O‘ahu’s Coco Ho won the Association of Surfing Professionals 6 Star Women’s World Tour Legendary Pacific Coast Pro, Saturday at Merewether Beach in Newcastle, Australia. The 19 year-old took control in the final early when she opened with a strong
O‘ahu’s Coco Ho won the Association of Surfing Professionals 6 Star Women’s World Tour Legendary Pacific Coast Pro, Saturday at Merewether Beach in Newcastle, Australia.
The 19 year-old took control in the final early when she opened with a strong scoring 7.33 ride, which was the top-scoring and decisive ride, states a release from ASP.
She knocked off California’s Courtney Conlogue, 11.83-10.00 in the final.
“Fantastic to win here and the waves have been awesome for the girls,” Ho said. “A six star event is really important to all of us and it feels like we’ve been treated to the best conditions all week.
“I focused on trying to select a good wave early,” she said. “The waves shift about out there and you need to be selective — the strategy worked as my first wave was easily my best and I think that won the final for me.
“It’s a good start the year for me — fifth on the Gold Coast was okay and winning here is a bonus. I’ll go back to Hawai‘i now and really freshen up before I return for Bells. I’ll go home feeling good after today’s win!”
Ho surfed great all day and took out current world No. 2 ranked surfer Sally Fitzgibbons in the semifinals earlier Saturday.
Conlogue was also in spectacular form. Her quarterfinal heat win over Australian young gun Tyler Wright included an almost perfect 9.97 ride, the event’s highest score.
“I’ve had a great day, could have been better in the final but I didn’t quite get the waves needed to win, but overall I’m feeling great,” Conlogue said. “It’s been an enjoyable event and the waves have been good to us!”
The Burton Toyota Pro Men’s No. 1 seed Taj Burrow put on a display for the large Newcastle crowd who have come out to see the current world No. 2 ranked surfer in action.
Burrow flared with some of his typically critical above-the-lip turns, along with his fast and fluid style to easily dispose of Indonesia’s top-ranked surfer Dede Suryana.
“I felt great out there, the waves are really good providing you chose the right wave,” Burrow said. “I can’t remember surfing Merewether before. I think I have once, but it was a long time ago and it felt really good out there.”
Burrow’s final turn in the heat was so committed it snapped his board in two and with seven minutes remaining, he had established such a lead he elected not to paddle back out and left Suryana in the line-up alone chasing a 9.33 to try and beat him.
“My boards feel great at the moment,” he said. “That board that snapped was the one I won the Breaka Pro on at Burleigh. My backup board here is the one I finished second to Slater on at the Quiksilver Pro. That’s a special board that I’m sort of saving for Bells. It’s wrapped in cotton wool and I don’t want to ride it just yet so I’ll source a few backup boards overnight for (Sunday’s) finals here.”
In the Round of 16, Burrow will face exciting Gold Coast youngster Thomas Woods, who earlier Saturday shut down the last of the local hopes in Jake Sylvester, who resides at near-by Bar Beach in Newcastle.
Sunday’s action will begin at 8 a.m.
The event is live webcast via www.aspaustralasia.com/live/2011/surfest and all results and heat draws across both men’s and women’s can be found on this site.
