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Richard Christie Eliminated at the Nike US Open

Tanner Gudauskas and Richard Christie squared off in the first heat Saturday in the U.S. Open of Surfing. At stake was a berth in today’s men’s quarterfinals. A 6.5 with six minutes left in the 30-minute heat propelled Gudauskas past Christie and into the quarterfinals.

Richard Christie lost an early morning heat to an on fire Tanner Gudauskas. Credit: ASP / ROWLAND

Wildcard Filipe Toledo and Lakey Peterson Win Nike US Open of Surfing Pro Junior

HUNTINGTON BEACH, California / USA (Saturday, August 6, 2011) – Filipe Toledo (Sao Paulo, BRA), 16, and Lakey Peterson (Santa Barbara, CA), 16, have won the ASP 4-Star Nike US Open of Surfing Pro Junior in clean two-to-four foot (1 metre) waves at Huntington Beach Pier against some of the world’s finest under-21 surfers.

In addition to the crowning of the ASP Pro Junior Series champions, Quarterfinalists were decided for the men’s ASP PRIME event as well as Semifinalists for final stop on the 2011 ASP Women’s World Title Series, the Women’s Nike US Open of Surfing.

Toledo proved to be unstoppable in the rippable beachbreak conditions, and defeated prodigies Kolohe Andino (San Clemente, CA), 16, and John John Florence (North Shore, HI), 17, as well as California powerhouse Conner Coffin (Santa Barbara, CA), 16, when he launched a flurry of frontside air-reverses to net a 15.17 out of 20 heat total in the Final.

“I feel unbelievable,” Toledo said. “Thanks to all of my Brazilian brothers and my new sponsor Nike and my family in Brazil. The wave here in Huntington is a beachbreak, just like Brazil and I think I’m a good surfer in these waves, it’s just unbelievable to win.”

The massive victory earned by the young Brazilian dark-horse now puts him on the international stage alongside his fellow countrymen who are pushing the limits of surfing to new heights and Toledo plans on returning to Brazil to establish himself on the ASP World Ranking.

“I feel like this win puts my name with the rest of the Brazilians like Alejo (Muniz) and Miguel (Pupo),” Toledo said. “I’m going to go back to Brazil and do some ASP contests and hopefully I can do well.”

Lakey Peterson clawed her way back into the Nike US Open of Surfing Pro Junior Final after former event champion Malia Manuel (Wailua, HI), 18, opened her account with a 7.67 and tore into two right-handers, earning an 8.50 and a 7.27 for the rides to solidify her victory. The up-and-coming Californian took out Manuel, and elite ASP Women’s World Title Surfers Laura Enever (AUS), 19, and Coco Ho (North Shore, HI), 18, and was elated to win at Huntington Beach.

“It’s amazing to win this event,” Peterson said. “I was looking at the trophy before I paddled out and I was like ‘I want that thing so bad.’ Nike does such a great job and I’d like to thank them for putting on this event. It’s been an amazing day. The final wasn’t really serious, we were all laughing and cracking jokes, it was really fun.”

Peterson, wildcard into the Nike US Open of Surfing ASP Women’s World Title event, continued her tear against the ASP Top 17 as well when she ousted Laura Enever (AUS), 19, in their Quarterfinals bout and will face top seed Carissa Moore (Honolulu, HI), 18, in the Semifinals.

“I’m actually shaking pretty bad right now,” Peterson said. “I’m just really excited. I got to the Semifinals last year as a 6-Star but it’s a World Tour event this year. I’m surfing against Carissa (Moore) in the Semifinals. She’s a great friend and I’m looking forward to surfing against her, she always pushes me to surf the best that I can.”

Carissa Moore, winner of last year’s ASP 6-Star Hurley US Open of Surfing, took a come-from-behind victory to overtake local favorite Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, CA), 17, in their Quarterfinals matchup when she blasted the day’s highest single-wave score of 8.93 while taking the highest heat-total of 16.53 (out of 20) with committed and polished forehand surfing.

