KINGSCLIFF/NSW (Friday, 23rd March, 2012) - Former World Champion Josh Constable (Peregian Beach, AUS) and three-time event champion Dane Pioli (Tweed Heads, AUS) were the big name casualties from the Quarterfinals of the Australian Longboard Surfing Open presented by Surftech at Kingscliff, in northern New South Wales.
The prestigious event features both men?s and women?s Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) divisions with $20,000 total prize money.
In an inconsistent 3ft (1 metre) swell, Constable struggled to find scoring waves to finish last in his four-man Quarterfinal, while Pioli?s shot at another Kingscliff title also ended with a fourth.
ASP World Champion Taylor Jensen (California, USA) and Dane Wilson (Coolum Beach, AUS) were the form surfers both locking in heat scores of 15.00 to advance to the Semifinals.
Other winners were impressive New Zealander Thomas Kibblewhite (Auckland) and former World Champion Harley Ingleby (Emerald Beach, AUS), who was also facing elimination before catching a late heat-winning wave in the final minute.
Wilson said wave selection proved critical in the changing tide.
?With the tide changing it made it quite difficult but I decided early to sit a bit wider and try and get some of the medium sized ones which were linking through to the inside,? Wilson said. ?At Kingscliff, there are usually two to three peaks and it always looks better down the line so you just have to be patient.
?Also my style is a lot more traditional with the noseriding and drop-knee turns so I had to maximise every wave.?
In the women?s LQS division, 2010 ASP World Champion Jennifer Smith (California, USA) and Chelsea Williams (Tweed Heads, AUS) will return to battle it out in the Semifinal after going head-to-head in the quarter-final with Smith prevailing 12.27 to 12.20.
In the other quarter-finals, victories went to Wini Paul (NZL), Candice Appleby (HAW) and Crystal Dzigas (HAW).
Competition also continued in the Scales Seafood 9ft Amateur, Over 40s and Over 50s.
Green Aussie Cleaner Pro Men QuarterFinals:
HEAT 1: 15.00 Taylor Jensen (USA) 15.00, Nic Jones (AUS) 14.10, Beau Nixon (AUS) 11.50, Dane Pioli (AUS) 11.17 HEAT 2: Thomas Kibblewhite (NZL) 13.43, Ben Dickens (AUS) 10.60, Ruben Roxburgh (AUS) 10.43, Jared Neal (AUS) 7.97 HEAT 3: Dane Wilson (AUS) 15.00, Ray Lawrence (AUS) 12.30, Matt Aldridge (AUS) 12.16, Josh Constable (AUS) 8.00 HEAT 4: Harley Ingleby (AUS) 12.66, Heath Norrish (AUS) 12.10, Scott Channon (AUS) 9.36, Patrick O’Leary (AUS) 5.59
Green Aussie Cleaner Pro Men Semi-Finals:
HEAT 1: Taylor Jensen (USA), Nic Jones (AUS), Thomas Kibblewhite (NZL), Ben Dickens (AUS) HEAT 2: Dane Wilson (AUS), Ray Lawrence (AUS), Harley Ingleby (AUS), Heath Norrish (AUS)
Cancer Institute NSW Pro Women Quarter-Finals:
HEAT 1: Jennifer Smith (USA) 12.27, Chelsea Williams (AUS) 12.20, Tessa Davidson (AUS) 8.60, Lisa Nicholson (AUS) 4.70 HEAT 2: Wini Paul (NZL) 11.57, Geodee Clark (HAW) 10.30, Rosie Locke (AUS) 8.16, Kirsty Webster (AUS) 6.07 HEAT 3: Candice Appleby (HAW) 10.93, Lucy Small (AUS) 9.73, Melissa Combo (AUS) 8.26, Georgia Young (AUS) 8.17 HEAT 4: Crystal Dzigas (HAW) 10.67, Nava Young (AUS) 10.07, Claire Norman (AUS) 7.70, Sam Egan (AUS) 6.36
Cancer Institute NSW Pro Women Semi-Finals:
HEAT 1: Jennifer Smith (USA), Chelsea Williams (AUS), Wini Paul (NZL), Geodee Clark (HAW) HEAT 2: Candice Appleby (HAW), Lucy Small (AUS), Crystal Dzigas (HAW), Nava Young (AUS)
