TEAHUPOO, Taiarapu/Tahiti (Friday, September 3, 2010) – Andy Irons (HAW), 32, past three-time ASP World Champion, has won the Billabong Pro Tahiti, besting C.J. Hobgood (USA), 31, in an explosive Final clash in three-to-four foot (1.5 metre) waves at Teahupoo.

The fifth stop on the 2010 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Tahiti culminated in climactic fashion today, on the final day of the waiting period.

The emphatic victory marks Irons’ 20th at the elite level of competition, and the Hawaiian was emotional when regarding his first win in over three years (won Rip Curl Pro Search Chile 2007).

“I did it!” Irons exclaimed. “I surf because I have to put my jersey on some time. I took a lot of losses, but I put in the hard work too. I dedicate this win 100% to my wife, Lindy, she is everything to me and without her, I’d be nothing. I really, really like competing because I love to win and I feel on top of the world today. I surf because I love to win. I love this feeling.”

Irons, who bested reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS), 29, lethal rookie Patrick Gudauskas (USA), 24, and past nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 38, en route to the Final, opened up with a massive, freefall wipeout before utilizing his unparalleled backhand tube-riding skills to net a 14.67 out of a possible 20 and collect the win.

“He (Hobgood) paddled me inside and caught the first wave,” Irons said. “The next wave was better and I just fell out of the sky. I thought my board was going to break. It has two buckles on it already. I just went after it out there. C.J. is so dangerous here. I knew he would be getting tens or twos, and I was lucky it was twos today.”

With today’s victory, Irons moves from No. 18 to No. 7 on the ASP World Title Race rankings, a monumental feat that sees the powerful Hawaiian well inside the ASP Top 10.

“I feel like I’m back,” Irons said. “I have to thank ASP for giving me the wildcard back here. My whole dream was to come back and just win one contest, and I’ve done that now. I want more. And to win at Teahupoo, it’s my favourite wave in the world. It’s a very special win.

Hobgood, one of the premiere tuberiders in the world, was unable to find his way out of multiple barrels in the Final bout against Irons and was reflective in terms Runner-Up finish in Tahiti.

“I had good waves that I could have got the score on and I tried a little harder than I had to,” Hobgood said. “My highest score was only an 8 through every heat leading up to this one and I hadn’t had a breakout performance. No one to blame but myself. I’m stoked all the same though. After the heat, I told Andy ‘there’s a lot of people pulling for you, including myself.’ It’s emotional and you take what you can from it.”

Today’s finish at the Billabong Pro Tahiti vaults the past ASP World Champion (2001) from No. 22 to No. 15 in the hunt for the 2010 ASP World Title heading into the next tour stop in Southern California.

“I’ve been in four finals out here and I don’t remember the years I got second,” Hobgood said. “Still, it’s a huge result for me, and I had the opportunity out there. I finally got the monkey off my back this season and I hope I can build on this moving forward.”

Jeremy Flores (FRA), 22, posted the best result of his young career, finishing Equal 3rd at the Billabong Pro Tahiti before going down to Hobgood in the Semifinals. The result jumps the young natural-footer from 24th to 19th on the ASP World Title Race rankings, an excellent position heading into Lower Trestles and home to Europe.

“I had priority the last five minutes and a set came that was my chance, but it wasn’t the wave I needed,” Flores said. “The barrel was really small inside. C.J. (Hobgood) is an excellent surfer and he’s very smart. He surfed a smart heat. Still though, it’s great for me, and I’m excited for the next event.”

Kelly Slater (USA), 38, past nine-time ASP World Champion, looked the form surfer of the day, scoring the event’s first and only Perfect 10 in the Quarterfinals for an incredible freefall layback barrel.

“It’s been a while (since getting a 10),” Slater said. “That was probably the best wave of the day. I looked at the first one, and I was surprised Ace (Adrian Buchan) went on the first one. The second one usually sucks out more and is more hollow. I was a little bit far back when I was paddling, and when I turned around to go, the wind was pushing me back. So I really had to overcompensate once I got to the bottom and finally set my edge. It was a good one though.”

Despite the Semifinal loss to Irons, Slater moves from 3rd to 2nd on the ASP World Title Race rankings, a mere 250 points behind frontrunner Jordy Smith (ZAF), 22.

“I’m up there pretty close,” Slater said. “Going all the way to J-Bay and getting 17th makes me wish I had stayed home. You lose confidence and waste time on planes. That’s the way it goes – you have good events and bad events. This one has been pretty good though. The waves haven’t been good, but we’ve seen a lot of cool things. We’ve seen the young guys really step up and we’ve seen Andy (Irons) come back and put one together.”

Highlights from the Billabong Pro Tahiti will be available via http://www.billabongpro.com/tahiti10/

The next stop on the 2010 ASP World Tour will be the Hurley Pro Trestles in Southern California from September 12 – 18, 2010.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

After days of sitting around waiting for the swell to come in, the Billabong Pro Tahiti is now through Round 2 and well into Round 3. Upsets, tight heats and the cut off were the main topics of conversation at the end of the day. Having eliminated Taj Burrow in Round 2, Manoa Drollet went and dumped World #1 Jordy Smith out of the competition in Round 3.

“He (Smith) was sitting on priority and he only needed a small wave at one point,” Drollet said. “He waited forever and he didn’t catch anything. I have a good knowledge here. I’ve been doing water patrol so I’ve been watching the event and analyzing the guys’ strategies a lot. I managed to get scores and get back in the lead there towards the end. I was expecting Jordy (Smith) to come back with a 9 at anytime.”

Despite the loss, Smith remained gracious in defeat and positive as he transitions to the next event in California.

“It was pretty tough out there,” Smith said. “Wave-starved a bit and difficult to find the right one. I got an average one in the beginning and the cut my hand on the reef. Some heats go like that. You live and learn, and I’m looking forward to the next one at Trestles.”

