ASP World Tour

JEFFREYS BAY, South Africa (Wednesday, July 15, 2009) – Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, has claimed the 2009 Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay in clean three-to-five foot (1 – 1.5 metre) surf over Damien Hobgood (USA), 30, strengthening his stranglehold on the ASP World Tour ratings lead.

Stop No. 5 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay will go down as one of the finest in history, with the two final days of competition enjoying pumping surf and amazing performances, culminating in today’s exciting finale.

Parkinson wasted no time in the 40-minute Final, smashing an excellent 9.47 out of a possible 10 on his opening wave. The wave exhibited the Australian’s unparalleled mastery of the Jeffreys Bay lineup, a symphony of beautiful forehand arcs and committed barrel riding, taking off from “Boneyards” section at the top of the point and riding well over 200 metres to the eruption of crowds on the beach.

“I knew the waves were dying down towards the end of the day and it was going to be important to get on the board early in Final. I’ve been sitting up the point at Boneyards for most of the event and trying to find the ones that would run all the way down the point – that one was no different. As I stood up I had a really nice line on it and I tried to make the most of it. Turned out to be a crucial part of the heat.” - Joel Parkinson

Today’s win comes 10 years after Parkinson’s inaugural victory at the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, last ascending the winner’s dais in 1999 when he competed as a wildcard.

“Wow – 10 years seems to go by really fast. I’ve enjoyed coming here every year since that first one, and it’s been a pretty incredible trip since then. To bring it together 10 years down the track, it’s a pretty special feeling and all I can say is that it’s a fantastic event and I’ll be coming here as long as I can.” - Joel Parkinson

Throughout the competition, time-and-again, Parkinson proved to be the form surfer, collecting two Perfect 10s (Round 3, Semifinals) as well as several 9-point plus rides as he deftly advanced through five heats of battle. This victory marks the phenomenal natural-footer’s third ASP Dream Tour win this year alone, strengthening his position as frontrunner in the race for the ASP World Title.

“The conditions for this event were just unbelievable and the surfing speaks for itself. The past two days are a bit of a blur – so many massive scores and barrels from everyone. In terms of the world title, I do my best not to think about it. In the past, I’ve done my head in by wondering how many points behind or ahead of someone I am, and this season, I’ve just focused on the task at hand. I’ve had a good start, but it’s a long year and a lot can happen. I’m looking forward to heading home to see my family and training hard for the next one.” - Joel Parkinson

Unfortunately for Hobgood, inconsistency plagued the back half of his Final clash with Parkinson, and the Floridian was unable to find a rhythm in the challenging conditions. However, today’s Runner-Up finish marks second career result at the venue for Hobgood (the other to Slater in 2003), an impressive feat for a goofy-footer.

“It’s an honor to come here every year, the place is magical and it’s just so beautiful. It’s easy to get distracted by how beautiful it looks when waves are coming down the point. Joel (Parkinson) opened up with that really good wave and at that point, the only thing I could do was pray for an 8-footer to come through. It’s not an easy wave for goofy-footer’s to excel at, but I feel really fortunate to finish in the Final. It’s a great result for me.” - Damien Hobgood

Hobgood’s route to the Final was no easy feat, navigating through a bevy of in-form surfers: Bede Durbidge (AUS), 26, in Round 3, Taylor Knox (USA), 38, in the Quarterfinals, and Dane Reynolds (USA), 23, in the Semifinals. Today’s result bolts Hobgood from 10th to 5th on the ASP World Tour ratings, putting him in excellent position to contest the back half of the season.

“This is definitely my best result of the year and moving up to 5th puts me in good position for the back half of the season. I opened up with a pretty good result on the Goldy before having some average outings in the last three. Today’s finish definitely gives me a lot of confidence heading into the next few events, and I’m looking forward to the next one.” - Damien Hobgood

Dane Reynolds (USA), 2008 ASP World Tour Rookie of the Year, lost a wave-starved Semifinal to eventual Runner-Up Hobgood, but impressively stamped his authority on today’s proceedings, besting 2009 ASP Dream Tour rookie Michel Bourez (PYF), 23, in the opening heat of the day before taking down giant-slaying wildcard Sean Holmes (ZAF), 31, with the highest-scoring heat total of the event, a 19.20 out of a possible 20. The feat included an incredibly long barrel punctuated with a high-risk floater for his second Perfect 10 of the event, as well as uting a mind-blowing fin-throw: exploding through the lip, grabbing rail and landing in reverse before pulling his board around to recover.

“It was a bit of a bummer to have things die down like that after the Quarterfinals. “I’m still happy to be here though. The waves were so much fun that it didn’t even really feel like a contest. (On that 10) There were a couple of moments when I didn’t think I was going to make it. It was really difficult to navigate, but I punched through and was stoked. I also got to do a pretty big turn in the Quarters, and I kind of wanted to do one of those this whole event, but didn’t have a lot of opportunities – when you’re on a wave like that one though, you start gaining some confidence and I just tried to do a big turn. Worked out pretty well.” - Dane Reynolds

Today’s equal 3rd place finish is not only a personal best for the young Californian, but rockets Reynolds up from No. 34 to No. 20 on the ASP World Tour ratings, a major relief following three, consecutive equal 33rds prior to the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay.

