Burrow and Gilmore Claim Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast, Take ASP World Title Race Leads
Taj Burrow (AUS), 33 and Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 24, claim the opening stop of the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour.
SNAPPER ROCKS, Queensland/Australia (Sunday, March 4, 2012) – The final day of the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover culminated today with perennial ASP World Title threat Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, and four-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 24, taking the respective wins in clean two-to-three foot (1 metre) waves at the primary venue of Snapper Rocks.
The opening stop on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour, the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast enjoyed sunny weather, light winds and a capacity crowd for the final day of competition, with the world’s best surfers putting on a spectacular display of high-performance surfing.
Burrow defeated dangerous South American Adriano De Souza (BRA), 25, in a Final that came down to the wire. De Souza caught a wave in the dying minutes and launched into a massive air-reverse, requiring a 7.87 out of a possible 10 to take the lead. The judges deliberated until after the siren sounded and when it was announced that De Souza came a mere 0.27 short, Burrow was chaired up the beach and declared the 2012 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast champion.
“I feel so good now!” Burrow said. “I had a really good event last year, but came up short in the Final against Kelly (Slater). Then today when I found myself against Adriano (De Souza), I was really nervous because he got me in a Final in Brazil last year. He’s really tough and I don’t like competing against him to be honest. There was a lot of weight on my shoulders in that Final so it’s pretty rewarding to come out on top.”
The ASP World Championship Tour will next head to Victoria, Australia for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, stop no. 2 of 10 in the race for the 2012 ASP World Title.
“I’ve been going for the ASP World Title for a while now,” Burrow said. “I don’t know what to say. I just want to surf my best and hope that the rest falls into place. I love Bells. I love throwing on a full wetsuit and doing some big arcs in the Bells Bowl.”
De Souza finished runner-up at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast for the second time, after coming 2nd to Joel Parkinson (AUS), 30, in 2009. De Souza was easily one of the event’s top performers this season with gouging turns and inverted aerials taking him to a podium finish.
“I’m really happy with my result here today,” De Souza said. “It was such an amazing Final. Last year Taj (Burrow) and I had such a great heat here as well. It was one of the best heats of my life and he beat me. It’s amazing to be on the podium here again. In 2009, it was me and Joel (Parkinson). It’s a great way to start the year and I’m happy to be back up here.”
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 24, four-time ASP Women’s World Champion, her fourth Roxy Pro Gold Coast title after defeating ASP Top 17 sophomore Laura Enever (AUS), 20, in a hard-fought Final. Gilmore was dominant throughout the event, posting scores in the excellent range in every encounter throughout the draw. Gilmore jumps back to No. 1 on the ASP Women’s World Championship Tour ratings, a spot she lost at this event last year after holding it for four years.
“To be carried up the beach with your friends underneath you with thousands of people around has got to be one of the best feelings in the world,” Gilmore said. “It took me back to 2005 when I won here as a grom. Last year went so quickly and it felt like I didn’t even exist on the rankings and that fire wasn’t really there. This year it’s so good to have that back! My cheeks are so sore from smiling already.”
Enever, who defeated Gilmore in the Quarterfinals of the Roxy Pro Gold Coast last year, today was unable to replicate last year’s magic but managed a career-best Runner-Up today against Gilmore. This is the first ASP Women’s World Tour final appearance for Enever, who finished 10th on last year’s ratings.
“Coming into this event I felt like a new competitor,” Enever said. “I’m so stoked to make it all the way to the Final. It was so good to be out there with Steph (Gilmore). She’s coming back now which is great to see. It’s a good way to start off the year. I’m in the ASP Women’s World Title race and it’s not a fluke. I want to be up here for the rest of the year and hopefully go one better next event.”
Kelly Slater (USA), 40, reigning 11-time ASP World Champion and last year’s Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast winner was eliminated in the Quarterfinals this morning by Josh Kerr (AUS), 27. Slater had previously defeated Kerr four times on the 2011 ASP World Championship Tour and was a favourite to take the heat today. However, it was Kerr who advanced thanks to one of a massive forehand air-reverse in the final minutes of the heat.
