Bruce Irons Wins 2008 Rip Curl Pro Search ‘Somewhere’ in Indonesia

SOMEWHERE, Indonesia (Sunday, August 3, 2008) – Bruce Irons (HAW) has defeated fellow finalist Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) to claim the 2008 Rip Curl Pro Search in rifling four-foot (1.5 metre) lefthanders ‘somewhere’ in Indonesia.

Stop No. 6 of 11 on the 2008 ASP World Tour, the Rip Curl Pro Search saw a marathon day of action capped off by a stunning barrel shootout finale between the young Hawaiians.

Irons, who took down reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) and Dream Tour sophomore Ben Dunn (AUS) en route to his Finals berth, came from behind in last 10 minutes of the event, grabbing an 8.33 and a 9.33 to scalp his first ASP World Tour victory.

“One of my goals when I joined the Tour was to win an event and I wasn’t sure if it was going to happen since I’ll be stepping away after this season,” Irons said. “But the waves pumped this event! This is what the Dream Tour should be like all the time. I’m definitely stepping away from the ASP Tour at the end of this year, but I’m not retiring. I’m still planning on competing at Pipeline and Teahupoo and at venues that I can get into.”

The progressive natural-footer eased into the Final against Patacchia grabbing small scores before unleashing a fury of backhand tubes and commited re-entries over dry reef to take the win and move into No. 10 on the ASP World Tour ratings.

“I was tripping out in the water when they kept announcing Fred (Patacchia) and I in the Final – you never hear that,” Irons said. “It was all business though. This is only the second time I’ve ever made one on Tour and I wasn’t about to let it go. I was trying my hardest out there.”

Irons maintains the family monopoly on Rip Curl Pro Search events, joining older brother Andy, who has two Rip Curl Pro Search titles (2006, 2007) under his belt already.

“My brother has won this event twice and all I could think about in the Final is how I wanted that trophy,” Irons said. “The thing is sick! It was a great event and we’re going to have a huge party tonight!”

Patacchia was in stunning form all event, netting high scores and eliminating top seeds before coming up short in the Final.

“Bruce (Irons) and I are good friends but we were super competitive in that Final,” Patacchia said. “Both of us wanted to win and we were hassling and trash-talking and everything. I had one wave at the start, but Bruce got two bombs towards the end and I could tell he was really gunning for it.”

After suffering an injury early in the season, Patacchia has since rebounded, finishing equal 9th in Fiji and Jeffreys Bay before his runner-up finish ‘somewhere’ Indonesia. The stylish goofy-footer now sits at No. 14 on the ASP World Tour.

“It feels great to come back after a slow start to the year,” Patacchia said. “The waves were so good for this event and I’m bummed I didn’t win, but to have Bruce (Irons) there and since he’s stepping away, it feels good that we kept the title within Hawaii.”

Chris Ward (USA) was another who was in blazing form all day, eliminating former three-time ASP World Champion and two-time defending Rip Curl Pro winner (2006, 2007) Andy Irons (HAW) and 2007 ASP World Tour runner-up Taj Burrow (AUS) before coming up short against an in-form Irons.

“I’m not even bummed,” Ward said. “If I had come out of that one barrel, then I would have been in the Final, but I’ve had a great day and a 3rd place finish really helps me this year. The next event is in my backyard, Lower Trestles, and I’m pretty confident out there. I’ll be spending a lot of time preparing for that event, but first I am going to enjoy this magical island and all the beautiful waves it has to offer.”

Tiago Pires (PRT), 2008 Dream Tour rookie, put in the best performance of his young career, dispatching of eight-time ASP World Champion and current ratings leader Kelly Slater (USA) in Round 3 before rampaging through to an equal 3rd place finish.

“This is the best result of my career and it takes the pressure off of me to get a 3rd at the halfway point this season,” Pires said. “I don’t know what it will do to the ratings, but it should help me and give me a better seed going into Lower Trestles. I have a pretty busy summer. I am doing all the ASP WQS events in Europe so it is a lot of surfing for me coming up.”