“This event was obviously a welcome change in my year so far, I didn’t have a good start to the season and came here a bit more motivated to compete. But then I started out pretty slow with some board problems and stuff, so I don’t know. I don’t do well when I think about what I need in heats and that, so I just go out to surf. This result takes a bit of pressure off in terms of ratings and stuff so hopefully I can get a few more before the year is done.” - Dane Reynolds

Kai Otton (AUS), 29, was another goofy-footer to bust through Jeffreys Bay’s challenging walls on his backhand, besting Dean Morrison (AUS), 28, in the Quarterfinals before going down in a tit-for-tat shootout with eventual winner Parkinson in the Semifinals. Otton’s equal 3rd place finish bumps him from 27th to 19th on the ASP World Tour ratings.

“I came to Jeffreys really trying to focus on getting a result here. For me, that means not thinking in heats, and just surfing, so that seemed to work out pretty well. It can be a difficult wave for goofy-footer’s to do well at, but I really think the size helped throughout the event. It allowed us to open up a bit more as it wasn’t breaking really fast on the bricks. I’m looking forward to heading home and training hard for the next event.” - Kai Otton

Kelly Slater (USA), 37, reigning nine-time ASP World Champion and past four-time winner of the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, fell to compatriot Knox in their Round 3 bout this morning. Starting the year with three uncharacteristic 17th place finishes, Slater rebounded with a win in Brazil last week, and was poised to threaten the current tour frontrunners with a strong showing in South Africa. However, today’s equal 9th place finish and current ASP World No. 8 rating make a potential charge for an unprecedented 10th ASP World Title much more challenging for the Floridian.

“I’m going to probably have to win three straight now to get back in this thing. If you do the numbers, I think before this contest, Parko (Joel Parkinson) was ten heats ahead of me, and if I want to contend, I need to catch up. That obviously wasn’t happening for me today.” - Kelly Slater

The next stop on the 2009 ASP World Tour will be the Hurley Pro Trestles in Southern California from September 13 – 19, 2009.

Highlights from the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay will be available at www.billabongpro.com

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay content can also be found on your mobile phone. Anyone with a 3G or GPRS enabled phone can log onto asptogo.com from their mobile browser. Content is updated real time as per the web - event status, results, live scores, news, photos and video highlights along with ASP World Tour ratings tables.

For more information go to http://aspworldtour.com/2009/aspmobile.asp

BILLABONG PRO JEFFREYS BAY FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.97
2 – Damien Hobgood (USA) 11.94

BILLABONG PRO JEFFREYS BAY SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.83 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 16.47
SF 2: Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.73 def. Dane Reynolds (USA) 13.67

BILLABONG PRO JEFFREYS BAY QUARTERFINALS RESULTS:
QF 1: Kai Otton (AUS) 16.17 def. Dean Morrison (AUS) 10.83
QF 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.66 def. Bobby Martinez (USA) 10.83
QF 3: Dane Reynolds (USA) 19.20 def. Sean Holmes (ZAF) 9.84
QF 4: Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.73 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 14.30

REMAINING BILLABONG PRO JEFFREYS BAY ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 6: Dane Reynolds (USA) 15.66 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 10.83
Heat 7: Taylor Knox (USA) 12.57 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 6.04
Heat 8: Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.60 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.97

2009 ASP WORLD TOUR TOP 10:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 5076 pts
2 – C.J. Hobgood (USA) 3672 pts
3 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 3613 pts
4 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 3460 pts
5 – Damien Hobgood (USA) 3374 pts
6 – Bobby Martinez (USA) 3357 pts
7 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 3350 pts
8 – Kelly Slater (USA) 3030 pts
9 – Tom Whitaker (AUS) 2942 pts
10 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 2896 pts

Friday, July 3, 2009: Kelly Slater (USA), 37, reigning nine-time ASP World Champion, claimed the 2009 Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro over an in-form Adriano de Souza (BRA), 22, in clean three-to-four foot (1 metre) waves at the main site of Praia Vila.

Event No. 4 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Hang Loose culminated in a dramatic finale with perennial ASP World Title threats all pushing one other towards the finish line.

Despite the Brazilian smashing his way out to an early lead, Slater found his form mid-heat with a 9.27 out of a possible 10 for a series of high-risk maneuvers, exhibiting a near-perfect variety of repertoire. Not satisfied with only one high score, Slater nailed the coffin shut with an 8.67 in the dying minutes to secure his 41st ASP World Tour victory.

