IMBITUBA, Brazil (Sunday, Nov. 4, 2007) – Current World No. 3 Taj Burrow (AUS) will join 2007 Foster's ASP World Title campaigners Mick Fanning (AUS) and Kelly Slater (USA) in Round 3 after winning his Round 1 Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro heat this morning.
The remaining six heats of Round 1 and the first six heats of Round 2 were completed in Imbituba before uncooperative winds forced officials to call off competition for the remainder of the day. Burrow beat local surfer Marco Polo (BRA) and Luke Stedman (AUS) in the first heat of the day.
"I had a really shaky start, I felt a bit clumsy," Burrow said. "This is probably the earliest I've surfed since I've been here so I just didn't feel too warmed-up. Plus, I was way too hot, the water was so warm and I way too hot in my wetsuit, I was getting the hottest head, so that kind of put me in a bit of a fluster. I thought I was going to be surfing in the 33rd round for sure and was fine with it. I just figured I'd wear my boardshorts and be fine."
With just seconds on the clock, Burrow caught a wave, got a score, and avoided Round 2 altogether.
"I put everything I had into this right and got a 9.33 and then realized I just needed a 6.00 and it's pretty easy to get a 6.00 out there – the waves are pretty good," Burrow said." I tried once, got a 5.9 and then with just seconds left I picked up a wide one the other guys were sitting too deep for and got the job done with a 6.80. It worked out fine in the end, but I was a little flustered at the start."
Burrow must finish a round ahead of current ratings leader Mick Fanning (AUS) to stay in contention for the world title and was relieved to stay in the game with his win today.
"Mick and Kelly were one step ahead getting to surf their heats yesterday when I had to surf my heat today so that is always a little bit frustrating," Burrow said. "But its fine, I'm there now."
Shaun Cansdell (AUS) also found his way into Round 3 after posting the day's highest heat total (17.10 out of 20.00) and sending rookies Royden Bryson (ZAF) and Josh Kerr (AUS) to Round 2. Cansdell is rated 40th on the Foster's ASP World Tour and 19th on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS), which means he needs to place in the Top 26 on the elite tour or Top 16 on the WQS if he hopes to requalify for next year.
"The way I see it, the year is not over, it hasn't finished yet," Cansdell said. "I could get on roll and have a win, who knows. I'm just going to go for it and see what happens. I'm looking pretty good on the WQS, so I probably have a better chance on that tour, but I'm going to give it my best on this one too because I have nothing to lose – I'll just give it a shot on both."
World No. 6 Bobby Martinez (USA) beat wildcard Guga Arruda (BRA) in the first heat of Round 2 to keep his Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro aspirations alive. Martinez won the last event on the Foster's ASP World Tour in Spain, but was forced to surf Round 2 after finishing last in his Round 1 heat yesterday.
"I put that last event behind me, because I don't live in that place any more, I'm here and it's a new day, there's a new event underway," Martinez said. "I've been in the 33rd round before this year and last year and it's stressful anytime you're in that round, coming off a win or not, you don't want to be there."
Only one of 10 wildcards in the event have successfully eliminated a Top 45 surfer thus far. Marco Polo (BRA) beat World No. 9 Pancho Sullivan (HAW) in Round 2 today. Four other Brazilian wildcards, Guga Arruda (BRA), Fabio Carvalho (BRA), Diego Rosa (BRA) and Fabio Gouveia (BRA), were eliminated but full-time campaigners Leonardo Neves (BRA) Neco Padaratz (BRA) and Raoni Monteiro (BRA) all advanced to Round 3 after winning their Round 1 heats.
Monteiro beat CJ Hobgood (USA) and former Foster's ASP World Tour surfer Peterson Rosa (BRA) today.
"It was a good heat for me," Monteiro said. "I got two good waves but in the end I was kind of lucky because in three man heats you can't put pressure on the other guys because there is no priority. Those guys only needed a 7.00 but for the last four minutes the wave didn't come. I'm feeling pretty good about this contest and getting straight into the third round."
