Action Heats Up at QuikPro Africa in Day Six
Apr 22 2007 / Durban, South Africa
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As the man-on-man round of 16 started, a puff of north-easterly showed up and started to put a slight ruffle on the waves. This, combined with the draining tide, resulted in great conditions, but the conditions seemed to change drastically heat to heat. Kieren Perrow continued his fine form to win the first heat, beating fellow Australian Chris Davidson fairly convincingly. Davidson, who scored the ten point tube-ride yesterday, was feeling decidedly unwell this morning and couldn’t find a rhythm.
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The second heat was a cracker, with Adrian Buchan from Australia going completely berserk on his backhand, leaving Brazilian Jihad Kodre needing a combination of waves. Buchan found the good set waves and performed a series of radical turns on his backhand to score waves scores of 8.33 and 8.77 (out of 10).
Jordy Smith took to the skies in his heat, performing some radical aerial moves on his counting waves against former Durban surfer Shaun Gossmann, now an Australian citizen. The first move was a giant air reverse that saw him awarded a 6.83, and his second air move was a full-speed forehand punt that saw him flying through the air above the wave for an incredible distance, followed by a number of carving turns, with the judges awarding him a 9.17 for his efforts.
“Shaun is a great surfer and knows these waves so well,” said Jordy afterwards on the beach. “I was just looking for some space out there to get my waves, and with the man-on-man system it becomes so much easier to do that without hassling. I had a few good scores under the belt early in the heat so I wasn’t feeling too much pressure. Then Gozzy let that good one go even though he had priority. I took it and they gave me a 9.17. So I was stoked with that.”
A very determined and confident Portuguese surfer Tiago Pires came up against the rampant Brazilian Neco Padaratz in a heat that swung back and forth throughout. Tiago had it in the bag until the last minutes of the heat when Padaratz picked up a long wall and belted it all the way to the sand, scoring a 7.33 for it. Tiago waited patiently for one more wave and with twenty seconds to go picked up a small wave and went to town on it. But it was not to be for the powerful Portuguese surfer, who went down to Padaratz. Pires is the current WQS ratings leader and despite the heat loss, this result will no doubt bolster his situation. A very happy heat winner Padaratz likened the small onshore to his home break in Brazil.
“The waves changed so much from the last heat. I was watching the heats and with the tide draining and the wind coming up it just got so different,” said Neco. “The waves in my heat were just like the waves I’m used to back home, so I had fun out there. I always love my trips to Durban.”
Heat number five was between the two Australians Luke Munro and Benn Dunn. The onshore north-easterly had by now risen in strength and the waves proved difficult for the two surfers. It was Luke Munro who took the fairly close heat, before the contest organisers decided to put the event on hold for a few hours. It was finally decided to hold the final heats of the round of 16 over until Sunday.
The event runs through until tomorrow Sunday 22 April, when the finals will be held.
- Press Release
Round of 16 Remaining Matches
Heat # 6
David Weare ZAF
Dane Reynolds USA
Heat # 7
Mikael Picon FRA
Rodrigo Dornelles BRA
Heat # 8
Roy Powers HAW
Greg Emslie ZAF
Quarterfinal Matches
Heat # 1
Kieren Perrow AUS
Adrian Buchan AUS
Heat # 2
Jordy Smith ZAF
Neco Padaratz BRA
Heat #3 & 4
TBD
TBD
