
1. Kelly Slater (USA) 8042 points
2. Taj Burrow (AUS) 6324 points
3. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 6180 points
4. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 5990 points
5. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 5748 points
6. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 5760 points
7. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 5730 points
8. Mick Fanning (AUS) 5310 points
9. Bobby Martinez (USA) 5282 points
10. Luke Stedman (AUS) 4696 points

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CJ Hobgood : photo ASP Cestari/Covered Images

Francaise

C.J HOBGOOD RAFLE LE TITRE DU BILLABONG PRO MUNDAKA 2008 A L’AUSTRALIEN JOEL PARKINSON

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 4 October, 2008 : - - Mundaka, Basque Country/Spain -- L’ancien Champion du Monde  2001,  C.J  HOBGOOD  (USA)  a  battu  JOEL PARKINSON dans des vagues tubulaires de plus d’un mètre et remporte ainsi sa première victoire depuis 4 ans sur l’ASP World Tour.  C’est  une  histoire  qui se répète pour les finalistes : les deux surfeurs s’étaient  retrouvés en finale au Japon en 2004 et déjà c’était C.J HOBGOOD qui avait gagné dans les toutes dernières secondes de leur série. 

Bien  qu’ayant  entamé  la  finale  avec un tube parfait à 9.93 points, C.J HOBGOOD,  29  ans,  était  tenu  en échec de 5.90 points par JOEL PARKINSON jusque dans les dernières secondes des 35 minutes de la série.  PARKINSON, 27 ans, était sur le point de signer sa première victoire depuis 2 ans mais il fit une erreur tactique capitale en prenant la première vague d’une  série  qui  rentrait. 

Cette  vague  ne  lui  permis  pas de marquer suffisamment  de points, laissant la suivante à C.J HOBGOOD qui sortit d’un tube  à 8.57 points et rempo ta ainsi le prestigieux titre du Billabong Pro Munadaka 2008. C.J  HOBGOOD passe ainsi N°6 au classement de l’ASP World Tour et PARKINSON remonte à la 3e place. C’est la deuxième finale d’HOBGOOD cette saison - il avait perdu contre SLATER à Fidji – et la première pour « PARKO ».

Malgré  une  saison  au top de sa forme, PARKINSON court toujours après une victoire  depuis  2  ans. Comme beaucoup de têtes de série, « PARKO » avait débuté  la  compétition  au  plus  bas  de sa motivation, compte tenu de la domination de KELLY SLATER sur le Tour cette année. Bon  perdant,  PARKINSON,  ne manqua pas de féliciter HOBGOOD pour son surf impressionnant  tout au long de la compétition.

Luke Stedman : photo ASP Kirstin/Covered Images

PARKINSON avait battu ADRIAN BUCHAN (AUS) en demie finale, de la même façon qu’il  s’est  ensuite fait éliminer par HOBGOOD en finale. Pourtant, BUCHAN tenait  sa victoire sur plus de la moitié de la rencontre, jusqu’à ce que « PARKO » revienne au score en prenant  deux très bonnes vagues à la suite. BUCHAN  connaît  une  fin  de  saison  remarquable  en  ayant gagné l’étape Française  précédente.

En terminant 3e du Billabong Pro Mundaka, il remonte à la 7e place du Classement ASP World Tour. LUKE  STEDMAN  de  Sydney,  aura été stoppé net dans sa lancée par HOBGOOD, grâce  une  combinaison  de  deux  vagues.  Il  termine 3e du Billabong Pro Mundaka  et  égale ainsi le meilleur résultat de sa carrière et s’offre une place dans le Top 10.

Mundaka  est  l’une  des  plus  belles gauches* du Monde et elle n’aura pas failli  à  sa réputation pour accueillir le Billabong Pro Mundaka 2008 dans des  conditions optimales. La capricieuse qui se brise dans l’embouchure de la  rivière  Gernika  aura cette fois-ci comblé surfeurs et spectateurs, en offrant des vagues parfaites d’environ 1.50m et des tubes interminables. *Vague qui déroule de gauche à droite vue de la plage.

Résultats de la Finale du Billabong Pro Mundaka :
Final: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 18.50 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.83

Résultats de la demie Finale Billabong Pro Mundaka:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.80 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 14.50
Heat 2: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 14.66 def. Luke Stedman (AUS) 6.70

Résultats des Quarts de Finale du Billabong Pro Mundaka :
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 14.34 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 6.17
Heat 2: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.83 def. Tom Whitaker (AUS) 7.40
Heat 3: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.34 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 8.10
Heat 4: Luke Stedman (AUS) 13.16 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 10.24

Previous reports:
# 1 : No Billabong Pro Mundaka today: Tues. call at Sopelena
# 2 : Billabong Pro Mundaka off | Next call 8am Wednesday...
# 3 : Mundaka fires for Day 2 of competition at Billabong Pro
# 4 : Billabong Pro Mundaka: Whitaker nabs 10, beats Slater 

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www.aspworldtour.com

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