US Open of Surfing Nearing Dramatic Conclusion
Jul 29 2007 / Huntington Beach, CABig upsets and dramatic finishes went down today as the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing presented by O'Neill finished Round 4 and two heats of Round 5 in the men's division as well as Round 3 of the women's division.
With a substantial amount of valuable ratings points on the line, the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star event bore witness to some of the more nail-biting heats of the competition as the surf dropped to an inconsistent 1' to 3' (half metre) on the sets.
Jay Thompson (Gold Coast, AUS), current No. 4 on the ASP WQS, was in sensational form today, racking up the event's high single-wave score of a 9.87 out of a possible 10 for a series of blistering forehand carves and impressive fin-free maneuvers.
"I really surprised myself out there," Thompson said. "When we paddled out, the waves became really inconsistent and I just took off on that wave hoping to get a 6 or something. I just kept nailing turns and it kept opening up more sections for me to belt so I was happy to oblige."
Advancing through to the Round of 24 at the Honda U.S. Open, Thompson is sure to solidify his current standing on the ASP WQS, and puts himself one step closer to qualifying for next season's Foster's ASP World Tour.
"I try not to think about the points too much," Thompson said. "I just go out there and try to surf my best. Of course I want to qualify for the Dream Tour in '08, but there a still a few events left this season. Hopefully I can get through a couple more heats and put a bigger result in my scoreline."
David Weare (ZAF), former elite Foster's ASP World Tour competitor and current No. 35 on the ASP WQS, was near unstoppable in his Round 3 heat, racking up the day's highest heat total of a 17.10 out of a possible 20.
"It's just luck out there today," Weare said. "I really got the only two scoring rides out there during my heat and I was able to capitalize on them. My boards feel really good so hopefully the conditions pick up and we can have a nice finish this weekend."
Counting competitors' best seven results for the season, the ASP WQS rolls up the top-15 finishers at year's end to the prestigious Foster's ASP World Tour, often referred to as the "Dream Tour". The Honda U.S. Open of Surfing presented by O'Neill will be Weare's seventh event this season, and his already-solid result at the venue will certainly have an impact on the ratings.
"I was on the World Tour last year and fell off and now I'm doing the 'QS this year to try to get back," Weare said. "I was injured at the beginning of the season so I'm just getting back into the events. I have a few zeros in my scoreline that I'll be dropping so I'm looking forward to a result here before heading into the rest of the season."
Kekoa Bacalso (Mililani, HAW), former ASP World Junior Champion and current No. 34 on the ASP WQS, created a huge upset today in defeating former U.S. Open Champion Cory Lopez (Indian Rocks Beach, FL) in his Round 4 bout.
"I had a pretty good run here last year and I don't think people expect me to do that well here because I'm a bit bigger," Bacalso said. "I guess I am surprised a little bit myself, but I just love surfing out here. Even when it's small, you can still find sections to hit."
Bacalso has developed a reputation for being lethal in big surf, but his small-wave act has been reaping dividends throughout the year, and puts him in excellent position to make a run at qualifying for the Dream Tour.
"A result here would be crucial for me, especially heading into the European leg next," Bacalso said. "I'm sitting somewhere in the 30s right now so I need to really get moving in these next events if I want to be in a good position heading home to Hawaii."
Following the completion of the first two heats of the men's Round of 24, the women's Round 3 hit the water, and once again showcased the amazing array of young talent taking on the old guard.
Sally Fitzgibbons (Gerroa, AUS), 15, continued her reign of terror on the established veterans today, racking up an incredible 17.04 out of a possible 20 despite the afternoon onshore conditions.
Following the completion of the women's Round 3 of the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing presented by O'Neill, the Final of the Boost Mobile Shootout featuring Timmy Curran (Oxnard, CA), Jordy Smith (Durban, ZAF), Brett Simpson (Huntington Beach, CA) and Dane Reynolds (Ventura, CA) vying for two wildcards into September's Boost Mobile Pro of Surf presented by Hurley.
The 30-minute final showcased outstanding surfing from all four surfers, but in the end it was Reynolds and Smith taking 1st and 2nd respectively and earning wildcards into the elite tour Boost Mobile Pro of Surf presented by Hurley in September.
Tomorrow will see a Women's Champion crowned at the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing presented by O'Neill. The men will also surf into Round 6 before crowning their champion on Sunday.
Surfline, official forecasters for the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing presented by O'Neill, have called for the surf to continue with modest fluctuations throughout the weekend, the result of Tropical Storm Dalila.
