HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — The Association of Surfing Professionals 4-Star Vans Pier Classic saw ASP World Tour surfers including Adriano de Souza, Damien Hobgood and Gabe Kling 30, put on a clinic in the peaky three-to-five foot surf at Huntington
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — The Association of Surfing Professionals 4-Star Vans Pier Classic saw ASP World Tour surfers including Adriano de Souza, Damien Hobgood and Gabe Kling 30, put on a clinic in the peaky three-to-five foot surf at Huntington Beach Pier Saturday, states a release from the ASP.
Additionally, Kaua‘i riders Koa Smith and Dylan Goodale each advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Vans Pro Junior, scoring two of the top three totals of the Round of 32.
De Souza, who earned the highest heat total in Friday’s action, returned to form by opening his Round 5 with a solid eight-point ride and wrapped up his runaway performance by boosting the highest single-wave score of the event, a nearly-flawless 9.70 earned for a huge air-reverse on a righthand ramp.
The Brazilian standout solidified the score with a second air on the inside, taking the division’s highest heat total, 17.73 out of 20.
“I knew the wave was going to be good so I just pushed my limit and got the big air, I couldn’t believe I made it,” De Souza said. “I was just flying and closed my eyes because I was so high, when I landed I thought, oh my god, I’ve completed this thing. Right at the end of the wave I did another little air and just couldn’t believe I did two good airs here in Huntington.”
De Souza, who displayed nearly perfect backhand surfing in his heat yesterday on the lefts breaking into Huntington Pier, was happy to have the opportunity to turn to his forehand in his Round of 32 heat after spending a month surfing Australia’s righthand pointbreak of Snapper Rocks.
Hobgood, who got off to a slow start in Friday’s heat, opened his account strong Saturday, putting on a memorable performance with timeless rail-to-rail power surfing on the lefts breaking into Huntington Pier to notch a 16.43 heat total.
“It was pretty much the exact opposite from (Friday),” Hobgood said. “I was stoked because most of the guys were down the beach and I was going to sit by the pier anyways and kind of hunt those lefts by the pier. I was kind of picking any wave that I wanted, so I’m stoked.”
Kling, who entered the Vans Pier Classic as an alternate, continued to assert his dominance of the Huntington lineup with a powerful backhand attack to move into the quarterfinals.
Rounds 3 and 4 of the ASP 4-Star Vans Pro Junior followed after the men’s main event and North America’s finest under-21 talent tore through the consistent afternoon surf as they battled for the crucial points on offer towards their ASP North America Pro Junior Series Ranking.
California’s Ian Crane, 17, looked sharp on his forehand and backhand, unleashing powerful gouges and impressive reverses to claim the highest single-wave score of Vans Pro Junior competition, 9.27 out of 10, which came just after his 8.87 to earn the highest heat total of the day.
California’s Kolohe Andino, 17, current ASP North America Pro Junior Series Rankings leader, continued to tear into several rights breaking down the beach with massive opening air maneuvers to earn a 16.04 heat total and a spot in the Vans Pro Junior quarterfinals.
Andino will surf in both the men’s Vans Pier Classic and Vans Pro Junior quarterfinals today.
To see who takes the 2011 Vans Pier Classic presented by Jack’s Surfboards and Vans Pro Junior titles log on to www.vans.com/pierclassic.
For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com or www.aspnorthamerica.org.
