Official ASP News
OPT - TAHITI PRO LONGBOARD - WLT
OPT – Tahiti Pro Longboard
4 Star ASP World Longboard Tour (WLT) event
ASP Longboard European Pro Tour Final Stop
Taharuu Beach, Papara - Tahiti
24-29 July 2007
MICHEL DEMONT (PYF) WINS OPT-TAHITI PRO LONGBOARD
AND BECOMES 2007 ASP EUROPEAN LONGBOARD CHAMPION !
After yesterday’s interruption in the last heat of round 3, what a relief it was fro everyone to get back to the beach knowing Keoni Perkins (Haw) was definitely safe. We could then start round 4 in the best conditions, some clean 3 ft waves breaking for this final day of competition of the OPT-Tahiti Pro Longboard. The three-men quarterfinals started at 8.30 AM, and Duane De Soto (Haw) faced Scott Fong Jnr (Haw) and local Heifara-Jean Tahutini (Pyf). With a similar level, the three men surfed really well, Fong using the repertoire with accuracy while De Soto and Tahutini were going vertical on the hollower lefthanders. Opening the day with an upset, Tahutini eventually eliminated Fong to advance to the man-on-man quarterfinals.
“I’m stoked to make the man-on-man heats at home. Just too good to reach such a round and surf against some of the best surfers in the world,” said Tahutini.
Carlos Bahia (Bra) was eliminated in round 3 by fellow countryman Eduardo Bagé (Bra) and onfire frenchman Damien Castera (Fra) in a close heat when the three men kept exchanging waves until the last minutes, the situation changing every second, when Castera found a long hollow left to score perfect re-entries finishing with a classic hang-five and get an 8.10 pts reward. Beating the two brazilians, Castera was delighted with his victory. “I chose to surf all the lefthanders I could and I knew I had some tough opponents out there. I was hoping to qualify, but to win is just perfect and gives confidence in a such a heat,” said Castera.
Heat 4 brought some amazing action when tahitians Michel Demont and Heifara-Peter Tahutini surfed against french favourite Antoine Delperro. In the highest scoring heat of the event at that time, the two tahitians going off on every wave of their home spot. Delperro resisted despite Demont’s best score of the event with a 9.25 after landing a huge floater re-entrie and linking the sections with a perfect nose-riding to secure his spot in the quarterfinals.while Heifara Peter Tahutini was destroying a lefthander to control his second place qualification.
The man-on-man quarterfinals got underway straight after, and Eduardo Bagé (Bra) was the man of heat 1 when he eliminated Duane De Soto (Haw) thanks to an excellent ride while Duane couldn’t find his waves to catch up with the brazilian and had to accept an equal 5th finish. In quarter #3, Jackson Close (Aus) just dominated the battle against local Heifara Peter Tahutini (Pyf), leaving him in need of a combination; only australian of the final day, Close left the water very satsified and confident about the remaining heats; however he finished equal 3rd and got $1500 for his result when he was eliminated by furtur champion Michel Demont. “It’s been a great event, what a pleasure to be on this island. I mean, it must happent again and maybe if it is at another time in the year we will have all the best... For sure actually, as this was running at the same time as the US Open. But great thanks to all, happy with my result,” said Close.
The clash of the titans took place in the last quarterfinal when Michel Demont (Pyf) faced former world champion Bonga Perkins. In a tight heat until the last minute, Demont used his priority to find the 5.65 pts he needed leaving Bonga at the outside out of reach of a spot in the semifinals.
The giant killer Heifara-Jean Tahutini (Pyf) was eventually in reach of his first final in an ASP World longboard tour event when he paddled out against Eduardo Bagé (Bra). Starting fast, the brazilian looked unstoopbale again opening with a 7.25 pointer out of possible 10. Slowly but confidently, Tahutini surfed wave after wave, feeling no pressure to catch up with the brazilian until he stuck to the lefthanders and started getting on fire, overtaking Bagé to advance to the final of the OPT-Tahiti Pro Longboard. “I just started good but couldn’t hear the scores clearly outside because of the wind and couldn’t stop paddling because of the current. However he got the bomb of the heat and just deserved making this one”, said a positive Bagé, finishing equal 3rd pocketing $1500 of prize. The second semifinal sent the last foreign representation home, Michel Demont (Pyf) beating one of the favourites Jackson Close (Aus) with the same control and experience, added to all the technique that brought him to the semis.
