Round 1 of the Oakley Pro Bali was completed today in rippable three-to-five foot (1 – 1.5 metre) waves at the primary venue of Keramas.
Event No. 5 of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Oakley Pro Bali recommences this year’s hunt for the elite ASP World Title and the new venue of Keramas delivered major upsets and mammoth scores throughout the opening 12 heats of the event.

Reigning ASP World Champion Joel Parkinson (AUS), 32, 11-time ASP World Champion and current ASP WCT No. 1 Kelly Slater (USA), 41, as well as perennial threat Taj Burrow (AUS), 35, were all victims of close Round 1 losses today and have been relegated to the elimination Round 2 when competition resumes.

Fredrick Pataccchia (HAW), 31, took down the reigning champion this morning in a rare man-on-man Round 1 affair, with Travis Logie (ZAF), 34, unable to attend due to an injury sustained in Fiji – Logie will attempt to arrive in time for his Round 2 match. While Parkinson’s patented power forehand approach was in full flight, it would be the Hawaiian’s ferocious backhand attack on the Keramas walls that would take the win.

“I was happy that I had priority at the end, but priority can also be tough to choose which wave you want,” Patacchia said. “It’s a tough wave to surf, Keramas, and I think a lot of us are trying to figure it out. I lost early in Fiji, so I came here right away and have been putting time in and getting use to the waves here. Joel (Parkinson) is the ASP World Champion and a great surfer and we saw Adriano (de Souza) kind of struggling out there as well, so you know it’s tough.”

Damien Hobgood (USA), 33, current ASP WCT No. 28, caused another major upset today in eliminating fellow Floridian Slater.

“It was a strange heat and it’s not often that Kelly (Slater) doesn’t have the waves come for him,” Hobgood said. “It was one of the slower ones of the morning and I just did my best to be on the better waves and surf smart. You take any win you can over Kelly.”

 

Yadin Nicol (AUS), 27, was in high-flying form today at Keramas for Round 1 of the Oakley Pro Bali. Image Credit: ASP / HAYDEN-SMITH
 

Yadin Nicol (HAW), 27, replacement surfer for the elite ASP Top 34, was in sensational form this morning, taking out a high-flying Round 1 bout over Taj Burrow (AUS), 35, and Kolohe Andino (USA), 19. Nicol’s aerial prowess and high-velocity surfing earned him the win and put the rest of the competitive field on notice.

“It sucks sitting on the bubble because you never want anyone to get injured and you don’t want to have to get their spot, but obviously you want to be in the events,” Nicol said. “I hope all of the inured surfers have a speedy recovery. I’m stoked I’m here though. That was a weird heat because I was rattled after that first exchange. Taj (Burrow) and Kolohe (Andino) are capable of getting huge scores and I was just happy to get a few waves of my own and make the heat.”

Nicol advances directly into Round 3 of the event.

Mick Fanning (AUS), 32, two-time ASP World Champion (2007, 2009) and current ASP WCT No. 2, took advantage of the opening day’s conditions, posting a strong 14.56 out of a possible 20 to overtake Brett Simpson (USA),28, and wildcard Bruce Irons (HAW), 33. Fanning’s razor-sharp surfing and incredible consistency saw the Gold Coast natural-footer navigate the afternoon onshore conditions.

“Really exciting to be back in Bali,” Fanning said. “The juniors have had the good fortune to compete here at Keramas over the last few years and all the boys on tour have been pretty jealous. The wave has so much power and variety, it could be the most high-performance wave on the planet. Not ideal conditions for our heat, but still some sets and some sections so I’m stoked to get through.

While a number of top seeds were relegated to the elimination Round 2, several others took advantage of today’s conditions.

Adriano de Souza (BRA), 26, current ASP WCT No. 4, opened up the day’s affairs with a strong Round 1 win over Bede Durbidge (AUS), 30, and Dusty Payne (HAW), 24.

“Very happy to be here at Keramas,” De Souza said. “I had a poor result in Fiji so I left to come here early and put time in at the wave. It is a great wave and all the boys here are going to do some crazy things this week. It’s very high-performance. Very happy to get through today’s heat and hope for a good event.”

