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.

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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