Hawaiians Lead Top Seeds at ASP 4-Star Quiksilver Pro Puerto Escondido
Clay Marzo (HAW) had the highest heat-total on day 3 of Quiksilver Pro Puerto Escondido competition.
PUERTO ESCONDIDO, Oaxaca / Mexico (Saturday, July 23, 2011) – Day 3 of the ASP 4-Star Quiksilver Pro Puerto Escondido saw Hawaiian surfers lead the majority of the top-seeded heats while Mexican Dylan Southworth (Sayulita, MEX), 21, took the day’s top honors with a near perfect barrel.
After completing the first eight heats of the Round of 64 in clean three-to-five foot waves, event organizers called competition off due to the declining nature of the swell at Playa Zicatela.
Dylan Southworth matched the highest single-wave score of Quiksilver Pro Puerto Escondido competition when he drove through a deep barrel and survived a tricky exit to take a near-perfect 9.57 out of 10 and a Round 3 victory in his action-packed heat.
“I saw Kevin (Sullivan) take off before me and I knew there was going to be one coming,” Southworth said. “I waited and saw that one line up and started pumping through it. I was right at the doggy door and just came out, it was a good one.”
Southworth looks at his opening round success as redemption after he suffered a disappointing loss at the Copa Quiksilver El Salvador earlier this month and hopes to maintain his momentum with the support of the passionate Mexican crowd behind him.
“It feels good to do well close to home,” Southworth said. “You have good heats and bad heats. When I was in El Salvador, I lost in the last 30 seconds. Here, you have the crowd rooting for you and I feel focused.”
Clay Marzo (Maui, HI), 22, who won the inaugural Quiksilver Pro Puerto Escondido in 2009, missed last year’s event due to injury. The innovative Hawaiian returned this year in striking form to put together an impeccable display of technical barrel-rides and progressive turns to take day’s highest heat-total of 16.16 out of 20 while advancing through to the Round of 32.
“I love Puerto,” Marzo said. “The waves just like home and I always have fun down here.”
Tanner Hendrickson (Paia, HI), 19, was another Hawaiian to unveil his well rounded skills of both technical barrel-rides and powerful turns to take a convincing Round of 64 victory.
“The conditions are tough, but this wave is so good that even when it’s small like this there are still little barrels,” Hendrickson said. “The swell is rising in a couple of days and I’m sure it’s going to be pumping for the next round.”
Hendrickson, who is visiting Puerto Escondido for the first time, is excited at the opportunity to surf one of Mexico’s most iconic waves while gathering points towards his ASP World Ranking.
“This is my first trip down here, but I love it,” Hendrickson said. “I’m probably going to try and come back every year. I’m so stoked to have the three 4-Stars that Quiksilver has put on. It helps a lot for someone in my position.”
Casey Brown (Kona, HI), 23, locked in to a draining forehand barrel to notch an excellent 8-point ride before unloading a combination of backside turns on his second wave to contribute to the Hawaiian domination in the Round of 64.
“I’m stoked to make my first heat,” Brown said. “It’s small Puerto, but it’s still really fun. We’re getting barreled even though it’s three feet and having fun. Clay (Marzo) passed on the mojo straight to me in that heat.”
Top seeded surfer Thiago Camarao (BRA), 23, was responsible for the local upset of the event when he defeated defending event champion David Rutherford (Puerto Escondido, MEX), 28, in the last heat of the day.
With minimal surf expected for tomorrow and an excellent forecast for the coming days, event organizers are calling a lay day for tomorrow and will reconvene Monday, July 25 at 6:30am for a possible 7am start.
The ASP 4-Star Quiksilver Pro Puerto Escondido holds a waiting period from July 21 through 28, 2011.
For live coverage of the Quiksilver Pro Puerto Escondido as well as all media downloads log on to www.quiksilver.com/puerto
For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com or www.aspnorthamerica.org
Quiksilver PE Pro Round of 64 Results:
Heat 1: Clay Marzo (HAW) 16.16, Cristobal De Col (PER) 12.00, Brian Toth (PRI) 7.83, Hunter Lysaught (USA) 6.60
Heat 2: Casey Brown (HAW) 13.33, Magnum Martinez (VEN) 8.37, Skip McCullough (USA) 7.94, Vinicius Fomari (BRA) 3.44
Heat 3: Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 9.67, Hank Gaskell (HAW) 7.66, Gabriel Villaran (PER) 5.73, Keoni Nozaki (HAW) 3.47
Heat 4: Tanner Hendrickson (HAW) 11.40, Adrien Toyon (REU) 10.46, Chad Jackson (HAW) 9.53, Trin Schloot (USA) 8.80
Heat 5: Dylan Southworth (MEX) 13.27, Kevin Sullivan (HAW) 13.17, Guillermo Satt (CHL) 5.40, Danny Fuller (HAW) 3.52
Heat 6: Cory Arrambide (USA) 9.40, Alvaro Malpartida (PER) 6.90, Keanu Asing (HAW) 6.76, Vinicius Fomari (BRA) 3.44
Heat 7: Manuel Selman (CHL) 12.23, Jesse Merle-Jones (HAW) 10.47, Balaram Stack (USA) 8.80, Adan Hernandez (MEX) 6.56
Heat 8: Thiago Camarao (BRA)13.00, Eric McHenry (USA) 10.76, David Rutherford (MEX) 3.67, Landon McNamara (HAW) 3.60
Comments
Category: All ASP News, ASP Star News