“There were much better waves in the Final than there were for my Semifinal, Adriano (de Souza) found a pretty good rhythm early on and posted some pretty good scores, but I felt comfortable out there and felt that the waves would come to me if I were patient. Both of my scoring rides allowed me to execute a bunch of maneuvers and I felt that the scores were maybe a little high, but I haven’t had many good scores this year, so it was bound to go my way at some point.” - Kelly Slater

Nearly pulling out of both the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro and the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay altogether, Slater made a last-minute decision to go to Brazil for the fans, but his journey there was riddled with delayed flights, visa complications and missing baggage. After a Round 1 loss on a borrowed board, the Slater juggernaut built momentum throughout the event, riding everything from self-shaped, asymmetrical quad-fins to epoxies to his bread and butter performance boards.

“I definitely feel like I sharpen as the event moves into the later rounds, I started out pretty slow in Brazil, and I wasn’t even planning on coming initially. I rode borrowed boards, ones that I shaped, epoxies, everything and I definitely think I found my formula today. I actually called my girlfriend before the Final and said, ‘every time I show up to an event after trying to pull out, I win.’ I guess that held true today. I have less pressure on myself and am free to perform to the best of my abilities.” - Kelly Slater

Slater’s win today breaks his worst slump ever as an ASP World Tour campaigner, three 17ths in three events in 2009, and rockets the Floridian from 25th to No. 9 on the ASP World Tour ratings. Although a mountain of challenges still stand between Slater and an unprecedented 10th ASP World Title, today’s victory has re-ignited the competitive fire for him.

“I feel like I have all those guys (ASP World Title contenders) right where I want them, I don’t feel like I have any pressure on me, and I tend to do my best when I have no pressure. We’re coming up on Jeffreys Bay, which is probably my best event historically and hopefully I can build off my result here today.” - Kelly Slater

With the support of Brazil evident in the thousands on the beach, De Souza wasted no time in putting the Floridian on the ropes in their Final, collecting a 6.67 and an 8.00 in the opening half. However, despite an impressive opening, Slater would ultimately eclipse De Souza throughout the back half of the affair, rendering the Brazilian with his second Runner-Up finish of 2009.

“I felt like I peaked in the Final, I don’t think I could have surfed any better. I thought I had him (Slater), but he’s the nine-time world champ, and you have to be perfect to beat him. I’m still very happy with my Runner-Up finish. It is my second of the year and puts me in a really good position heading into the next event.” - Adriano De Souza

Today’s finish advances De Souza from ASP World No. 5 to ASP World No. 2 heading into the next stop on the ASP Dream Tour, rendering the former ASP World Junior Champion (2004) a major threat in the race for this year’s ASP World Title.

“It is a huge deal for me to represent my country so well here today, I could feel them supporting me on the beach every time I stood up. It was an amazing feeling. I felt strong and confident and I think I made Brazil proud with my performance today.” - Adriano De Souza

Having failed to advance out of Round 3 at the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in several years of attempts (first as a wildcard, then as an ASP World Tour competitor), De Souza’s Runner-Up finish today marks the first time a Brazilian has made the Final since 2005.

“When I was a little kid I used to come to the event and dream of competing here. To be here today, in front of all my friends and family, competing against my hero in the Final, is a very special moment for me and one I will remember for the rest of my life.” - Adriano De Souza

C.J. Hobgood (USA), 29, former ASP World Champion (2001) and current ASP World No. 3, edged past Michael Campbell (AUS), 35, and Mick Fanning (AUS), 28, en route to his first Semifinals berth of the season, but inconsistent conditions would give the nod to eventual winner Slater, resulting in Hobgood’s equal 3rd finish at the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro.

“There just wasn’t anything I could do out there, there were no waves that allowed me the opportunity to even get a decent score. We were talking about holding out for a restart, but Kelly (Slater) took a bad wave and that sort of ended that possibility. A 3rd is a good result, but I’m just really bummed about my Semi. I keep telling myself that I tend to get my best results at the end of the year so hopefully that will complement my good start.” - C.J. Hobgood

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, current ASP World No. 1, was in sensational form through the final day of competition, dispatching of ASP Dream Tour rookies Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), 23, and Dustin Barca (HAW), 27, in his Round 4 and Quarterfinal heats respectively. In a grudge match re-igniting their Final bout on the Gold Coast during the season opener, Parkinson and De Souza went blow-for-blow in Semifinal 1, with the Brazilian claiming victory this time around, advancing in front of an ecstatic hometown crowd.

“I’m really frustrated as I wanted to win that one. I had an okay start, but Adriano (de Souza) picked up a few good scores towards the end. I got him at home and the Goldy and he got me here in his home country – that’s what is great about the tour, everyone surfs in their own country at some point. I’m disappointed, but an equal 3rd is a good result for me and I’m feeling confident heading into the next event at Jeffreys Bay.” - Joel Parkinson

Next stop on the 2009 ASP World Tour will be the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay in South Africa from July 9 – 19, 2009.

