ERICEIRA, Portugal (Saturday, August 30, 2008) It was a tricky day for the remaining ASP WQS 6-Star Buondi Billabong Pro competitors as the swell had ped to two foot (0.5 meter) during the night but proceedings got underway at 8 AM and some exciting action took place once again. Sixteen men only will surf tomorrow on the final day of the 2008 edition and valuable points could get the ratings upside down as 5 of the last 8 surfers will have the chance to move closer to the ultimate goal, the 2009 ASP World Tour qualification.
And it was one of the current ASP Top 45 who took top honours at Ribeira d'Ilhas today, Heitor Alves (BRA) keeping his excellent form up to easily dominate his opponents with an impressive 19.00 point heat tally out of a possible 20. Alves, who now had both best single wave score and heat result of the Buondi Billabong Pro, confirmed his intentions and will surely be a favorite for the crown.
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The waves were really small and it was hard to find enough speed to go big," Alves said. "
I was lucky to get the two best waves of the heat and I was able to surf them up to the shore. I am super stoked with that result, even better to advance with another Brazilian."
Alves, who got an near perfect 9.87 point score out of a possible 10 on Day of competition, has been unstoppable thus far in the event and is turned on for the winner's spot even if the waves are supposed to remain in the two-foot range.
Having surfed in six events of the ASP World Tour this year, Alves will have the opportunity to use all Man-on-man experience in tomorrow's finals sarting with his heat against ASP World Junior No. 2 Tonino Benson (HAW).
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We are professionals and we have to surf in any conditions so I will take what we have," Alves said. "
I have a bit of experience now in Man-on-man battles after last year's WQS and this year's ASP World Tour, and surfing against the best in the world has given me confidence and tactics plans I will be looking forward to using."
Alves was joined by fellow Brazilians Pedro Henrique, Wiggoly Dantas, Marco Polo and Rodrigo Dornelles later in the day and all four will be flying the green and yellow flag in front of a Portuguese crowd that should be good support.
The European crew will have three representatives ready when Round 6 commences tomorrow morning as Marlon Lipke (DEU), Glenn Hall (IRE) and Aritz Aranburu (EUK) bowed out today.
Tim Boal (FRA), 25, who had to surf on the back up venue of the ASP WQS 6-Star event, was one of the Europeans getting his ticket for the Man-on-man battles after finishing ahead of current ASP WQS No. 6 Drew Courtney (AUS) in Heat 7 late in the afternoon. Boal, who placed 2nd in California, 9th in Lacanau and 5th in Hossegor, will be looking to bettering his lowest ratings' result a 750 point score tomorrow and seems in good form.
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I like Ericeira and have had some good results in the past here," Boal said. "
That heat was pretty hard because I started with a totally different game plan than Tanner (Gudauskas) and Drew (Courtney) and ended up getting my second best score right where they spent the whole heat. I was calm and confident out there and I am pretty stoked to make it."
Boal, who placed 5th in 2005 in the Buondi Billabong Pro Portugal, will have to defeat ASP Top 45 member Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) to keep his title hopes alive.
If most of the sixteen men advancing today were favorites, two outsiders countered their opponents getting their best result to date with a spot in Round 6. Che Stang (USA), a Californian surfer that has been on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) for four years now, finished his battle with a promissing 16.66 point heat tally (out of a possible 20) and seems to improve everyday since he started the event in Round 2.
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It was pretty tough and three sets only came in during that heat and I was there to catch a wave on two of them," Stang said. "
I have been here before and I know the waves are kind of soft and tricky but you just need a bit of luck to get the right ones and it all lines up after that."
Stang, who is not playing any qualification ths year, will still be eager to winning a first major WQS event tomorrow and ASP World Tour surfer Travis Logie (ZAF) will not have an easy task against the outsider.
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I am just taking it relaxed and trying not to think too much," Stang said."
When you start thinking too much of the results you usually stress out and lose so I am going to paddle out there and have fun."
The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star Buondi Billabong Pro Portugal will come to an end tomorrow and fifteen heats remain before the champion is crowned. Officials will meet at 7.15 AM to assess conditions and get proceedings underway.
The Buondi Billabong Pro Portugal is webcast LIVE at
www.aspworldtour.com and
www.aspeurope.comUPCOMING ROUND 6 HEATS
Heat 1: Pedro Henrique (BRA) Vs Patrick Beven (FRA)
Heat 2: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) Vs Marco Polo (BRA)
Heat 3: Leigh Sedley (AUS) Vs Wiggoly Dantas (BRA)
Heat 4: Tonino Benson (HAW) Vs Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 5: Che Stang (USA) Vs Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 6: Phillip MacDonald (AUS) Vs Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 7: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) Vs Eneko Acero (EUK)
Heat 8: Tim Boal (FRA) Vs Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA)
ROUND 5 RESULTS
Heat 1: Pedro Henrique (BRA) 16.56 pts, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 16.33 pts, Marlon Lipke (DEU) 10.50 pts
Heat 2: Marco Polo (BRA) 15.00 pts, Patrick Beven (FRA) 12.10 pts, Shaun Cansdell (AUS) 8.74 pts
Heat 3: Leigh Sedley (AUS) 15.50 pts, Tonino Benson (HAW)13.83 pts, Bobby Hansen (NZL) 11.67 pts
Heat 4: Heitor Alves (BRA) 19.00 pts, Wiggoly Dantas (BRA) 14.94 pts, Glenn Hall (IRE) 11.40 pts
Heat 5: Che Stang (USA) 16.67 pts, Phillip MacDonald (AUS) 11.94 pts, Corey Ziems (ZAF) 11.90 pts
Heat 6: Brett Simpson (USA) 14.16 pts, Travis Logie (ZAF) 12.17 pts, Pablo Paulino (BRA) 7.23 pts
Heat 7 : Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 14.60 pts, Tim Boal (FRA) 14.53 pts, Drew Courtney (AUS) 11.77 pts
Heat 8: Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA), Eneko Acero (EUK), Aritz Aranburu (EUK)
