Round 1 Action Starts at ASP PRIME Islas Canarias Santa Pro
SAN JUAN/LANZAROTE, Canary Islands (Wednesday, October 27, 2010) – Round 1 of the ASP PRIME Islas Canarias Santa Pro an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) sanctioned event ran through to complete 12 heats at the main contest sight of San Juan on day one of the official waiting period.
Waves in the 3-4ft (1-1.5m) range were on offer throughout the morning session of competition. With the afternoon cross-shore trade winds and the high tide, event officials were forced to call a halt to proceedings.
Marlon Lipke (DEU) 26, was one of the many stand out surfers to advance through to Round Two of competition where he will come up against the events top-seeds. The powerful goofy-footer got off to a solid start and then built on his scores to finish with the day’s highest single wave score of 8.17 out of 10. Nailing another excellent last wave, Lipke completed his 30-minute encounter with a 15.67 two wave total.
“I really like this wave and I have come here many times and I feel comfortable surfing here. I couldn’t hear some of the scores with all the wind and I was also concentrating a lot on my heat and the waves to catch.”
Lipke enjoyed surfing the peaky, long lefts at San Juan after competing in Ericeira last week which for him is a difficult wave to surf well.
“After surfing in Ericeira which for me is a really hard place to surf on my backhand, here is great. Waves like that one and Bells for example, which keep going and moving forward I have trouble reading but here on my forehand it is a lot better. As long as you are careful with the bump that the wave sometimes has you can do some good turns on this left.”
Mickey Picon (FRA) 31, had to suffer the shock of realizing he was not in the heat draw having forgotten to do his entry. One of the first competitors on site this morning, Picon was suited-up and waiting for the first opportunity to jump into an available space.
“This is my last contest for the year so I was really bummed when I saw I wasn’t in the event. I came here a couple of days early and when I saw the heat draw and my name wasn’t there I couldn’t believe it. I have been really busy with my new job and I think my head was not at all thinking about doing the inscription.”
And the former Dream Tour member did not have to wait long, jumping into heat nº1 of the event. Picon showed no signs of his dramatic entrance into the Islas Canarias Santa Pro and went straight to business laying down some solid scores with his trademark power turns.
“I was trying to stay positive and just hoped that someone was missing. Whatever happened I knew that I was going to come down here early and wait for a chance to compete. I am happy here and I am super motivated right now. I love this island and the waves so I’m stoked to be here.”
Brendon Gibbens (Capetown, ZAF) 19, was pleased to experience the warm waters of the Canary Islands on this, his first visit. With his heat being on hold due to a problem with the electricity supply, Gibbens took full advantage of this unforeseen delay in the action.
“It was actually my first time surfing out there so it was a bit of a blessing that I got about 20 minutes to have a free surf out there. It was a lot of fun out there and the water was warm especially coming from Santa Cruz.”
On his maiden year of competing full time on the ASP Star-Series tour, Gibbens is using it as a learning stage for bigger things to come in 2011. Making a heat and advancing to the next round is for him a positive step forward.
“It is my first year doing the Star events. I have been struggling and I have had a few ok results. I am hoping to learn a lot this year which I have already and to be more prepared and try to do better next year.”
“I am stoked to get through for sure,” continued Gibbens. “I have had some first round knock-outs and it is terrible and you go home with no money so I am glad I made it.” (laughs)
Torrey Meister (Hawaii, HAW) 22, was in scintillating form with an aggressive backhand assault on the San Juan left. Despite a lot of chop on the wave face, Meister drove smoothly through each bottom turn, smashing the lip on numerous occasions.
“It is fun to surf a left again after so much time surfing rights in Santa Cruz. It is nice to get back to the warm water and it is so much like home here with all the lava rocks and the water. I felt good out there because the waves are fun for sure. I feel comfortable on my backhand on these lefts.”
Meister finds himself in his last event before he heads to home soil for the remainder of the season in Hawaii. For the young goofy footer the fact that his year will finish at home is a huge advantage to him.
“I have been a bit frustrated with the results I have been getting this year but hopefully the end of the year will be better. We are going back home to Hawaii after this and it is always good to finish there.”
