Billabong Pro Mundaka 2008 Surf Contest Headlines

C.J. Hobgood Defeats Joel Parkinson To Win The 2008 Billabong Pro Mundaka

Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008: Former ASP World Champion C.J. Hobgood (USA) defeated Joel Parkinson (AUS) in three-foot (one meter) barreling waves at the Billabong Pro Mundaka to claim his first ASP World Tour victory in four years today.

The heat was a déjà vu affair of a 2004 final they shared in Japan with Hobgood garnering a last minute win over Parkinson in the dying seconds of the heat.

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Billabong Pro Mundaka 2008 Final Day Highlights

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Billabong Pro Mundaka Quarterfinalists Decided - Whitaker Beats Slater With Perfect 10

Friday, Oct. 3, 2008: Tom Whitaker (AUS) received an early birthday present from Mother Nature today. The soon-to-be 29-year-old Australian (his birthday is tomorrow) scored a perfect 10 to beat newly crowned nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater in Round 4 of the Billabong Pro Mundaka. More Billabong Pro Mundaka Day 5

Kelly Slater Wins 9th World Title on Day 5 of The Billabong Pro Mundaka

Kelly Slater, 36, has won a record ninth ASP World Title after advancing out of Round 3 of the Billabong Pro Mundaka – the ninth event of 11 on the 2008 ASP World Tour. Slater came into the event needing an equal ninth finish to clinch the title, he secured that by beating local wildcard Eneko Acero (EUK) in four foot waves at Mundaka this morning. More Kelly Slater 2008 ASP World Champion on ProSurfing.com

Billabong Pro Mundaka Day 4: Roydon Bryson Shines

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008: Mundaka, one of the world’s best lefthand breaks, redeemed itself today for the Billabong Pro. The at-times fickle river-mouth spit out enough four to five foot waves to host 20 heats of ASP World Tour action in just seven hours thanks to the ASP Dual Heat format which allows for overlapping heats. More Billabong Pro Mundaka Day 4 action, photos and videos

Billabong Pro Mundaka Waiting Period Starts Monday

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008: The ASP World Tour ratings leader Kelly Slater (USA) was 7.31 points away from clinching his ninth ASP World Title when he was beaten by Australia’s Adrian Buchan in their French final bout yesterday. Slater now has to secure an equal 9th finish at next week’s Billabong Pro Mundaka to clinch crown No.9.

“I was one wave away [from the title],” Slater said. “One wave away is a lot closer than two heats but we’ll see how we go.”

Slater won his last world title in Mundaka and will do so again this year should he advance out of Round 3. If he doesn’t, and reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) or World No. 2 Taj Burrow win the event, the race will continue to Brazil. Slater will match-up with wildcards in the early rounds.

“In Mundaka for some reason I haven’t had trouble in those wildcard heats but in Brazil I have before,” Slater said. “Taj and Mick haven’t won this year but they’ve both won in Brazil and they’ve gotten seconds and thirds in Mundaka, so those are good contests for those guys. But worse case scenario for me, it will be narrowed down to one guy at the next event.”

Bobby Martinez (USA) has won the event for the last two years – the only two times he’s competed in Mundaka. Martinez finished equal 5th in France and now sits 7th on the ratings.

“It’s so tough because I just got lucky with waves and my luck is bound to run out sometime so it could be this year,” Martinez said. “Mundaka has been a cool place to me the last couple of years and it will always be cool no matter what happens but I’ve never done good in France and then I’ve done good in Spain so I’m just hoping it’s not the other way around this year since I just did alright in France.”

The Billabong Pro Mundaka waiting period stretches from next Monday, September 30 to Sunday, October 12.

Top 10 ASP World Tour Ratings going into the Billabong Pro Mundaka:
1. Kelly Slater (USA) - 7852 points
2. Taj Burrow (AUS) - 6002 points
3. Bede Durbidge (AUS) – 5668 points
4. Adriano De Souza (BRA) – 5426 points
5. Joel Parkinson (AUS) - 5373 points
6. Mick Fanning (AUS) - 5310 points
7. Bobby Martinez (USA) - 5092 points
8. CJ Hobgood (USA) - 4880 points
9. Adrian Buchan (AUS) - 4719 points
10. Jeremy Flores (FRA) - 4407 points

TIME DIFFERENCE: GMT + 1

COORDINATES: 43º17’ N, 2º7’ W

BAGGAGE CLAIM: TBD

TRANSPORTATION: If you’re following the tour, you’ll more than likely just drive down from the event in France. However, if you wanted to fly in, ...

ATTITUDE: 2005 saw the famed lefthander up and vanish due to the dredging of the adjacent reservoir, but last season saw the wave turn back on and play host to Mr. Robert Kelly Slater clinching his unprecedented eighth ASP World Title. Both the country and the wave boast a phenomenally rich history.

THE WAVE: Goofies unite and sing praise for this reeling sandbar left. Hollow, long, rippable – this wave is heaven for those guided by the wisdom of their right foot. Fun at two feet, holds at 15, Mundaka is a fantastic place for competitors to flash their high-performance fangs.

PERKS: Mundaka’s sandy bottom is conducive to playful surfing. Win the event, and the locals chuck you into the harbour…

PERILS: Monstrous, sandy barrels that want to eat you, your board and your wettie. A crazy rip that, if you don’t have a jet-ski assist, may have you paddling for dear life.

APRES SURF: Spain is host to several hundred world-class tapas bars. Sample the local wine, grab some appetizers, and enjoy the beautiful Basque countryside.

ASP WORLD TOUR HISTORY: The inaugural Billabong Pro Mundaka was won by Australian legend Mark Occhilupo in 1999. Since then, the venue has served a critical role in deciding the ASP Men’s World Tour championship.

NOTABLE: The Billabong Pro Mundaka was cancelled in 2005 due to the absence of a workable sandbar at Mundaka. The dredging of the harbour has damaged the Urdaibai reserve and destroyed the sandbar thus voided the harbour of its normally world-class surf. Fortunately, local efforts have seen the sandbar partially restored to its world class form allowing the 2006 Billabong Pro Mundaka to run as planned.