Another call on competition status will be made tomorrow morning at 7am. Log onto www.aspworldtour.com and http://www.hangloose.com.br/hangloosepro for more.
Today's Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro Round 2 Results:
Heat 1: Bobby Martinez (USA) 13.00 def. Guga Arruda (BRA) 9.83
Heat 2: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.67 def. Fabio Carvalho (BRA) 9.16
Heat 3: Marco Polo (BRA) 12.17 def. Pancho Sullivan (HAW) 5.34
Heat 4: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 12.07 def. Diego Rosa (BRA) 10.00
Heat 5: Tom Whitaker (AUS) 13.17 def. Fabio Gouveia (BRA) 9.00
Heat 6: Michael Campbell (AUS) 10.00 def. Simao Romao (BRA) 8.07
Upcoming Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro Round 2 Match-Ups:
Heat 7: Royden Bryson (ZAF) vs. Jihad Khodr (BRA)
Heat 8: Chris Ward (USA) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 9: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Peterson Rosa (BRA)
Heat 10: Bruce Irons (HAW) vs. Mark Occhilupo (AUS)
Heat 11: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Victor Ribas (BRA)
Heat 12: Luke Stedman (AUS) vs. Troy Brooks (AUS)
Heat 13: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Josh Kerr (AUS)
Heat 14: Phillip MacDonald (AUS) vs. Bernardo Miranda (BRA)
Heat 15: Greg Emslie (ZAF) vs. Cory Lopez (USA)
Heat 16: Ricky Basnett (ZAF) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW
Today's Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro Round 1 Results:
Heat 10: Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.20, Marco Polo (BRA) 15.33, Luke Stedman (AUS) 11.34
Heat 11: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 12.27, CJ Hobgood (USA) 9.30, Peterson Rosa (BRA) 7.63
Heat 12: Gabe Kling (USA) 12.17, Tom Whitaker (AUS) 10.40, Bernardo Miranda (BRA) 9.97
Heat 13: Leonardo Neves (BRA) 11.74, Mark Occhilupo (AUS) 8.34, Michael Campbell (AUS) 7.50
Heat 14: Shaun Cansdell (AUS) 17.10, Royden Bryson (ZAF) 12.50, Josh Kerr (AUS) 9.50
Heat 15: Dayyan Neve (AUS) 13.66, Chris Ward (USA) 8.37, Troy Brooks (AUS) 6.53
Heat 16: Neco Padaratz (BRA) 11.33, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 10.60, Victor Ribas (BRA) 10.07
*Foster's ASP World Tour Title Scenarios heading into the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro:
Please note that in all scenarios below, both Burrow and Slater will need to win the Billabong Pipeline Masters as well, even if Mick Fanning gets a 33rd in Hawaii.
• If Mick Fanning wins in Brazil he clinches the World Title.
• If Fanning gets 2nd, Taj Burrow needs to win the event and Kelly Slater is out of the race.
• If Fanning gets 3rd, Burrow needs a 2nd and Slater is out of the race.
• If Fanning gets 5th, Burrow needs a 3rd and Slater needs a 1st.
• If Fanning gets 9th, Burrow needs a 5th and Slater needs a 2nd.
• If Fanning gets 17th, Burrow needs a 9th and Slater needs a 3rd.
• If Fanning gets 33rd, Burrow needs a 9th and Slater needs a 3rd.
Burrow and Slater will need to count on a 17th or 33rd finish from Fanning in Brazil and place as high as possible in the same event (Burrow higher than 9th and Slater higher than 3rd - to be in better title contention (not needing a win) going into Hawaii.
E.g.: If Fanning gets a 17th in Brazil and Burrow gets a 5th, then with a 2nd place in Hawaii Burrow would win the title if Fanning gets a 17th or worse at Pipe.
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