Jordy Smith (ZAF), 25, current ASP WCT No. 3, has been one of the most anticipated surfers for this week’s event and the big South African didn’t disappoint with a juggernaut Round 1 performance exhibiting his aerial ability as well as unmatched power game.

“That was a pretty exciting heat,” Smith said. “Oney (Anwar) started off really strong, but I was able to claw back around mid-heat. Every wave is a chance to go big – Keramas is that perfect. Few scores started to drop for me and I was able to build some momentum throughout the back half of the heat. I have some really good boards under my feet and I’m just psyched to be here in Bali.”

Nat Young (USA), 22, 2013 ASP Dream Tour rookie and current ASP WCT No. 6, continued his phenomenal run this season with a big Round 1 performance at the Oakley Pro Bali today.

“That was a lot of fun,” Young said. “The waves started pumping for our heat and there were just a lot of them coming through. Some people think that Keramas can be tricky on your backhand, but when it’s bigger you can actually get a lot more vertical. Glad the conditions went my way today and looking forward to the rest of the event.”

Joining Young in Round 1 victories from the rookie class today was lethal aerialist Filipe Toledo (BRA), 18. Both surfers advance directly into Round 3.

John John Florence (HAW), 20, in his second event back from injury, capped off the day’s proceedings with a phenomenal performance to collect a near-perfect 19.87 out of a possible 20. Hawaiian compatriot Sebastian Zietz (HAW), 25, opened up with some searing barrel-to-turn combinations and posted an excellent 19.37 out of a possible 20. However, it was Florence’s hail mary alley-oop that pundits are claiming as the biggest aerial ever in competition that netted the young Hawaiian the first Perfect 10 of the event and the heat win.

“I was in the air and saw the bottom and everything happened so fast that I was just reacting,” Florence said. “I claimed it pretty hard, but I was so stoked. The ankle is strapped but the brace gives me a lot of confidence and it feels good out there. Just psyched to be at Keramas, this wave is amazing and the boys are ripping so hard.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 6:30am to assess conditions for a possible 6:45am start.

When competition resumes, up first will be 11-time ASP World Champion and current ASP WCT No. 1 Kelly Slater (USA), 41, up against Jack Robinson (AUS), 15, in the opening heat of the elimination Round 2.

OAKLEY PRO BALI ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.93, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.17, Dusty Payne (HAW) 8.60
Heat 2: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 12.67, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12.00, Travis Logie (ZAF) 0.00
Heat 3: Yadin Nicol (AUS) 14.56, Kolohe Andino (USA) 12.93, Taj Burrow (AUS) 12.63
Heat 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.46, Oney Anwar (IND) 11.93, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 9.03
Heat 5: Mick Fanning (AUS) 14.56, Brett Simpson (USA) 6.83, Bruce Irons (HAW) 5.50
Heat 6: Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.10, Kelly Slater (USA) 12.00, Jack Robinson (AUS) 5.83
Heat 7: Nat Young (USA) 17.03, Willian Cardoso (BRA) 13.90, Kai Otton (AUS) 13.40
Heat 8: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 16.07, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 15.50, Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.67
Heat 9: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 16.43, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.17, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 8.17
Heat 10: Michel Bourez (PYF) 17.30, Adam Melling (AUS) 14.10, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 12.93
Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 16.94, Julian Wilson (AUS) 16.77, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.90
Heat 12: John John Florence (HAW) 19.87, Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 19.37, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 13.60

OAKLEY PRO BALI ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Jack Robinson (AUS)
Heat 2: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Bruce Irons (HAW)
Heat 3: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Oney Anwar (IND)
Heat 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 5: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Willian Cardoso (BRA)
Heat 6: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 7: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 8: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 9: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 10: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 11: Travis Logie (ZAF) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 12: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. Matt Wilkinson (AUS)

The Oakley Pro Bali, Stop No. 5 of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), will commence its competition window tomorrow morning with a strong likelihood of running in the opening days.
Coming hot off the heels of a thrilling event in Fiji last week, the world’s best surfers have arrived in Bali, prepared to battle one another at the world-class venues of Keramas and Canggu.

