2011 ASP Billabong Rio Pro gets delayed due to low tides
The third stop of the 2011 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour, Billabong Rio Pro, was scheduled to start on Wednesday, May 11th, at the Barra Da Tijuca in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. However, the competition has been postponed to Thursday due to the low tides at the main event site.
While monitoring the conditions on Monday morning, the event organisers found the waves to be merely six feet (two metres). Finding them insufficient for the ASP contest, the organisers decided to wait for the conditions to improve rather than kick things off in the less than ideal conditions.
While talking to a reporter, the ASP international Judge Pritamo Ahrendt said, “We went on hold this morning in hopes that conditions would clean up but the waves are still mostly closing out. We’ve got plenty of time remaining in the waiting period and would rather wait for better conditions to start the contest.”
The first round of the event, consisting to 12 heats, was scheduled to kick-off at 7:30 in the morning with the 2010 ASP Rookie of the year from Australia, Owen Wright, facing Brazil’s Heitor Alves and America’s Bobby Martinez in the first heat. The next heat was to feature an all Australian heat, with Adrian Buchan competing against Adam Melling and Kai Otton to advance in the event.
Unarguably the biggest highlight of any surfing contest is the legendary Kelly Slater from America. A lot of surfing fans will be anxious to see how the phenom redeems himself after a rather disappointing end to his last competition, where he got eliminated at the hands of the Brazil’s Adriano de Souza in the quarter-finals. He will be taking on Australia’s Julian Wilson and another surfer who is yet to be announced in the sixth heat of the first round.
Australia’s Mick Fanning, the two time world champion, gave an excellent performance at the Pro Bells Beach in Australia. He will be looking to continue on his excellent form in Rio. Facing the in-form Australian in the fourth heat will be Hawaii’s Dusty Payne and another surfer who is yet to be announced.
With many other A-class surfers making up the field, the Billabong Rio Pro promises to be an exciting contest.
The organisers of the event will be present at the beach at seven in the morning on Thursday to reassess the conditions with the hope of getting the contest on the way by 7:30 am.
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