Excitement and surprises continue to be surfed up at Les Cavaliers, Anglet, France, in the Oxbow Pro World Longboard Championship.
In round 3, Heat 1, 18 year old local wildcard Antoine Delpero (FRA) showed that youth could rise over experience when he defeated 41-year-old veteran Amaro Matos (BRA) in round three. Despite Matos being the in-form surfer, having scored the highest two-wave heat score the previous day, and tricky wave conditions, Delpero was able to find two open faced walls, performing a number of stylish maneuvers which allowed him to take the heat and advance into round four.
After an overnight stop, the next major surprise saw defending event champion, Josh Constable (AUS), being beaten by fellow Australian, 17-year-old whiz kid and youngest competitor in the event, Harrison Roach. It was a massive turn-up because the experienced and powerful Constable had been in devastating form, and Roach had entered the event on a wildcard ticket.
Then, in the very next heat, it was a similar scenario with trials wildcard Jackson Close, a young, powerful Australian, surfing far too strong for last year's runner up Ned Snow (HAW).
With two days remaining and 16 surfers left, organisers will aim to run Round 4 tomorrow before finishing the event on Sunday.
Labels: 2007, France, Les Cavaliers, Oxbow Pro, World Longboard Championship