All Rip Curl Pro Search videos, photos and news are available via http://live.ripcurl.com/

With the early elimination of the majority of top seeds on the Dream Tour, current ratings leader Kelly Slater (USA) maintains a healthy lead on this year’s ASP World Title race.

The next stop on the 2008 ASP World Tour will be the Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley at Lower Trestles, California from September 7 – 13, 2008.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

RIP CURL PRO SEARCH FINAL RESULTS
1 – Bruce Irons (HAW) 17.66
2 – Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 11.16

RIP CURL PRO SEARCH SEMIFINAL RESULTS
SF 1: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 10.16 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 8.50
SF 2: Bruce Irons (HAW) 13.70 def. Chris Ward (USA) 13.50

RIP CURL PRO SEARCH QUARTERFINAL RESULTS
QF 1: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 16.50 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 14.17
QF 2: Tiago Pires (PRT) 12.00 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 11.34
QF 3: Bruce Irons (HAW) 19.40 def. Ben Dunn (AUS) 9.67
QF 4: Chris Ward (USA) 16.34 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.90

RIP CURL PRO SEARCH ROUND 4 RESULTS
Heat 1: Kai Otton (AUS) 11.67 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 10.67
Heat 2: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 19.50 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.40
Heat 3: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 10.00 def. Bobby Martinez (USA) 6.30
Heat 4: Tiago Pires (PRT) 13.77 def. Dayyan Neve (AUS) 5.06
Heat 5: Bruce Irons (HAW) 10.84 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 10.83
Heat 6: Ben Dunn (AUS) 15.97 def. Mikael Picon (FRA) 12.37
Heat 7: Taj Burrow (AUS) 12.43 def. Dean Morrison (AUS) 11.83
Heat 8: Chris Ward (USA) 18.17 def. Andy Irons (HAW) 11.33

CURRENT ASP WORLD TOUR TOP 10 AFTER STOP NO. 6
1 – Kelly Slater (USA) 5620 points
2 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 4548 points
3 – Bede Durbidge (AUS) 4382 points
4 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 4370 points
5 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 4353 points
6 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 3950 points
7 – Andy Irons (HAW) 3938 points
8 – C.J. Hobgood (USA) 3870 points
9 – Bobby Martinez (USA) 3628 points
10 – Bruce Irons (HAW) 3392 points

Photos and Text Courtesy ASP/Covered Images

Tiago Pires takes out The Champ.

Rip Curl Pro Search Somewhere
Stop No. 6 of 11 on the 2008 ASP World Tour
Somewhere, Indonesia
July 30 – August 10, 2008

Rookie Pires Bests ASP Ratings Leader Slater in Rip Curl Pro Search Round 3

SOMEWHERE, Indonesia (Saturday, August 2, 2008) – Tiago Pires (PRT), 2008 Dream Tour rookie and current No. 39 on the ASP World Tour ratings, caused a sensational upset today, eliminating eight-time ASP World Champion and current ratings leader on the ASP World Tour, Kelly Slater (USA), from Rip Curl Pro Search competition in Round 3.

Running in solid six foot (2 metre) waves at the primary venue ‘somewhere’ in Indonesia, Round 3 of the Rip Curl Pro Search was treated to some fantastic performances, none moreso than Pires’ come-from-behind victory over Slater. Needing a 7.16 in the dying moments, Pires watched a priority-holding Slater take the first wave of the set, leaving the European to pig-dog an incredible backdoor pit for an 8.40 and the win.

“There were two waves at the end of that heat and he went on the first one and I took the second and it turned out to be a really good wave,” Pires said. “When I came out of the barrel and into the channel, everyone was screaming. This is the biggest win of my career. I have won a few ASP WQS events, but to beat Slater here in these conditions is amazing.”

