Surfers Point, Margaret River – Western Australia – Pipeline Masters champion and Hanalei resident Bruce Irons heads to the sixth round with fellow Hawaiians Roy Powers, Joel Centeio and Jamie OBrien. Current world number two Mark Occhilupo (Aus) withdrew from
Surfers Point, Margaret River – Western Australia – Pipeline Masters champion and Hanalei resident Bruce Irons heads to the sixth round with fellow Hawaiians Roy Powers, Joel Centeio and Jamie OBrien.
Current world number two Mark Occhilupo (Aus) withdrew from the Salomon Masters jus before the fifth round due to a recurring back injury.
Damon Nichols (Aus) moved into the sixth round after topping his heat with Drew Courtney (Aus), Gavin Beschen (USA) and Shannon Pollard (Aus).
American Chris Ward used his bigger board for top scores in his heat with Will Lewis (Aus), Naohisa Ogawa (Japan) and Marcelo Trekinho (Brazil).
Yuri Sodre (Brazil) accounted for Mike Todd (USA) and Glenn Hall (Aus) and moves into the 6th Round with Simon Nicholson (SAfr).
Brett Hardy dominated Brazils Odirlei Coutinho and Australians Samba Mann and Jock Barnes.
Mitchell Ross (Aus) took out the 11th heat with Hira Teriinatoofa (Tahiti) placing second.
Kaua’i’s best surfers win ESPN awards
LOS ANGELES – Kaua’i faired well in the ESPN Action Sports and Music Awards, which aired on television Tuesday from the Universal Ampitheater in Los Angeles.
Keala Kennelly ran away with top honors, becoming ESPN’s 2001 Surfer of the Year. Kennely finished last year with a fifth overall ranking on the women’s world tour, icing first place finishes at the OP Boat Challenge and Billabong Girls in Panama tourneys.
Current top-dog Andy Irons took home a nice award shortly after winning the Rip Curl Pro tourney, accepting the Mountain Dew People’s Choice Award at the ESPN ceremony. One of the sports most dominant surfers, Irons won the G-Shock Hawaiian Pro to win over surfing enthusiasts all over the world in 2001.
Andy’s brother, Bruce, was a runner-up for 2001 male Surfer of the Year. The “best aerial” title he won after the 360-air he landed at the Op Pro Championship may have provided some clout among surfing enthusiasts, but the X-Box Pipeline Masters win was what put him in the running for best male surfer.