“If the waves were better I would be really bummed that I lost,” Slater said. “I got one at the end that I thought would be good, I went for the carving 360 and got stuck. Then I turned around and Josh (Kerr) was on a pretty nice one and he got that air at the end. He’s always going to be a threat in conditions like this where he can throw big airs. I got Josh a few times last year, we had four Quarterfinal battles last year where I got him, so he owed me a couple. It never feels good to lose, but I’m happy for Josh. I’m not sure if I’m going to Bells. I’m just going to go find some good waves in the next few weeks. Then I’ll figure out what I’m going to do for the year.”
Highlights from the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast are available via www.quiksilverlive.com/progoldcoast/2012
The next stop on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour will be the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford from April 3 – 14, 2012.
For more information, check out www.ASPWorldTour.com
QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.86
2 – Adriano De Souza (BRA) 15.60
QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 14.16 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 13.57
SF 2: Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.56 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.20
QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 16.43 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 13.73
QF 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.43 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 13.04
QF 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.56 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 11.30
QF 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.86 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.97
CURRENT ASP TOP 5 (After Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast):
1. Taj Burrow (AUS) 10,000 pts
2. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 8,000 pts
3. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 6,500 pts
3. Josh Kerr (AUS) 6,500 pts
5. Kelly Slater (USA) 5,200 pts
5. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 5,200 pts
5. Owen Wright (AUS) 5,200 pts
5. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 5,200 pts
ROXY PRO GOLD COAST FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.37
2 – Laura Enever (AUS) 14.20
ROXY PRO GOLD COAST SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Laura Enever (AUS) 16.70 def. Tyler Wright (AUS) 16.17
SF 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 18.30 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 15.00
CURRENT ASP WOMEN’S TOP 3 (After Roxy Pro Gold Coast):
1. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 10,000 pts
2. Laura Enever (AUS) 8,000 pts
3. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 6,500 pts
3. Tyler Wright (AUS) 6,500 pts
Comments
Category: All ASP News, ASP World Tour News
Hope you guys don’t censor my comment so,….At the ‘Rio Case’ last year, ASP was very quick in send an explanation letter to calm down their friends of the anglo surf comunity, So i guess we can expect that there will be an explanation letter about Taj’s 9.43 gift ? No precedent for that ??
It is also very interest to analyse the judge’s paper work on that final, classic !
There will be no judges’ perspective on the heat. We did that last year in order to introduce their perspective into the dialogue, but will not be doing so any more. We will do our best to incorporate them and their perspective more into the webcast.
They need to not make the scores official so quick and analize the best rides on a big screen and for the viewers to see even if it takes half an hour after the heat or final is finished that is the only way to do it.It may make things more drawn out but just do lots of replays and come up with a winner.The decisions are made too quickly so dumb scores are pulled out.Whether the scoring system is bias to certain competitors or the scoring system is silly or a bit of both i dont know but millions of people are watching, so it needs to be pushed into the future,the scoring system is stuck in the past its not keeping up with the progession of surfing.
The judges gave that one to Taj to appease him for the whipping that Jordy is going to give him and all the other boys on tour. Taj was overscored in the semi and final, but then so was Adriano in Brazil last year. You have got to love home ground advantage. Tell me please that judges aren’t influenced. I would like to orecommend a review system of sorts where the opposing surfer can call a review on something at the end of a wave ridden by his opposition if he feels it was over scored. Someting like a white card, as they now do in the Super Rugby. Just a thought. Bring a semblance of fairness for questions like Taj’s highest scoring rides in the semi and final. I dont think Jordy would have won the semi, but how was Taj’s ride better than his, where there was a mix of power, an air and new school flair. Taj surfed both his hig scoring rides as he surfs everything.
Jeez who do you want the 2012 title to go to ?
