Mitch Crews and Sarah Mason Claim Wildcards into Quiksilver and Roxy Pros
GOLD COAST, Queensland/Australia (Friday, February 25, 2011) – Currumbin surfer Mitch Crews, AUS, 20, and Kiwi Sarah Mason, NZL, 15, will line up against the world’s best after posting emphatic Quiksilver Trials and Roxy Trials wins respectively to claim wildcards into the opening event of the 2011 ASP World Title at Snapper Rocks today.
On a day of high scores and perfect waves at the famous Gold Coast point break, Crews surged through the 16-man Quiksliver Trials field, taking out the high class final.
The reigning Australasian Pro Junior champion posted a combined two-wave score of 14.20 to defeat Frenchman Marc Lacomare (11.84) and former ASP World Tour surfers Dean Morrison (9.17) and Tom Whitaker (7.67).
“I am so pumped,” Crews said.
“It was really slow at the start because the tide started filling in. Halfway through the heat I thought it is going to be real slow so I might as well get busy. I just picked off a couple insiders and I got that one insider that gave me a couple turns and I was just super pumped after that.”
The Gold Coast surfer, who recently finished equal fourth for the World Pro Junior title, will now face South African Jordy Smith and American Pat Gudauskas in the opening round of the Quiksilver Pro presented by Land Rover, the first ASP World Title event of the year.
“Jordy is an amazing surfer,” Crews said.
“He is one of the best in the world. But the way I am looking at it now is these are the guys I want to surf against and have to surf against if I want to be a professional surfer. I am just going to do my best and have a go.”
Equally devastating in the Roxy Trials was pint-sized Mason, who has now booked her ticket for a showdown with four-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore, AUS.
Mason clocked a combined two-wave score of 14.16 to defeat South African Sarah Baum (11.90), Coolangatta surfer Brodie Doyle (11.50) and South African Bianca Buitendag (10.67).
“I had quite a lot of confidence because in my previous heats I got some quite good scores, so I just wanted to go out there and catch the waves and get the scores to win,’’ she said. In the battle of the groms, WA surfing prodigy Jack Robinson outclassed Mitch Parkinson (Coolangatta), Mikey Wright (Lennox Head) and Eli Steele (Sunshine Coast) to win the Quiksilver King of the Groms final.
Contest organisers are expected to proceed with either the men’s and women’s competition tomorrow with favourable conditions and a small easterly swell predicted.
The Quiksilver Pro is presented by Land Rover and proudly supported by Events QLD, Corona, Olympus, Telstra, Nature Valley Muesli bars, Lipton Ice Tea, Red Bull, Sharpie, Suncorp, GCCC (Gold Coast City Council), CSGC (connecting southern Gold Coast), Gold Coast Airport, Pages, Coastalwatch, RBSLSC (Rainbow Bay Surf Life Saving Club) and ASP International.
The Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover will feature the world’s best surfers from February 26 through March 9, 2011 and will be webcast LIVE via
www.quiksilverpro.com.auThe Roxy Pro presented by Land Rover will run in conjunction with the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast. For more information, log onto
www.aspworldtour.comThe event will also be broadcast LIVE on free-to-air with One HD.
Quiksilver Pro Trials Results:
1 – Mitch Crews (AUS) 14.20
2 – Marc Lacomare (FRA) 11.84
3 – Dean Morrison (AUS) 9.17
4 – Tom Whittaker (AUS) 7.67
Roxy Pro Trials Results:
1 – Sarah Mason (NZL) 14.16
2 – Sarah Baum (ZAF) 11.90
3 – Brodie Doyle (AUS) 11.50
4 – Bianca Buttendag 10.67
QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 1:
Heat 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS), Heitor Alves (BRA), Julian Wilson (AUS)
Heat 2: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Gabe Kling (USA)
Heat 3: Mick Fanning (AUS), Bobby Martinez (USA), Cory Lopez (USA)
Heat 4: Taj Burrow (AUS), Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 5: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Patrick Gudauskas (USA), Mitch Crews (AUS)
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA), Kai Otton (AUS), Matt Banting (AUS)
Heat 7: Owen Wright (AUS), Taylor Knox (USA), Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 8: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Brett Simpson (USA), Josh Kerr (AUS)
Heat 9: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Joel Parkinson (AUS), Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 10: Michel Bourez (PYF), C.J. Hobgood (USA), Daniel Ross (AUS)
Heat 11: Chris Davidson (AUS), Kieren Perrow (AUS), Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 12: Jadson Andre (BRA), Damien Hobgood (USA), Tiago Pires (PRT)
ROXY PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 1:
Heat 1: Sofia Mulanovich (PER), Paige Hareb (NZL), Jacqueline Silva (BRA)
Heat 2: Silvana Lima (BRA), Rebecca Woods (AUS), Pauline Ado (FRA)
Heat 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Tyler Wright (AUS), Sarah Mason (NZL)
Heat 4: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Laura Enever (AUS), Claire Bevilacqua (AUS)
Heat 5: Carissa Moore (HAW), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), Alana Blanchard (HAW)
Heat 6: Chelsea Hedges (AUS), Coco Ho (HAW), Courtney Conlogue (USA)
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