ALL SET TO GLOW IN FIJI

News provided by ASP World Tour on 21 May 2005

ALL SET TO GLOW IN FIJI

AFTER hurriedly bolting across the South Pacific and grabbing new boards via Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and the USA, the world’s Top 45 surfers have re-grouped in Fiji for the inaugural Globe WCT Fiji, the fourth event on the 2005 Foster’s Men’s World Tour. As the boys unpacked their board bags this morning on the hosting tropical resort islands of Namotu and Tavarua, 18 Fijian surfers were four kilometres out to sea on the world famous Cloudbreak reef keenly contesting the local trials for the event.

The eighteen locals were narrowed down to two three-man semi-finals, with each respective winner going into the man-on-man final, which was held in ultra-clean 2-4’ conditions. Strong natural footer Isei Tokovou won the showdown and moves straight into the Globe WCT Fiji main-event draw, pitched against three-times reigning world champion Andy Irons (HAW) and the stylish Darren O’Rafferty (AUS) in heat eight of round one.

Second placed trialist Aca Ravulo Lalabalavu, son of Fiji’s first ever known surfer Chief Druku from Tavarua, earned the right to be drawn in the international Globe trials. Druku Junior will be amidst a very classy trials field, which includes Hawaiians Pancho Sullivan and Ian Walsh, American mainlanders Pat Gudauskas and Pete Mendia, as well as young Australian performers Yadin Nicol, Adam Robertson, Paul Fisher and Dion Agius.

Globe’s former-WCT duo Nathan Webster (AUS) and Luke Hitchings (AUS) are also amongst the trials contenders, hoping to get the chance to take on their old Foster’s Men’s World Tour foes in the main event. Europe is also represented in the trials with Portugal’s Tiago Pires keen to take on the pack as well.

On the eve of the Globe WCT Fiji waiting period, a succession of important events went down on Tavarua this afternoon. First and foremost, thirteen local tribal chiefs met to endorse the formation of the Fijian Resource Owners Surfers Association, which will overseer the establishment of the Fijian Surfing Academy and administer the surfing development of young Fijian hopefuls.

The meeting was attended by Fiji’s Federal Minister for Land, Minerals and Resources Samisoni Tikoinavo. The minister also presented Isei Tokovou and Aca Ravulo Lalabalavu with their trials trophies.

After a short break, the local chiefs then sat down with the Foster’s Men’s World Tour Top 45, as well as ASP and Globe staff, for the traditional welcoming kava ceremony. The Federal Minister then declared the Globe WCT Fiji event officially underway, before the typically friendly local villagers, in traditional dress, played several high-paced customary welcoming songs to the enthralled gathering.

The first call for the event will be at 6.30am tomorrow morning (Sunday May 22nd), after Globe’s Contest Director Steve Robertson checks the Cloudbreak and Restaurant lineups at dawn.