Highlights from the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro will be available via www.aspworldtour.com

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

HANG LOOSE SANTA CATARINA PRO FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Kelly Slater (USA) 17.94
2 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.67

HANG LOOSE SANTA CATARINA PRO SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.97 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.86
SF 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 12.16 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 6.93

HANG LOOSE SANTA CATARINA PRO QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.67 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 11.33
QF 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.73 def. Dustin Barca (HAW) 13.04
QF 3: Kelly Slater (USA) 13.60 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.17
QF 4: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 12.87 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 9.17

HANG LOOSE SANTA CATARINA PRO ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 16.90 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.50
Heat 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.60 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 10.00
Heat 3: Dustin Barca (HAW) 11.17 def. Bobby Martinez (USA) 8.80
Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 14.66 def. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 13.33
Heat 5: Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.20 def. Tim Reyes (USA) 12.33
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.10 def. Tom Whitaker (AUS) 11.67
Heat 7: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 13.84 def. Mick Campbell (AUS) 13.16
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) 12.20 def. Chris Ward (USA) 8.14

CURRENT ASP WORLD TOUR TOP 10:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 3876 pts
2 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 3206 pts
3 – C.J. Hobgood (USA) 3072 pts
4 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 3050 pts
5 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 2940 pts
6 – Bobby Martinez (USA) 2625 pts
7 – Tom Whitaker (AUS) 2532 pts
8 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 2486 pts
9 – Kelly Slater (USA) 2430 pts
10 – Damien Hobgood (USA) 2342 pts

TEAHUPOO, Tahiti – Bobby Martinez (USA), 26, has taken out the Billabong Pro Tahiti 2009, defeating fellow Finalist Taj Burrow (AUS), 30, in clean three-to-five foot (1.5 metre) waves at Teahupoo.

Event number 3 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Tahiti survived a marathon waiting period, culminating on the second-to-last available day in improving conditions that peaked for a climactic Final.

Martinez surfed a near-flawless heat, opening up with an impressive 8.73 out of a possible 10 before putting his opponent in a combination situation with a Houdini-esque 9.73 out of a possible 10. Netting the highest heat total of the event, an 18.46 out of a possible 20, Martinez claimed his second Billabong Pro Tahiti and fourth elite tour win, establishing himself as one of the premier tube-riders in the world.

“I feel great and a bit emotional,” Martinez said. “I feel wonderful. I waited for the good ones out there and just got lucky. There weren’t too many waves and I was lucky enough to get a couple of good ones and not fall. Things just seemed to work out for me today. I really don’t know what to say. It feels really special.”

The form surfer of the event, Martinez surfed the majority of his heats on borrowed equipment, having broken most of his surfboards early in the waiting period.

“I actually borrowed a board from Alain Riou (local Tahitian surfer),” Martinez said. “He rides Darren Handley shapes and the board was the same dimensions and pretty much the same board I ride. It was great to find that as yesterday, I was a bit skeptical about today in terms of the conditions and my equipment, but everything worked out perfectly.”

Martinez, who is without a major sponsor at the moment, has rocketed himself from 19th to 7th on the ASP World Tour ratings with today’s win, putting him in excellent position for the remainder of the year.

“I’m not thinking about money right now, but rather I’m thinking about the feelings I have,” Martinez said. “I didn’t start surfing to make money. I started for me, and to win today, you cannot put a price on the feelings I have. I’m really going to let it sink it and enjoy it. It’s a great result, but it’s a long year and anything can happen. Joel (Parkinson) has a great lead, and now that this event is over, my focus goes to the next one.”

Burrow’s efforts in the Final were nothing short of spectacular, collecting an 8.17, a 7.93 and a 7.33, but they were not enough to overtake the Martinez stranglehold on the event.

“I definitely had fun but it was tricky against Bobby (Martinez),” Burrow said. “He had a dream heat. The conditions looked pretty good for your forehand because the judges like seeing you pump on your forehand in the barrel. On your backhand, you just have to park it in the pit and you can’t do much, but Bobby did everything he had to out there and deserved the win. I still had a fun Final, but hard to enjoy out there because I was in a combination situation the whole time.”

Burrow now moves into the No. 2 position on the ASP World Tour ratings, setting the Western Australian up well as he eyes up the next events.

“I’ve had two keepers in terms of results and I’m hungry,” Burrow said. “I’m still kicking and I’m looking to win. The next few events, I feel really strong at and I’m going to do whatever it takes to win. I’m stoked to get a result at Teahupoo, I haven’t done well here in a few years so it sets me up really well for the rest of the year.”

Aritz Aranburu (EUK), 23, former ASP World No. 39, was the “Cinderella Story” at the Billabong Pro Tahiti. Having failed to advance through a heat in the opening two events of the season, the Basque Country’s first ever ASP World Tour competitor stormed past Californian sensation Dane Reynolds (USA), 23, former event winner Damien Hobgood (USA), 29, Australian veteran Tom Whitaker, 29, and reigning nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 37, en route to a Semifinals berth.

"I’ve had a tough draw throughout the event, but that’s what has kept me motivated,” Aranburu said. “Coming up against the best guys out there, you need to lift your ability. Beating Kelly (Slater) for me is one of the biggest achievements I’ve ever had. I’ve been looking up to him for so long, and just being on tour with him is an honor. To beat him is a major achievement for me."