And in the next heat Kelly Slater pulled out a squeaker against Heiarii Williams, winning by a slim 0.09! The win moves Slater up to #2 in the ASP World Rankings.

The end of Day 9 also led to the dropping of 12 surfers from the WCT, as tour slims down to just 34 surfers … the Top 32 plus 2 wildcards. The guys dropped so far are Drew Courtney (AUS), Neco Padaratz (BRA), Tanner Gudauskas (USA), Mick Campbell (AUS), Kieren Perrow (AUS),  Tom Whitaker (AUS),  Kekoa Bacalso (HAW),  Blake Thornton (AUS),  Dean Morrison (AUS),  Jay Thompson (AUS),  Nate Yeomans (USA), Ben Dunn (AUS).

With the Billabong Pro Tahiti about to get under way in Teahupoo in a few hours, we thought it would be a good idea to enjoy a little recap from last year’s event, won by Bobby Martinez. Should keep you going until the webcast goes live:

(Billabong Pro, Teahupo’o, Tahiti): Mother Nature has flicked the switch at Tahiti’s famed surf break, Teahupo’o, turning on a magical day of surfing for contestants in the Air Tahiti Nui VonZipper Trials. Invitees from more than 10 nations battled it out in solid eight-to-ten foot waves one Day 1, hoping for one of just two wildcard spots into the upcoming Billabong Pro, Tahiti (Aug 23rd – Sept 3rd).

Laurie Towner (NSW, AUS) was the day’s top scorer, his two-wave combined heat score of 16.97 seeing the natural foot advance comfortably ahead of Shimpei Hirogushi (JAP) on 9.93, and forcing the elimination of Sion Miloski (HAW) and Dale Staples (ZAF).

Towner took a horrifying wipeout during practice yesterday, yet despite the worst fears of onlookers, surfaced unscathed to regather himself and register today’s impressive effort.

Kamalei Alexander (HAW) was another standout on Day 1. The Hawaiian showed he was in perfect synch with the Teahupo’o lineup, easily winning both his Round 1 and Round 2 heats with an absolutely committed display of backhand tube riding. Onlookers erupted when Alexander emerged from one of the most critical tube rides of the day, skimming past support boats and fans as they cheered him on.

Anthony Walsh (NSW, AUS) registered the event’s first perfect-10 point ride with just ten seconds remaining in his Round 2 clash versus Hawaii’s Hank Gaskell (HAW) and locals Tuhiti HAUMANI and David DANDOIS (PFY). The score catapulted Walsh from last place to first in the dying moments and secured the Australian a place in Round 3.

Not all competitors were so fortunate, many suffering the wrath of Teahupo’o has they unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate the hi-speed tubes. Among those to be eliminated today were Billy Kempur (HAW), Ryan Hipwood (Gold Coast, AUS), Makua Rothman (HAW) and Nick Vasicek (AUS).

With the excellent surf expected to continue, organisers are confident of crowning the Air Tahiti Nui VonZipper Trials wildcards tomorrow (Tuesday Aug 17 – Tahiti time).

The Air Tahiti Nui VonZipper Trails waiting period is 16th – 19th August and decides the remaining two wildcard spots into the upcoming Billabong Pro, Tahiti, stop 5 of 10 on the 2010 ASP Men’s World Tour. The Billabong Pro, Tahiti waiting period begins August 23rd and runs to Sept 3rd, with just four full days of competition required to crown a champion. Local hero Manoa Drollet, a two-time Air Tahiti Nui trials winner, is the recipient of the third Billabong Pro, Tahiti wildcard and has already been allocated a main event seed.

In the run up to the Billabong Pro Tahiti here’s Websiode #3 celebrating some of the 10 point rides that have happened over the years, including Kelly Slater’s sick ride from 2005 against Bruce Irons.

Billabong Pro Tahiti – Webisode 3 from Billabong on Vimeo.

Start of the Billabong Pro out in Tahiti is less than two weeks away and we’re already getting pumped at the prospect of seeing the world’s top surfers tackle Teahupoo. Here’s Webisode 2, featuring a preview of the trials for you:

Billabong Pro Tahiti – Webisode 2, The Trials from Billabong on Vimeo.

“Teahupo’o” (pron: chee-yow-po) has been considered among the world’s most intimidating surf spots since its ‘outing’ a little over a decade ago. Male professional surfers have withdrawn from the competition in fear for their lives. In 2006 a decision was made that the women’s ASP event would be scrapped from the schedule all together and just a handful of surfing’s chargers are considered true Teahupo’o specialists.

Joel Parkinson’s world title hopes were pretty much extinguished last week after he suffered a horrific gash to his foot. Requiring over 30 stitches, Andy Irons described the injury, suffered in a wipeout at Snapper Rocks, as the “worst fin chop I’ve ever seen”.

Parko will be out of action for a good few weeks as the deep cut heals, forcing him to withdraw from the Billabong Pro J-Bay. According to Jim Kempton in Surfing The Manual: Advanced, coming back from a debilitating injury can be a long process, requiring both mental and physical strength:

Parko "Feels good to eat something I made...or look at it getting made" via twitter.com/joelparko

Dr Warren Kramer, long time healer of surf stars, says normal soft tissue injuries generally take about four to six weeks to heal with a good six to eight weeks of disciplined rehab on top of that. Kramer breaks the basic rehab process down with the acronym PRICE, which stands for protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation. Protecting the injury while it heals will help minimize further damage. Rest gives it the opportunity to heal. Icing and elevating will help keep the swelling down. Compression assists in maintaining stabilization. This basic recipe should work for the average sprain or strain. It’s when tendons are torn and ligaments frayed that the rehab process becomes complicated.

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