QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST 2011-FINALS WRAP
[10.03.2011]Surfers
Kelly Slater, Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast 2011, final, Taj Burrow, surfing, ASP World Tour, surfers
SLATER TAKES OUT TAJ & QUIKSILVER PRO
QUIKSILVER PRO 2011 - FINALS WRAP
VIEW UP-TO-DATE 2011 RESULTS
SNAPPER ROCKS, Queensland/Australia (Wednesday, March 9, 2011) – Kelly Slater (USA) has overcome event standout Taj Burrow (AUS) to win the 2011 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast.
Earlier, there were eight surfers remaining in hunt for the Quiksilver Pro crown heading into the final day of competition at Snapper Rocks.
In the opening quarter final, 10-time world Champion Kelly Slater took on 22-year-old Hawaiian Dusty Payne. Slater looked sharp from the get-go - locking in an 8.73 ride on his first wave to set up victory and a comfortable passage to the semi-finals.
Australian goofyfooter Matt Wilkinson looked well in control against Portugal’s Tiago Pires in the second quarter final. However with just one minute remaining Tiago snared a heat-wining wave to steal victory and advance through.
In quarter final number three, Australian Taj Burrow posted the highest heat total of the round to easily despatch of American Brett Simpson, booking a place in the semi’s and cementing the defending Quiksilver Pro champion as the form surfer of the competition this year.
In the last heat of the Quarter Finals– the event's surprise package, Brazilian Rookie Alejo Muniz, looked in lethal touch against South African Jordy Smith, but just when it appeared over, Smith scorched a last-minute wave to sneak into the last spot of the semi finals.
The first semi-final saw American Kelly Slater take on Portugal’s Tiago Pires. Incredibly Pires had won his last three encounters with the 10-time World Champion – but it was not to be this time – with Slater locking in two solid 8-point rides straight out of the blocks to brush Pires aside and book a place in the Quiksilver Pro final.
“That was a very tough heat,” Pires said. “The waves are kind of tricky. They are not as perfect as they were in the heat before. I think I was looking for barrels too much and they didn’t happen. I only got one barrel and I got shut down on priority. They are all really good surfers. Every heat is tough and each one has its own story. I’m just here to do my best surfing.”
In semi-final 2 Australia’s Taj Burrow would battle it out with South African Jordy Smith for the place in the final.
Once again Burrow was on fire – opening his account with a 9.23 and following that up with an 8.33 – to securing a showdown with Kelly Slater.
“It’s disappointing when everything seems to be going well and the surf doesn’t cooperate,” Smith said. “Taj (Burrow) surfed amazing though and it’s still a good start for me. I’m looking forward to the next event and I’ll just put my head down and work hard until then.”
The final between Burrow and Slater was a rematch of the event’s 2006 final and sadly for Burrow the result would be no different.
Despite Taj being the form surfing of the competition, the Australian was completely out of rhythm in the final and Slater did just enough to edge out his opponent by single point in a low-scoring affair in the fading afternoon surf conditions.
1 – Kelly Slater (USA) 11.20
2 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 10.17
“I’m having a lot of fun,” Slater said. “It’s pretty easy. You go out and surf Snapper by yourself, it’s pretty fun. To get to surf a contest is a bonus. I’d like to thank my girlfriend and everyone at Quiksilver for throwing the event. Everyone loves this event because the waves are so fun. I don’t think I’m the only one that thought Taj was the standout of the event. At some point had to stop getting 9s and I just picked the right heat.”
“I’m excited about the tour for 2011,” Burrow said. “It was a fun event and it’s just a bummer the waves didn’t hang in there at the end. I couldn’t better a 3. Hats off to Kelly, he built a house and it worked. I’d just like to thank everyone that organized the contest, it was awesome.”
It’s Slater’s 46 elite tour victory and the result puts him atop of the ASP ratings as the World Tour now heads to in Victoria it’s 2nd event - the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.
QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST FINAL MATCH-UPS:
1 – Kelly Slater (USA) 11.20
2 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 10.17
QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST SEMIFINAL MATCH-UPS:
SF 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.77 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 8.20
SF 2: Taj Burrow (AUS) 17.56 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 11.40
QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.40 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 9.06
QF 2: Tiago Pires (PRT) 14.64 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 14.40
QF 3: Taj Burrow (AUS) 17.30 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 11.60
QF 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 13.03 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 9.95
ASP WORLD TITLE TOP 5 (After Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast):
1. Kelly Slater (USA) 10,000 points
2. Taj Burrow (AUS) 8,000 points
3. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 6,500 points
3. Tiago Pires (PRT) 6,500 points
5. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 5,200 points
5. Brett Simpson (USA) 5,200 points
5. Dusty Payne (HAW) 5,200 points
5. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 5,200 points
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