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(click for full-size)
Sunny Garcia
Full-Size (25k)
Layne Beachley
Full-Size (29k)
Beachley & Redman
Full-Size (27k)
Melanie Redman
Full-Size (26k)
Bluetorch Fair
Full-Size (26k)
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Garcia Breaks Fourth Round Curse To Advance To Quarter-Finals |
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• Scedule of Events • Round 1 Results & Photos • Round 2 Results & Photos • Round 3 Results & Photos • Official Results Round 4: Men | Women • Bluetorch Pro Men's Final Results * Layne Beachley Crowned Champion of the Women's Elleven Pro Additional Coverage: Bluetorch.com Huntington Beach, California (Saturday, July 22, 2000)- Current rating's leader Sunny Garcia (Haw) today broke the string of
ninth place finishes he has encountered the past three World Championship
Tour (WCT) events, eliminating American Shane Beschen in a nail-biting
fourth round clash. Beschen took an early lead and was surfing great,
but a rare barrel ride from Garcia toward the end earned him 7.75-points
and swung the lead his way. In the final minutes both surfers caught additional
waves, but their scores had no effect on the outcome."I was nervous all day knowing I had Beschen and I went out and
surfed pretty nervously," admitted Garcia afterward. "I made a
couple of mistakes and needed a score, then in the middle of the heat a
right-hand peak came which looked perfect, but when I went to bottom turn
I slipped. I thought that was the end of it, but I put my head down and
took a couple of deep breaths and told myself I still had 10-minutes and
could get three waves. Fortunately I got a good barrel and they (the
judges) gave me a good score. That was kind of the end of it. Beschen got
a good wave at the end and made it close, but at the end of the heatit just
wasn't enough. I thought they were going to give him more, but luckily for
me no more waves came in."Now that I got past the ninth I feel a lot more comfortable and won't
be surfing as nervous," he reasoned. "I think I've got Kalani
(Robb) now, so hopefully I'll have a good heat and kick his young
butt."Current world number-two Luke Egan (Aus) wasn't as fortunate in the next
heat, however, being eliminated by American Tim Curran. Curran, the world
number-six, dominated the 25-minute clash from the onset, racking up two
solid scoring rides, as well as landing a big aerial maneuver."I've looked up to Luke since I was a little kid," explained
22-year-old Curran. "I knew I had to be patient out there. I would
have liked to have beaten him in perfect waves at a place like Tavarua
(Fiji), but I feel good."I knew I had to do something big," he said in regard to the
aerial, a move judges are rewarding more under the new criteria that was
implemented at the start of the 2000 season. "Surfing is changing
and progressing, so we had to look at it and change the way we judge surfing.
Everyone's doing airs these days, even the older guys."American Rob Machado posted the highest combined heat score of the day
in his highly anticipated match with the event's 1998 winner Andy Irons
(Haw). Both competitors put on a fantastic showing, with Machado's light-footed
surfing helping him to make connecting sections for additional points
and progress another round."It was a little inconsistent, so you really had to try and get
the right waves," explained Machado. "I got a couple that linked
through really nice and were about waist high. I could get speed and even
do a turn on them. The judges like to see a strong finishing maneuver."Andy's no slouch out here," offered Machado about his opponent.
"He won back-to-back events out here a couple of years ago. He can't
be taken lightly, you've just got to go out and try and win every heat.
Everyone in the top 44 is capable."Defending event champion Neco Padaratz (Brz) also progressed to the quarter-finals,
after eliminating Australian Todd Prestage. Padaratz won the event as
a wildcard in 1999, and is looking just as ominous leading into tomorrow's
final day."It was another good heat," Padaratz said. "The waves
weren't that good, but still ride able. Todd is a really good surfer,
so it's good to get a win. I'm just trying to do a good job and get through
heats."The Elleven Pro Women's final is about to be decided between Australians
Layne Beachley and Melanie Redman. A press release will follow shortly
afterward. Looking for more surfing Web resources? Visit GravityDex.
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