The standard of competition in round four of the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach was as stiff as the 25 mile per hour trade-winds that prevailed over the third day of competition today. The entrance of the
The standard of competition in round four of the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach was as stiff as the 25 mile per hour trade-winds that prevailed over the third day of competition today. The entrance of the top 32 seeds to the event, including world champion Andy Irons (Hawai‘i) and six-time world champion Kelly Slater (Florida), along with a consistent swell of six to eight feet took the event to a whole new level.
Back-to-back heats eight and nine saw a solid mid-week crowd take up on the famous sands of Sunset Beach with a who’s who of professional surfing. Heat eight saw Andy Irons step up to redeem himself after a premature loss in the first event of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Series at Haleiwa a little over a week ago. Eliminated in his first heat there, it is now up to Irons to earn exceptional results in the O’Neill World Cup and the final event at Pipeline if he is to have a shot at a third Vans Triple Crown title. Hawai‘i’s Sunny Garcia is the current Vans Series leader, following his victory at Haleiwa.