Pires’ victory was well celebrated on the cliff by several members of the ASP Top 45 as the young Portuguese surfer is the first Dream Tour competitor to defeat Slater in 2008.

“When I came up through the cave it felt like I won the event,” Pires said. “There were so many people screaming and cheering. It felt really good. I guess it’s a big deal that no one else had beat him this year, but I’ve been training hard and I hope to be going much further in this event.”

Slater, who has won a staggering four out of five events thus far on the 2008 ASP World Tour, was gracious in his defeat, congratulating his opponent while considering his tactical mistake.

“I knew I shouldn’t have gone on that first wave,” Slater said. “Congratulations to Tiago (Pires) as he surfed really well. He’s definitely not one who I underestimate and he is probably one of the best barrel-riders in the world. It was one of those situations that I played through in my head about a minute before it actually happened, but that happens from time to time. Before the contest started, I said my luck would have to run out somewhere and I guess it was here.”

Still sitting with a comfortable lead in the race for the 2008 ASP World Title, Slater will regroup and look towards the next event at Lower Trestles, California in September.

“It’s an unfortunate result here – no one likes a 17th,” Slater said. “However we get two throwaways and when I do that, I’m still counting four wins this year which is pretty good. Lowers has always been a good venue for me. It feels like my backyard and it is typically one where I do really well. You can never discount any one in any heat though, these are the best surfers in the world and they’re all dangerous.”

Mick Fanning (AUS), reigning ASP World Champion and former Rip Curl Pro Search winner (2005), competed immediately following Slater’s elimination, comfortably advancing past Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) 16.34 to 3.90.

“Our heat was so slow for waves it was unbelievable,” Fanning said. “I was in the water at the end of Slater and Tiago’s heat and when Tiago (Pires) came out of the barrel, the entire cliff erupted and I thought, ‘wow, that sure isn’t for us because nothing has happened yet.’ Fortunately a few rolled through and I was in position to capitalize. I’m happy to be moving through to Round 4.”

Fanning, currently sitting No. 4 on the 2008 ASP World Tour ratings, is in position to benefit from Slater’s early elimination and regroup his 2008 ASP World Title defensive campaign.

“Tiago (Pires) has been putting in a lot of great performances all year long and it was only a matter of time before he took down a big name,” Fanning said. “I think what it’s done is really fired everyone up, especially the top seeds since it offers us a chance to gain some ground on Kelly (Slater).”

Joel Parkinson (AUS), current No. 2 on the 2008 ASP World Tour ratings, put in the strongest performance of the day, eliminating goofy-footer Royden Bryson (ZAF) with the day’s high heat total of an 18.40 out of a possible 20.
"Parko"

“Indonesia is such a tidal spot,” Parkinson said. “Some heats will have really good waves while others have a bit of a struggle. Thankfully for us, the waves really turned on there and I was able to grab a couple of good ones.”

Kai Otton (AUS), current No. 12 on the 2008 ASP World Tour ratings, was another to cause a big upset today, eliminating dangerous goofy-footer Damien Hobgood (USA) from Rip Curl Pro Search competition.

“Damien (Hobgood) and I are really good friends and we’ve been surfing out here a lot the past few days,” Otton said. “We knew we were seeded pretty close for this Round and we were watching all day yesterday to see what would happen – seeing who could lose or win so that we didn’t end up with each other. That’s how it goes sometimes and I was able to get a couple of really good ones towards the start and managed to get through.”
"AI"

Otton opened up with two lengthy forehand barrels, netting him a heat total of 17.50 out of a possible 20, to eliminate Hobgood and the young Australian hopes his momentum will carry him though the remainder of the event.

“I’ve had a pretty shocking year so far and I haven’t managed better than 9th,” Otton said. “I’m fired up to be here though and into Round 4 and I’m ready to break through with a result.”

Surfline, official forecasters for the 2008 Rip Curl Pro Search, are calling for the current Southwest swell to maintain throughout the night and into tomorrow before fading tomorrow night.

