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OP Junior Results: Semi Final (11/18) -|- Final (11/18)
Hale`iwa, HI (November 18, 1997)--Tiger Woods didn't get to play
golf because torrential rains flooded the Kaua`i greens where he was
supposed to play today....
Although the rain drove away spectators, conditions were near-perfect with
glassy, 4-6 foot waves and no wind for the only junior contest in the
G-Shock Triple Crown of Surfing.
"The waves were unreal, there was enough size and a lot of power," Munro
said. "After a ride when I was inside and paddling out, I was watching the
waves coming through. They were really good size and they kept coming, and
every time I paddled out I'd see one of the three guys absolutely going
off."
Patacchia, the only finalist from Hawai`i, was glad the competition was over.
"No more stress," Patacchia laughed. "I saw a lot of the rides the other
guys were getting. I just wanted to top them and try to do better than
they did, but it was really hard, they were surfing really good.
Before thunderboomers, rain end Round 1 at Heat 9
Hale`iwa, HI (November 18, 1997) -- Competition began this early this morning with the men's OP Pro Surfing Championships at Ali`i Beach Park in 4 to 6 foot glassy waves with cloudy skies that promised rain. In between the men's round one heats were The OP Junior semi finals and final heat. The OP Pro men's contest is a three-star World Qualifying Series event, sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals, and is the first jewel in the G-Shock Triple Crown of Surfing. Today the world's best surfers made it clear to each other that getting a piece of the $60,000 purse wasn't going to be easy. A high finish is also important for accumulating the needed points required to win the coveted men's Triple Crown of Surfing Championship title. Kaipo Jaquias, who has yet to surf, won the Triple Crown title last year, and the men's OP Pro. One of those looking to win a second Triple Crown Championship title is current world champion Kelly Slater, who first won it in 1995. Slater had an early morning heat today and wasted no time establishing his presence with an opening wave score of 7.67, followed in succession by a 6.83 and a 5.70. After these rides, his closest competitor, Australia's Toby Martin, needed a 7.41 to catch up. Slater then surfed for fun averaging 2.00 points each over his next four rides and won the hat with a 20.20 to Martins 18.00, Ronnie Yamada's 12.50 and Chris Gallagher's 10.10. "I think with all the guys being here, they might as well surf the contest," said Slater, who doesn't need to surf WQS events since he's already number one in the world. "I didn't get here today in time to watch the conditions and stuff so I didn't know what I was in for, but I got a few waves off the back and I had three waves before anybody even had two good ones. "At the end of the heat I was trying to loosen up and just try to get a few different positions with my board because I just put some new fins on it," Slater said. "I was really trying to feel the board out and I had some room to play because I was ahead. I made a bunch of mistakes at the end and just kept falling, but luckily I was ahead enough to stay in there. Slater would like to win the Triple Crown title again and: "Being here and renting a house on the North Shore is pretty expensive, so you might as well try and make some extra money," said Slater, who has already earned more money than any other surfer on the tour. California surfer Marty Thomas lived on Oahu's North Shore and surfed Triple Crown for many years. His experience showed today as he won his way through another heat. "It was a good heat, I sort of got on the rhythm but Laka (Burgess, Haw), Occy (Mark Occhilupo, Aus) and Luke Stedman (Aus) were sort off rhythm, they were getting the scraps," he said. "I was fortunate enough to get three sets. I played it a little conservative when I was on the waves because I knew I had good scoring waves and I was guarding against any mistakes." His care paid off when he ended his heat with 20.50 points. Occhilupo tallied 16.33, Burgess 15.20 and Stedman 15.03. "It was a little bumpy out there, but I found the second and third waves of the sets were a little smoother, whereas the first wave was the bumpy one," Thomas said. "I think the visiting surfers are pretty frantic, they're out there trying to get waves as quick as possible. If you're familiar and a little more comfortable with the conditions you can be more patient and wait for the better wave. You have an idea what you're looking for". Rain, thunder and lightning finally shut down competition after nine of the 16 round one main event heats had been completed.
Competitors advancing to Round of 32: The men's and women's OP Surfing Championships will continue tomorrow, surf permitting. To find out what's happening, call the Hotline at 808-637-6376 or dialup the official web page: http://holoholo.org/triplecrown/
For more information:
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Last Modified: Tuesday 11/18/97 1629 HST
Copyright © 1997 Triple Crown Of Surfing
Produced OnLine byHoloHolo
Internet Publishing, all rights reserved
With wave scores of 8.50, 8.37 and 7.93, Hedge, 18, from North Narrabeen,
Sydney, posted the highest wave scores of the entire contest for a heat
total of 24.80. He won a $2,500 scholarship and out surfed fellow
countryman Trent Munro (22.17), Hawaii's Fred Patacchia, (20.01), and
Florida's Damien Hobgood, (18.56).
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