CAPBRETON, France (Tuesday, September 9, 2008) - The ASP Top 45 European contingent got back into business at Lower Trestles in California, all four representatives attending the Boost Mobile pres. by Hurley, seventh event of eleven on this year's ASP World Tour. With perfect four to five foot (1.2 to 1.5 meter) sets breaking at the high performance venue of Lower Trestles, Round 1 was completed and Miky Picon (Hossegor, FRA) was the only European to win his opening battle advancing directly to Round 3 after besting Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) and Bruce Irons (HAW).
Miky Picon (FRA), 29, who requalified for the ASP Top 45 last year after a year on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS), posted an average 11.60 point heat tally (out of a possible 20), enough to best Dornelles' 10.90 and Irons' low 6.50 totals.
"
It was a good heat with Rodrigo and Bruce, we all just respect each other", Picon said. "
We were talking to each other, waiting for our turn and asking each other if we were going left or right, it was pretty cool. There’s a lot of respect between surfers on the World Tour, it’s not like the 'QS. With three guys out only, you just wait for your turn."
Picon, who came to Lower Trestles rated No. 24 in the world, is looking for another good result before surfing at home and try and secure a berth for next year's ASP World Tour.
"
It was really important for me to win that first heat," Picon said. "
I need a result and I’m on the bubble right now, I'm 24 on the ratings, but I’m feeling good."
Picon will have a day off waiting for his Round 3 opponent to make his way out of Round 2, the sudden-death round.
Tiago Pires (PRT), Jeremy Flores (FRA) and Aritz Aranburu (EUK) all failed to avoid Round 2 on Day 1 of competition respectively placing third, second and third in their heats and will surf in the first man-on-man match-ups of the event when Round 2 resumes.
Pires, who became the first ASP Top 45 surfer to defeat 8X ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) in the Rip Curl Pro Search "Somewhere in Indonesia" a month ago, secured several solid results during the August break placing 5th in the ASP WQS 6-Star Lacanau Pro and 17th in the ASP WQS 6-Star Prime Rip Curl Pro, two results that have given him a good back-up option for a possible requalification through the WQS if he cannot make it in the end-of-the-year Top 27.
Pires was out of rhythm though at Lower Trestles and placed third behind inform American Ben Bourgeois (USA) and Adrian Buchan (AUS).Pires, who scored a good 12.67 point heat result, came to the Boost Mobile Pro rated No. 28 in the world and is chasing a second excellent result this year to hope of any 2009 ASP World Tour ticket.
He will face longtime elite member Taylor Knox (USA) in Heat 15 of Round 2.
Jeremy Flores (New Caledonia/Capbreton, FRA), 20, placed second in Heat 11 facing a confident Dane Reynolds (USA) but still scored a 13.50 point result (out of a possible 20), a promissing performance in a contest where he secured his first semifinal on tour last year. Flores, who is recovering from an ankle injury he got before the competing in Indonesia, used the August break to regroup and prepare for the third and last part of the year that will take him from California to Hawaii, including France, the Basque Country and Brazil.
The 2007 ASP Rookie of the Year will have to surf Round 2 and is looking to better the equal 17th he got in the last event. He will meet ASP World Tour rookie Jihad Khodr (BRA) next.
Aritz Arnaburu (Zarautz, EUK), 23, did his comeback on tour after missing both the Billabong Pro J-Bay in July and the Rip Curl Pro Search "Somewhere" in August. Aranburu, a rookie on this year's Dream Tour, has had a tough year with both knee and ankle injuries in a row that made him miss the two first events of the year in Australia and the two events of the summer.
Aranburu suffered a wave-starved heat and ended up with an unusual 3.03 point heat tally (out of a possible 20) behind Americans Bobby Martinez (Ca, USA) and Damian Hobgood (Fl, USA) in Heat 2 of Round 1.
Aranburu will now surf against recent event winner Bruce Irons (HAW) to try and get back on track and avoid a last place finish. Aranburu, who already applied for an injury wildcard for next year's ASP World Tour, is chasing his first solid result against the world's best surfers and could create some upsets in the high performance conditions forecast for the
event.
BOOST MOBILE PRO pres. by HURLEY
EUROPEANS' UPCOMING ROUND 2 MATCH UPS
Heat 5: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Jihad Khodr (BRA)
Heat 6: Bruce Irons (HAW) vs. Aritz Aranburu (EUK)
Heat 15: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)
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