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 6:30am for a possible 7am start.

The event will be webcast LIVE via http://live.ripcurl.com/

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
.
RIP CURL PRO SEARCH ROUND 3 RESULTS
Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 10.84 def. Daniel Wills (AUS) 9.77
Heat 2: Kai Otton (AUS) 17.50 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.83
Heat 3: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 6.86 def. Luke Stedman (AUS) 4.90
Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.40 def. Royden Bryson (ZAF) 11.43
Heat 5: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 13.17 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.64
Heat 6: Bobby Martinez (USA) 15.43 def. Michael Campbell (AUS) 14.40
Heat 7: Dayyan Neve (AUS) 17.43 def. Tim Reyes (USA) 11.83
Heat 8: Tiago Pires (PRT) 17.57 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 16.33
Heat 9: Mick Fanning (AUS) 16.34 def. Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) 3.90
Heat 10: Bruce Irons (HAW) 15.50 def. Tom Whitaker (AUS) 6.24
Heat 11: Mikael Picon (FRA) 14.00 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 5.67
Heat 12: Ben Dunn (AUS) 14.43 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 9.17
Heat 13: Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.30 def. Ben Bourgeois (USA) 8.43
Heat 14: Dean Morrison (AUS) 10.10 def. Roy Powers (HAW) 9.60
Heat 15: Andy Irons (HAW) 17.33 def. Neco Padaratz (BRA) 9.34
Heat 16: Chris Ward (USA) 14.84 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 8.67

RIP CURL PRO SEARCH ROUND 4 MATCH-UPS
Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 2: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Heat 3: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Bobby Martinez (USA)
Heat 4: Dayyan Neve (AUS) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 5: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Bruce Irons (HAW)
Heat 6: Mikael Picon (FRA) vs. Ben Dunn (AUS)
Heat 7: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Dean Morrison (AUS)
Heat 8: Andy Irons (HAW) vs. Chris Ward (USA)

Round 2.

Indo Expression Session.

Rip Curl Pro Search Somewhere
Stop No. 6 of 11 on the 2008 ASP World Tour
Somewhere, Indonesia
July 30 – August 10, 2008

Dramatic Action as Rip Curl Pro Search Round 2 Completed ‘Somewhere’ in Indo

SOMEWHERE, Indonesia (Friday, August 1, 2008) – The remaining six heats of Round 2 of the Rip Curl Pro Search were completed this afternoon in speedy, low-tide four-foot (1.5 metre) waves at the primary venue “somewhere” in Indonesia.

Stop No. 6 of 11 on the 2008 ASP World Tour, the Rip Curl Pro Search went on hold for most of the day before event organizers decided to complete Round 2 in hollow lefthanders, which bore witness to some of the more dramatic performaces of the event.

Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), current No. 22 on the 2008 ASP World Tour ratings, lit a fire this afternoon securing deep tube rides and executing beautiful forehand carves to net a day’s high heat total of a 17.33 out of a possible 20, eliminating Leonardo Neves (BRA) from competition.

“The tide is super low out there right now but these conditions really suit my surfing,” Patacchia said. “I think I managed to pick off the best waves in that heat and they really opened up for me and allowed me to perform. I’m stoked to advance through Round 2 and I’m looking forward to the rest of the event.”

Patacchia will now face Luke Stedman (AUS) in Round 3 when competition resumes.

“I’ve yet to really have a breakout result this season,” Patacchia said. “I feel like I have been building momentum the last two events though and the wave here in Indo is one that I could really do well at. I think the swell is supposed to pick up over the next few days and I hope it does – game on.”

Daniel Wills (AUS), current No. 34 on the ASP World Tour, survived a hard-fought Round 2 heat this afternoon, narrowly eliminating highly-touted rookie Dane Reynolds (USA) from Rip Curl Pro Search competition. In the dying moments of the heat, Wills used a priority tactic to draw an interference on Reynolds, causing the youngster’s triple barrel finale to become nullified.
Adriano De Souza

“No one wants to win heats that way but it’s a competition and that’s how it goes sometimes,” Wills said. “I had a good start to the heat and then held priority for the back half. I should have done my job a little better and stayed on him a bit closer towards the end and I would have been in better position to perform on that wave, but that was my mistake and I had to take off anyway.”