John John Florence (HAW), 20, returned to elite level competition last week at the Volcom Fiji Pro and all eyes will be on the young Hawaiian as he makes his maiden competitive run in the high-performance walls of Keramas.

“It feels really good to be back and healthy,” Florence said. “We had incredible waves last week in Fiji and everyone is really excited to be here in Bali. Both Cloudbreak and Keramas are considered high-performance waves, but they’re very different. At Cloudbreak, it was about commitment in barrels. Out at Keramas, there are barrels, but there are also some of the best sections on the planet for really major maneuvers. We’re going to see some crazy stuff this week.”

Florence will take on rookie Sebastian Zietz (HAW), 25, and Miguel Pupo (HAW), 21, in Round 1 of competition.

Bruce Irons (HAW), 33, former ASP WCT competitor and winner of the 2008 Rip Curl Pro Search Bali, will compete as a wildcard in the Oakley Pro Bali.

“I’m super thankful to Oakley for giving me this opportunity,” Irons said. “I love Bali and Keramas is one of the best waves in the world. Hopefully it turns on for us. The guys on tour today are no joke. There are no easy draws. I’m just going to do my best.”

Irons will face two-time ASP World Champion (2007, 2009) and current ASP WCT No. 2 Mick Fanning (AUS), 32, and Brett Simpson (USA), 28, in Round 1 of competition.

Oney Anwar (IND), 19, took out the local trials at Keramas this morning and will face Jordy Smith (ZAF), 25, and Matt Wilkinson (AUS), 24, in Round 1 of competition.

Smith has been on a tear this season, collecting a win in Brazil and currently sitting at No. 3 on the ASP WCT ratings. The powerful South African is one of the most anticipated surfers heading into the perfect righthanders of Keramas.

“I have been coming to Bali for a number of years and Keramas is always a highlight,” Smith said. “It has a nice barrel section and then a perfect wall for you to unleash on. I’ve been looking forward to this event all year and the boys are going to go mad out here.”

Surfline, official forecasters for the Oakley Pro Bali are calling for:

Medium size, long period SW swell will build in for the first two days of the event waiting period, Tue/Wed the 18th-19th, easing for the second half of the week. A similar sized swell for Keramas is on the radar for the 22nd-23rd, with more swells on the long range radar for the final 5 days of the event holding period at this point.

Event organizers will convene tomorrow at 6:30am to assess conditions for a possible 7am start.

When competition commences, up first will be Adriano de Souza (BRA), 26, Bede Durbidge (AUS), 30, and Dusty Payne (HAW), 24, in the opening heat of Round 1.

OAKLEY PRO BALI ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Travis Logie (ZAF), Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS), Kolohe Andino (USA), Yadin Nicol (AUS)
Heat 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Oney Anwar (IND)
Heat 5: Mick Fanning (AUS), Brett Simpson (USA), Bruce Irons (HAW)
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA), Damien Hobgood (USA), Jack Robinson (AUS)
Heat 7: Nat Young (USA), Kai Otton (AUS), Willian Cardoso (BRA)
Heat 8: Josh Kerr (AUS), Filipe Toledo (BRA), Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 9: C.J. Hobgood (USA), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 10: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Michel Bourez (PYF), Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Julian Wilson (AUS), Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 12: Sebastian Zietz (HAW), John John Florence (HAW), Miguel Pupo (BRA)

Kelly Slater has won the Volcom Fiji Pro over Mick Fanning in pumping six-to-eight foot (2 metre) barrels at Cloudbreak, simultaneously launching to No. 1 on the ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) rankings.

Stop No. 4 of 10 on the ASP WCT, the Volcom Fiji Pro saw several days of world-class surf at both Restaurants and Cloudbreak and a series of mixed results from the ASP Top 34 front-runners shook up the current race for the ASP World Title.

Slater built momentum throughout the Volcom Fiji Pro, peaking on the final day of competition. The 11-time ASP World Champion’s road to victory included a perfect 20-point heat against Sebastian Zeitz (HAW), 25, in the Quarterfinals, a victory over John John Florence (HAW), 20, in the Semifinals, culminating with a win over Fanning in the Final that included a near-perfect 19.80 out of 20 heat total.

