PUNTA ROCA, La Libertad/El Salvador (Thursday, July 5, 2012) ? The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 3-Star Copa Quiksilver El Salvador returned to the righthand pointbreak of Punta Roca for the second consecutive day and saw an international field of competitors shine throughout the completion of Round 3 in two-to-four foot (1 metre) waves.
Mike McCabe (Ventura, CA) displayed his comfort in righthand pointbreaks today and was immediately in rhythm with Punta Roca while posting the standout performance of the event. The Ventura native immediately found a set wave at the start of a heat and delivered an array of committed forehand turns and shortly backed up the score with a similar ride, taking both the event?s highest single-wave score of 8.83 and the highest heat total, 16.93 out of 20.
?I got lucky right off the bat,? McCabe said. ?I got out the back when that set came through and it ran all the way down the point. I paddled back out and I had another one. Those would have been dream waves for anyone. I surf a lot of point breaks back home and this is some of the best pointbreak surf I?ve ever had.?
Victor Done (Newport Beach, CA) was one goofy-footer to put on a standout performance on his backhand among the regular-footed dominance shown through the early rounds. The Californian rebounded after a sluggish Round of 2 heat with a dominant showing in Round 3, earning a 15.23 heat-total in a high-scoring international heat.
?I really just got lucky and slid in to it,? Done said. ?I like to go right so it worked out. I just did some turns and I threw some spray so I guess people are stoked. I?m just happy to be here. In the last heat I struggled a little bit, I fell three or four times on good waves. I was lucky not to do that this time and hopefully I can keep the ball rolling.?
Joaquin Del Castillo (PER), who hails from Peru?s lefthand pointbreaks, showed his versatility with a strong opening performance at Punta Roca. Del Castillo is hoping to carry his early round success through to tomorrow where he will face off against the event?s top seeds.
?I?m from Peru and there are lots of lefts there, but it?s great to have this contest at such a good right,? Del Castillo said. ?I?m happy to have found some good waves in that round and I?m going to maintain my focus for the next heat.?
Tanio Barreto (BRA) carried the flag for his Brazilian compatriots in a convincing Round 3 performance to best three American surfers. Barreto took on relatively challenging conditions in his heat, but admitted tough conditions at Punta Roca still provide excellent surf for competition.
?Conditions are a bit difficult, but it?s still a perfect wave,? Barreto said. ?I?m spending a few weeks down here and I can?t believe how good this wave is. I?m really happy to make another heat and hopefully I can keep going.?
The Copa Quiksilver El Salvador runs from July 4 through 8, 2012 and is webcast LIVE via www.quiksilver.com/elsalvador
