Sea, Sail & Surf newsQuiksilver Masters
Tom Curren head-to-head with Gary Elkerton 13 years after
lundi 27 janvier 2003 –
As a testament to the quality of the rides on offer, defending Masters world champion Gary Elkerton (Australia), posted the first perfect 10-point ride of the event in his fourth round heat. Riding on a left-hander that offered a wide, steep wave-face to work with, Elkerton covered every inch of water with a flawless sequence of carving, committed turns.
"The conditions are actually hard in that I couldn’t tell what the wave was going to do," Elkerton said. "It’s not like the places I surf Surf #Surf at home where you know exactly how it’s going to break. There are about 20 potential take-off spots out here at Makaha and it’s hard to read.
"I was a little surprised to get a perfect 10. To be honest, I’m not feeling all that good today. I’ve got a chest (infection) and it’s taking it out of me. It’s really lucky we’ve got the jet ski assistance out there, getting us back into the lineup after the rides or I don’t know if I could handle it. By the end of the heat, I’m really feeling it.
"This event is very important to me. I don’t think the Masters World Title is given the recognition it deserves. As far as I’m concerned, it’s classified as a world title by the ASP, the sport’s governing body, and that makes it a world title like any other world title. It’s a very important event. It has allowed so many of us an extension to our careers and life. It’s an opportunity that the generations before us were never offered."
Elkerton has advanced to the man-on-man quarterfinals and will go head-to-head with Tom Curren (Ca., USA). It was 13 years ago, in 1990, that Curren and Elkerton were archrivals, Curren coming out on top to win the ASP world championship that year, with Elkerton second.
Others to qualify for the quarters are Australians Barton Lynch and Rob Bain, Californians Mike Parsons and Brad Gerlach, Hawaii’s Derek Ho, and Martin Potter (UK). Bain posted the highest heat score of today’s rounds with 17.5 points out of a possible 20. Curren (California) and Grand Masters competitor Shaun Tomson (South Africa) were close behind on 17.25 points.
In the Grand Masters division, the final cut-off for the quarterfinals came down to the wire and Maui’s Buzzy Kerbox (Maui) squeezed through to the top eight in the final heat of the day. Kerbox had to place third or better to move into eighth place and progress and did exactly that, finishing third behind Wayne Bartholomew and Tomson - two of the most consistent standouts of the event. Kerbox is a former world Masters champion and is perhaps the fittest surfer in the event being one of the current leaders in the extreme sport of tow-in surfing. But this week he has had a hard time settling into the heats, perhaps slightly distracted by the giant tow-in waves that were pouring into Maui in his absence.
"I’m still in disbelief," said Kerbox. "This result definitely helps ease the fact that I’ve been missing the tow-in action back home. I wanted to at least reach the quarter finals, and as long as you stay in, you’ve got a chance at winning."
On competing once again with Bartholomew, Tomson and the others : "It’s just like being a kid all over again. You forget what year it is when you’re out there ! It’s great."
After all four rounds, Bartholomew was the only surfer in either division to win all four of his heats. Along with Tomson and Mark Richards, he is a favorite to take out the Grand Masters. Others to advance to the Grand Masters quarter finals are Hawaiians Michael Ho and Bobby Owens, and Australians Terry Richardson and Paul Neilson.
One day of competition remains and it is scheduled to take place tomorrow, surf Surf #Surf permitting.
RESULTS
Quiksilver Grand Masters (45 years and over), Round 3 :
(No eliminations, best two waves for a total out of 20 points) :
H1 : Wayne Bartholomew (Aus) 13.0, Mark Richards (Aus) 12.0, Mark Warren
(Aus) 9.75, Ian Cairns (Aus) 0 injured
H2 : Nat Young (Aus) 11.5, Terry Fitzgerald (Aus) 6.0, Terry Richardson (Aus)
4.25, Peter Townend (Aus) 2.25
H3 : Shaun Tomson (Safr) 17.25, Michael Ho (Haw) 15.0, Paul Neilson (Aus)
11.25, Reno Abellira (Haw) 10.35
H4 : Buzzy Kerbox (Haw) 12.0, Bobby Owens (Haw) 11.0, Bruce Raymond (Aus)
10.4, Michael Tomson (Safr) 7.75
Quiksilver Grand Masters (45 years and over), Round 4 :
H1 : Paul Neilson 13.0, Mark Warren 11.65, Peter Townend 8.6, Bruce Raymond
8.25
H2 : Michael Tomson 10.45, Reno Abellira 10.25, Terry Richardson 8.25, Ian
Cairns 0 injured
H3 : Bobby Owens 12.75, Mark Richards 10.1, Michael Ho 9.35, Nat Young 9.1
H4 : Wayne Bartholomew 14.0, Shaun Tomson 12.75, Buzzy Kerbox 10.35, Terry
Fitzgerald 3.25
Top 8 Qualifiers for Grand Masters (45 years and over) Quarter Finals/Draw
for Quarters :
H1 : Wayne Bartholomew (Aus) v Paul Neilson (Aus)
H2 : Bobby Owens (Haw) v Terry Richardson (Aus)
H3 : Shaun Tomson (Safr) v Buzzy Kerbox (Haw)
H4 : Mark Richards (Aus) v Michael Ho (Haw)
Quiksilver Masters (35-44 years) Round 3
H1 : Mike Parsons (USA) 14.5, Martin Potter (UK) 12.5, Derek Ho (Haw) 9.15,
Dane Kealoha (Haw) 6.75
H2 : Tom Curren (USA) 17.25, Dave Macaulay (Aus) 12.25, Graham Wilson (Aus)
11.9, Rusty Keaulana (Haw) 11.25
H3 : Barton Lynch (Aus) 15.75, Brad Gerlach (USA) 13.15, Gary Elkerton (Aus)
10.5, Richard Cram (Aus) 9.0
H4 : Rob Bain (Aus) 17.5, Ross Clarke-Jones (Aus) 10.9, Marty Thomas (USA)
8.65, Hans Hedemann (Haw) 6.6
Quiksilver Masters (35-44 years) Round 4 :
H1 : Mike Parsons, 16.15, Dave Macaualay 11.75, Richard Cram 9.0, Ross
Clarke-Jones 8.75
H2 : Brad Gerlach 16.5, Tom Curren 16.15, Marty Thomas 12.25, Dane Kealoha
10.75
H3 : Gary Elkerton 14.0, Rob Bain 13.0, Derek Ho 11.15, Rusty Keaulana 10.75
H4 : Martin Potter 16.65, Barton Lynch 14.9, Graham Wilson 12.0, Hans
Hedemann 11.0
Top 8 Qualifiers for Masters Quarter Finals/Draw for Quarters :
H1 : Barton Lynch (Aus) v Brad Gerlach (USA)
H2 : Rob Bain (Aus) v Mike Parsons (USA)
H3 : Martin Potter (UK) v Derek Ho (Haw)
H4 : Gary Elkerton (Aus) v Tom Curren (USA)
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