SAN JUAN, Lanzarote (Wednesday, October 15, 2008) – The second day of the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star Prime Santa Surf Pro saw Round 1 come to completion in decreasing wind-blown two foot (0.5 meter) waves at San Juan with seven heats only being held. With the forecast showing the arrival of a new swell from Friday with a good chance of seeing its first pulses from tomorrow afternoon, officials decided not to get Round 2 started and wait for better conditions to send the world's best qualifiers in the water.
Today's top performance went to Brazil's consistent surfer and current No. 84 Jean Da Silva (BRA) who surfed in the opening heat of Day 2. Da Silva, who has had one of his toughest years on tour with no significant result, found his way out of the tricky small conditions to end up winning with a good 15.77 point heat result (out of a posible 20).
"
I paddled out and went for any wave I could catch knowing I could not afford to miss any better one," Da Silva said. "
I felt good and well prepared and I am really happy to get this one out of the way. I think I chose the good options to make it."
Da Silva, who is looking forward to finishing the year strong, left the water relieved with his solid victory after a couple of days stressing because of his boards being stuck in Madrid.
"
I got my boards last night so I was pretty lucky to be able to surf this morning," Da Silva said. "
It has been tough in the past few months for me as I haven't done any good performance but I spent the last three weeks at home and trained very hard every day. I am feeling good and this event is important. I hope I can get close to the 3000 points going to the winner."
The conditions did not allow any stellar performances on Day 2 of competition and many of the seven heats completed ended up in the average scoring range Abdel El Harim (MAR) securing one the best heat tallies in Heat 19 with 13.60 points.
Romain Laulhe (FRA), still mathematically in contention for the ASP WQS European Series title, managed to secure a berth in Round 2 as well getting away with a 1st place finish. Laulhe, who led the regional ratings for a couple of months earlier in the year after clinching the ASP WQS 4-Star Vendee Pro in France last April, has been chasing a second excellent result since and will have to get through a tricky heat to keep any regional title hope alive.
He will meet with Blake Thornton (AUS), current European ratings' No. 2 Glenn Hall (IRE) and Txaber Trojaola (EUK) in Heat 21 of Round 2.
Big names should start their Canarian campaign tomorrow and everyone is hoping for the new swell to start hitting the North Coast of Lanzarote earlier than forecast. Heitor Alves (BRA), ASP Top 45 member, will be first out against event wildcard Franito Saenz (CNY), Bobby Morris (USA) and Ruben Gonzalez (PRT) when Round 2 resumes.
Next call will be made at 8.30 AM (GMT+1) Thursday, October 16, at San Juan.
The Santa Surf Pro is webcast LIVE at
www.aspeurope.com ROUND 2 UPCOMING HEATS
Heat 1: Heitor Alves (BRA), Franito Saenz (CNY), Bobby Morris (USA), Ruben Gonzalez (PRT)
Heat 2: Pablo Paulino (BRA), Nic Muscroft (AUS), Eric Rebiere (FRA), Justin Mujica (PRT)
Heat 3: Marlon Lipke (DEU), Austin Ware (USA), Flynn Novak (HAW), Marco Goirgi (UGY)
Heat 4: Patrick Gudauskas (USA), Nathan Hedge (AUS), Rowan Aish (NZL), Tanner Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 5: Travis Logie (ZAF), Mike Losness (USA), Casey Brown (HAW), Gavin Gillette (HAW)
Heat 6: Yadin Nicol (AUS), Sunny Garcia (HAW), Norman Landa (EUK), Mason Ho (HAW)
Heat 7: Drew Courtney (AUS), Adam Robertson (AUS), Owen Wright (AUS), Alain Riou (PYF)
Heat 8: Aritz Aranburu (EUK), Patrick Beven (FRA), Clint Kimmins (AUS), Ola Eleogram (HAW)
Heat 9: Nathaniel Curran (USA), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Bobby Hansen (NZL), Luke Campbell (AUS)
Heat 10: Michel Bourez (PYF), Dion Atkinson (AUS), Wesley De Souza (USA), Evan Valiere (HAW)
Heat 11: Brian Toth (PRI), Shaun Cansdell (AUS), Stuart Kennedy (AUS), Damien Fahrenfort (ZAF)
Heat 12: Tiago Pires (PRT), Eneko Acero (EUK), Sam Page (AUS), Blake Howard (USA)
Heat 13: Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA), Vincent Duvignac (FRA), Hodei Collazo (EUK), Anthony Walsh (AUS)
Heat 14: Simao Romao (BRA), Leigh Sedley (AUS), Kyle Knox (USA), Jean-Sebastien Estienne (BLM)
Heat 15: Greg Emslie (ZAF), Joan Duru (FRA), Che Stang (USA), Ezra Sitt (HAW)
Heat 16: Hugo Savalli (REU), Kekpa Bacalso (HAW), Jesse Merle-Jones (HAW), Shaun Burrell (USA)
Heat 17: Leonardo Neves (BRA), Dane Gudauskas (USA), Jean Da Silva (BRA), Christophe Allary (REU)
Heat 18: Gabe Kling (USA), Nathan Yeomans (USA), Clancy Dawson (AUS), Anthony Petruso (USA)
Heat 19: Hizunome Bettero (BRA), Adam Melling (AUS), Abdel El Harim (MAR), Travis Mellem (USA)
Heat 20: Daniel Ross (AUS), Jonathan Gonzalez (CNY), David Richards (ZAF), Oli Adams (GBR)
Heat 21: Blake Thornton (AUS), Glenn Hall (IRE), Romain Laulhe (FRA), Txaber Trojaola (EUK)
Heat 22: David Weare (ZAF), Joel Centeio (HAW), Joao Guedes (PRT), Tonino Benson (HAW)
Heat 23: Phillip MacDonald (AUS), Shaun Gossmann (AUS), Brad Ettinger (USA), Ricardo Dos Santos (BRA)
Heat 24: Jay Thompson (AUS), Echedey Mederos (CNY), Rudy Palmboom (ZAF), Thomas Bady (FRA)
ROUND 1 REMAINING HEATS RESULTS
Heat 17: Jean Da Silva (BRA) 15.77 pts, Clancy Dawson (AUS) 11.94 pts, Frederic Robin (REU) 11.67 pts, Oliver Barrera (CNY) 4.90 pts
Heat 18: Anthony Petruso (USA) 10.07 pts, Christophe Allary (REU) 9.60 pts, Iker Fuentes (EUK) 9.57 pts
Heat 19: Abdel El Harim (MAR) 13.60 pts, David Richards (ZAF) 13.33 pts, Mikey Bruneau (HAW) 7.96 pts
Heat 20: Oli Adams (GBR) 13.00 pts, Travis Mellem (USA) 9.67 pts, Alexandro Diaz (CNY) 6.60 pts
Heat 21: Romain Laulhe (FRA) 12.33 pts, Joao Guedes (PRT) 8.50 pts, Jason Miller (USA) 7.57 pts, Gustavo Barreto (BRA) 5.70 pts
Heat 22: Tonino Benson (HAW) 14.17 pts, Txaber Trojaola (EUK) 8.44 pts, Edgar Nozes (PRT) 7.40 pts, Christian Jimenez (CNY) 5.00 pts
Heat 23: Brad Ettinger (USA) 11.83 pts, Rudy Palmboom (ZAF) 10.93 pts, Love Hodel (HAW) 5.87 pts, Alexander El Naib (DEU) 2.03 pts
Heat 24: Thomas Bady (FRA), Ricardo dos Santos (BRA) place 1st and 2nd
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