The second day of the ASP PRIME Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro saw ASP World Tour surfer Jadson Andre (BRA), 21, young local talent Tanner Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 22, and up-and-comer Gabriel Medina (BRA), 17, push performance barriers in Round 2 by reveling in the clean one-to-three foot waves at San Onofre State Beach – Lower Trestles to post the highest scores of the event.
The Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro represents the third ASP PRIME event of the year and has attracted several of the world’s best surfers in search of the heightened points on offer towards their ASP World Ranking.
Andre locked into a clean lefthander to unload the highest single wave score of the Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro, a nearly-flawless 9.87 out of 10 with an impressive combination of powerful carves before pulling out his signature, frontside air-reverse to add to his 8.60 for the highest heat total of the event (18.47 out of 20).
“I knew it was going to be a tough heat because Caio (Ibelli) is one of the best juniors in the world and Miguel (Pupo) has been surfing so well lately and Austin (Ware) has been on the tour for a long time and I knew I had to go big,” Andre said. “I just did three big carves and a big air.”
Andre, current No. 12 on the elite ASP World Title race, has been focusing on improving his surfing in all conditions and feels that the training is paying off.
“I’ve been trying to mix it up and I feel good because I see that it’s working,” Andre said. “I’m trying to do other maneuvers, not just one big air. I have been traveling and want to show that I’ve improved. I’m just stoked that I made my heat, that’s my goal.”
Gudauskas slowly built momentum throughout his heat, notching an excellent score of 8.00 for a ferocious layback before unleasing a near-perfect 9.63 out of 10 by blasting a flurry of powerful backside turns on a long righthand wall.
“I really was just out to pasture when that wave came in and everyone slid right because I think they were looking to go left and I just got this chip from out the back,” Gudauskas said. “I felt like I got lucky with the waves I got. I didn’t have rhythm in the beginning and I got a wave, it was just like my last heat.”
Gudauskas’ 17.70 heat total, one of the highest of competition, saw the goofy-footer earn top honors in an intense, high-scoring heat over fellow San Clemente nativeKolohe Andino (San Clemente, CA), 17, who advanced in second, ASP World No. 11 Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24, and Pablo Paulino (BRA), 24.
“That heat was so gnarly, I was thinking that if one more set came in I could easily go to third,” Gudauskas said. “Those are fun heats, but at the same time, when you lose those it’s a tough one so I feel for Adriano (de Souza) and Pablo (Paulino).”
Gabriel Medina continued his strong form in Round 2 by putting on a progressive clinic with tail-drifting turns and airs on two steep Lowers lefthanders to earn two of the event’s highest scores of a 9.17 single wave score before taking a 17.60 heat total to take a victory over ASP Dream Tour campaigners C.J. Hobgood (Melbourne, FL), 31, and Dan Ross (AUS), 28.
“I’m so stoked to get through and it was kind of hard to surf because the water is so cold,” Medina said. “I got two good waves and I’m so stoked to be here at Lowers. I’ve been here twice and I just love it, it’s a really cool wave.”
Thiago Camarao (BRA), 22, who was testing a new board in his heat, was another high-flying Brazilian who turned heads today by notching a 15.67 out of 20 heat total to take his win over ASP Dream Tour surfer Adam Melling (AUS), 26, who advanced in second.
“I just got a new board yesterday because the waves are so different than where I live,” Camarao said. “It feels so good, but I need to practice more on it on my backhand. I’m sure I’ll get to practice more on my backhand in the next heat, but I’m really happy to have won that heat and to make it through to the next round.”
Lincoln Taylor (AUS), 22, was responsible for the day’s biggest upset by issuing defending event champion Gabe Kling (St. Augustine, FL), 30, and Raioni Monteiro (BRA), 28, early eliminations from the Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro by finding the best righthander in a wave-starved heat to advance into the Round of 48.
“It was a solid heat with Gabe (Kling) having won last year and Raoni (Monteiro) has been ripping this year,” Taylor said. “It was one of those heats that was tough for everybody and its just luck at the moment. If you luck into the good one, you’re going to get through and I was lucky.”