The career-best result was halted at the hands of eventual winner Martinez during one of the most exciting heats of the event. Despite coming up short to Martinez (15.23 to the Californian’s 17.17), Aranburu’s equal 3rd place finish boosts the European to 19th on the ASP World Tour ratings.

“Bobby (Martinez) is one of the best out there,” Aranburu said. “I had one good one, but he got two good ones, and that was it. It’s my best result ever and I am stoked. I have lots of confidence going into the next events. I just want to go home and train and try new boards for Brazil and J-Bay. The biggest thing for me is to know that if I can do it once, I can do it twice.”

Michael Campbell (AUS), 35, opened his final day affair with a close win over fellow ASP Dream Tour veteran Taylor Knox (USA), 38, in the Quarterfinals, but the goofy-footer’s precision forehand approach wasn’t enough to overtake a rampaging Burrow in the Semifinals.

“It felt like I was a bit out of rhythm in the Semifinal,” Campbell said. “I wasn’t able to capitalize on the waves I got and Taj (Burrow) posted a couple of really strong scores mid-heat that left me wanting.”

Although falling short of a Finals berth, the journeyman competitor’s equal 3rd place finish boosts him from 29th to 16th on the ASP World Tour ratings.

"This is going to do a lot for my cause,” Campbell said. “I’ve had average results this year and last year too, so a third is pretty special for me. All of the heats have been hard and sometimes the luck goes your way. I’ve had a bit of luck this time around, but I’ve also spent some time here and I know it pretty well. Stoked to get a result and looking forward to the next one."

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, suffered an unfortunate Round 3 loss at the Billabong Pro Tahiti, but after two event wins to open the season up, the Gold Coaster remains the frontrunner on this year’s ASP World Tour ratings.

The next stop on the 2009 ASP World Tour will be the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil from June 27 to July 5, 2009.

Highlights from the Billabong Pro Tahiti presented by Air Tahiti Nui will be available via www.billabongpro.com

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Bobby Martinez (USA) 18.46
2 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.10

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.86 def. Michael Campbell (AUS) 10.00
SF 2: Bobby Martinez (USA) 17.17 def. Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 15.23

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.33 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 14.06
QF 2: Mick Campbell (AUS) 12.84 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 10.17
QF 3: Bobby Martinez (USA) 15.93 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.67
QF 4: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 11.66 def. Tom Whitaker (AUS) 10.66

REMAINING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 5: Bobby Martinez (USA) 13.17 def. Andy Irons (HAW) 10.16
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.57 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 8.67
Heat 7: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 12.56 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 9.16
Heat 8: Tom Whitaker (AUS) 9.43 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 9.40

CURRENT ASP WORLD TOUR TOP 10:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 3000 points
2 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 2318 points
3 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 2208 points
4 – C.J. Hobgood (USA) 2196 points
5 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 2174 points
6 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 2076 points
7 – Bobby Martinez (USA) 2025 points
8 – Tom Whitaker (AUS) 1932 points
9 – Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 1886 points
10 – Kieren Perrow (AUS) 1742 points
10 – Taylor Knox (USA) 1742 points
10 – Damien Hobgood (USA) 1742 points

TEAHUPOO, Tahiti (Monday, May 18, 2009) – Following four consecutive lay days, the Billabong Pro Tahiti presented by Air Tahiti Nui roared back to life this morning, with the world's best surfers tackling the three-to-four foot (1 – 1.5 metre) waves on offer at Teahupoo.

Stop No. 3 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Tahiti saw perennial favorites C.J. Hobgood (USA), 29, Taj Burrow (AUS), 30, and Michael Campbell (AUS), 35, advance through to the Quarterfinals alongside Taylor Knox (USA), 38, current ASP World No. 14 and longest-serving competitor on the ASP Dream Tour, who eliminated current ASP World No. 1 Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, from competition this afternoon with a staggering 9.03 out of a possible 10 single-wave score in the final heat of the day.

"It was one of those heats where we were jockeying for position in the ring. I got a 6 and then it went flat. Joel (Parkinson) was tired of waiting and used his priority on a wave that didn't offer much. Then that really good one came through and I was in position for it. I really thought there were going to be more waves in that heat and that I'd need more than a 6 in my score line, but that's the way it worked out. I won my heat so I'm stoked and will go home happy now." - Taylor Knox

While this afternoon's four Round 3 heats laid the groundwork for some intense Quarterfinal match-ups, it was this morning's completion of Round 2 that provided some of the day's most dramatic upsets and exciting action.

Aritz Aranburu (EUK), 23, current ASP World No. 39, caused the upset of the event, eliminating reigning nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 37, in Round 2 of the Billabong Pro Tahiti. For Aranburu, it would mark his first heat win of the 2009 ASP World Tour season the young Basque surfer putting up an impressive 17.27 heat total to Slater's 15.00.