“What a day,” Slater said. “That was insane. When we stared out in the Final, Mick had position and I was a little deep, but the next one was unbelievable. I want to dedicate this to my brother and his wife and their new kid Van. He told me that if I missed the birth of his son, that I’d better win, so this is for you. I want to say hi to everyone at home. What can I say, what a day.”

Slater made history in his Quarterfinals match against Sebastian Zietz, collecting only the fourth perfect 20-point score on ASP record. Slater’s two unbelievable 10 point rides came compliments of deep backhand tuberiding and while the Floridian has netted several perfect 10-point single-wave scores, the perfect 20 heat marks only the second of Slater’s lengthy career.

“The waves are the stars today,” Slater said. “When they come, they’re unbelievable. I missed one in that heat that was insane. The second 10 that I got, Seabass (Sebastian Zietz) maybe could have got it, but he was a little deep. It just hit that inside and ran. It reminded me of the one yesterday that i didn’t come out of and I just though, ‘just keep going forward, don’t make the same mistake as yesterday.’ When waves are this good, I don’t discount it happening a few times in this event because the waves are there, you just have to stand up on them. Theoretically, I could have had three 10s yesterday, the waves were just that good. It’s a special thing if you can get a 10 in a heat, so I’m really stoked.”

Mick Fanning displayed incredible backhand barrel-riding skills at Cloudbreak, driving through deep tubes and unloading massive turns on his way to the Final. Fanning would go on to best close friend and reigning ASP World Champion Joel Parkinson (AUS), 32, in the Quarterfinals and deadly goofy-footer C.J. Hobgood (USA), 33, in the Semifinals but was unable to match Slater in their bout for the win.

“I’m pretty stoked,” Fanning said. “I started off with the 9.2 and saw Kelly on the one behind it. When Kelly didn’t get a 10 on his first wave, I thought, ‘I’m still in this,’ but then he shut the door on the next one. Overall I’m happy. I didn’t really have a good start to this event and then at the end it came good.”

John John Florence marked an incredible return to competition following an injury sustained on the Gold Coast, collecting two perfect 10-point rides over the course of the event while taking an equal 3rd place finish. Florence looked deadly again on the Final day of the Volcom Fiji Pro, besting South African powerhouse Jordy Smith (ZAF), 25, in their Quarterfinals clash, but was unable to surpass Slater’s rampage in the Semifinals.

“It would have been nice to go one round further and make the finals, but a third is a good result and we got sick waves throughout the event,” Florence said. “To get a third in my first event back since my injury is a good start and hopefully I can do well in Bali.”

C.J. Hobgood got the best of several scrappy heats throughout the Volcom Fiji Pro, but found some excellent barrels in his Semifinals clash against Mick Fanning. Unfortunately for Hobgood, Fanning would find a buzzer-beating wave in the final seconds of their match-up, handing Hobgood an equal 3rd place finish.

“I had some really slow heats throughout the event, but making it that far, you always want to make the final,” Hobgood said. “Mick and I actually had some good waves in that heat finally, and he just got me at the end. It’s a bummer to lose at the end of the heat like that, but congrats to Mick on the win.”

The next stop on the ASP WCT will be the Oakley Pro Bali, which holds a waiting period from June 18-29, 2013.

VOLCOM FIJI PRO FINAL:
1 – Kelly Slater (USA) 19.80
2 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.87

VOLCOM FIJI PRO SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 18.17 def. John John Florence (HAW) 14.00
SF 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) 17.07 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 16.70

VOLCOM FIJI PRO QUARTERFINALS RESULTS:
QF 1: John John Florence (HAW) 19.06 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 13.67
QF 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 20 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 4.10
QF 3: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 7.77 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 7.50
QF 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 12.13 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 11.83

The world’s best surfers returned to action today at the Volcom Fiji Pro, completing Rounds 3, 4 and 5 to determine the event’s Quarterfinalists in perfect six-to-eight foot (2 – 2.5 metre) surf at Cloudbreak.

Event No. 4 of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Volcom Fiji Pro was treated to a full day of world class ripping, setting up a possible finish for tomorrow.