Andre, Medina and Ibelli all executed maneuvers worthy of Most Valuable Performance (MVP) status during the day. A video clip of each will be available to view online at nike6lowerspro.com/mvp-bracket/mvp-most-valuable-performance/. Tomorrow, the surfer with the most Facebook “likes” will earn MVP status and the gold MVP jersey for the day. An MVP will be awarded each day; Dane Reynolds earned the title for the first day. Each daily winner will go into a final vote for a chance at $1,000 for the overall win.
The Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro will be televised live and in its entirety in Hawaii onOceanic Time Warner Cable’s Oceanic SURF Channel 250 and 1250HD and from May 5 to May 7 on Time Warner SoCal Channel 101 in San Diego and Los Angeles.
Running in conjunction with the Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro will be the ASP 5-Star Oakley Pro Junior, which will see the 32-man field battle for the vital points on offer towards qualification for the elite ASP World Junior Tour.
Both the Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro and Oakley Pro Junior are available via live HD webcast with live video coverage and scoring for all five days of competition with announcers Sal Masekela, Mark Fewell, Dino Andino, Saxon Boucher, Chris Mauro, Brad Gerlach and Jodie Nelson.
The Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro will be televised live and in its entirety in Hawaii on Oceanic Time Warner Cable’s Channel 250 and 1250HD. Additionally, the Oceanic Time Warner Cable live feed will be transported to Time Warner Cable’s Los Angeles (Channel 101), San Diego (Channel 411) and Desert Cities (Channel 111) markets from Thursday throughSaturday.
For more information about the Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro, visit nike6lowerspro.com. For more about the Oakley Pro Junior, visit oakleyprojunior.com.
The Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro and Oakley Pro Junior wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of sponsors. A special thank you goes out to presenting sponsors Nike 6.0 and Oakley, co-sponsors Red Bull and Sierra Nevada, media sponsor SURFER Magazine (Surfermag.com) and official forecaster Surfline.com.
Surfline Forecast Overview for Contest Holding Period:
A pair of small Southern Hemisphere southwest swells will show from Thursday through Friday, as the current south swell fades. Surf will remain fairly small, but very contestable, through the end of the contest holding period. We’ll also see some small northwest windswell pulse back up on Saturday. Our weather will cool down as we head into the weekend, with some patchy morning fog at times, and a deepening marine layer, although wind will generally be light for Fri/Sat.
Surfline Forecast for Wed. May 5th:
Small, long period SW swell (200-215) will continue as old S swell fades. Surf remains mainly in the 3-4’ range (waist to shoulder high sets). There will be possibly some patchy fog in the morning, otherwise mainly sunny and mild again with calm to light/variable wind in the morning, shifting light onshore westerly in the afternoon.
Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro Round of 48 Results:
Heat 1: Joel Centeio (HAW) 14.67, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 14.67, Michel Bourez (PYF) 11.80, Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 10.56
Heat 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.60, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 13.50, Daniel Ross (USA) 9.20, John Florence (HAW) 4.19
Heat 3: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 17.70, Kolohe Andino (USA) 14.53, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.10, Pablo Paulino (BRA) 13.50
Heat 4: Dusty Payne (HAW) 12.33, Bobby Martinez (USA) 13.77, Kai Barger (HAW) 12.33, Granger Larsen (HAW) 10.03
Heat 5: Heitor Alves (BRA) 13.84, Jesse Mendes (BRA) 10.17, Masatoshi Ohno (JPN)9.53, Pedro Henrique (BRA) 9.03
Heat 6: Taylor Knox (USA) 13.87, Mason Ho (HAW) 12.60, Hizunome Bettero (BRA) 11.83, Tom Whitaker (AUS) 10.10
Heat 7: Willian Cardoso (BRA) 15.77, Junior Faria (BRA) 11.43, Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 11.17, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 9.20
Heat 8: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 14.67, Cory Lopez (USA) 14.07, Nic Muscroft (AUS) 9.47, Dane Reynolds (USA) 2.70
Heat 9: Jadson Andre (BRA) 18.47, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 16.80, Caio Ibelli (BRA) 14.10, Austin Ware (USA) 11.90
Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro Round of 96 Results:
Heat 17: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 10.67, Damien Hobgood (USA) 8.96, Gelnn Hall (IRL) 8.90, Messias Felix (BRA) 7.50
Heat 18: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 14.67, Julian Wilson (AUS) 14.27, Brent Dorrington (AUS) 13.10, Neco Padaratz (BRA) 7.83
Heat 19: Lincoln Taylor (AUS) 9.19, Austin Ware (USA) 9.10, Gabe Kling (USA) 5.60, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 2.63
Heat 20: Kai Otton (AUS) 13.57, Jadson Andre (BRA) 12.70, Roy Powers (HAW) 8.27,Charles Martin (GLP) 6.20
Heat 21: Tonino Benson (HAW) 15.67, Nathaniel Curran (USA) 13.67, Tiago Pires (PRT) 9.87, Yuri Sodre (BRA) 8.57
Heat 22: Thiago Camarao (BRA) 15.67, Adam Melling (AUS) 13.73, Stu Kennedy (AUS)12.13, Ben Dunn (AUS) 10.35
Heat 23: Tim Reyes (USA) 13.33, Heath Joske (AUS) 9.63, Leandro Bastros (BRA) 7.83, Yadin Nicol (AUS) 4.33
Heat 24: Nathan Yeomans (USA) 13.10, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 13.00, Jack Freestone (AUS) 12.50, Jonathan Gonzalez (CNY) 10.67
About Nike 6.0
The Nike 6.0 brand defines innovation and embodies the creativity of youth, united by action. Nike 6.0 delivers footwear and apparel to support the new generation of action sports athletes who are changing the worlds of surf, snow, moto, BMX, wake and freeski. Their unlimited potential and contagious energy deliver the future through performance and lifestyle. www.nike6.com
About Oakley, Inc.
The global leader in performance sunglasses, goggles and prescription eyewear, Oakley also offers technical and lifestyle apparel, footwear, watches and accessories. The company was created for athletes who see impossibility as just another challenge, and their dedication inspires Oakley to seek out problems, solve with innovation and wrap invention in art. Exceeding the limits of possibility for more than thirty years, Oakley serves the demands of world-class athletes with unbeatable technologies including High Definition Optics® (HDO®). Additional information is available at oakley.com.
About SURFER
In 1960, SURFER Magazine began as the original. After a long history of delivering provocative and insightful editorial features, revealing interviews and award winning state-of-the-art photography, SURFER remains the authoritative voice of the surfing world and thus earned the moniker “the bible of the sport.” The SURFER brand has also grown to include SURFERmag.com, Fantasy SURFER, and a myriad of SURFER message boards. All of these assets combine to make the SURFER network the most current and reliable channel of information to the surf community. The magazine is published by Source Interlink’s Action Sports Group (ASG), which reaches more than 2 million active sports enthusiasts through an integrated network of magazines, online properties, events and television programming. www.SURFERmag.com
About Action Sports Group/Grind Networks
Reaching more than 10 million enthusiasts per month, Source Interlink Media’s Action Sports Group (ASG)/Grind Networks is the dominant force in the action sports and adventure sports arenas. In addition to publishing leading lifestyle publications such as Surfer, Surfing, Snowboarder, Skateboarder, Bike, Paved, Powder, Canoe & Kayak, SUP Magazine, Dirt Rider, and ATV Rider, Source Interlink Media’s ASG/Grind Networks delivers a cutting-edge network of online properties such as Fantasy Surfer and Buyers Guides, events and television programming. In addition, ASG/Grind is the exclusive provider of action sports content for Yahoo! Sports through Grind TV and its numerous assets. www.actionsportsgroup.net
About Source Interlink Media
Source Interlink Media is the premier source of special interest media in the United States. With more than 70 publications, 90 websites, 400 branded products, 65+ events, and TV and radio programs, SIM is the largest provider of content to enthusiast communities interested in automotive, action sports, marine and other niche activities. The organization’s strategy is to wholly focus on targeted audiences by leveraging and expanding upon its core market-leading brands through a multiplatform media approach.
Media Contacts:
Dawn Hamilton
KHPR for ASG
310.295.1189
dhamilton@khpublicrelations.com
Monet Quick-Smits
Public Relations
949-370-7083
monet.quick@sorc.com
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