Vans Pier Classic Round of 32 Results:
Heat 1: Gabe Kling (USA) 15.20, Conner Coffin (USA) 12.37, Hank Gaskell (HAW) 12.23, Kiron Jabour (HAW) 11.70
Heat 2: Kolohe Andino (USA) 10.57, Ian Gentil (HAW) 9.73, Taylor Thorne (USA) 9.57, Michael Dunphy (USA) 8.17
Heat 3: Timmy Curran (USA) 13.36, Bobby Morris (USA) 12.43, Shaun Ward (USA) 10.16, Ted Navarro (USA) 9.64
Heat 4: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 17.73, Ricky Whitlock (USA) 11.80, Ryah Arthur (USA) 11.54, Kilian Garland (USA) 9.30
Heat 5: Damien Hobgood (USA) 16.43, Matt Pagan (USA) 12.20, Micah Byrne (USA) 12.17, Dylan Goodale (HAW) 4.90
Heat 6: Olamana Eleogram (HAW) 11.77, Andrew Doheny (USA) 11.70, Teppei Tajima (JPN) 9.40, Ian Crane (USA) 5.53
Heat 7: Damien Fahrenfort (ZAF) 12.43, Anthony Petruso (USA) 11.36, Evan Geiselman (USA) 10.00, Christian Saenz (USA) 8.44
Heat 8: Asher Nolan (USA) 10.57, Taylor Knox (USA) 10.27, Jared Thorne (USA) 7.60, Jason Shibata (HAW) 4.60
Vans Pro Junior Round of 32 Results:
Heat 1: Kolohe Andino (USA) 16.04, Dylan Kowalski (USA) 6.87, Ivan Florence (HAW) 4.74, Colton Sarlo (USA) 0
Heat 2: Koa Smith (HAW) 14.17, Dylan Goodale (HAW) 14.16, Chase Wilson (USA) 10.94, Makai McNamara (HAW) 7.77
Heat 3: Luke Davis (USA) 11.57, Ian Crane (USA) 10.73, Colin Moran (USA) 10.40, Victor Done (USA) 7.30
Heat 4: Andrew Doheny (USA) 15.10, Carlos Munoz (CRI) 14.67, Kiron Jabour (HAW) 11.27, Derrick Disney (USA) 7.04
Heat 5: Evan Geiselman (USA) 11.57, Jacob Halstead (USA) 10.40, Christian Saenz (USA) 9.07, Parker Coffin (USA) 7.93
Heat 6: Conner Coffin (USA) 11.50, Fisher Heverly (USA) 8.43, Kalani David (HAW) 7.50, Cristobal De Col (PER) 7.50
Heat 7: Evan Thompson (USA) 14.66, Jared Thorne (USA) 8.10, Nathan Carvalho (HAW) 5.54, Tanner Hendrickson (HAW) 4.70
Heat 8: Taylor Thorne (USA) 9.67, Keanu Asing (HAW) 8.37, Tayler Brothers (USA) 7.93, Cam Richards (USA) 6.73
Vans Pro Junior Round of 48 Results:
Heat 1: Colton Sarlo (USA) 9.43, Makai McNamara (HAW) 6.26, Corey Colapinto (USA) 5.60, Chris Tucker (USA) 4.70
Heat 2: Koa Smith (HAW) 12.60, Dylan Kowalski (USA) 10.10, Arashi Kato (JPN) 9.80, Balaram Stack (USA) 8.20
Heat 3: Ian Crane (USA) 18.14, Carlos Munoz (CRI) 15.83, Keto Burns (USA) 9.40, Cole Richards (USA) 9.23
Heat 4: Derrick Disney (USA) 15.20, Colin Moran (USA) 10.96, Dane Zaun (USA) 8.00, J.D. Lewis (USA) 7.30
Heat 5: Parker Coffin (USA) 11.60, Kalani David (HAW) 9.04, P.J. Raia (USA) 8.96, Kaimana Jaquias (HAW) 6.60
Heat 6: Cristobal de Col (PER) 12.60, Christian Saenz (USA) 11.44, Shaw Kobayashi (USA) 11.23, Taylor Clark (USA) 8.77
Heat 7: Tanner Hendrickson (HAW) 9.33, Cam Richards (USA) 8.50, Doug Van Mierlo (USA) 6.03, JD MacFaden (USA) 4.01
Heat 8: Taylor Thorne (USA) 11.66, Jared Thorne (USA) 10.86, Billy Hopkins (USA) 10.77, Scott Weinhardt (USA) 7.47
