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ASP World Tour Surfers Dominate at Vans Pier Classic, Champion Crowned Tomorrow
Author: ASP World Tour
Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24, launching a near-perfect 9.70 in the Round of 32 at the ASP 4-Star Vans Pier Classic.
De Souza, who earned the highest heat total in yesterday’s action, returned to form today by opening his Round 5 account with a solid 8-point ride and wrapped up his runaway performance by boosting the highest single-wave score of the event, a nearly-flawless 9.70 earned for a huge air-reverse on a righthand ramp. The Brazilian standout solidified the score with a second air on the inside, taking the division’s highest heat total as well, 17.73 out of 20.
“I knew the wave was going to be good so I just pushed my limit and got the big air, I couldn’t believe I made it,” De Souza said. “I was just flying and closed my eyes because I was so high, when I landed I thought, oh my god, I’ve completed this thing. Right at the end of the wave I did another little air and just couldn’t believe I did two good airs here in Huntington.”
De Souza, who displayed nearly perfect backhand surfing in his heat yesterday on the lefts breaking into Huntington Pier, was happy to have the opportunity to turn to his forehand in today’s Round of 32 heat after spending a month surfing Australia’s righthand pointbreak of Snapper Rocks.
“I think today’s better because of the rights,” De Souza said. “I think I can push my limit more on the rights. I have just come from right handers. I have just come from Snapper Rocks and feel really good on my forehand right now.”
De Souza, who is now one step closer towards his goal of a spot in this year’s Vans Pier Classic Final, is hoping he can continue his form during the final day of competition tomorrow.
“I’m proud of myself and happy to be in the Quarterfinals,” De Souza said. “I just need to make two more heats to make the Final, which was my goal going into this contest. Hopefully I can keep it going.”
Hobgood, who got off to a slow start in yesterday’s heat, opened his account strong today, putting on a memorable performance with timeless rail-to-rail power surfing on the lefts breaking into Huntington Pier to notch a 16.43 heat total.
“It was pretty much the exact opposite from yesterday,” Hobgood said. “I was stoked because most of the guys were down the beach and I was going to sit by the pier anyways and kind of hunt those lefts by the pier. I was kind of picking any wave that I wanted, so I’m stoked.”
Kling, who entered the Vans Pier Classic as an alternate, continued to assert his dominance of the Huntington lineup today with a powerful backhand attack to move into the Quarterfinals.
“It was really fun with a couple of lefts going into the pier,” Kling said. “I like surfing in these conditions because I can get all of the speed that I want and do bigger turns and it kind of suits my surfing. When the conditions are like this its fun. These are the kinds of waves that everybody loves.”
Rounds 3 and 4 of the ASP 4-Star Vans Pro Junior followed after the men’s main event and North America’s finest under-21 talent tore through the consistent afternoon surf as they battled for the crucial points on offer towards their ASP North America Pro Junior Series Ranking.
Ian Crane (San Clemente, CA), 17, looked sharp on his forehand and backhand today, unleashing powerful gouges and impressive reverses to claim the highest single-wave score of Vans Pro Junior Competition, 9.27 out of 10, which came just after his 8.87 to earn the highest heat total of the day.
“I felt like the whole event I was surfing good, but I just didn’t get the waves and surf them,” Crane said. “I just wasn’t surfing my best in my heats. I went down in the men’s event this morning and I was kind of bummed but I just wanted to go out there and show people that I knew how to surf. I kind of redeemed myself in that last heat I guess.”
Kolohe Andino (San Clemente, CA), 17, current ASP North America Pro Junior Series Rankings leader, continued to tear into several rights breaking down the beach with massive opening air maneuvers to earn a 16.04 heat total and a spot in the Vans Pro Junior Quarterfinals.
“Earlier my knee got really sore in my first heat and it felt better if I was going right so I decided to focus on the rights down the beach,” Andino said. “One thing I work on when I’m free-surfing is going huge on the first maneuver and backing it up throughout the wave. I think if you get confident on doing that on your first maneuver the judges will reward you for it.”
Andino will surf in both the men’s Vans Pier Classic and Vans Pro Junior Quarterfinals tomorrow.
To see who takes the 2011 Vans Pier Classic presented by Jack’s Surfboards and Vans Pro Junior titles log on to www.vans.com/pierclassic.