The ultimate heat of the event lasted 35 minutes and brought together giant killer Heifara-Jean Tahutini (Pyf) and longtime competitor and favourite Michel Demont (Pyf). The two men loked relaxed and confident, already satisfied with their result, but still knowinh they could seize the first ever OPT-Tahiti Pro Longboard title, and the 2007 ASP European Longboard Pro Tour crown. Everything started with average scores, Demont opening with a 6 pointer while Tahutini was securing a 4.75. Then the men got on fire, and started destroying the lefthanders with amazing verticality and power; halfway in the heat, the two surfers were tied, with the same total for three minutes, before Demont took off on this 4 ft solid set wave and carved his way up to the shore using the whole repertoire of longboarding from radical re-entries to perfect hands-in-the-air hang five nose rides, claiming his 8.5 pts reward and knowing he had definitely taken the option for the victory.
“So stoked to win this event. I entered this 4 Star WLT event with no goal, just the pleasure of surfing with my friends and the new generation and I end up winning it... So happy. I want to thank all the organisers and contest directors Ralph Sanford and Christophe Hollozet for making this possible and I hope it will be back next year,” confessed Michel Demont after his victory in the first ever OPT-Tahiti Pro Longboard 4 Star WLT event in Papara, Tahiti.
Michel Demont becomes the 2007 ASP European Longboard Champion and grabs OPT-Tahiti Pro Longboard title in front of an impressive field of internationals, including former world champion Bonga Perkins (Haw). Congratulations for the event, see you next year from Tahiti.
RESULTS
Final: Michel Demont (Pyf) def. Heifara-Jean Tahutini (Pyf)
Semifinal #1: Heifara-Jean Tahutini (Pyf) def. Eduardo Bagé (Bra)
Semifinal #2: Michel Demont (Pyf) def. Jackson Close (Aus)
Quarterfinal #1: Eduardo Bagé (Bra) def. Duane De Soto (Haw)
Quarterfinal #2: Heifara-Jean Tahutini (Pyf) def. Damien Castera (Fra)
Quarterfinal #3: Jackson Close (Aus) def. Heifara-Peter Tahutini (Pyf)
Quarterfinal #4: Michel Demont (Pyf) def. Bonga Perkins (Haw)
About ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing’s undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the Foster’s ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world's best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.
Jackson Close (Aus) scored the highest wave of the day with an 8 pts ride out of possible 10, during his round 3 heat. Facing local and internationally famous longboarder Michel Demont (Pyf), the australian surfer looked at ease in the 4 ft tough conditions, and wen through the battle with great control, scoring his two best rides in the first ten minutes of the heat. After finishing equal 5th in France during the ASP Oxbow World Longboard Championships, Close will meet again with the man who eliminated him in France Bonga Perkins (Haw), former world champion and one of the inform men of the event.
HEIFARA TAHUTINI (PYF) LEADS LONGBOARDERS ON DAY 1 IN OPT-TAHITI PRO LONGBOARD !
The first day of competition got underway once the last details were fixed. With more than 50 surfers entered in the OPT – Tahiti Pro Longboard, everyone was excited to get on with this first edition, already calling for more. In a classic polynesian style, all competitors gathered for a prayer before paddling out and start the battle. The first heat brought Scott Fong Jnr (Haw) up against two locals. The hawaiian surfer dominated easily this test with nice controlled classic nose-riding, using the hollowest section to go vertical on his nine-footer. “Pretty stoked to be in Tahiti. We came in the last minute but it’s always cool to be here, just relaxing and why not get some good results off course,” said Fong.