"Kelly (Slater) is the best competitor and the best surfer in the world and I was just trying to stay focused out there so I could get my own waves. Once I got that first score I almost felt more pressure because I was surfing against Kelly and I know what he can do with his priority. I just tried to put the pressure off and luckily I got a second good score and it worked out." - Aritz Aranburu

The win was no easy feat as the pair locked in the highest-scoring heat of the event, but Aranburu's near-perfect 9.77 out of a possible 10, for an extremely deep backhand barrel in the opening minutes of the bout, assisted the European in his landmark victory.

"I was lucky to get that first wave, I paddled deep because I knew I was going to need a big score against Kelly and when I was paddling into it, I thought I was going to fall, but I made it, so I'm happy." - Aritz Aranburu

Aranburu will now face current ASP World No. 9 Damien Hobgood (USA), 29, in Round 3 of the Billabong Pro Tahiti when competition resumes.

For Slater, today's disappointing result marks his third, consecutive equal 17th place finish in 2009, leaving many to ponder the iconic Floridian's state of mind in regards to his campaign for an unprecedented 10th ASP World Title.

"That may have just given me an excuse for a big, long vacation. I don't know yet. It's really decision time for me. With that many 17ths, you're really hard-pressed to win an ASP World Title. I'm not here to just make up the numbers, but I don't want to fall off the map either – I guess I kind of have though. Numbers-wise, I'm still within the possibility of getting in late in the year, but I don't know. I guess I have a lot on my mind." - Kelly Slater

Slater has yet to confirm if he will attend Stop No. 4 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil, from June 27 to July 5, 2009.

While Aranburu's historic win provided the highlight for the day, Round 2 had plenty of dramatic action to offer.

Mick Fanning (AUS), 27, former ASP World Champion (2007) and current ASP World No. 2, pulled out a buzzer-beating heat win during his Round 2 bout with compatriot Ben Dunn (AUS), 23. Requiring an above-average score with time running out, Fanning got to his feet just prior to the heat-ending horn and proceeded to pig-dog his way to an excellent 9.17 out of a possible 10 to secure an exciting, come-from-behind victory.

"It's pretty hard out there. We were fighting for 3's until the end. I tried to get a few little ones at the ning and tried to find the barrel – there just weren't many out there. I was just praying one would come up, and one did and you just have to surf and hold on. I heard the ‘five' on the countdown paddling in and I just hung on and got through." - Mick Fanning

Fanning will face fellow Australian Tom Whitaker, 29, in Round 3 when the Billabong Pro Tahiti recommences.

Jordy Smith (ZAF), 21, current ASP World No. 3, suffered an injury during the morning's warm-up session when he landed on his hindquarters on the reef, but that didn't stop the prodigious South African from posting the day's second highest heat total (a 16.33 out of a possible 20) en route to his Round 2 victory over Heitor Alves (BRA), 27.

"I took a fall earlier while warming up and luckily it wasn't anything serious. It wasn't affecting me in my heat luckily. I saw that Heitor (Alves) got off to a good start and I didn't watch it too much before I went out. I didn't think there were many barrels out there, but I was able to find one. It's tough out there. It's not an epic day, but there are good waves and Luke (Egan) is doing a great job with the calls." - Jordy Smith

Andy Irons (HAW), 30, former three-time ASP World Champion and past winner of the Billabong Pro Tahiti (2002), is currently on sabbatical from full-time competition, but accepted a wildcard to compete in the Billabong Pro Tahiti. The Hawaiian continued his sensational roll through Round 2 today, displaying his characteristic, preternatural backhand tube sense en route to victory.

"Competing again is a bit like riding a bike, but it's a little scary. I'm a little rusty, putting the jersey back on and getting a feel for things. If we had waves like this anywhere else, I'd be stoked, but when you think of Teahupoo, you think of eight-to-10-foot barrels. So it's different, but there are still fun waves." - Andy Irons

Irons eliminated 2008 ASP World Runner-Up Bede Durbidge (AUS), 26, from Billabong Pro Tahiti competition during Round 2.

"Bede (Durbidge) is a tough draw, he's fit and strong and last year's World No. 2 and he's no slouch. He's a cool guy and I have a lot of respect for him. He is having a bit of a bad run at the moment, but I'm sure he'll turn that around. It's unfortunate that there was a bit of a lull during that heat, but I was able to get a couple of waves and I'm stoked to get through. Thanks to Billabong for letting me surf in the event." - Andy Irons

Irons will tackle an in-form Bobby Martinez (USA), 26, in Round 3 of the Billabong Pro Tahiti in the opening heat of the day when action resumes.

Surfline, official foreers for the Billabong Pro Tahiti, are calling for the current short-period SW swell to maintain throughout tomorrow before being replaced by a long-period SW in the coming days.

Event organizers will reconvene at 6:30am tomorrow morning to assess conditions for a possible 7:30am start.