For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com or www.aspnorthamerica.org Vans Pier Classic Round of 32 Results: Heat 1: Gabe Kling (USA) 15.20, Conner Coffin (USA) 12.37, Hank Gaskell (HAW) 12.23, Kiron Jabour (HAW) 11.70 Heat 2: Kolohe Andino (USA) 10.57, Ian Gentil (HAW) 9.73, Taylor Thorne (USA) 9.57, Michael Dunphy (USA) 8.17 Heat 3: Timmy Curran (USA) 13.36, Bobby Morris (USA) 12.43, Shaun Ward (USA) 10.16, Ted Navarro (USA) 9.64 Heat 4: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 17.73, Ricky Whitlock (USA) 11.80, Ryah Arthur (USA) 11.54, Kilian Garland (USA) 9.30 Heat 5: Damien Hobgood (USA) 16.43, Matt Pagan (USA) 12.20, Micah Byrne (USA) 12.17, Dylan Goodale (HAW) 4.90 Heat 6: Olamana Eleogram (HAW) 11.77, Andrew Doheny (USA) 11.70, Teppei Tajima (JPN) 9.40, Ian Crane (USA) 5.53 Heat 7: Damien Fahrenfort (ZAF) 12.43, Anthony Petruso (USA) 11.36, Evan Geiselman (USA) 10.00, Christian Saenz (USA) 8.44 Heat 8: Asher Nolan (USA) 10.57, Taylor Knox (USA) 10.27, Jared Thorne (USA) 7.60, Jason Shibata (HAW) 4.60
Vans Pro Junior Round of 32 Results: Heat 1: Kolohe Andino (USA) 16.04, Dylan Kowalski (USA) 6.87, Ivan Florence (HAW) 4.74, Colton Sarlo (USA) 0 Heat 2: Koa Smith (HAW) 14.17, Dylan Goodale (HAW) 14.16, Chase Wilson (USA) 10.94, Makai McNamara (HAW) 7.77 Heat 3: Luke Davis (USA) 11.57, Ian Crane (USA) 10.73, Colin Moran (USA) 10.40, Victor Done (USA) 7.30 Heat 4: Andrew Doheny (USA) 15.10, Carlos Munoz (CRI) 14.67, Kiron Jabour (HAW) 11.27, Derrick Disney (USA) 7.04 Heat 5: Evan Geiselman (USA) 11.57, Jacob Halstead (USA) 10.40, Christian Saenz (USA) 9.07, Parker Coffin (USA) 7.93 Heat 6: Conner Coffin (USA) 11.50, Fisher Heverly (USA) 8.43, Kalani David (HAW) 7.50, Cristobal De Col (PER) 7.50 Heat 7: Evan Thompson (USA) 14.66, Jared Thorne (USA) 8.10, Nathan Carvalho (HAW) 5.54, Tanner Hendrickson (HAW) 4.70 Heat 8: Taylor Thorne (USA) 9.67, Keanu Asing (HAW) 8.37, Tayler Brothers (USA) 7.93, Cam Richards (USA) 6.73
Vans Pro Junior Round of 48 Results: Heat 1: Colton Sarlo (USA) 9.43, Makai McNamara (HAW) 6.26, Corey Colapinto (USA) 5.60, Chris Tucker (USA) 4.70 Heat 2: Koa Smith (HAW) 12.60, Dylan Kowalski (USA) 10.10, Arashi Kato (JPN) 9.80, Balaram Stack (USA) 8.20 Heat 3: Ian Crane (USA) 18.14, Carlos Munoz (CRI) 15.83, Keto Burns (USA) 9.40, Cole Richards (USA) 9.23 Heat 4: Derrick Disney (USA) 15.20, Colin Moran (USA) 10.96, Dane Zaun (USA) 8.00, J.D. Lewis (USA) 7.30 Heat 5: Parker Coffin (USA) 11.60, Kalani David (HAW) 9.04, P.J. Raia (USA) 8.96, Kaimana Jaquias (HAW) 6.60 Heat 6: Cristobal De Col (PER) 12.60, Christian Saenz (USA) 11.44, Shaw Kobayashi (USA) 11.23, Taylor Clark (USA) 8.77 Heat 7: Tanner Hendrickson (HAW) 9.33, Cam Richards (USA) 8.50, Doug Van Mierlo (USA) 6.03, JD MacFaden (USA) 4.01 Heat 8: Taylor Thorne (USA) 11.66, Jared Thorne (USA) 10.86, Billy Hopkins (USA) 10.77, Scott Weinhardt (USA) 7.47