“I had my back up against the wall,” Moore said. “I ended up really far down the beach from Courtney (Conlogue) and we kind of were surfing different peaks and I was just hoping the waves would come. In the beginning Courtney got the better of it and got that sick left and I felt like if I was going to go out, I’d want to go out kicking and screaming. Luckily some waves came.”

Kolohe Andino, who finished second in the ASP Pro Junior Final, battled fellow up-and-comer John John Florence in the Round of 12 found his way into clean barrel before launching a massive air-reverse on his second wave to notch the day’s highest heat-total in men’s competition of 16.10 to advance through to the Quarterfinals.

“Conditions are really fun, especially for airs and high-performance surfing and I’m stoked to make it through,” Andino said. “I had a blast. Once I got that first 8.5 I knew I had to get at least a 7.5 to put John John (Florence) in a combo. I really wanted to put him in a combo to have a better chance to win the heat.”

The young talent will now face his idol Dane Reynolds (Ventura, CA), 26, in the Quarterfinals and is motivated to take on the progressive wizard in their upcoming matchup.

“Yesterday, in my heat against Dane (Reynolds), it just slipped through my fingers, I needed a 7.5 and just couldn’t find a second wave after I got the 9,” Andino said. “Dane (Reynolds) is one of my favorite surfers and it’s just a have fun heat because I’m supposed to lose so I’m just going to go for it.”

Yadin Nicol (AUS), 26, kept his qualification campaign alive to make the midyear cut for the elite ASP Top 34 when he got the best of dangerous Brazilian Thiago Camarao, 23, in their hard-fought Round of 12 heat.

“I’m really happy,” Nicol said. “This is a big contest for me and a great opportunity. I’m pretty excited right now. Thiago is a great surfer and I’m happy to move through to the Quarterfinals.”

Men’s and Women’s Nike US Open of Surfing champions will be crowned tomorrow afternoon.

 

Takayuki Wakita wins Rip Curl

Takayuki Wakita wins Rip Curl Cup Trials in pumping Padang pits; Dean Morrison shines in afternoon Expression Session

Padang Padang, Bali – Takayuki Wakita won the Trials of the 2011 Rip Curl Cup, held in four-to-five foot Padang barrels on Wednesday. The Japanese surfer has earned himself a spot in the main event, to be held on the biggest and best day of the year at Padang this season.

Also qualifying for the main event were Hawaii’s Makua Rothman and Bali local Rahtu Suargita, who finished second and third respectively. Rounding out the six-man Trials heat were Makua’s younger brother, Koa Rothman (Haw), Dedi Gun (Bali) and Tipi Jabrik (Bali).

“Surfing with my little brother in a heat out at Padang is something I won’t forget,” Makua Rothman said afterward. “We were all just stoked to be surfing one of the best swells of the year at Padang for a full hour with just a few of us out. To make it into the main event was the icing on the cake.”

With less than two minutes remaining in the 60-minute heat, Wakita was in first place in front of Rothman with a narrow 1-point lead, when the largest set of the morning came marching in from the Indian Ocean towards the Padang reef. Rothman went for the first wave of the five-wave set and bobbed and weaved his way through the bending tube on his backhand, all the way across the reef. He escaped through a detonating lip on the shallow end section, and finished off the ride with a flourishing claim on the inside.

“I got the first wave of the set and was so stoked when I made it out,” Rothman said. “Then I looked back and saw three or four more waves just stacking up perfect and guys getting pitted.”

Rothman earned an 8.0 and the lead for his wave, but it would be a short-lived lead. On the final wave of the Trials, Wakita pulled into a gaping Padang cavern and didn’t re-appear until he was spat out in plumes of spray all the way on the inside.

“I could tell it was the last wave of the set,” Wakita said, “so I knew I had to make it out to win. Lucky I was able to sneak out at the very end. I can’t wait to surf this special wave again in the main event.”

Bali’s Rahtu Suargita also scored a beautiful tube ride on the last wave of the decisive set, leap-frogging him past Koa Rothman for the third and final Wild Card spot in the main event.