Mikael Picon (FRA), current No. 26 on the 2008 ASP World Tour ratings, overcame the dangerous low-tide conditions this afternoon to advance past 2008 Dream Tour rookie Jay Thompson (AUS) with a solid 16.94 out of a possible 20.

“I lost a bit on skin on the reef on my elbow and my foot and my ass but it was worth it to get through the heat,” Picon said. “It’s so shallow out there this afternoon, but I am very happy to advance through to Round 3. The wave here is good for me on my forehand and I am hoping for a good result here.”

Surfline, official forecasters for the 2008 Rip Curl Pro Search, are calling for an increase in swell during the night and throughout tomorrow.

Event organizers will meet tomorrow morning at 7am to make the call for a potential 7:30am start.

The event will be webcast LIVE via http://live.ripcurl.com/

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

REMAINING RIP CURL PRO SEARCH ROUND 2 RESULTS
Heat 11: Daniel Wills (AUS) 11.00 def. Dane Reynolds (USA) 6.67
Heat 12: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 17.33 def. Leonardo Neves (BRA) 9.87
Heat 13: Neco Padaratz (BRA) 11.83 def. Pancho Sullivan (HAW) 8.84
Heat 14: Mikael Picon (FRA) 16.94 def. Jay Thompson (AUS) 10.83
Heat 15: Ben Dunn (AUS) 16.67 def. Heitor Alves (BRA) 9.83
Heat 16: Mick Campbell (AUS) 15.00 def. Luke Munro (AUS) 10.67
.
RIP CURL PRO SEARCH ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS
Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Daniel Wills (AUS)
Heat 2: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA)
Heat 3: Luke Stedman (AUS) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Royden Bryson (ZAF)
Heat 5: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 6: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Michael Campbell (AUS)
Heat 7: Dayyan Neve (AUS) vs. Tim Reyes (USA)
Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 9: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA)
Heat 10: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. Bruce Irons (HAW)
Heat 11: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Mikael Picon (FRA)
Heat 12: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Ben Dunn (AUS)
Heat 13: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Ben Bourgeois (USA)
Heat 14: Dean Morrison (AUS) vs. Roy Powers (HAW)
Heat 15: Andy Irons (HAW) vs. Neco Padaratz (BRA)
Heat 16: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Chris Ward (USA)

Rip Curl Pro Search Somewhere
Stop No. 6 of 11 on the 2008 ASP World Tour
Somewhere, Indonesia
July 30 – August 10, 2008

Top Seeds Take Charge in Pumping Lefthanders for Rip Curl Pro Search Round 2

SOMEWHERE, Indonesia (Thursday, July 31, 2008) – The 2008 Rip Curl Pro Search returned to its primary venue, ‘somewhere’ in Indonesia, today for Round 2 of competition which saw top seeds dominated the pulsing six-foot (2 metre) lefthanders before conditions deteriorated in the early afternoon.

Stop No. 6 of 11 on the 2008 ASP World Tour, the Rip Curl Pro Search saw the elimination of 10 surfers today before inconsistency forced event organizers to call competition off for the day.

Bede Durbidge (AUS), current ASP World No. 3, bested lethal wildcard Owen Wright this morning in one of the more incendiary heats of the day. Wright secured an incredible forehand barrel for an impressive 9.63 out of a possible 10 only to have Durbidge answer immediately with a 9.63 of his own for a deep tuberide followed by two powerful backhand blasts.
"Freddy P"

“Owen (Wright) got that incredible barrel right in front of me and I thought I was done,” Durbidge said. “Then that sick one came through and I just held my rail as long as I could and it let me out and I got the score – I was so stoked.”