Highlights from today's Billabong Pro Tahiti presented by Air Tahiti Nui will be available at www.billabongpro.com

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com


REMAINING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 7: Taylor Knox (USA) 11.50 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 10.63
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.26 def. Heiarii Williams (PYF) 9.67
Heat 9: Andy Irons (HAW) 13.16 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.00
Heat 10: Bobby Martinez (USA) 9.17 def. Dayyan Neve (AUS) 7.94
Heat 11: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 11.67 def. Dustin Barca (HAW) 8.80
Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.33 def. Heitor Alves (BRA) 14.34
Heat 13: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 17.27 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 15.00
Heat 14: Damien Hobgood (USA) 16.06 def. Dean Morrison (AUS) 9.00
Heat 15: Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.84 def. Ben Dunn (AUS) 11.43
Heat 16: Tom Whitaker (AUS) 14.16 def. Tim Boal (FRA) 4.50

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.50 def. Jay Thompson (AUS) 6.17
Heat 2: Taj Burrow (AUS) 12.04 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 9.40
Heat 3: Mick Campbell (AUS) 15.07 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 8.50
Heat 4: Taylor Knox (USA) 15.46 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 5.57

REMAINING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 5: Andy Irons (HAW) vs. Bobby Martinez (USA)
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)
Heat 7: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA)
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Tom Whitaker (AUS)

UPCOMING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS:
QF 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Taj Burrow (AUS)
QF 2: Mick Campbell (AUS) vs. Taylor Knox (USA)
QF 3: TBA
QF 4: TBA

TEAHUPOO, Tahiti – The Billabong Pro Tahiti presented challenging conditions on day 5, with eight heats completed in varying swell and wind conditions.

Stop number 3 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Tahiti saw the final two heats of Round 1 completed, followed by the first six heats of Round 2 despite the fact that the competition was put on hold at various points throughout the day.

Billabong Pro contest director, Luke Egan had some difficult decisions to make amidst the changing weather patterns "The winds and swell were shifting quite a bit this morning which was frustrating, but the afternoons have been providing the best windows for running the contest so thankfully we were able to pick off a few heats at the end of the day."

In spite of the setbacks faced, the world's best surfers managed some excellent performances.

Taj Burrow (AUS), 30, current ASP World number 7, scored the day's highest heat total with 15.33 out of a possible 20, putting his opponent Marlon Lipke (DEU), 25, in a combo situation. Burrow had this to say after his win "I've had an up and down start to this season. Went well on the Gold Coast and was unlucky at Bells and now we're here at Teahupoo. I haven't got a result out here in a few years, but I'm staying up the road at Papara with the Teriinatoofa family and I've been putting some time into this event so hopefully it pays off."

Burrow will face his compatriot Kieren Perrow (AUS), 32, in the third round of the event.

Josh Kerr (AUS), 25, caused the upset of the day by eliminating current ASP World number 3, Fred Patacchia (HAW), 27, towards the end of their Round 2 heat. Kerr came away with the win via a backhand double barrel, achieving the highest single-wave score of the day (8.83 out of a possible 10).

CJ Hobgood (USA), 29, 2001's ASP World Champion and a previous winner of the Billabong Pro Tahiti (2004), dominated proceedings in the opening heat of Round 2, with 14.50 out of a possible 20, eliminating Phillip MacDonald (AUS), 30. Hobgood is currently rated number 5 on the World Tour.

Jay Thompson (AUS), 25, the first replacement surfer on the ASP World Tour currently number 14 in the ratings, continued his good run this season by eliminating Jeremy Flores (FRA), 21. Thompson equalled the highest single-wave score of the day with 8.83 out of a possible 10, in the dying minutes of his Round 2 clash. He will face CJ Hobgood in Round 3.

REMAINING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 15: Heitor Alves (BRA) 15.00 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 11.00
Heat 16: Mick Campbell (AUS) 15.84 def. Roy Powers (AUS) 5.87

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 14.50 def. Phillip MacDonald (AUS) 0.77
Heat 2: Jay Thompson (AUS) 13.83 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 11.37
Heat 3: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 11.50 def. Tim Reyes (USA) 11.50
Heat 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.33 def. Marlon Lipke (DEU) 6.67
Heat 5: Josh Kerr (AUS) 15.16 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 14.50
Heat 6: Michael Campbell (AUS) 13.66 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 10.84

REMAINING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 7: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Heiarii Williams (PYF)
Heat 9: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Andy Irons (HAW)
Heat 10: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Dayyan Neve (AUS)
Heat 11: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Dustin Barca (HAW)
Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 13: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Aritz Aranburu (EUK)
Heat 14: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Dean Morrison (AUS)
Heat 15: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Ben Dunn (AUS)
Heat 16: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. Tim Boal (FRA)

Yesterday on Day 2 of the Billabong Pro Tahiti a lay day was called due to lumpy swell and onshore winds. Today (Day 3) another lay day has been called due to the 2-3 foot (0.6-0.9 metre) waves and onshore wind. We will continue to wait for the arrival of a predicted swell in the 4-6 foot (1.2-1.8 metre) range.

Here is a list of the top 5 surfers heading into this event:
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) - 2400 points
2. Mick Fanning (AUS) - 1608 points
3. Fred Patacchia (HAW) - 1476 points
3. Jordy Smith (ZAF) - 1476 points
5. CJ Hobgood (USA) - 1442 points

Day 1 of stop number 3 on the 2009 ASP World Tour saw the completion of the first 14 heats of round 1 in 4-6 foot (2 metre) barrels in offshore wind.

