Surf News

Nathan Yeomans leads the 2009 Lowers Pro

Thursday, 30 April 2009 09:30

6.0 Lowers Pro

The second day of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star PRIME 6.0 Lowers Pro offered improved two-to-three foot (1 metre) conditions to the event’s top seeds and saw Lower Trestles local Nathan Yeomans (San Clemente, CA), 27, lead the field through to Round 3.

All surfers competing in the ASP 6-Star PRIME 6.0 Lowers Pro are looking to capitalize on the ample ratings points on offer at the premier event. The ASP WQS contest’s PRIME status offers the maximum amount of ratings points towards each surfers qualification campaigns for the coveted ASP World Tour, making the stop at Lower Trestles significant for each surfer’s 2009 overall rating on The Grind.

Yeomans put his local knowledge of Lower Trestles to good use when he destroyed a long righthand wall with several beyond-vertical blasts to post the day’s highest single wave score of a 9.47 out of 10. The talented goofy-footer continued to dominate his heat when he bashed another impressive score and earned the day’s highest heat total of 18.24 out of 20.

“I was actually positioning myself for the left because I saw everyone scrambling for the right and I was able to get underneath them,” Yeomans said. “I knew it was going to be a nice right, and I was able to get a couple of good turns and it had a nice wall so I was able to ride it all the way through. I knew it was going to be a good score, so when I heard the 9-point-score, I was like, yeah, I like that!”

The San Clemente native is hoping that he can utilize his familiarity of the cobblestone reef to post a top result at the 6.0 Lowers Pro. Yeomans has had a successful competitive history at previous ASP WQS events at the location in past years and is out to capitalize on the contest’s ASP 6-Star PRIME status to help his cause towards qualification for the ASP Dream Tour.

“I’ve yet to make the Final out here and I had a bad event here last year, but I made the Semifinals the two years before that,” Yeomans said. “It’s always been a good event for me and now that it’s a 6-Star PRIME, it really counts for qualification for the World Tour. It’s definitely one of everyone’s favorite places to surf, so I’m glad that it’s a 6-Star PRIME.”

Adriano de Souza (Guaruja Sao Paulo, BRA), 22, displayed world-class surfing today at Lower Trestles, explaining why the young Brazilian is a top competitor on the ASP Dream Tour. The explosive regular-footer issued several critical backhand turns on two steep Lowers walls to earn one of the day’s highest single-wave scores of a 9.33 out of 10. De Souza’s precise backhand attack on his next wave helped him attain an impressive heat total of 17.83 out of 20 while advancing confidently in to Round 3.

“The conditions are a little bit small, but it’s still really good,” De Souza said. “I’ve been surfing Trestles everyday and to surf there with only three other guys out is great. Luckily, I was able to grab the two best waves in that heat, so I’m stoked.”

The San Clemente, California transplant permanently moved to the famous surf-town from his home in Brazil and his impressive performance at his new home-break shows that De Souza has been spending his fare share of time at Lower Trestles.

Wednesday, 29 April 2009 17:02

Kelly Slaters surfed with a door for Sports Illustrated

The article "Ready for the Next Wave", by award-winning SI senior writer Gary Smith, has been published in this week's issue of Sports Illustrated and features 9-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater surfing with... a door.

Smith followed legendary surfer Kelly Slater from coast to coast – from a photo shoot in New York to his home in Santa Barbara – and discovered a man who was candid and thoughtful, one who was intent on figuring himself out in addition to harboring aspirations of "carrying surfing from a niche sport, seen mostly on the Internet, toward the mainstream.

Kelly could be the Michael Jordan and David Stern of his sport – the iconic athlete doing aerials and 360s and the power broker trying to change the structure and marketing of his sport."

New swell expected for the O’Neill Cold Water Classic in Scotland

Wednesday, 29 April 2009 15:29

O’Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland

The O’Neill Cold Water Classic (CWC) Scotland by Swatch, an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star Prime event, entered its 8-day waiting period today welcoming some of surfing’s best professional athletes at Thurso for the kick off of the world’s northern based event on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS).

The inconsistent surf on offer at either Brims Ness or the world famous righthander of Thurso East forced officials to postpone the start of competition until tomorrow morning when another call is made at 7 AM by O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series contest director Matt Wilson (AUS) with reasonable chances to see the expected new swell supposed to hit Northern Scotland show its first pulses for Day 2.

With 120 surfers having made the trip to Thurso to try and seize the valuable ratings’ points on offer and US$ 145 000 up for grabs, the O’Neill Cold Water Classic (CWC) Scotland will witness world class action with event top seed and ASP Top 45 rookie Drew Courtney (AUS), 20, leading the favorites’ charge while current ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) ratings’ No. 1 Owen Wright (AUS), 19, will be ready to extend his lead over close followers.

Defending champion Adam Robertson (AUS), 26, will be back out in the renowned cold waters of Scotland when Round 2 paddles out, the Victorian based competitor looking to keep-up his exceptional form that saw him make the final of the last ASP World Tour event at Bells Beach after making it through the trials and defeating several Dream Tour leaders on his way.

With former ASP World Champion and last year’s O’Neill CWC Scotland equal 5th Sunny Garcia (HAW), 2008 runner-up Adam Melling (AUS), O’Neill team riders Jarrad Howse (AUS) and Hugo Savalli (REU) as well as Europe’s rising stars Joan Duru (FRA) and Marc Lacomare (FRA) all attending the event, the set-up is ready for another spectacular edition.

The O’Neill Cold Water Classic Scotland is the second event of five on this year’s O’Neill Cold Water Classic Series and offers valuable 3500 ratings’ points to the winner counting for the qualification towards next year’s ASP World Tour.

UPCOMING O’NEILL CWC SCOTLAND ROUND 1 HEATS
Heat 1: Wiggoly Dantas (BRA), Jayce Robinson (GBR), Alex Gray (USA)
Heat 2: Sunny Garcia (HAW), Yujiro Tsuji (JPN), Mark Cameron (SCO), Yuzuru Tanaka (JPN)
Heat 3: Jay Davies (AUS), Omer Bar (ISR), Ryah Arthur (USA)
Heat 4: Marco Giorgi (URY), Alejandro Moreda (PRI), Micheal Bailey (USA)
Heat 5: Heath Joske (AUS), Angelo Lozano (MEX), Chris Davis (USA)
Heat 6: Matt Mohagen (USA), Gordon Fontaine (FRA), Haritz Mendiluze (EUK), Georgie Watts (SCO)
Heat 7: Madison Williams (AUS), Luca Guichard (DNK), Matt Capel (GBR), Eduardo Fernandes (PRT)
Heat 8: Luke Munro (AUS), Freddie Meadows (SWE), Matt Johnson (USA)
Heat 9: Lyncoln Taylor (AUS), Travis Beckmann (USA), Brandon Roberts (ZAF)
Heat 10: Alek Parker (USA), Damien Chaudoy (REU), Ricardo Lange (DEU), Micah Lester (AUS)
Heat 11: Marc Lacomare (FRA), Jason Harris (USA), Jensen Callaway (USA)
Heat 12: Bobby Hansen (NZL), Reubyn Ash (GBR), Jose Trujillo (MEX)
Heat 13: Richard Christie (NZL), Seam Holmes (ZAF), Josie Graves (PRI)
Heat 14: Daniel Redman (ZAF), Will Tant (USA), Joe Tanaka (JPN)
Heat 15: Jano Belo (BRA), Alan Stokes (GBR), Shota Nakamura (JPN), Mark Harris (GBR)
Heat 16: Manuel Selman (CHL), Andrew Bennett (USA), Sam Lamiroy (GBR)

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