The 2013 Hurley Australian Open of Surfing would see a handful of the world’s best surfers tested in small waves at Manly Beach. Despite the challenging conditions, several athletes strung together dynamic performances.
Adriano de Souza, 26, was lightning quick at the Hurley Australian Open, transitioning from a standout performance at Pipeline with impressive versatility to dispatch of his Round 2 competitors with an unmatched power surfing game.
“It’s great coming from Hawaii to Manly, to be a professional surfer you have to be able to surf in all conditions,” De Souza said. “Summer here in Australia usually has smaller surf than in winter, but it’s good to be here and get used to the smaller waves after three months in Hawaii. Snapper is right around the corner, and I’m doing the Hurley Australian Open of Surfing and Newcastle to get loose and ready for it.”
Conner Coffin, 20, would join fellow Central California standout Dane Reynolds, 28, in a successful Round 2 campaign, besting all-stars Jack Freestone, 21, and Maxime Huscenot, 21, to see both Coffin and Reynolds advance.
“I’ve had a couple heats with Dane (Reynolds) in the past and it’s always rad,” Coffin said. “For some reason the waves are always like this, I feel like we’re always having these weird small wave heats. I’m super stoked to get through that one. It was anyone’s game out there. The game plan was to go out and ride the waves that break, because there wasn’t many of them. I think I only caught two waves and they happened to be good ones.”
Reynolds’ appearance at the Hurley Australian Open of Surfing has attracted a lot of interest from surf fans, media and his fellow competitors. All eyes were on the progressive wizzard today to see how he’d handle the tough conditions and Reynolds would not disappoint, dismantling the small beachbreak with ease.
“It’s cool to get through with Conner, (Coffin) I surf a lot with him at home,” Reynolds said. “The surf was really weak and tough, but everybody has got to surf the same stuff and you just have to make the most of it. I was watching and it looked like the lefts were a bit better, so that’s what I was looking for. Then I went out and got two rights at the start, so it was hard to have a plan.”
Mitch Crews, 23, 2014 ASP World Championship Tour rookie was on point at the Hurley Australian Open of Surfing today, powering his way through the small surf and unloading powerful and progressive turns.
“The forecast looks like there will be better waves later in the week, so I really wanted to get through that heat,” Crews said. “I’ve been surfing as much as I can and I’ve been training hard and I’m excited to see how I go this year.”
In addition to the Men’s ASP 6-Star action, the Women also took to the water with reigning ASP Women’s World Junior Champion Ella Williams, 18, leading the way.
The Kiwi scored an exciting come-from-behind victory in her Round 2 heat, jumping from fourth to first in the dying stages of her heat. Williams picked off a couple of the longest waves of the heat and carved her way to shore.
“I’ve been watching all day it looked hard, but I managed to find a few runners,” Williams said. “This event is important for me for this year and I’d really love to progress through a few more rounds and get a good result.”
Defending Hurley Australian Open of Surfing champion Matt Banting, 19, had a bad day at the office after being eliminated from both divisions.
The Hurley Australian Open of Surfing Pro Junior Finals will run tomorrow with Italian standout Leonardo Fioravanti, 16, set to take on Western Australia’s Jacob Willcox, 16, in the Men’s Final. Ellie-Jean Coffey, 18, will match up against Bronte Macaulay, 19, in the Women’s Final.
For more event information log on to www.AustralianOpenofSurfing.com
