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Bobby Martinez (USA) has achieved a sensational victory in the 2007 Billabong Pro Mundaka, beating Foster's ASP World No. 3 Taj Burrow (AUS) in a close fought final. The win makes Martinez the first surfer in the history of the Billabong Pro Mundaka to post back to back victories at Spain's reeling lefthander. The win also leaps the 'smiling assassin' to 6th on the ASP World Tour ratings.
Since only eight of 10 events are factored into the Foster's ASP World Tour ratings at the end of the year and Burrow is now able to drop a 33rd and a 17th place result with only two events left to run, if he wins the next event in Brazil or places one spot ahead of current ratings leader Mick Fanning (AUS), the World Title will be decided at the ASP season finale, the Pipeline, Hawaii.
Well the finals of the 2007 Rip Curl Pro Search lived up to expectations. Twin brothers, Damien and CJ Hobgood, met for the third time in ASP tour semifinals and this time it was Damien who came out on top in a very close heat. Bobby Martinez clinched a 10 point ride in his quarter-final against ratings leader Mick Fanning but it wasn't enough to secure a semi-final place and Mick went through to face Andy Irons, who continued his surge to defend his Pro Search title. Then, in a hard fought final against Damien Hobgood, Irons scored a late 9.17 to grab the globe-shaped trophy for a second year in succession, moving him to 3rd in the rankings behind Damien, who jumps to the number two slot. Andy is actually in quite a strong position in the rankings because when calculating final points total, he will be allowed to drop his last place finish in the first event of the year.
The top five ASP World Tour rankings are currently:
Mick Fanning (AUS)
Damien Hobgood (USA)
Andy Irons (HAW)
Taj Burrow (AUS)
Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Kelly Slater (USA) comes in at number six, having had a disappointing start to the year with only one semi-final show.
The Foster?s 45 are now headed to JBay, South Africa, for event 5 of the Dream Tour.
Round 1 of the Billabong Pro Tahiti has kicked off at Teahupoo Reef, in one to one half metre barrels. The action ignited from heat one with defending champion Bobby Martinez (USA) wiping out the opposition, 2001 Billabong Pro Tahiti winner Cory Lopez (USA) and Australian Trent Munro.
The first round of the 2007 Oxbow World Pro Longboard Championship got underway this afternoon. Earlier, the four remaining wildcard spots were decided and they include 17 year old Harrison Roach from Australia; two of his compatriots, Jared Neal and Jackson Close, join him in the main event and the fourth place went to 18 year old, San Clemente, USA, surfer Troy Mothershead.
Each of the wildcards are surfing in an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) International rated longboard main competition for the very first time and the winner of the event will be crowned the 2007 world longboard champion, so they can expect some stiff competition from seasoned pro surfers.
Surfing legends and the world's hottest longboarders are descending on the famous beaches of les Cavaliers, la Barre and les Dunes, on the French, Basque Coast, for the Oxbow World Longboard Championship scheduled to start this Monday, Apr. 30, 2007, with a waiting period through to May 6, 2007.
The event will crown the ASP World Longboard Champion and Australian Josh Constable, will be there to defend the crown he won in the epic waves of Costa Rica last year, but local hopes will be with young Frenchman and Oxbow wildcard, Antoine Delpero. He has been based in the Basque coast for the last few years and is both an accomplished shortboarder, as well as a skillful longboarder. Having made a name for himself riding the huge waves of the Basque coast this winter, he clearly has the talent to cause some major upsets.
ASP have announced the Oxbow Pro longboard championship to take place at Les Cavaliers, France, April 30 to May 6, 2007. The event which has $50,000 prize money, is expected to attract the world's best longboarders including former world champions Bonga Perkins (HAW), Joel Tudor (USA), Colin McPhillips (USA) and reigning world champion Josh Constable (AUS).
Here is a small video clip provided by Geert of the locals enjoying the surf at Les Cavaliers beach break, which is North of Biarritz and regarded as one of Anglets best breaks.
Next week, February 27, the 2007 Foster's ASP World Tour for men and the ASP Women's World Tour both kick off at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast of Australia with the Quiksilver and Roxy Pros presented by Samsung.
The preceding Saturday night, February 24, the world?s best surfers will swap wetsuits for lavish gowns and penguin suits, for the ASP World Championship Crowning Banquet at the famous Jupiter?s Casino on Australia?s Gold Coast. That said, I once attended a ball where a dedicated surfer refused to surrender his beach gear and who's only concession to dressing up, was to wear a bow-tie.
The evening will see the crowning of the 2006 Foster?s ASP World Champion, Kelly Slater (USA), and 2006 ASP Women?s World Champion, Layne Beachley (AUS), as well as the ASP World Junior champions Jordy Smith (ZAF) and Nicola Atherton (AUS), plus a host of other awards and no doubt a good deal of revelry.
It's finals day for the Billabong World Junior Surfing Championships; watch live.
Steph Gilmore (Aus) has just been narrowly beaten in semi-final 1, by Anali Gomez (Peru) and Nicola Atherton (Aus) looks set to take the second semi-final against Coco Ho (Haw) with just a few minutes remaining.