Durbidge, who finished 5th on the ASP World Tour last year, has remained a contender in 2008, putting up excellent results to maintain his current No. 3 position.

“I’ve had a really good year and I’ve been able to stay really consistent,” Durbidge said. “I had a bit of a slip up in Tahiti, but the rest of the year has been good for me. It’s great to be here in Indonesia and the waves have been really good. Hopefully I can put up another good result.”

Bobby Martinez (USA), current No. 9 on the ASP World Tour, put on an impressive tube-riding display this morning, eliminating dangerous wildcard, and the only other surfer to win an ASP World Tour event in 2008, Bruno Santos (BRA).

“Bruno (Santos) is really dangerous in these kinds of waves,” Martinez said. “In barreling lefthanders, he knows what to do. It’s not as easy as it looks out there, but there are still some incredible barrels and I am happy to get through the heat.”

Adrian Buchan (AUS), current No. 10 on the ASP World Tour, was another goofy-footer to excel in today’s conditions, netting and impressive 17.90 out of a possible 20 to eliminate 2008 rookie Dan Ross (AUS) from Rip Curl Pro Search competition.
"Ace" Buchan

“I love it here – it’s like a third home for me,” Buchan said. “I’ve been coming here since I was a kid with my family and the waves are so good. It’s phenomenal out there and we’ve been fortunate enough to have really good waves so far so I’m pumped.”

Rip Curl Pro Search event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 7am for a possible 7:30am start.

Surfline, official forecasters for the 2008 Rip Curl Pro Search, are calling for the Southwest swell to continue to drop through tonight and tomorrow before a new swell begins to fill in tomorrow afternoon.

When competition recommences, Dane Reynolds (USA) and Daniel Wills (AUS) will be first up in Heat 11 of Round 2.

The event will be webcast LIVE via http://live.ripcurl.com/

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

RIP CURL PRO SEARCH ROUND 2 RESULTS
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.34 def. Komang “Gogo” Suijaya (IDN) 5.53
Heat 2: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 18.46 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 15.73
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.17 def. I Made Garut Widiart (IDN) 7.40
Heat 4: Bobby Martinez (USA) 18.16 def. Bruno Santos (BRA) 10.57
Heat 5: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 9.67 def. Ricky Basnett (ZAF) 4.63
Heat 6: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 17.90 def. Dan Ross (AUS) 9.80
Heat 7: Tom Whitaker (AUS) 9.27 def. Jihad Khodr (BRA) 7.50
Heat 8: Tim Reyes (USA) 10.17 def. Travis Logie (ZAF) 5.77
Heat 9: Ben Bourgeois (USA) 12.50 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 9.66
Heat 10: Royden Bryson (ZAF) 10.27 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 6.67

REMAINING RIP CURL PRO SEARCH ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS
Heat 11: Dane Reynolds (USA) vs. Daniel Wills (AUS)
Heat 12: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Leonardo Neves (BRA)
Heat 13: Pancho Sullivan (HAW) vs. Neco Padaratz (BRA)
Heat 14: Jay Thompson (AUS) vs. Mikael Picon (FRA)
Heat 15: Ben Dunn (AUS) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 16: Luke Munro (AUS) vs. Mick Campbell (AUS)

Round 1.

Rip Curl Pro Search Somewhere
Stop No. 6 of 11 on the 2008 ASP World Tour
Somewhere, Indonesia
July 30 – August 10, 2008

Slater Leads ASP Top 45 into Uncharted Waters for Round 1 of the Rip Curl Pro Search

SOMEWHERE, Indonesia (Wednesday, July 30, 2008) – Round 1 of the 2008 Rip Curl Pro Search event was completed today in excellent six-to-eight foot (2 metre) waves at the secondary site, “somewhere” in Indonesia.

Event No. 6 of 11 on the 2008 ASP World Tour, the Rip Curl Pro Search bore witness to the world’s best surfers attacking a venue that many had never surfed before, all the while putting in some of the most electrifying Round 1 performances of the season.

