Cody Thompson (USA), 23, earned the day’s highest score of 8.67 at the Surf Open Acapulco.
PLAYA REVOLCADERO, Acapulco/Mexico (Friday, July 5, 2013) – Top performers at the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 4-Star Surf Open Acapulco took on building six-to-eight foot (2 metre) waves and rainy conditions at Playa Revolcadero today, narrowing the field down from 32 to 16.
Wesley Santos (BRA), 17, punctuated a day of exciting action, delivering the day’s high heat-total of 15.37 out of 20 for committed surfing on both his forehand and backhand.
“I got two good waves, the two 7s and I’m really happy,” Santos said. “I think we’re going to have some good barrels tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it.”
Cody Thompson (Jacksonville Beach, FL), 23, was responsible for the day’s highest single-wave score. The Floridian would drive through a clean forehand barrel to open his Round 4 campaign, earning a 8.67 for the ride and while Thompson would struggle to find a backup score throughout the majority of the heat, but would go on to solidify his Round of 16 berth with a midrange score.
“It was super tough out there and I’m glad I found that one barrel,” Thompson said “That was my mission after I freesurfed this morning. I got one good barrel and I was hoping it would hold up with that wind. Half-hour heats give you plenty of time, but still it was really tough. The surf picked up, it’s doubled from this morning and it’s still on the rise.”
Noe Mar McGonagle (CRI), 17, found a rhythm in his morning heat despite the challenging conditions brought on by the sweeping current and rain, taking a 14.03 heat total and a spot in the Round of 16.
“I think it’s a lot better than the other days, but it’s challenging to find those two good waves in 30 minutes,” McGonagle said. “There’s a lot of current, but when you get them they’re really good. You’ve got to just stay patient and wait for the good ones.”
The Young Costa Rican was relieved to find some success at Playa Revolcadero and hopes to gain the crucial points needed to compete in higher ranked events next season.
“This is only the fourth ‘QS event I’ve ever done,” McGonagle said. “I want to get some points so I can do some more events. El Salvador is next and I won’t be able to get in to it. Hopefully I can earn some points here and get in to some bigger events next season.”
Ian Crane (San Clemente, CA), 19, was another young American to successfully navigate the tricky waves on offer this morning, driving through a deep left barrel on his forehand in the early moments of his heat to secure his position in the Round of 16.
“It’s hard for a contest, but one of those days that if you were freesurfing you’d have a lot of fun,” Crane said. “These would be my favorite conditions at home. It wouldn’t be this big, but I like stormy surf with random peaks. I had a couple of threes and then I got barreled. I don’t know how I got that one. I just happened to be in the right spot. That one felt cool.”
Brent Dorrington (AUS), 26, who dominated the rights at Playa Revolcadero yesterday, returned to form this afternoon, combining his polished forehand barrel-riding skills with an impressive repertoire of power turns.
“I was just trying to hunt those little righthanders,” Dorrington said. “There were some corners there with a few little barrel opportunities and I found a few. I was just stoked to make it out the back. It was really hard getting out the back, I just got out. The good thing is, having the contest at this beachbreak, it’s spread out and there’s no hassling. You can have a heat on your own and you don’t have to be worried about anyone else.”
Event organizers at the Surf Open Acapulco will return tomorrow at 7am local time for a possible 7:30am start. Watch the LIVE action via www.surfopenacapulco.com
SURF OPEN ACAPULCO ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Allan Donato (BRA) 12.17, Matt Pagan (USA) 11.07, Rafael Perreira (VEN) 7.60, Bruno Rodrigues (BRA) Heat 2: Noe Mar McGonagle (CRI) 14.03, Wade Carmichael (AUS) 12.97, Deivid Silva (BRA) 11.00, Scott Weinhardt (USA) 6.03 Heat 3 :Ian Crane (USA) 12.17, Alex Smith (HAW) 11.00, Tyler Newton (HAW) 9.03, Jose Trujillo (MEX) 7.53 Heat 4: Tanner Hendrickson (HAW) 11.33, Kaito Ohashi (JPN) 10.74, Carlos Munoz (CRI) 10.50, Michael Powell (USA) 8.13 Heat 5: Brent Dorrington (AUS) 14.33, Alejandro Chacon (BRA) 10.83, Caetano Vargas (BRA) 9.74, Medi Veminardi (REU) 9.03 Heat 6: Cody Thompson (USA) 14.20, Italo Ferreira (BRA) 12.37, Kaimana Jaquias (HAW) 7.84, Jeremy Carter (USA) 5.44 Heat 7: Tim Reyes (USA) 13.33, Chris Waring (USA) 11.00, Jerome Forrest (AUS) 8.17, Dylan Goodale (HAW) 4.43 Heat 8: Wesley Santos (BRA) 15.37, Francisco Bellorin (VEN) 13.47, Marco Fernandez (BRA) 9.55, Ryan Callinan (AUS) 8.80