“This morning I was on the outside looking in,” Suargita said. “I didn’t even know if I was going to get to surf in the Trials. Now I’m in the Padang Cup. I’m so excited to be part of this event.”

Meanwhile, in the afternoon Expression Session, former WCT standout Dean Morrison (Aus) wowed the crowd with his deep backside tuberiding magic, and ridiculously deep double-barrel. Morrison was victorious in the 60-minute Expression Session, which featured 11 of his fellow invitees seeing how deep they could ride on the low-tide foamball and still exit the barrel. Morrison was rewarded with a classic channel-bottom pintail, hand-shaped by legendary surfer/shaper Allan Byrne, who also picked the winner of the session.

“The guys were putting on a show out there,” Byrne said. “The best part was, they all got the idea of the Expression Session. They weren’t hassling each other and pushing each other too deep. They were sitting in the right spot and cycling waves so they could surf the barrels out there as well as you possibly could. It was an honor to judge the surfing out there, and a real treat for everyone who came out to the beach today.”

 

 

Richard Christie Impresses at the Nike US Open of Surfing

 

The 2011 Nike US Open of Surfing represents the last ASP PRIME contest before the midyear cutoff for the elite ASP World Title Series, making the event crucial for surfers’ qualification campaigns for the back half of the year.

Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, unleashed his patented aerial-surfing and progressive turns on the wedgy Huntington lefthanders to ignite the day’s highest heat total of 16.73 out of 20 to start the Nike US Open of Surfing in sharp form.

“That was a tough heat,” Medina said. “It’s kind of hard to get a good one, but I got two 8s and I made it, so I’m stoked.”

Medina, current No. 19 on the men’s ASP World Ranking, is in excellent position to join the elite ASP Top 34 at the midyear cut and is trying not to put too much pressure on himself to perform at the final ASP PRIME event before the switch.

“I’m not really thinking about it, I just want to do well in all of the contests,” Medina said. “I want to have fun and hopefully I can qualify at the midway point in the year.”

Richard Christie (NZL), 22, displayed powerful, committed surfing on the small peaky conditions at Huntington Beach to take a Round 1 win while posting the day’s highest single-wave score of an 8.93 (out of 10). The New Zealander’s victory came over reigning ASP World Junior Champion Jack Freestone (AUS), 19, ASP World Title campaigner Damien Hobgood (Satellite Beach, FL), 32, and former US Open of Surfing Winner Nathaniel Curran (Oxnard, CA), 26.

“I’m just having a go and trying to get some scores and I’m stoked to get through that one,” Christie said. “I was just trying to find a good wave and surf it the way I would usually surf it and not get too wigged out by the crowd and it seemed to work.”

Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, was one elite ASP World Title Campaigner to ignite the challenging conditions on both his forehand and backhand to take a convincing Round 1 victory and the veteran campaigner enjoys competing against the next generation of talent at events such as the Nike US Open of Surfing.

“I luckily started with a pretty decent wave out the back and finished up in the shore-pound,” Burrow said. “It’s great surfing against the young guys. They’re so high-fi out there. They’re really light on their feet and can do every trick in the book, I love it. I want to go out there and mix it up with them in these small little waves. It’s always a challenge and I love surfing with those guys.”

Patrick Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 25, took to his backhand to unload a flurry of tail-drifting turns on a series of wedgy lefthanders to garner a 16.33 out of 20 heat score, one of the day’s highest, to advance alongside brother Tanner Gudauskas, 23, in their Round 1 heat.

“I don’t think we teamed up against those guys,” Gudauskas said. “We were looking at the heat draw and it was a bummer that we were in the same heat. You’re hoping to be in the Finals together maybe, but not Round 1. Those guys are such good surfers and there were so many waves being ridden that you couldn’t really team up.”

Kelly Slater (Cocoa Beach, FL), 39, former US Open of Surfing Champion, won his Round 1 heat with a buzzer-beating wave and unloaded a variety of ferocious forehand turns to earn an 8.50 for the ride to overtake Jano Belo (BRA) 28, for the win.