Highlights of the day included Dean Morrison (AUS), 28, posting the highest wave and heat scores of the day, with a 9.00 out of 10 wave score and a two-wave total heat score of 17.00 out of a possible 20. In doing so, Morrison dispatched of ASP World Tour rookie Nathaniel Curran (USA), 24.

Andy Irons (HAW), 30, got the better of Jihad Khodr (BRA), 25, in his first World Tour event of the year. Irons has opted not to follow the ASP World Tour this year, but is competing with a wild card at the Billabong Pro Tahiti.

Heiarii Williams (PYF), 22, continued with his form which won him the Von Zipper Trials and a wildcard for the event, disposing of 2009 ASP Dream Tour rookie and current ASP World number 9, Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), 23.

Kai Otton (AUS), 29, currently sitting at number 19 in the rankings, eliminated Bruno Santos (BRA), 26, the defending Billabong Pro Tahiti winner who won the event as a wildcard last year.

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Tim Reyes (USA) 3.90 def. Mikael Picon (FRA) 3.23
Heat 2: Ben Dunn (AUS) 16.00 def. Chris Davidson (AUS) 12.97
Heat 3: Dean Morrison (AUS) 17.00 def. Nathaniel Curran (USA) 8.40
Heat 4: Phillip MacDonald (AUS) 12.10 def. Chris Ward (USA) 10.56
Heat 5: Marlon Lipke (DEU) 15.00 def. Drew Courtney (AUS) 5.90
Heat 6: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 13.57 def. Dane Reynolds (USA) 12.67
Heat 7: Dayyan Neve (AUS) 13.10 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 12.16
Heat 8: Heiarii Williams (PYF) 14.17 def. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 5.70
Heat 9: Kai Otton (AUS) 14.40 def. Bruno Santos (BRA) 12.60
Heat 10: Andy Irons (AUS) 14.50 def. Jihad Khodr (BRA) 4.77
Heat 11: Dustin Barca (HAW) 10.94 def. David Weare (ZAF) 6.77
Heat 12: Jay Thompson (AUS) 14.00 def. Greg Emslie (ZAF) 4.37
Heat 13: Tim Boal (FRA) 7.24 def. Nic Muscroft (AUS) 6.93
Heat 14: Josh Kerr (AUS) 15.50 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 11.03

REMAINING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 15: Heitor Alves (BRA) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 16: Roy Powers (HAW) vs. Mick Campbell (AUS)

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Phillip MacDonald (AUS)
Heat 2: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Jay Thompson (AUS)
Heat 3: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Marlon Lipke (DEU)
Heat 5: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Josh Kerr (AUS)
Heat 6: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 7: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Heiarii Williams (PYF)
Heat 9: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Andy Irons (HAW)
Heat 10: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. TBA
Heat 11: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Dustin Barca (HAW)
Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. TBA
Heat 13: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Aritz Aranburu (EUK)
Heat 14: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Dean Morrison (AUS)
Heat 15: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Ben Dunn (AUS)
Heat 16: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. Tim Boal (FRA)

The Billabong Pro at Teahupoo in Tahiti is now underway. It will use the new format in which seeded surfers move directly to round 2 and round 1 is now a sudden death round - no second chances. Here is a list of the match-ups for round 1 and the seeded surfers for round 2:

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Tim Reyes (USA) vs. Mikael Picon (FRA)
Heat 2: Chris Davidson (AUS) vs. Ben Dunn (AUS)
Heat 3: Dean Morrison (AUS) vs. Nathaniel Curran (USA)
Heat 4: Chris Ward (USA) vs. Phillip MacDonald (AUS)
Heat 5: Drew Courtney (AUS) vs. Marlon Lipke (DEU)
Heat 6: Dane Reynolds (USA) vs. Aritz Aranburu (EUK)
Heat 7: Dayyan Neve (AUS) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 8: Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) vs. Heiarii Williams (PYF)
Heat 9: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Bruno Santos (BRA)
Heat 10: Jihad Khodr (BRA) vs. Andy Irons (AUS)
Heat 11: David Weare (ZAF) vs. Dustin Barca (HAW)
Heat 12: Jay Thompson (AUS) vs. Greg Emslie (ZAF)
Heat 13: Tim Boal (FRA) vs. Nic Muscroft (AUS)
Heat 14: Tiago Pires (PRT) vs. Josh Kerr (AUS)
Heat 15: Heitor Alves (BRA) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 16: Roy Powers (HAW) vs. Mick Campbell (AUS)

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. TBA
Heat 2: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. TBA
Heat 3: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 5: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. TBA
Heat 6: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 7: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. TBA
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 9: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 10: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. TBA
Heat 11: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. TBA
Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. TBA
Heat 13: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. TBA
Heat 14: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. TBA
Heat 15: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 16: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. TBA