Nick Riley (Sydney, AUS) 22, was another goofy footer who revelled in the conditions. Warm water and backhand gouges were his strengths that saw him advance through to Round Two.
“It was hard work out there because you have to get most times the second wave of the set. The first one kind of cleans it all up and then on the second one you can get to work on a clean face.”
Riley has been lacking form of late and like so many of the other competitors is pleased to be in warm water and surfing a fun left-hander.
“I have had a few shockers lately over in America trying to get used to the cold water. This place is beautiful and you can surf in board shorts so it is awesome. I like surfing on my back hand because we don’t really have any left-hand point breaks so it is refreshing coming to a wave like this.”
Surfers competing in the Islas Canarias Santa Pro are out to claim the valuable points on offer for their world rankings in an attempt to qualify for the elite ASP World Tour events in 2011. Also European surfers are on their second last stop for the ASP European Open title which is currently being lead by Marc Lacomare (FRA). Having a PRIME status the Islas Canarias Santa Pro is a crucial event for all the surfers and their 2010 rankings.
For all results, videos, daily highlights, photos and news log-on to
www.aspeurope.comUpcoming Islas Canarias Santa Pro Round One Match-Ups
Heat 13: Jano Belo (BRA), Joao Guedes (PRT), Andre Teixeira (BRA), Carlos Marques (ESP)
Heat 14: Ricardo Santos (BRA), Brad Ettinger (USA), Omer Bar (ISR), Igor Munian (EUK)
Heat 15: Tiago Camarao (BRA), Davey Cathels (AUS), Joackim Petersen Guichard (NOR), Robertson Goncalves (PRT)
Heat 16: Jonathan Gonzalez (CNY), Ian Gouveia (BRA), Txaber Trojaola (EUK), Manuel Lezcano (CNY)
Islas Canarias Santa Pro Round 1 Results
Heat 1: Mickey Picon (FRA) 14.84, Dane Gudauskas (USA) 11.37, Tonino Benson (HAW) 11.10, Ladislaus Ruedegger (AUT) 3.67
Heat 2: Kai Barger (HAW) 13.90, Shaun Joubert (ZAF) 10.33, Norman Landa (EUK) 10.30, Gregory Weatherall (NZL) 4.10
Heat 3: Brendon Gibbens (ZAF) 12.10, Jean Da Silva (BRA) 12.00, Ryah Arthur (USA) 9.46, Alessandro Piu (ITA) 8.40
Heat 4: Chris Salisbury (AUS) 11.77, Alan Stokes (GBR) 11.50, Chris Ward (USA) ns, Julian Cuello (CNY) ns
Heat 5: Nick Riley (AUS) 12.50, Patrick Beven (FRA) 12.33, Brandon Jackson (ZAF) 10.04, Anderson Santos (BRA) 4.53
Heat 6: Torrey Meister (HAW) 13.53, Klee Strachan (ZAF) 11.00, Thiago Guimaraes (BRA) 7.47, Marcos San Segundo (EUK) ns
Heat 7: Marlon Lipke (DEU) 15.67, Mitch Coleborn (AUS) 11.84, Oli Adams (GBR) 11.10, Alexander El Naib (DEU) 2.14
Heat 8: Marco Fernandez (BRA) 14.43, Mason Ho (HAW) 13.27, Frederic Robin (REU) 9.33, Christian Garcia (ESP) 7.04
Heat 9: Bernardo Miranda (BRA) 12.10, Beyrick De Vries (ZAF) 11.14, Lenny Perdomo (CNY) 6.84, Nic von Rupp (DEU) 6.80
Heat 10: Heath Joske (AUS) 12.23, Stephen Walsh (AUS) 10.90, Bruno Rodrigues (BRA) 8.40, Freddie Meadows (SWE) 6.60
Heat 11: Masatoshi Ohno (JPN) 11.50, Adrien Toyon (REU) 11.03, Jose Maria Cabrera (CNY) 10.20, Pierre-Valentin Laborde (FRA) 6.46
Heat 12: Eric Geiselman (USA) 13.00, Jesse Mendes (BRA) 11.20, Abdel El Harim (MAR) 7.30, Antonio Marques (CNY) 6.46
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Thema: [ASP News] Round 1 Action Starts at ASP PRIME Islas Canarias Santa Pro
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