LIHU‘E — Australian Dream Tour surfer Matt Wilkinson, 22, won the ASP PRIME O’Neill Cold Water Classic California over Kailua’s Tonino Benson, 20, in tricky two- to four-foot conditions, Saturday at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz, Calif. Wilkinson, who is
LIHU‘E — Australian Dream Tour surfer Matt Wilkinson, 22, won the ASP PRIME O’Neill Cold Water Classic California over Kailua’s Tonino Benson, 20, in tricky two- to four-foot conditions, Saturday at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz, Calif.
Wilkinson, who is currently competing on his rookie year on the ASP World Tour, ventured to the O’Neill Cold Water Classic California in search of the valuable ratings points on offer to contribute to his ASP World Ranking.
The progressive goofy-footer launched out to a quick start in his bout against the young Hawaiian, blasting a solid seven-point ride. Benson quickly matched the Aussie’s score, but Wilkinson notched a backup score of 6.67, to take out the win after a week of impressive backhand surfing at Steamer Lane.
“I’m so stoked, I haven’t won a contest in a long time,” Wilkinson said. “It’s been a long day, but I guess when it’s cold like this I guess you don’t get too buggered. I kept enough energy for the final and just got over the edge, so I’m stoked. I love surfing on my backhand and have always felt I’m stronger backside. I’m just stoked to have won this contest.”
Wilkinson currently sits in the No. 27 position on the ASP Dream Tour.
“This is definitely a good result for my world ranking going into the rest of the year,” Wilkinson said. “I’m towards the back of the ratings on the World Tour and I was getting a little bit worried about the end of the year and I don’t know, I’m definitely stoked with this.”
Wilkinson will also carry the confidence from his massive win to the upcoming Rip Curl Pro Search Puerto Rico, where he will return to battle in elite ASP World Tour competition.
“This win is definitely good for the confidence,” Wilkinson said. “It’s the first time I’ve won in ages and it’s got me on a high, so hopefully I can keep the ball going and make some heats in Puerto Rico.”
Benson was another young talent to shine on his backhand at Steamer Lane. The lightning-fast goofy-footer eliminated an impressive list of names including 2009 O’Neill Cold Water Classic Champion Nathan Yeomans, 16-year-old prodigy Kolohe Andino and Australian Yadin Nicol before falling to Wilkinson in the final.
“That was kind of a tough heat for me,” Benson said. “I just couldn’t find a second wave and it cost me. It’s okay. I’m stoked. It’s a good result for me. I just came off of an injury, so I’m really happy that I made the final.”
California native Nat Young, 19, detonated the day’s highest heat total of 15.36 out of 20 in his quarterfinals matchup, but was unable to find a rhythm in his wave-starved semifinals heat against Matt Wilkinson at his local break of Steamer Lane and finished equal third overall.
“The waves were terrible and I fell on all of my waves,” Young said. “I’m pretty bummed. It’s a good result, but I just wish the waves were a little better.”
New Zealand’s Billy Stairmand, 21, snagged the day’s highest single-wave score of an 8.17 out of 10 with a variety of committed forehand fins-free turns and powerful rail carves in his quarterfinal heat victory, but earned an interference in the opening seconds of his semifinals bout and was unable to recover. Stairmand finished equal third overall.
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Finals:
1 – Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 13.67
2 – Tonino Benson (HAW) 12.53
Semifinals:
Heat 1: Wilkinson (USA) 9.00 def. Nat Young (USA) 5.44
Heat 2: Benson (HAW) 12,17 def. Billy Stairmand (NZL) 4.40
Quarterfinals:
Heat 1: Nat Young (USA) 15.36 def. Jonny Craft (USA) 12.10
Heat 2: Wilkinson (AUS) 10.27 def. Mason Ho (HAW) 6.93
Heat 3: Benson (HAW) 13.26 def. Nate Yeomans (USA) 11.77
Information from an ASP release.
