Boost Mobile Pro Wildcards and Pre Event Info
Wildcards Are Here! Rob Machado, Brett Simpson and Yadin Nicol Join the Tour...
Aug 12, 2008: Boost Mobile and Hurley today announced the final competition roster including the names of the three wildcard contestants invited to compete at the 2008 Boost Mobile Pro of Surf presented by Hurley the next stop on the ASP World Championship Tour and the only tour event held on the U.S. Mainland. Bolstering an already stacked field of surfers competing in this year's Boost Mobile Pro, wildcard highlights include former ASP World No. 2 Rob Machado (USA), Brett Simpson (USA) and Yadin Nicol (AUS). With last year's BMP wildcards going on to qualify for the WCT (Dane Reynolds & Jordy Smith), both Brett Simpson (7th in the WQS & rookie of year) & Yadin Nicol (one of the most photographed surfers of the past year) are hoping to follow this lead which adds to the excitement of this year's wildcard draw.
"It's always an honor to have the chance to compete against the best surfers in the world," says Boost Mobile and Hurley team rider and wildcard contestant Rob Machado. "Lower Trestles is one the best waves in California, if not the best and to be able to have a shot at the Boost Mobile title is something I don't take lightly. I'm looking forward to getting out there and giving it all I got."
"Yea it's great [to win a wildcard spot]. Just awesome for Hurley to be sponsoring it and give us guys a chance," says Hurley team rider and wildcard winner Brett Simpson. "You know we've grinded out all year on the QS Tour and then it's just nice to get to surf against the big boys now. Just relax and have fun and hopefully take some guys down."
The three wildcard contestants will be pitted against the World's top 45 pro surfers at the only ASP World Tour stop on the mainland U.S. September 7-13, 2008 at Lower Trestles, California. The competitive field in ranking order after the Jeffreys Bay, South Africa tour stop includes:
Kelly Slater (USA), Joel Parkinson (AUS), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Mick Fanning (AUS), Taj Burrow (AUS), Adriano de Souza (BRA), C.J. Hobgood (USA), Andy Irons (HAW), Bobby Martinez (USA), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Jeremy Flores (FRA), Kai Otton (AUS), Luke Stedman (AUS), Tim Reyes (USA), Dayyan Neve (AUS), Tom Whitaker (AUS), Jordy Smith (ZAF), Roy Powers (HAW), Dean Morrison (AUS), Bruce Irons (HAW), Dane Reynolds (USA), Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Taylor Knox (USA), Jay Thompson (AUS), Damien Hobgood (USA), Ben Dunn (AUS), Mikael Picon (FRA), Luke Monro (AUS), Kieren Perrow (AUS), Heitor Alves (BRA), Chris Ward (USA), Neco Padaratz (BRA), Leonardo Neves (BRA), Michael Campbell (AUS), Daniel Wills (AUS), Royden Bryson (ZAF), Ben Bourgeois (USA), Pancho Sullivan (HAW), Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA), Travis Logie (ZAF), Tiago Pires (PRT), Jihad Khodar (BRA), Daniel Ross (AUS), Rickey Basnett (ZAF), Aritz Aranburu (EUK), and Nic Muscroft (AUS).
Check back often for trials highlights, behind-the-scenes action, in-depth surf analysis and exclusive downloads will be available soon. Members of the media can also visit our "media" section to fill out an online application for media passes to cover mainland America's only ASP World Tour event.
The event will be webcast live right here starting September 7th! |
