Taj Burrow Wins Boost Mobile Surf Show
Apr 16 2007 / Gold Coast, Australia
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The West Australian lived up to his reputation as the surfer who has redefined modern day aerial surfing defeating a field of twenty of the best field of aerial surfers ever assembled to claim the inaugural crown.
Twenty-eight year-old Burrow out-performed high-flying fellow finalist Dru Adler (Palm Beach, Gold Coast) by executing the highest scoring maneuver of the tournament - a nine point Air-Reverse to claim the winner take all $20000 prize cheque.
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“The two best things that could have happened to me this week have,” said Burrow. “I’m blown away. I haven’t won a contest in a couple of years, so to win two in a row especially an Airshow has me really, really excited.”
“These guys are so unbelievably talented in what they do it’s really hard to remain consistent especially in these tough conditions. It’s just so cool to go out there and nail the maneuver that you spin on the wheel.”
Palm Beach Boardriders Club President Adler who posted a 5.50 Air Reverse in the final received the runner-up consolation prize of a 42” LG Plasma TV. Aerial experts Ozzie Wright (North Narrabeen) and Wade Goodall (Sunshine Coast) finished equal third overall with impressive performances throughout the day.
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Teenage surfing sensation Julian Wilson (Sunshine Coast) narrowly missed out on making the final four cut after earlier leading the charge to finish fifth overall.
Eight time world surfing champion Kelly Slater (Florida, USA) was forced to withdraw from the Boost Mobile Surf Show due to straining his left shoulder in yesterday’s jet-ski tow-in expression session at Surfers Paradise Beach.
The Floridian opted to rest the injury in preparation for the next world tour event in Tahiti next month. While Slater couldn’t break out his aerial repertoire he still managed to entertain the Surfer Paradise crowd with an impromptu jam session with renowned surfer/musician Tim Curran (California USA) last night. “It was amazing,” said Curran who finished ninth in the tournament. “I haven’t played with Kelly since starting the band. I grew up on the tour so we always used to jam together but that was the first time he has played with the band.”
Following the event success organisers have vowed to be back bigger and better next year. The innovative event created a carnival style atmosphere with the use of the Boost Mobile Surf Show Wheel which proved popular with both surfers and spectators alike It was all serious spinning action with a comical Goon Maneuver included in the list of tricks to be spun up.
2001 Aerial world champion and elite world tour surfer Josh Kerr failed to live up to expectations bowing out before the first sudden death heat but enjoyed returning to his aerial roots. “This event has been fun, especially the whole new format with the wheel,” said 2001 world aerial champion Kerr. “It’s that much more exciting when surfers have to go for the big moves and not repeat the standard airs.”
“Other sports like skate and snowboarding have different criteria’s in which to compete in so it’s exciting to have that in surfing as well. You can be that much more creative in this format,” added Kerr.
Jirah Laws (Torquay, Vic) won the second highly prized 42" plasma TV for performing the event’s ‘Big Boost’ for the most impressive aerial maneuver of the event.
Boost Mobile have stepped up to ensure the locals are blown away with the event, including a 80m by 40m beach structure, 4m x 4m mega screen, global webcast and an integrated music event on site at the beach on Cavill Ave on the Saturday night.
Format
The format will be based around a large spinning wheel (Boost Mobile Surf Show Wheel) that will dictate the aerial tricks to be performed. Four Surfers in the water will have only 10 minutes to perform each trick spun on the wheel. Every 10 minutes a new group of four hit the water and the wheel will be spun again to find the next new trick.
Surfers’ manoeuvres will be given the thumbs up, or thumbs down by a three guest judge’s panel; two out of three thumbs up signifies a completed aerial trick.
Any surfer who completes an aerial trick will receive a letter. Surfers are aiming to spell “B-O-O-S-T”. Once 25 qualification heats are completed, the top 8 surfers with the most completed aerial tricks (B-O-O-S-T) will enter the Boost Mobile Surf Show final. The final will feature only 3 spins of the wheel, with each spin eliminating half of the surfers who are slowest to complete the trick.
- Press Release
