Filipe Toledo (BRA), 19, won three heats today to advance to the Quarterfinals of Coastal Edge ECSC pres. by Vans competition.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia/USA (Saturday, August 25, 2012) – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 6-Star Coastal Edge ECSC pres. by Vans and hydrated by vitaminwater returned to 1st Street Jetty and today’s action saw the event’s top performers take on consistently changing two-to-four foot waves and extreme weather changes.
The 50th annual Coastal Edge ECSC pres. by Vans began the day by completing Round 3 and capitalized on the peaking swell to finish Rounds 4 and 5 as well, leaving only the Quarterfinals for the final day of competition.
Filipe Toledo (BRA), 17, was responsible for three heat wins today and the young Brazilian released his patented forehand aerial surfing as well as an impressive backhand attack to earn his Quarterfinals berth.
“I’m pretty happy to have made that last heat and to move on to the next round,” Toledo said. “Conditions changed a lot throughout the day, but I’m feeling pretty good and pretty relaxed.”
Toledo, current No. 19 on the ASP World Ranking, is fresh off of an ASP 5-Star win in Lacanau, France and the Brazilian upstart is hoping to put together another win in Virginia Beach to further his chances of joining the ASP Top 34 for next season.
“I’m going to try and get a win here because there are huge points to qualify for the WCT,” Toledo said. “I have two more Primes in Hawaii and after this I’m going to Zarautz to try and get more points. Hopefully I can continue to build my ranking.”
Hizunome Bettero (BRA), 26, was another Brazilian to standout in the consistently changing conditions at 1st Street Jetty. The veteran campaigner was also successful in three heats today and relied on patient wave selection to earn his spot in the Quarterfinals.
“I just tried to get the better waves and build my scores,” Bettero said. “I just tried to catch a wave with a little wall and it worked out. I’m glad I made it through.”
Tanner Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 24, who finished equal 5th at the previous ASP event in Lacanau, maintained his form at the Coastal Edge ECSC pres. by Vans and continued to detonate powerful backhand combinations and a wide variety of forehand gouges and carves to advance through three heats today.
“I was just trying to catch as many waves as I could and three heats of it, I was getting a little tired at the end,” Gudauskas said. “I was stoked that Eric and I had a fun heat. He’s been surfing well this whole event. I feel like I’ve been having a ton of fun and I haven’t been thinking about the event too much, but I’m stoked. I made the Quarters in Lacanau and now Quarters here, it’s the first time I’ve backed up a result this year.”
Sebastien Zietz (HAW), 24, took a come from behind victory over Brazilian Tomas Hermes (BRA), 25, in their Round of 16 affair. The talented Hawaiian locked in to two right-handers in the back half of his heat to overtake the Brazilian and secure his Quarterfinals berth.
Zietz, current No. 29. on the ASP World Ranking, has been building momentum throughout the season and attributes a more relaxed approach to this year’s success.
“I was doing pretty well at first when I started doing these events and then did worse and worse for a few years,” Zietz said. “I’ve kind of kicked it into gear this year and you’ve got to just be happy. We’re so lucky to live this lifestyle and I’m just trying to be stoked and be happy.”
The final day of Coastal Edge ECSC presented by Vans and hydrated by vitaminwater will begin tomorrow morning at 8am local time and will be 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 PRES. BY VANS ROUND OF 16 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Nathan Yeomans (USA) 14.34 def. Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 10.84 Heat 2: Michael Dunphy (USA) 12.67 def. Santiago Muniz (ARG) 9.23 Heat 3: Jean Da Silva (BRA) 14.77 def. Jack Freestone (AUS) 9.70 Heat 4: Dege O’Connell (HAW) 11.17 def. Torrey Meister (HAW) 7.33 Heat 5: Hizunome Bettero (BRA) 12.97 def. Granger Larsen (HAW) 12.06 Heat 6: Sebastien Zietz (HAW) 12.87 def. Tomas Hermes (BRA) 9.47 Heat 7: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 11.00 def. Eric Geiselman (USA) 10.50 Heat 8: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 15.00 def. Nathaniel Curran (USA) 12.43
COASTAL EDGE ECSC PRES. BY VANS ROUND OF 24 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 16.33, Michael Dunphy (USA) 13.93, Jeremy Johnston (USA) 10.50 Heat 2: Santiago Muniz (ARG) 13.17, Nathan Yeomans (USA) 11.00, Dane Gudauskas (USA) 10.67 Heat 3: Jack Freestone (AUS) 15.14, Dege O’Connell (HAW) 11.14, Cory Arrambide (USA) 10.70 Heat 4: Torrey Meister (HAW) 14.40, Jean Da Silva (BRA) 11.34, Conner Coffin (USA) 9.17 Heat 5: Hizunome Bettero (BRA) 15.10, Tomas Hermes (BRA) 14.37, Mitch Crews Heat 6: Sebastien Zietz (HAW) 12.17, Granger Larsen (HAW) 11.36, Gavin Gillette (HAW) 9.50 Heat 7: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 13.63, Nathaniel Curran (USA) 12.07, Luke Davis (USA) 9.06 Heat 8: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 14.83, Eric Geiselman (USA) 13.83, Keanu Asing (HAW) 11.94
COASTAL EDGE ECSC PRES. BY VANS ROUND OF 48 RESULTS:
HEAT 7: Tomas Hermes (BRA) 14.83, Sebastien Zietz (HAW) 14.50, Michael Powell (USA) 11.90, Michael February (ZAF) 11.70 Heat 8: Mitch Crews (AUS) 12.43, Gavin Gillette (HAW) 9.10, Evan Thompson (USA) 8.87, Victor Done (USA) 4.80 Heat 9: Granger Larsen (HAW) 14.53, Hizunome Bettero (BRA) 12.20, Shaun Joubert (ZAF) 9.73, Alex Ribeiro (BRA) 7.90 Heat 10: Nathaniel Curran (USA) 12.50, Eric Geiselman (USA) 11.90, Noah Schweizer (USA)8.60, Ian Crane (USA0 7.54 Heat 11: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 14.13, Keanu Asing (HAW) 11.83, Ian Gentil (HAW) 8.66, Phillip Goold (USA) 7.00 Heat 12: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 14.80, Luke Davis (USA) 11.93, Cody Thompson (USA) 7.70, Brett Barley (USA) 5.57