“There were waves breaking outside the heat before and there were only a few in our heat so it was a little tough,” Slater said. “Days like this, it’s a lot of luck, you’ve just got to catch the right waves. I tried to plan that one at the end. I could have gone on the one before, but that one looked a little bit bigger and had that little peak up against the pier.”

Evan Geiselman (New Smyrna Beach, FL), 17, Nike US Open of Surfing Wildcard, was dangerous on both his forehand and backhand and issued a major upset when he defeated elite ASP World Tour surfer Michel Bourez (PYF), 25, in Round 1.

“I lost my Junior heat and I’m just stoked to have another chance in the main event,” Geiselman said. “I’m looking forward to the rest of the week and I’m having fun out here. The more heats I get to surf out here the better, I love it.”

Tomorrow’s action will see the completion of ASP PRIME Round 1 action as well as the first half of Round 2. Also surfing will be the elite ASP Top 17 in Round 3.

LIVE webcast of the Nike US Open of surfing will run from August 1 through 7, 2011 viawww.usopenofsurfing.com

The Nike US Open of Surfing represents a massive action sports festival which also includes Skate, BMX, Art, Music and Fashion shows all of which are free to the public.

Nike US Open Round of 96 Results:
Heat 1: Hizunome Bettero (BRA) 12.17, Torrey Meister (HAW) 10.30, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 9.50, Glen Hall (IRL) 9.20
Heat 2: Dusty Payne (HAW) 12.93, Jonathan Gonzales (CNY) 10.96, Austin Ware (USA) 10.86, Matt Wilkinson (USA) 10.70
Heat 3: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.73, Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 15.07, Cory Lopez (USA) 14.73, Adam Robertson (AUS) 11.63
Heat 4: Evan Geiselman (USA) 12.37, Blake Thornton (AUS) 11.27, Michel Bourez (PYF) 10.07, Travis Logie (ZAF) 5.70
Heat 5: Richard Christie (NZL) 14.13, Jack Freestone (AUS) 13.90, Damien Hobgood (USA) 12.30, Nathaniel Curran (USA) 9.55
Heat 6: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 14.67, Joel Centeio (HAW) 12.00, Roy Powers (USA) 9.94, Tom Whitaker (AUS) 8.40
Heat 7: Chris Davidson (AUS) 12.90, Pedro Henrique (BRA) 12.23, Lincoln Taylor (AUS) 11.80, Kai Otton (AUS) 8.77
Heat 8: Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.93, Conner Coffin (USA) 12.34, Nic Muscroft (AUS) 11.00, Billy Stairmand (NZL) 9.30
Heat 9: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 16.33, Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 14.93, Leonardo Neves (BRA) 10.56, Caio Ibelli (BRA) 10.00
Heat 10: Brian Toth (PRI) 14.03, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 11.06, Dion Atkinson (AUS) 10.10, Gony Zubizarreta (ESP) 9.34
Heat 11: Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.03, Dylan Graves (PRI) 10.93, Bernardo Miranda (BRA) 9.33, Daniel Ross (AUS) 7.54
Heat 12: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.50, Jano Belo (BRA) 12.57, Jay Quinn (NZL) 10.63, Mason Ho (HAW) 8.37
Heat 13: Mick Fanning (AUS) 11.50, Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 11.30, Luke Davis (USA) 10.77, Marc Lacomare (FRA) 9.30
Heat 14: Adam Melling (AUS) 12.47, Kolohe Andino (USA) 11.50, Joan Duru (FRA) 9.87, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 6.70
Heat 15: Dane Reynolds (USA) 14.10, Jesse Mendes (BRA) 13.66, Tim Reyes (USA) 12.67, Shaun Joubert (ZAF) 8.53
Heat 16: Julian Wilson (AUS) 14.67, Gabe Kling (USA) 12.73, Kai Barger (HAW) 10.00, Sunny Garcia (HAW) 6.83

 

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