Kelly Slater (USA), eight-time ASP World Champion and current ratings leader on the 2008 ASP World Tour, continued his dominating form today, posting the day’s only perfect 10 for an incredible double barrel on a solid eight-foot set.

“This is my first time ever surfing out here, ‘somewhere’,” Slater said. “I’ve seen it a bit on a few videos and I watched it this morning a little bit on the high tide, but my heat was my first session out there. The wave is so good and you can just sit as deep as you want on the foam ball and it seems to let you out no matter what.”

Slater, who has won four out of five events thus far on the 2008 ASP World Tour, posted the day’s highest heat total of a 19.17 out of a possible 20, putting the ASP Top 45 on notice for the remainder of the event.

“I’m taking it all heat by heat,” Slater said. “I’m just cruising in Indo with some good friends and the waves are good so I’m having a great time here. Hopefully we’ll be back at this spot in two days for Round 3.”

Slater’s incredible performance turned supernatural when, after netting his perfect 10, the Floridian phenom collected a 9.17 out of a possible 10 for an unbelievable switch-foot barrel that stunned onlookers and fellow competitors alike.

“I got a pretty good barrel out the back and then I faded my bottom turn as much as I could before pulling up into that section and I knew I would have to switch stance to make it a good score,” Slater said. “When I did that, I lost all my speed and the barrel closed over me and I was able to reset and get under the lip before coming out again. Best switch-foot wave I’ve ever had.”

Andy Irons (HAW), former three-time ASP World Champion and two-time defending champion of the Rip Curl Pro Search event (2006, 2007), was in sensational form today, netting an impressive 18.40 out of a possible 20 to advance past opponents Dane Reynolds (USA) and Dan Ross (AUS).

“It’s beautiful and wally out there and the waves are just draining all the way across the reef,” Irons said. “It’s such a beautiful place and it’s so nice to surf with just two other guys. I’m really happy to be here.”

Irons, currently sitting No. 8 on the 2008 ASP World Tour, could potentially gain some ground on this season’s ASP World Title race with a solid result in Indonesia, but the Hawaiian is taking a relaxed approach to this year’s event.

“I’m just happy to be here and it feels good to get the first heat out of the way,” Irons said. “It’s great to be here in Indonesia with my beautiful wife Lindy and all my friends. I’m just cruising and taking it all in.”

Joel Parkinson (AUS), current No. 2 on the 2008 ASP World Tour, matched Irons’ impressive heat total of an 18.40 out of a possible 20 today, blending fantastic backhand re-entries with inpressive tube-riding. Parkinson netted excellent scores in the opening minutes of the heat, putting opponents Jordy Smith (ZAF) and Bruno Santos (BRA) in combination situations early on.

“It’s really good out there right now and the waves just seemed to come to me,” Parkinson said. “I got a couple of solid scores at the beginning and that set me up really well. The waves just seemed to come to me throughout the remainder of the heat, but Bruno (Santos) got that bomb and I had to go back to work there at the end.”

Parkinson has had a remarkably consistent season in 2008, finishing no worse than equal 5th all year, but the current ASP World No. 2 understands that a victory in the next few events will be paramount to his 2008 ASP World Title campaign.

“I’ve had a solid year so far, but Kelly has just been untouchable basically,” Parkinson said. “Myself and the rest of the boys really need to step it up and win an event here to gain some ground on him.”

Mick Fanning (AUS), reigning ASP World Champion and past winner of the Rip Curl Pro Search (2005), is currently sitting at No. 4 on the 2008 ASP World Tour and survived a hard-fought Round 1 heat today against veteran Dream Tour campaigner Taylor Knox (USA) and lethal wildcard Owen Wright (AUS).

“The waves out there are great, but it just went lully towards the end of the heat and none of us could really get any waves,” Fanning said. “There have still been some amazing heats today and I really hope the swell hangs around.”

