Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley Delivers on Opening Day

Monday, Sept. 8, 2008: The world’s best surfers were treated to perfect conditions at the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Hurley today. All of Round 1 and the first two heats of Round 2 were run in consistent three to five foot waves at Lower Trestles.

Having the opportunity to score another surf in today’s excellent conditions was not lost on ASP World No. 3 Bede Durbidge (AUS) and World No.4 Taj Burrow (AUS). Both surfers came up short in Round 1, but bounced back in Round 2 beating former ASP World Tour competitors Shane Beschen (USA) and Rob Machado (USA) respectively to avoid an untimely exit from the event.

“When I get to Trestles the wave is so much fun that I always get too excited, I don’t know what to do with that perfect wall and I usually blow it,” Burrow said. “I get a bit too over amped. I want to surf it the way I would free surf it. I just want to stay consistent and make some heats.”

Burrow was beaten by injury replacement surfer Sunny Garcia (HAW) in Round 1, but redeemed himself by posting the second highest heat total of the day – 18.50 – when he eliminated Beschen in Round 2.

Former Boost Mobile Pro Champion Bede Durbidge (AUS) had to claw his way back into contention after losing to wildcard Brett Simpson in Round 1. Durbidge beat eight-time ASP World Champion and current ratings leader Kelly Slater (USA) in the 2006 final to post his first ASP World Tour victory. He beat Machado in Round 2 to keep his chances of finding himself in another Lower Trestles final alive today.

Bede Durbidge Boost Mobile Pro Trestles. Credit ASP Tostee

“Winning in 2006 was definitely a career highlight and it gave me so much confidence for the rest of the tour,” Durbdige said. “Coming back, I have so many good memories and I just love the wave. It’s so rippable.”

Slater is shooting for his third ASP World Tour win at Trestles having entered the event the defending champion and first winning it in 2005. He posted two excellent scoring rides in Round 1 – a 9.60 and 9.00 – to amass an 18.60 out of 20.00 point heat total – the highest of the day.

“There’s really not too much uphill from there,” Slater said. “I had a good heat. I was in sync. My board felt really good and I couldn’t have asked for more. It’s always good to start off with a good heat because it gets your confidence up and you feel better on your feet. I didn’t feel totally good on my feet when the heat started, but then I just got patient and made sure I waited for the second and third wave of the set. They tended to have a little bit better shape down the line.”

Kelly Slater Boost Mobile Pro Trestles Roung 1. Credit ASP Tostee

Reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) beat Tom Whitaker (AUS) and Machado to book his spot straight into Round 3 today. Currently rated World No. 5, Fanning was pleased to put a solid 17.90 heat total on the board after bowing out of the event uncharacteristically early with an equal 17th last year.

“When you come off of a break it feels good to get a win because you don’t really know where you’re sitting,” Fanning said. “It’s good to go out there and go through the motions and get the ball rolling.”

Mick Fanning Boost Mobile Pro Trestles Round 1. Credit ASP Tostee

Sunny Garcia (HAW) earned his berth into the event after Danny Wills (AUS) withdrew for medical reasons and the first, second and third ASP injury replacement surfers declined the spot. Garcia is currently competing on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) hoping to regain a berth on the ASP World Tour, but was happy to take a break from that series to surf the Boost Mobile Pro.

Garcia beat Burrow and local surfer Chris Ward (USA) in Round 1 and now finds himself in Round 3.

“It all kind of worked out for me,” Garcia said. “I was surfing in France and not really getting results and my knees were bothering me, so I wanted to come home and train. I talked to Damien at Boost and he said that he thought they had a spot for me in the event. It worked out good. I came home early and did some training in and I get to surf perfect Trestles with only a couple of guys out, so I couldn’t ask for more.”

Sunny Garcia Boost Mobile Pro Tresltes Round 1. Photo Credit ASP Tostee

Another call on competition status will be made tomorrow morning at 7, but all indications point to an 8am start with Heat 3 of Round 2 featuring three-time ASP World Champion Andy Irons (HAW) up against event wildcard Yadin Nicol (AUS).

Round 2 Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley Results:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 18.50 def. Shane Beschen (USA) 9.00
Heat 2: Bede Durbdige (AUS) 15.33 def. Rob Machado (USA) 12.50

Round 1 Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley Results:
Heat 1: Kai Otton (AUS) 13.67, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 13.04, Travis Logie (ZAF) 11.70
Heat 2: Bobby Martinez (USA) 13.50, Damien Hobgood (USA) 11.24, Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 3.03
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.90, Taylor Knox (USA) 14.66, Jihad Khodr (BRA) 8.00
Heat 4: Daniel Ross (AUS) 12.67, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 10.74, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 10.70
Heat 5: Roy Powers (HAW) 14.33, Andy Irons (HAW) 8.57, Ricky Basnett (ZAF) 7.73
Heat 6: Brett Simpson (USA) 16.23, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 14.84, Ben Dunn (AUS) 11.43,
Heat 7: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.47, Yadin Nicol (AUS) 15.17, Tim Reyes (USA) 11.17
Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA) 18.60, Dayyan Neve (AUS) 13.47, Shane Beschen (USA) 12.00
Heat 9: Mick Fanning (AUS) 17.90, Rob Machado (USA) 11.17, Tom Whitaker (AUS) 7.90
Heat 10: Sunny Garcia (HAW) 14.50, Taj Burrow (AUS) 12.67, Chris Ward (USA) 10.56
Heat 11: Dane Reynolds (USA) 14.47, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.50, Heitor Alves (BRA) 9.50
Heat 12: Mikael Picon (FRA) 11.60, Bruce Irons (HAW) 6.50, Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) 10.90
Heat 13: Ben Bourgeois (USA) 14.10, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 13.27, Tiago Pires (PRT) 12.67,
Heat 14: Luke Stedman (AUS) 13.73, Pancho Sullivan (HAW) 12.30, Luke Munro (AUS) 10.93
Heat 15: Royden Bryson (ZAF) 15.43, Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 11.00, Jay Thompson (AUS) 12.20
Heat 16: Dean Morrison (AUS) 14.00, Mick Campbell (AUS) 9.67, Neco Padaratz (BRA) 8.00

Upcoming Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley Round 2 Heats:
Heat 3: Andy Irons (HAW) vs. Yadin Nicol (AUS)
Heat 4: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Ricky Basnett (ZAF)
Heat 5: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Jihad Khodr (BRA)
Heat 6: Bruce Irons (HAW) vs. Aritz Aranburu (EUK)
Heat 7: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Travis Logie (AUS)
Heat 8: Fredrick Patacchia (AUS) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 9: Dayyan Neve (AUS) vs. Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA)
Heat 10: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. Luke Munro (AUS)
Heat 11: Chris Ward (USA) vs. Neco Padaratz (BRA)
Heat 12: Tim Reyes (USA) vs. Mick Campbell (AUS)
Heat 13: Ben Dunn (AUS) vs. Jay Thompson (AUS)
Heat 14: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Pancho Sullivan (HAW)
Heat 15: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 16: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)