MARGARET RIVER, Western Australia — Defending Association of Surfing Professionals 6-Star Telstra Drug Aware Pro women’s champion Chelsea Hedges survived a very tight third-round heat Tuesday, to advance through to the final 12 surfers. Then during Wednesday’s action, Kelly Slater
MARGARET RIVER, Western Australia — Defending Association of Surfing Professionals 6-Star Telstra Drug Aware Pro women’s champion Chelsea Hedges survived a very tight third-round heat Tuesday, to advance through to the final 12 surfers.
Then during Wednesday’s action, Kelly Slater made it through a close opening heat in the men’s event to reach the Round of 48.
Hedges was in third place in her heat with just a minute remaining but remained cool, caught a good wave in the final 30 seconds and posted the required six-point wave score to jump to first and advance ahead of local surfer Claire Bevilacqua, who advanced in second while South Africa’s Sarah Baum was the unlucky one to be eliminated, states a press release from ASP.
”That was a close call,” said Hedges after the heat. “We were all getting good waves and I knew I needed a good score to advance and fortunately I found the right wave in the end. I don’t want to leave it that close in future heats because the wave generally doesn’t come to you in the final seconds.”
While Hedges managed to survive a close heat, fellow Australian Jessi Miley-Dyer dominated by posting the event’s top scoring heat to date after she attained two excellent scores of 8.97 and an 8.33 for a tally of 17.30 to comprehensively thrash her opponents.
“It worked out well for me but that’s not how I planned the heat,” said Miley-Dyer.
“I actually paddled out looking to surf the lefts off the break but I caught an early right-peeling wave and was surprised just how good that wave was. After that I stuck with the rights and had a great heat.”
Round one of the ASP PRIME Rated Men’s Telstra Drug Aware Pro began Tuesday with the opening eight heats completed in good four to five-foot surf.
Queensland’s Mitch Crews was the dominant surfer. He was celebrating his 21st birthday and he attacked the waves with his typically renowned aggression, scoring an excellent 8.83 ride, backed up with a strong 7.33 to easily win the heat, defeating ASP world ranked No. 12 surfer Jadson Andre, who was lucky to advance in second place.
“It would have been so bad to get eliminated in the first round on my birthday, but I wasn’t thinking about it too much,” said Crews. “I don’t care who I’m surfing against or anything. I just want to go out there and surf my best. The rights looked much better than the lefts and I also noticed that the second wave of the set looked the cleanest, so when I paddled out I just went for those ones. It must have worked because I got the scores.”
Fellow Gold Coast youngster Jack Freestone also won through in the heat straight after Crews, defeating American Nat Young and highly rated world No. 11 surfer Adriano De Souza, who was eliminated from the event.
The final heat of the day saw the biggest upset so far, with the elimination of world ranked No. 7 surfer Owen Wright, whose season this year has not begun how most would have expected for the young, powerful and highly touted Lennox Head goofy footer.
He was defeated by internationals Marc Lacomare and Wigolly Dantas.
Everyone was awaiting the appearance of 10-time ASP world champion Kelly Slater, who got his event going with a first-place finish in his Round of 96 heat, putting up a 12.36 to advance alongside Billy Stairman (12.00).
Slater will be around to take part and put on more of a show with an approaching massive swell, expected to be in the 15-foot range on Thursday, certain to test even the most decorated surfer of all time.
For more information, visit www.telstradrugawarepro.com