Under blue skies, the surfers enjoyed the 26°C water, surfing the 3 ft waves with great style and comitment. The rivermouth of Papara offering a nice peak, the competitors could choose both right or lefthanders to impress the ASP judging panel. Local Pierre Tahutini (Pyf) surfed in heat 2 and looked very confident usijg all the repertoire to beat fellow island mates and advance to round 2, to face one of the best world longboarders Duane De Soto (Haw). Leader of the hawaiian crew that made the trip to Tahiti with former world champion Bonga Perkins (Haw), De Soto is already one of the favourites of this first edition of the OPT – Tahiti Pro Longboard.
“It’s really fun to fially surf a contest in warm water, nice waves and the spirit here is just so relaxing,” started Perkins. “When we hawaiians come down to Tahiti, it’s like home. But it’s great that brazilians, french, british have made the trip as well as they never really come to these places because it’s far away and expensive. So the opportunity is just great and having 15 internationals is just great for a first edition,” finished former ASP longboarding world champion Bonga Perkins (Haw).
The first outstanding performance happened in heat 6, when local Heifara-Peter Tahutini (Pyf) took off on his first ride destroying the righthander with amazing speed to fly over the sections and score an excellent 9 pointer and take a clear advantage over his opponents. Keoni Perkins was the only one to resist the local’s attack finding some good rides to secure a qualification, still dominated by the 15.93 heat score of Tahutini. Round 2 started straight after, using the off-shore conditions to offer the crowd a great time at the beach. Scott Fong Jnr (Haw) was the first qualifier for round 3 when he overtook brazilian Robledo Oliveira (Bra) in a close heat, both men advancing to the next round. Fong finished secured his victory with a blowing 8.30 pointer thanks to some radical vertical re-entries before finishing in style with a long hang-five “tose-on-the-nose” classic manoeuver.
One of the best french riders of the moment Damien Castera (Fra), contending here for both event crown and ASP European Longboard championship paddled out in heat 2. Losing no time, he took off on a perfect lefthander to secure a beautiful hang-five before going on a drop-knee on-the-rail cutback to get a 5 pts reward. Keeping up his good work, Castera maanged to better his ride with a convincing 8 pointer and stay in front of the pack to reach round 3 and show the rest of the field he had some serious skills to get far in the OPT – Tahiti Pro Longboard, an ASP 4 Star WLT event offering $20 000 prizemoney.
Duane De Soto (Haw) had a tough battle against Brett White (Aus), both men scoring some good rides, De Soto eventually taking over with a 7.17 out of possible 10, with 10 minutes remaining, before killing any hopes with a 7.20 pointer. “So good to be in Tahiti. I started slow in my heat and I have a small knee injury that doesn’t help when I’m pushing my turns so I wasn’t that comfortable in the beginning,” said De Soto. “Having this first event here is just amazing; every event held in Polynesia just seem to happen where surfing first appeared, and as an hawaiian, to surf with our cousins is always a pleasure. However, definitely here to win this event if I can,” finished a smiling Duane. Behind took place a close fight between locals including Pierre Tahutini (Pyf) remaining close to the second qualifying spot until aussie White rode a great wave with a long hang-ten that gave him a 6.70 pointer making sure he would resurf in round 3.
This first day of competition ended with no big surprises, ASP World Longboard #3 Carlos Bahia (Bra) qualifying for tomorrow’s clashes with the best; Bahia surfed with the youngest surfer of the event Taaroa Sanford (Pyf), 13-year-old rising local longboarder, the youngman being stopped by fellow island mate Noel Chave (Pyf).
In changing conditions, the rising wind made officials stop the event after heat 6 of round 2. When asked about this first ever event here in Papara, contest organiser Christophe Hollozet was just all smiles out. “This project was built in three months in association with the ASP and all the partners present with us. It’s so touching to have some of the best longboarders in the world, to see all the tahitian sons have a go in a professional event; I am really gratefull to all the surfers to come all the way to french polynesia and make this 4 Star WLT event possible,” said Christophe Hollozet.
About ASP: The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is the governing body of professional surfing. Crowning surfing’s undisputed world champions since 1976, the ASP sanctions the following tours: the Foster’s ASP World Tour, the ASP Women’s World Tour, the World Qualifying Series (WQS) and the World Longboarding, Junior and Masters Championships. The ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world's best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. The organization is divided into seven different regions: Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and South America.
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