Old buzzard Taj or new school Lear Jet punks like Jordy ?
Great question! Please let me know…
At the ‘Rio Case’ last year, ASP was very quick in send an explanation letter to calm down their friends of the anglo surf comunity, So i guess we can expect that there will be an explanation letter about Taj’s 9.43 gift ? No precedent for that ??
It is also very interest to analyse the judge’s paper work on that final, classic !
ASP…..ASPPPPPPP…. PLEASE EXPLAIN THE 9,43.
floatergate part 2.
TAJ Doesn´t need any help to win. I think he even was a bit ashame for winning this way.
Go Adriano
Go Adriano!! Go!!!
thank god Taj won and no floaters to steal the show…..
Hi there ASP!
As a big fan of ASP and Taj Burrow I write to you to ask something.
What has Taj done on that wave, that made it so close a perfect 10?
9,43? Sure, I am not a judje, and probably mistaken something but I would like to understand better the criteria used on that wave.
Thanks
me too…
I agree with you.. I did not see the 9,43 score on Taj’s Waves…. I my guess for it was about 8,00 or less…ASP now has to be very careful about scoring, surfing is not small as used to be.. now they broadcast it live to all world. Surfing is growing and too keep it ASP has to improve their judgment and review what direction surfing should go… keep it like an amateur sport with bunch of party men controlling it or became a real professional sport.. so far it seems an ego control sport… wake up and do a better job ASP otherwise we all will suffer….
yes well the problem is is the scores should become official after the heat is finished,they should analize the top waves more, even if it takes long after the heat is finished,show the decision making on a big screen and to the viewers slow motion repeats to crown the winner of the heat ,sum decisions will be quicker or longer depending on how close the heat or the FINAL is.I think the final was very close and the way the winner was crowned was silly im not saying maybe that taj didnt win but the top rides should be analized and scrutinized more it would actually make it more exciting and more of a spectacle so it begs the question,Do the judges and the asp actually push for a certain surfer to win,im not saying that the tour is corrupt but the problem is is the judges just pull out scores and there is no chance of a fair protest thats why the judging needs to be improved .They just pull out illigitimate scores for unknown reasons to me.The scores become official during the heat,the best waves should be shown to the public and come up with a winner for everyone to see.
Hi there,
Sorry to see that Taj could get so overscored in most of the waves at the final, I love his style, and I honestly think he deserves a WT, but not that way….judges need to really stay cool minded under the crowd pressure….its part of their job.
Cheers.
A
Yeah, I agree and I am too a fan. Thought Adriano should have won it.
I see it very similar to what happened in Brazil last year when Adriano won after a single manouver. Some said that wave was overrated. I am brazilian and I can imagine how hard it is to be a judge, so I am not going to say that the 9,43 was unfair. But…what I do not understand is why that score from Adriano in Rio deserved an official explanation on ASP website and now…silence. Was it because there were too many aussies complaining?
How does World Champ Taj Burrow sound? If there is a fair and honest God who loves beer…
Kerr is by far the toughest and in 2012, the most well rounded surfer on the tour, in my opinion. Hard guys to beat at home, where he has surfed since he was 6 years old. Have no doubt that Slater has already calculated every possible option and equation to this loss. Congrats to Taj, with a win well earned. Good show. 12x in 2012! Go Kelly, Go!
kelly slater already playing mind games. C’mon Kelly, free choice is a great thing but if you were being true to yourself and to surfing, you would never make a comment like this. I can understand you asking that ultimate question, Who am I? My suggestion to all other competitors, whether Kelly turns up or not is irrelevant, the only thing that matters is how you prepare, how you focus, how you synchronise with the swell. I wish Kelly and all others peace withinside themselves and thank them for sharing with us just how wonderful the art of surfboard riding truly is. All THe best
dave
Ah, no, Steph is not the reigning women’s World Champion! What clown wrote that? I thought Carissa was World Champ ….
Come on kelly! Go to bells. You are too good to leave now.