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Boardfolio.com >> ASP World Tour News >> Irons Scores Perfect 10 To Eliminate Brooks

Quiksilver Pro Fiji (May 25 - June 6) www.quiksilver.com Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) www.aspworldtour.com World Championship Tour (WCT) Press Release Irons Scores Perfect 10 To Eliminate Brooks May 31, 2003 (Tavarua & Namotu Islands, Fiji) Reigning world champion Andy Irons (Kauai, Haw) today posted the first 10-point ride of this year's Quiksilver Pro. The US$250,000 World Championship Tournament (WCT) completed round three in epic barrels, with live audio and video broadcasted via www.quiksilver.com. Perfect 6ft (2m) waves were on offer at Cloudbreak throughout the day. Strong offshore winds persisted this morning, but then eased while dredging barrels continued to race along the shallow reef break. The day's most anticipated clash between Irons and Quiksilver Trials winner Troy Brooks (Gold Coast, Aus) proved a nail-biter. A rematch of their third round bout last year - when Brooks caused a major upset - today's exchange was equally exciting, despite the opposite outcome. Wildcard Brooks created a strong lead with a long 9-point barrel and 7.0 backup waves, while the Kauaian appeared out of rhythm. With only 12-minutes remaining Irons trailed by 9.17-points, and then broke his surfboard after taking off on a closeout. Showing why he's the world champ, however, the 24-year-old paddled his spare board out and claimed a perfect 10 with a long, deep barrel, followed by a critical floater onto the dry inside reef. His opponent then required a 7.84, and despite a valiant attempt on his next ride, only managed a 7.0 for his tube. "I always have problems with the wildcards as I know they have nothing to lose and everything to gain," began Irons afterwards. "Especially when they get scores like Troy's at the start. His nine rattled me, and I ended up breaking my board and kind of lost the plot for a bit. I missed a really good set, which got me really frustrated. But thankfully a wave came to me and lined up along the reef. I knew I had to hold him off, so I rode it pretty deep and came out and threw in a few claims just to let them (the judges) know I was fired up. I milked it and did a big floater on the inside dry reef. It was really scary, as I could see boils popping up. It was a heavy heat. One of the sketchier ones I've had in awhile." WCT replacement surfer Beau Emerton then continued his fantastic run of late, eliminating world #2 and fellow Australian Gold Coaster Joel Parkinson. The goofy footer - who has replaced 2000 world champion Sunny Garcia (Haw) for the rest of this season following his knee surgery - finished equal third last WCT in Tahiti, and showed the same determination against Parkinson today. While 'Parko' opened his account with a long 8.83 tube, Emerton locked in two great rides for a slender lead he never lost. "It's been a good couple of weeks," laughed Emerton. "We've got awesome waves again, and it's a goofyfooter's heaven out there. It's not easy being the replacement surfer, as I keep getting the top guys all the time, so I can't make any mistakes. I managed to surf a good heat then and got through. "It's not as easy a barrel to come out as Teahupoo (Tahiti)," he added, of Cloudbreak. "You have to weave and work hard to make them. The two I did make were good enough for the win, but Joel only needed an average score, so I'm stoked nothing else came." Defending Quiksilver Pro champion Mick Lowe (Windang, NSW, Aus) held off an equally in-form Peterson Rosa (Brz). The Brazilian led for most the heat, before Lowe made a critical drop and then came flying out of a huge barrel for a near-perfect 9.87 score. Rosa then required a 9.05, and while he found another tube on his last wave, only earned a 7.17 from the judges. "I was really lucky that good one came to me, as I needed a big score," acknowledged Lowe. "It ran really fast and I came out near the channel (laughs). Even though I had a good lead, I knew Peterson could come back with another wave, so I was still pretty nervous. "There's no pressure on me," he added, of being the defending champion. "Sure I'd like to do the same this year, but you just have to take it like every other event and hope for the best. The waves are kind of similar though, so I wouldn't mind." Two-time Quiksilver Pro champion (1997 & 2000) and world #3 Luke Egan (Gold Coast, Aus) put on a commanding performance against fellow countryman Trent Munro (Scotts Head, NSW). The goofyfooter found the big barrels he was hunting, and locked in a great 9.5 score. He'll now meet another Australian in Shane Powell (Avoca, NSW), after he accounted for Hawaiian dynamo Kalani Robb with a superb 9.67 deep backhand tube ride and combined tally of 18-points. "I couldn't believe it," said Powell, of his near-perfect ride. "I was really deep and I nearly pulled off, but then I figured I'd have a go. I grabbed my rail and just pumped a couple of times. I had a lot of speed and it let me out (laughs). "Any goofyfooter is hard out there," he added, of Kalani and next opponent Egan. "You've just got to pick your waves a little more. They can sneak out a little easier, so my plan's just to wait for the bigger, open ones." Floridian Damien Hobgood gained revenge on some previous defeats to Brazilian Guilherme Herdy. The 23-year-old, who's always a standout at barreling lefthand reef breaks, again showed his knowledge of Cloudbreak with a great 9-point tube ride and left 'Herdy' requiring a combination of rides. "I saw some really good ones on the inside before our heat, so that's what I was looking for," explained Hobgood. "I finally got one, so I was stoked. I really want to prove to myself that I can do well here and hopefully make the finals. "Herdy beat me earlier on in the year and also a couple of years ago," he continued. "He's kind of had my number the past few times. I think every heat I've lost this year was to a Brazilian, so I didn't want it to happen again." Australian Danny Wills then dominated his match with Brazilian Paulo Moura. The Byron Bay surfer collected an 8.17 early on, before being smashed on a series of set waves. He then upped the ante with a fantastic 9.17 backhand ride toward the end, by executing a couple of big re-entries and positioning himself perfectly for a clean barrel. He next faces world #5 Mick Fanning (Gold Coast, Aus), who won a close round three battle with Victor Ribas (Brz). "The wind is really strong and it's hard on your backhand," sad Wills. "You get held up the top and it's hard to get a good angle. I got smashed on two or three, which would have been so good if I came out. I was held down for ages and covered my head, but luckily I never hit the reef. I ended up getting that last one though, so was stoked. It was solid out there." Chris Davidson (Narrabeen, Aus) continued his best run of year; eliminating current ratings #3 Taj Burrow (West Australia) for a round four berth. He'll now face good mate and fellow Narrabeen surfer Nathan Hedge tomorrow, after 'Hog' disposed of Californian Pat O'Connell. Australian Michael Campbell went on to post the days' highest combined heat tally against fellow countryman Dean Morrison. The 29-year-old collected an 8.7 and then a near perfect 9.57 for a massive 18.27 total. He'll now face Floridian Shea Lopez in round four, after last year's event runner-up eliminated the last Brazilian left in contention for this year's Quiksilver Pro - Flavio Padaratz. Younger brother Cory Lopez then won the day's final heat over Australian Richie Lovett (Manly, NSW). Despite trailing for most the exchange, since Lovett had collected a 9.0 first ride and then an 8.23, the Floridian emerged from two great tubes on his last wave within the dying minutes for a 9.63 and sealed victory. Live audio and video broadcast is available on http://www.quiksilver.com.

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