Sunset Beach, HI (November 30, 1997)--Former Hawaiian Triple Crown of Surfing Champion Michael Ho proved again today that experience counts for more than age when it comes to tackling hefty waves on the North Shore. Ho took a close second place to Danny Melhado (Florida), just 0.07 of a point from a win, and advanced through to the third round in the Rip Curl World Cup of Surfing presented by Zeal Optics.

Ho, 40, won the first Triple Crown of Surfing Championship title 14 years ago in 1983, and then again in 1985. Only two surfers have surpassed Michael's Triple Crown achievements - brother Derek ('84, '86, '88, '90) and Hawaii's Sunny Garcia ('92, '93, '94).

Today Ho thrilled the beach crowd with his opening ride. Following a late drop Ho leaned heavily into a bottom-turn and set up for a clean tube ride before coming out to whack off a vertical reentry. He was rewarded with the highest wave score of the heat - 7.67 points.

"I've been surfing out here for a long time and I guess the experience really counts for something," Ho said. "It was pretty tricky out there today. The waves were really pushing through from the north and it was difficult to get into position. I'm just happy to make it through any heat at all in these competitions. There's a lot of great surfers around so a heat win is fine by me."

California's Danny Melhado won the heat with an 18.07 score while Ho posted an 18.00. In the same heat were Australians Tony Seddon, 15.23 points, and former world champion Damien Hardman, currently fifth in the world, who was eliminated with only a 7.50 heat score. Hardman's top three rides only averaged out at 2.5 points out of a possible 10.

Late afternoon waves moved into the eight-foot range with the famous afternoon "glass off" for heat 10 -- a highlight of the day with Keith Malloy, Chris Ward and Keiran Horn from the US and Nicky Wood from Australia. Ward came out on top with Horn second, Wood third and Malloy fourth. Wood got two high scores of the day, an 8.27 and a 7.67, but an interference call reduced his tally to only two waves instead of three.

The competition continued with the final heat of the day featuring Hawaii's Garrett McNamara in first place, Russell Winter, Europe's first Top 44 surfer from Great Britain second, former world champion Barton Lynch third and Brazil's Guga Arruda, fourth.

Both men's and women's competition will be held tomorrow, surf permitting

For more information:
Carol Hogan or Jodi Holmes
Lava.Net/Honolulu Cellular - Sunset Beach Media Center
808-638-5533 Fax: 808-638-5008

Check out the official Triple Crown website at:
http://holoholo.org/triplecrown/