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(click for full-size)
Event Site
Full-Size (20k)
Lisa Andersen
Full-Size (28k)
Shane Dorian
Full-Size (20k)
Simon Nicholson
Full-Size (31k)
Taylor Knox
Full-Size (30k)
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Garcia Wins, Beachley Loses on First Day |
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• Scedule of Events • Official Results Round 1: Men | Women • Round 2 Results & Photos • Round 3 Results & Photos • Round 4 Results & Photos • Bluetorch Pro Men's Final Results * Layne Beachley Crowned Champion of the Women's Elleven Pro Additional Coverage: Bluetorch.com Huntington Beach, California (Wednesday, July 19, 2000)- Current ratings leader Sunny Garcia (Haw) today showed no loss of hunger for this years’ world title, comfortably winning his first round heat to progress straight into round three of the Bluetorch Pro. The event marks the sixth stop on the 2000 World Championship Tour (WCT), while being the first to enter North American waters.Garcia, 30, has lead the title race since the season’s onset, when he won back-to-back events in Australia, though he has lost in the fourth round of the past three tournaments. In shifty 2-foot (0.5m) conditions south of the famous Huntington Pier, he started his 25-minute heat strongly to dominate wildcard opponent Dean Randazzo (USA) and Michael Lowe (Aus).“Unfortunately in my heat there wasn’t too much,” explained Garcia afterward. “I just sat where I usually sit each year, right near the pier, and I got two lefts and a right. I found three waves at the beginning and had a little more time to sit around and wait for waves, while the other guys were scrambling. I got lucky. They didn’t need much, but there wasn’t a lot out there.“I’m definitely going to get past ninth in this event; I’m confident,” exclaimed the proud Hawaiian. “The last event I broke my two favourite boards before it and wasn’t able to get a good board. Yesterday my shaper made me a board and glassed it, then brought it to me today and that’s what I rode then and it works really good, so I’m happy to have a board for small waves.”Current world champion Mark Occhilupo (Aus) wasn’t so fortunate in the testing conditions, being beaten by South African wildcard entrant Simon Nicholson. ‘Occy’ will now meet Joca Junior (Brz), another wildcard, in their ‘Sudden-Death’ round-two match-up.“It was a bit too inconsistent and there weren’t many waves,” said Occhilupo. “I wanted to have the inside position, but the kid got it off me and found a good wave at the start. I had nothing really, expect for an eight, and I didn’t need much, but nothing came through. Not much happened in that heat (laughs).”Nicholson, 19, earned his spot in the event after being the highest non-WCT surfer rated on the US Panasonic Shockwave Tour, which he is currently leading. Up against the world champ and Shea Lopez (USA) today he seized the opportunity, securing one of the better rides to take the win. “I’m stoked at beating Occy and Shea,” said an out-of-breath Nicholson. “I think I got lucky with the waves, as it was a really bad heat as far as waves go, so that’s all I can put it down to. It’s quite intimidating surfing with Occy and we had a few words out there, but anyway… I’m stoked. It’s the best place to do well at.”Californian Rob Machado was the day’s standout surfer, racking up the highest single wave score of 9.0 out-of-a possible 10-points, to amass the highest combined total of 23.0-points. Against world number-two Taj Burrow (Aus) and explosive Hawaiian Andy Irons, Machado skated across sections with amazing speed and precision for the win.“It’s always nice to be back here, it’s close to home,” reasoned Machado. “I get to sleep in my own bed and drive up and listen to some music and surf Huntington.“Anytime you have those guys you know it’s going to be a good heat,” he continued. “Those guys are both incredible surfers and you’ve just got to go out there and get nuts. I just figured why not? It’s the first round and we’re only here for a week, so I’ll just get crazy.”Defending event champion Neco Padaratz (Brz), who won last year as a wildcard, also surfed good today, defeating Cory Lopez (USA) and fellow Brazilian Renan Rocha. While Jake Paterson, winner of the recent Billabong MSF Pro at Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, failed to continue his roll, losing to Hawaiian Conan Hayes.Current two-time world champion Layne Beachley (Aus) lost her opening heat in the Elleven Pro Women’s tournament today, being defeated by wildcard opponent Prue Jeffries (Aus). In the last heat of the day, after conditions had steadily deteriorated, Beachley was unable to find the 5.8-point ride she needed at the end, and will now have to compete round two, while Jeffries advances into the third.Jeffries, a member of the top 15 women in ’99, suffered a knee-injury early on during the year, and was unable to compete after the Huntington event. A year later, however, she is back in the same event causing a major upset. “I was watching before the heat and thought I might get a few better waves out the back further down the beach on the lefts,” Jeffries explained. “I sat there while Layne stayed closer to the pier. I was just lucky, I guess, there weren’t many out there.“This is the first WCT I’ve surfed since last year when I hurt my knee here,” she added. “I didn’t know what to do out there, it’s been so long (laughs).”Also defeated today was four-time world champion Lisa Andersen (USA), losing a close-match to Australian Kate Skarratt. Fellow Australian Trudy Todd did likewise against Hawaiian Keala Kennelly, as did another Aussie, Neridah Falconer, to Brazilian Tita Tavares.Tavares, who managed a 7.75-point ride against Falconer, was the highest scorer in women’s round one, with the diminutive Tavares also finishing with the highest combined score of the heats surfed.The remaining four women’s heats of round one will commence tomorrow’s surfing action. Looking for more surfing Web resources? Visit GravityDex.
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