Bruce Irons (HAW), current No. 19 on the 2008 ASP World Tour, put on an incendiary performance this afternoon, collecting an impressive 9.77 out of a possible 10 to advance past Taj Burrow (AUS) and I Made Garut Widiart (IDN).

“The waves are really fun out here and these are the kind of waves I like surfing,” Irons said. “I was just cruising around out there and picking off fun ones. That 9-something had a really good bowl on it and I hope the waves stick around for the rest of the comp.”

Surfline, official forecasters for the 2008 Rip Curl Pro Search, are calling for today’s solid Southwest swell to maintain through tomorrow before gradually fading throughout the day.

Event organizers will reconvene at 7am tomorrow morning for a possible 7:30am start for Round 2 of the Rip Curl Pro Search “Somewhere” in Indonesia.

The event will be webcast LIVE via http://live.ripcurl.com/

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

RIP CURL PRO SEARCH ROUND 1 RESULTS
Heat 1: Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) 10.90, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 9.87, Jay Thompson (AUS) 7.73
Heat 2: Damien Hobgood (USA) 10.90, Bobby Martinez (USA) 7.50, Travis Logie (ZAF) 3.13
Heat 3: Tiago Pires (PRT) 12.10, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 11.34, Pancho Sullivan (HAW) 9.10
Heat 4: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.84, Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 15.33, Jihad Khodr (BRA) N/S
Heat 5: Andy Irons (HAW) 18.40, Dane Reynolds (USA) 10.17, Daniel Ross (AUS) 5.37
Heat 6: Roy Powers (HAW) 14.00, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.34, Ricky Basnett (ZAF) 11.23
Heat 7: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.40, Bruno Santos (BRA) 18.03, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.50
Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA) 19.17, Tim Reyes (USA) 15.00, Komang “Gogo” Suijaya (IDN) 9.33
Heat 9: Mick Fanning (AUS) 14.67, Taylor Knox (USA) 6.93, Owen Wright (AUS) 6.60
Heat 10: Bruce Irons (HAW) 17.77, I Made Garut Widiart (IDN), 12.43, Taj Burrow (AUS) 11.83
Heat 11: Chris Ward (USA) 17.03, Ben Bourgeois (USA) 16.23, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 16.00
Heat 12: Kai Otton (AUS) 15.10, Ben Dunn (AUS) 10.84, Royden Bryson (ZAF) 10.40
Heat 13: Luke Stedman (AUS) 8.50, Luke Munro (AUS) 8.00, Daniel Wills (AUS) 6.10
Heat 14: Dean Morrison (AUS) 14.80, Leonardo Neves (BRA) 14.44, Mick Campbell (AUS) 12.90
Heat 15: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 17.70, Tom Whitaker (AUS) 10.67, Neco Padaratz (BRA) N/S
Heat 16: Dayyan Neve (AUS) 15.83, Heitor Alves (BRA) 10.53, Mikael Picon (FRA) 10.17

RIP CURL PRO SEARCH ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Komang “Gogo” Suijaya (IDN)
Heat 2: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Owen Wright (AUS)
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. I Made Garut Widiart (IDN)
Heat 4: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Bruno Santos (BRA)
Heat 5: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Ricky Basnett (ZAF)
Heat 6: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Dan Ross (AUS)
Heat 7: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. Jihad Khodr (BRA)
Heat 8: Tim Reyes (USA) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 9: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Ben Bourgeois (USA)
Heat 10: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Royden Bryson (ZAF)
Heat 11: Dane Reynolds (USA) vs. Daniel Wills (AUS)
Heat 12: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Leonardo Neves (BRA)
Heat 13: Pancho Sullivan (HAW) vs. Neco Padaratz (BRA)
Heat 14: Jay Thompson (AUS) vs. Mikael Picon (FRA)
Heat 15: Ben Dunn (AUS) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 16: Luke Munro (AUS) vs. Mick Campbell (AUS)