Kelly Slater (USA), 41, current ASP World No. 4 and defending Volcom Fiji Pro Champion, was incredible while advancing to the Quarterfinals over Jeremy Flores (FRA), 25, and Sebastian Zietz (HAW), 25, in Round 4, earning a Perfect 10 and 9.30 for a near-excellent 19.30 out of a possible 20. Slater’s perfect score was due to a massive double-barrel, which saw the 11-time ASP World Champion drive through two deep tube sections covering the distance of the reef.

“That was unbelievable,” Slater said. “Those were some of the best waves I’ve ever had in a contest. On the 10, I was deep in the barrel and grabbed my rail, but I had to let go to get speed and then I hit the foam ball, I barely made that one. I did the turn and got another tube. On that one big one, it was so perfect and I just wanted to be in the right spot. As I was in the barrel, it spit really hard and there was lots of mist and I couldn’t see. The foamball pushed my tail up in to the wave and I just couldn’t come out the way I wanted to. I didn’t even care if I won or lost, because I’d get to surf again.”

Jordy Smith (ZAF), 25, current ASP World No. 1, got the best of a hard-fought heat against barrel-riding standout Jeremy Flores (FRA), 24, that saw a series of excellent exchanges. Flores took off on a last second wave in need of a score, but with Smith holding priority, the South African shut down Flores’ chances of exiting the barrel, solidifying his Quarterfinals position.

“That was an important heat for me,” Smith said. “Any ‘CT heat is important, but getting through Round 5 is especially important to make it to the Quarters. It’s too bad because Jeremy (Flores) is a good friend of mine and you hate to be that guy. I shouldn’t have gone on that wave at the end. I’m stoked though, I’ve never made it through to the Quarters in the South Pacific leg.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 6:30am local time for a possible finish to Volcom Fiji Pro competition.

When Volcom Fiji Pro competition resumes John John Florence will face off against Jordy Smith in Quarterfinal No. 1. Watch the Volcom Fiji Pro LIVE via www.volcomfijipro.com

VOLCOM FIJI PRO ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 4: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 14.00 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 10.50
Heat 5: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 11.60 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 10.73
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 13.87 def. Mitchel Coleborn (AUS) 11.03
Heat 7: Mick Fanning (AUS) 11.66 def. Heitor Alves (BRA) 5.67
Heat 8: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 9.67 def. Travis Logie (ZAF) 7.87
Heat 9: Josh Kerr (AUS) 10.76 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 6.13
Heat 10: Kolohe Andino (USA) 9.00 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 6.00
Heat 11: Nat Young (USA) 15.67 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 12.93
Heat 12: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.20 def. Yadin Nicol (AUS) 14.40

VOLCOM FIJI PRO ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: John John Florence (HAW) 17.43, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.43, Taj Burrow (AUS) 12.33
Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 19.30, Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 15.16, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.30
Heat 3: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 12.07, Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.83, Mick Fanning (AUS) 9.77
Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.14, Kolohe Andino (USA) 15.07, Nat Young (USA) 8.07

VOLCOM FIJI PRO ROUND 5 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.50 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 14.43
Heat 2: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 15.97 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.23
Heat 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) 18.76 def. Nat Young (USA) 7.83
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 19.53 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 14.34

UPCOMING VOLCOM FIJI PRO QUARTERFINALS MATCH UPS:
QF 1: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)
QF 2: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Sebastian Zietz (HAW)
QF 3: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Josh Kerr (AUS)
QF 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Mick Fanning (AUS)

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Virginia Beach local navigates some tubes at home before tearing into some international waters

18-year old South African surfer Slade Prestwich has won the 2013 VQS Global Champs on his Proton Step-Up! The powerful regular foot from Durban used big turns and precision barrel riding to get past runner up Deivid Silva from Brazil.

“I’m so stoked to have won this,” he said. “Thanks to all my friends back home, my sponsors, Volcom for putting on the event, and all the other guys in the comp—we’ve had the best time ever hanging out together at Smuggler’s Cove!” – Slade

Kauai’s Kamalei Alexander is never short on opinions, nor the desire to share them. From big-wave charging to growing up in the Wolf Pak, Alexander lays it all out.