MAZATLAN, Mexico — Puerto Rico’s Brian Toth defeated Aussie Mitch Coleborn to win the inaugural ASP 4-Star Quiksilver Clasico Mazatlan by a score of 14.33 to 11.76 in inconsistent two-to-three foot surf at the Mexican left-hand point break of Playa
MAZATLAN, Mexico — Puerto Rico’s Brian Toth defeated Aussie Mitch Coleborn to win the inaugural ASP 4-Star Quiksilver Clasico Mazatlan by a score of 14.33 to 11.76 in inconsistent two-to-three foot surf at the Mexican left-hand point break of Playa Camaron, states a release from the Association of Surfing Professionals.
Kaua‘i’s Dylan Goodale had reached the semifinals, but fell to Coleborn in their head-to-head heat.
The inaugural Quiksilver Clasico Mazatlan is the first of four ASP 4-Star events on the 2011 calendar, offering up important points towards up-and-coming surfers’ ASP World Ranking.
Toth, 26, drew first blood in the hard-fought final and unloaded a flurry of forehand gouges and carves to notch an 8-point score on his opening ride after a flat spell nearly forced a restart to the heat. The fiery Puerto Rican quickly followed up with a 6.33 on his next wave which proved to be enough to take the title.
“I can’t believe it,” Toth said. “Mitch (Coleborn) was getting scores all day and I knew he could turn a three-footer into a 7.5. I started off with that 8 and got another 6. When they said 8, I thought ‘this heat is mine; it’s got to be mine.’ With 10 minutes left I was just hoping it would go flat. Hats off to Mitch, he’s been ripping this whole event.”
Toth’s dominant performance at Playa Camaron also marks his first career ASP victory and the talented goofy-footer was elated to join his elite list of friends who have also earned ASP victories.
“I was asking my friend Roy Powers what it was like to win an event on the first day of this contest, because I’d never known, and I had never known that feeling,” Toth said. “I’ve got one title under my belt now and I’m so psyched.”
Coleborn, 24, was in lethal form en route to his final matchup against Toth and was consistently responsible for the event’s top scores. The Australian was unable to find the waves needed to surpass Toth after the Puerto Rican’s opening assault in the final and finished runner-up.
“It would have been nice to have won my first final, but the whole contest I was saying that you’ve got to be on the best waves to get the big scores and I was out of position on that first one,” Coleborn said. “That was pretty much the heat right there. I’m still stoked to have made the final though, it’s been awesome.”
Goodale, 19, issued the upset of the event Saturday when he eliminated former ASP World Tour veteran Kalani Robb, 34, in the quarterfinals and battled Coleborn through a series of wave-for-wave exchanges in their semifinals heat. But was unable to find the scores needed to surpass the Australian and finished equal 3rd overall.
“It was so slow out there and I took a wave I shouldn’t have,” Goodale said. “I thought he was surfing the best in the whole event though, so it’s okay.”
Goodale, current No. 8 on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series, felt that the experience gained from the Quiksilver Clasico Mazatlan’s man-on-man format will help him in future events.
“This is the first contest that I’ve ever made man-on-man, so it’s a good experience,” Goodale said. “To surf against Kalani Robb and Mitch Coleborn, it was fun.”
Nils Schweizer, 25, consistently battled his way through heats throughout the opening rounds of Quiksilver Clasico Mazatlan competition and finished equal 3rd overall after losing to Toth in the semifinals. The Floridian’s performance in Mazatlan marks his career-best result.
“That was fun and third place is good for me, it’s my best result ever,” Schweizer said. “To have a heat with my good friend Brian (Toth), I’m happy.”
For Quiksilver Clasico Mazatlan highlights log on to www.quiksilver.com/mazatlan.
For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com.
Quiksilver Clasico Mazatlan Final Results:
1 – Brian Toth (PRI) 14.33
2 – Mitchel Coleborn (AUS) 11.76
Quiksilver Clasico Mazatlan Semifinals Results:
SF 1: Brian Toth (PRI) 14.00 def. Nils Schweizer (USA) 10.66
SF 2: Mitchel Coleborn (AUS) 15.87 def. Dylan Goodale (HAW) 13.60
