| High scorer Tim Boal shines in the 2009 Sooruz Lacanau Pro |
| Wednesday, 19 August 2009 09:13 |
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Some excellent surf in the three-foot (one meter) range made the second day of the ASP WQS 6-Star Sooruz Lacanau Pro an exciting show of progressive surfing, the good quality sand bank delivering fun launching ramps for today’s competitors. With Round 1 coming to an end and the first couple of heats of Round 2 being completed by day’s end, it was a day of high performance surfing with reigning ASP World Junior Champion Kai Barger (Maui, HAW), 19, dominating proceedings. Barger, who won his maiden ASP World Junior title last January in Australia, showed he was more than ready to compete against the world’s best surfers, the Maui resident posting an impressive 17.64 point heat score including a near perfect 9.27 point ride. “It was a pretty tricky heat and I wasn’t confident when it started,” Barger said. “Then I got a first wave that was good enough, the second was better and the third even better so I had a lot of fun in the end. I got a bit lucky to get the first one and I was super stoked wave after wave so I just tried to stay out of trouble and any interference.” Barger, who has been awarded a wildcard by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) to start in Round 2 of every major ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) events this year thanks to his world crown, was surfing his first heat at Lacanau today and came up with fantastic surfing. “I was really nervous and I thought I was going to lose actually,” Barger said. “It’s great to have that opportunity to enter the events along with the top seeds and it gives me a year of practice amongst the WQS. With the points I will have at the end of this year I will be able to do the whole tour next year. I haven’t had any good results, actually haven’t made it past Round 3 at any of the big events so far.” Barger’s performance left all his peers amazed and cheering the Hawaiian on every of his flying maneuvers, taking off in perfect new-school skateboarding-like style to land several air-reverse maneuvers. Following the final heat of Round 1, where Barger and Thiago Camarao (BRA) offered the best show of the thus far, was event top seed Tim Boal (Anglet, FRA), 25, the Frenchman opening Round 2 of competition. Boal, who is on his rookie year amongst the ASP Top 45 where he sits No. 30 at the moment, answered with the same high performance surfing, the Anglet resident posting a couple of excellent rides including a 9.00 point wave score to win Heat 1 with a promising 17.17 point heat score, ahead of ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior champion Charles Martin (GLP), 18. “I hadn’t surfed for ten days before today and I am glad I made it through,” Boal said. “The waves were not that good but I got those two rides and I was pretty happy with the scores. It’s good to be surfing in an event with no pressure and to keep up the training. And it was especially a fun heat competing against Charles (Martin) who is a good friend of mine. He told me he was aiming at comboing me, ha ha… He will soon but I’m glad it wasn’t this time, sorry Charly (Laughs)!” Boal, who placed equal 9th last year in the Sooruz Lacanau Pro, will be looking to better his result and net a bit of confidence before heading to California for the ASP World Tour event in September. Showing the same talent and impressive skills today to go over the nine-point mark were several competitors including other Hawaiian Sebastian Zeitz as well as Thiago Camarao (BRA), both competitors impressing the ASP judging panel to advance through to the next round.” Visit www.aspeurope.com and www.sooruzlacanaupro.com for results, photos and news of the ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior SOORUZ LACANAU PRO ROUND 2 RESULTS SOORUZ LACANAU PRO ROUND 1 RESULTS
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