Adam Melling collects more than just a win at Vans World Cup of Surfing
Vans World Cup of Surfing had delivered bucket loads of fun during its four days of action, with more than a hundred surfers from around the globe bringing forth their skills and experience to try closing their fingers around the coveted prize purse and
Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) ranking points that were on offer.
However, the final of the competition which went down at Sunset Beach in Oahu, Hawaii, on Tuesday, December 4, saw one surfer rise above the rest to steal the limelight, Australian sensation Adam Melling.
Currently a contender on the ASP World Championship Tour, the Australian surfer was in a desperate need of an ASP Prime event win to retain his position among the surfing elite in next year’s campaign for the coveted ASP World Title.
Vans World Cup of Surfing was never going to prove an easy event to conquer, not only because it had attracted some serious talented, which included the likes of reigning 11-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater or Hawaiian child-prodigy John John Florence,
but also because the conditions prevailing at the main event site were extremely demanding.
During the course of the event, surfers found themselves attempting to tame swell of faces up to 15 feet, with their determination, skill and experience being their only form of defence against the deadly waves.
Melling, who was not as familiar with the conditions as some of his rivals, adapted to the waves quite adeptly, adjusting his style of surfing to surf according to the situation.
After managing to make it through the initial rounds, delivering a mesmerising performance in the quarter-finals and managing to survive the semi-finals, the Australian sensation found himself facing his strongest challenge in weeks, a four-man battle against
Brazil’s Gabriel Medina, Hawaii’s Sebastien Zietz and Australia’s Adrian Buchan.
The wall that stood between him and a hefty portion of the prize purse and much-needed ASP ranking points was never going to prove easy to conquer, but Melling seemed to have made up his mind to walk away with nothing less than a win.
As the battle got underway, the New South Wales-based surfer found himself pushed under pressure early on as Zietz, winner of the recently-held Reef Hawaiian Pro, clinched the win with a 7.67-point tube ride. The local surfer backed it up with a 6.03-point
wave to get to a heat-total of 13.70 points.
Melling, however, held his focus and instead of succumbing to the pressure, he kept concentrating on locating a perfect ride to unwind.
The Australian surfer eventually got hold of exactly what he was searching for. Locking a glassy six-to-eight foot ride in the later stages of the heat, he unloaded a series of gouging turns. The effort served to earn him an average of 9.33 points from the
judges.
Keeping the momentum going, he added an additional 6.83 points to his account, which took him to a two-wave total of 16.16 points. The score held up until the end to help him seal the deal and walk away with a prize cheque of $40,000, while also successfully
retaining his place for the 2013 ASP World Championship tour.
Medina finished in second place with a heat-total of 15.67 points after scoring an 8.17 and 7.50 off his best-two waves. The runner-up finish earned him $20,000, along with plenty of respect.
Zietz eventually had to settle for third place with a heat-total of 13.70 points after getting off to such a solid start, while a heat-total of 13.26 points put Buchan in fourth place. The two surfers walked away with a cheque of $12,000 and $10,000 respectively.
All in all, it turned out to be a very satisfying experience for the surfers, while the fans also got to enjoy plenty of thrilling action featuring some of the best in the business.
Melling may have shown some issues with his consistency during the event, but all ended up well for him. However, he still has some work to do before he can successfully establish himself as a strong contender in the campaign for the ASP World Title.
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