Top Seeds Survive Tough Conditions at ASP 6-Star Billabong Girls Azores Islands Pro
The ASP 6-Star Billabong Girls Azores Islands Pro completed the remaining six heats of Round One of competition with all Top Seeds advancing in tough wind affected 3ft waves at Praia de Santa Barbara. An afternoon call for a possible start to Round Two of competition proved fruitless as gale force off-shore winds continued to batter the event site. The ASP PRIME Billabong Azores Islands Pro was postponed this morning as action remained focused on the final ASP women’s event of the season.
Young Kiwi sensation, Sarah Mason (Gisborne, NZL) 16, took top honours for the day punching out a combination of strong forehand snaps to register an 8.17 (out of 10) the highest single-wave score of the event. The explosive goofy-footer adjusted to conditions as the heat progressed to find her best scoring rides in the later part of the clash.
“It is really difficult out there and you have to paddle really hard to get into the waves but if you can get one you get the good scores. I was building in my heat and it was hard to get used to the conditions. It has been quite nice the last few days so hopefully it will get back to those kinds of conditions.”
Mason, ranked nº8 on the Star tour, is hoping to cap off a sensational year and qualify for the 2012 ASP Women’s World Tour. Another solid result here would guarantee her spot and the chance to come up against the world’s best female surfers.
“It is in the back of my mind for sure but I am taking it heat by heat and looking for a good result here for sure. I would love to make the World tour next year so we will see what happens.”
Fellow Kiwi, Paige Hareb (Taranaki, NZL) 21, had a convincing win to advance along with Freya Prumm (AUS) in a controlled heat which she dominated from the very outset. Opening up with a solid 6.83 (out of 10), Hareb then hooked into a peeling right peak to let loose a combination of two backhand smashes to receive a 7.67 and a combined two-wave heat total of 14.50 (out of 20) the highest of the contest.
“It is a bit like days in New Zealand sometimes. (laughs) It was hard to see on a few of the waves and a bit of luck was involved out there with so much wind. You had to get waves and I was lucky to get through for sure. The swell is good today but unfortunately we now have the wind. Hopefully we will get at least a couple of good days during the contest.”
Hareb, who was a member of the elite 2011 ASP Women’s World Tour, is also on the verge of re-qualifying for 2012. Her experienced gained this year on the world stage has helped pull her through the difficult heats and has placed her in a great position to once again mix it with the best female surfers on the planet in 2012.
“I am right up there on the bubble to re-qualify again for next year but I don’t really want to risk my results in these kinds of conditions and have it come down to luck of the draw. We should get better waves and then the best on the day will win the heats.”
Pauline Ado (Hendaye, FRA) found her feet as the 25-minute heat progressed to follow the pattern of many of today’s competitors with their best scores coming late in the heat. Adjusting to the strong winds took time and Ado controlled the situation to perfection finding lefts and rights to eventually advance in a comfortable position.
“The waves pretty small and it is hard to get some speed up on the face. A lot of times I got caught out too deep and couldn’t make the section. I think we are surprised at the beginning because it is so windy and then we start to make a better wave selection and that is definitely when you get the good scores. In the second half of the heat I got some waves and it was enough to make the heat. So I am happy.”
Lakey Peterson (Santa Barbara, USA) 16, pulled some lightening fast backhand snaps on a punchy left peak to rack up the points and finish ahead of current ASP World Junior champion Alizee Arnaud (FRA) who both advance into Round Two. Peterson explored the peeling rights on several occasions to no avail as the strong winds halted her progress. She finally settled on surfing the favourable lefts which proved the winning edge.
“I was a little bit stressed out in the beginning. The wind is so tricky and when it is small like this as well it makes it hard to navigate but I found a little left towards the end. I tried a bunch of rights at the beginning and it just wasn’t working and I was getting blown off the face. Going left, the wind is going with you opposed to blowing at you so I got a couple of lefts and it was a lot easier to surf.”
“I was looking at the swell forecast this morning and the swell forecast is meant to back off a little bit so it is a good call,” continued Peterson on the decision to hold off because of the wind. “It is definitely contestable. There are still some fun waves but the wind makes it really tricky so hopefully that dies down and everyone can just have a good time.”
A first call will be made at 7.30am tomorrow Wednesday, September 28, 2011 for both the ASP PRIME Billabong Azores Islands Pro and the ASP 6-Star Billabong Girls Azores Islands Pro where event officials will decide on the running order for day 3 of the official waiting period.
For all TV feeds and interviews log onto: ftp://billabong.serveftp.com name: ftp pass: surf2011
The ASP 6-Star Billabong Girls Azores Islands Pro and the ASP PRIME Billabong Azores Islands Pro are scheduled from September 26 to October 2, 2011. For more information, and all upcoming results, photos, video highlights, press releases and LIVE webcast log-on to; www.aspeurope.com
