VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia/USA (Friday, August 24, 2012) – The 50th annual Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 6-Star Coastal Edge ECSC presented by Vans and hydrated by vitamin water returned to 1St Street Jetty for the completion of Round 2 and the first half of Round 3. Today’s highlight’s saw the event’s top performers sink their teeth in to the building two-to-three foot swell to post the event’s highest scores.
Jeremy Johnston (New Smyrna Beach, FL), 26, tore in to two wedgy right-handers on his backhand to deliver the highest scores of Coastal Edge ECSC pres. by Vans competition while delivering the upset of the event, eliminating top seed Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA), 21. Johnston opened with a 9.57 for three seamless power turns and backed his ride up with an additional excellent score to attain a 17.30 out of 20 heat total.
“It’s good to be on the East Coast and feel real comfortable,” Johnston said. “You know what needs to be done and I’ve won in this kind of stuff in the past so I’m just doing what I’ve done before and sticking to my game plan.”
Johnston, a prior ECSC champion, feels at home in the 1st Street Jetty lineup and hopes his experience will carry him to a top result in 2012.
“I won out here two years ago, in 2010, and I feel comfortable out here,” Johnston said. “I’m familiar with the wave and it’s hard on the East Coast because you need to find those waves that chip shot you. This will be a big result for me, so we’ll see what this does for my year.”
Michael Dunphy (Virginia Beach, VA), 22, utilized his local knowledge to take a commanding Round 3 victory. The East Coast talent also took to the rights in his successful campaign and unloaded a 9.10 single-wave score while leaving his fellow competitors in need of a combination situation for the win.
“I saw Filipe (Toledo) get an 8 to start before so I knew the peak by the jetty would be good with the tide being a little bit lower,” Dunphy said. “I got that 6 and got in rhythm and it helped to have a good start.”
Jack Freestone (Coolangatta, AUS), 20, posted the top scores in Round 2 yesterday and returned to form today as the top scoring international competitor. The former ASP World Junior Champion coupled his powerful turns and massive airs to earn a 16.93 heat total and a convincing Round 3 win.
“I was just trying to get the best waves,” Freestone said. “Out there, you kind of need to be patient. You can’t take every wave because a set will come through every now and then, so that’s what I was trying to do.”
Tanner Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 24, was one West Coaster to shine in Virginia Beach. Gudauskas was another goofy-footer who proved to be deadly on his backhand today and the California powerhouse looked at home at 1st Street Jetty during his first trip to Virginia Beach.
“I had fun, there are a few lefts, but the rights are super fun too,” Gudauskas said. “Virginia Beach is insane. It’s like the US Open, but it’s East Coast style.”
The Coastal Edge ECSC presented by Vans and hydrated by vitaminwater holds a waiting period from August 20 through 26, 2012 and is webcast LIVE via www.vans.com/ecsc
In addition to the surfing action, the Coastal Edge ECSC presented by Vans will include a premier BMX contest, the Vans LXVI BMX Invitational, as well as skating, motocross, music and more.
COASTAL EDGE ECSC PRESENTED BY VANS ROUND OF 48 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Michael Dunphy (USA) 15.93, Dane Gudauskas (USA) 10.24, Nathan Carvalho (HAW) 7.17, Romain Cloitre (FRA) 5.82 Heat 2: Jeremy Johnston (USA) 17.30, Santiago Muniz (ARG) 13.24, Nat Young (USA) 10.87, Thiago Camarao (BRA) 9.63 Heat 3: Nathan Yeomans (USA) 13.17, Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 11.10, Kai Barger (HAW) 10.80, Dillon Perillo (USA) 9.26 Heat 4: Jack Freestone (AUS) 16.93, Jean Da Silva (BRA) 14.30, Matt Pagan (USA) 13.77, Kalani David (HAW) 13.54 Heat 5: Cory Arrambide (USA) 12.84, Conner Coffin (USA) 8.36, Blake Jones (USA) 7.57, Gabe Kling (USA) 5.32 Heat 6: Torrey Meister (HAW) 14.17, Dege O’Connell (HAW) 10.80, Evan Geiselman (USA) 10.13, Brian Toth (PRI) 10.10
COASTAL EDGE ECSC PRESENTED BY VANS ROUND OF 96 RESULTS:
Heat 13: Sebastien Zietz (HAW) 15.24, Victor Done (USA) 11.94, Andrew Doheny (USA) 11.30, Derek Peters (USA) 10.00 Heat 14: Michael February (ZAF) 14.00, Mitch Crews (AUS) 11.80, Alex Smith (HAW) 11.07, Cory Lopez (USA) 11.00 Heat 15: Gavin Gillette (HAW) 13.10, Michael Powell (USA) 12.70, Yuri Sodre (BRA) 7.40, Leigh Sedley (AUS) 6.80 Heat 16: Evan Thompson (USA) 13.53, Tomas Hermes (BRA) 11.70, Hank Gaskell (HAW) 9.17, Dylan Southworth (MEX) 7.26 Heat 17: Alex Ribero (BRA) 9.66, Ian Crane (USA) 8.50, Leandro Usuna (ARG) 8.50, J.D. Lewis (USA) 7.76 Heat 18: Shaun Joubert (ZAF) 13.40, Eric Geiselman (USA) 12.47, Cooper Chapman (AUS) 10.90, Francisco Bellorin (VEN) 10.03 Heat 19: Noah Schweizer (USA) 14.96, Hizunome Bettero (BRA) 13.80, Kiron Jabour (HAW) 13.67, Jeffrey Lukasik (USA) 6.23 Heat 20: Nathaniel Curran (USA) 14.67, Granger Larsen (HAW) 13.83, Cristobal De Col (PER) 8.57, Jeremy Carter (USA) 6.63 Heat 21: Keanu Asing (HAW) 13.33, Luke Davis (USA) 11.83, Nils Schweizer (USA) 8.10, P.J. Raia (USA) 7.20 Heat 22: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 15.60, Cody Thompson (USA) 12.70, Caio Ibelli (BRA) 9.66, Jordin Watson (AUS) 11.56 Heat 23: Brett Barley (USA) 11.30, Ian Gentil (HAW) 10.43, Carlos Munoz (CRI) 10.27, Chase Wilson (USA) 7.57 Heat 24: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 14.83, Phillip Goold (USA) 13.00, Derrick Disney (USA) 12.86, Christian Saenz (USA) 8.20
