Bede Durbidge downs Adam Melling in barrelling conditions to secure Round 3 spot at Volcom Fiji Pro
Australia’s Bede Durbidge advanced through into the third round of Volcom Fiji Pro, the fourth of ten stops on the 2012 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour, after getting the better of his fellow countryperson Adam Melling in the 11th
heat of Round 2 that went down at Cloudbreak in Tavarua, Fiji, on Friday, June 8.
After keeping the competition in a state of hold since getting done with the first 10 heats of Round 2 on Monday due to low swell, the event organisers gave a green signal for the resumption of remaining heats in the second round on Friday. Throughout the
week, both event organisers and surfers had been looking forward to the massive, long-period swell that was predicted to arrive at Cloudbreak by Friday. The forecast by Surfline turned out to be right on the mark yet again as massive 12-15 foot waves appeared
at the open ocean reef pass on Friday.
The mammoth-sized waves, while nerve-wracking, were perfect for the surfers to put their big-wave riding skills on display. The event organisers waited for the swell to become a bit organised before giving a go-head.
The 11th heat of Round 2 pitted Durbidge against Melling in a man-on-man battle for the Round 3 spot. Both the surfers had faltered during their respective Round 1 heats and were consequently in a do-or-die situation without hardly any room for
error.
As the battle got underway, both the surfers took their time to adjust to the firing conditions on hand. As the heat progressed, Melling paddled into a barrel and came out cleanly to post a 7.33 on the score-board. He went on to back it up with a 6.90-point
bomb to finish with a heat-total of 14.23 points.
Durbidge put on an even more impressive performance than his rival to claim the win. The Australian surfer stepped up in the later stages of the heat to lock his first barrel and rode deep into it to earn a 7.83 for the effort. He added an additional 7.60
points to his account, moving to a heat-total of 15.43 points, which resulted in a 1.20-point lead over his rival.
“Those were the biggest most perfect waves I’ve ever surfed,” Durbidge said. “It was pretty nerve-wracking being first up. We were on and then off and then on again. You have to be prepared to go. I think everyone on tour is more than capable of handling
Cloudbreak as big as it gets, we just have to pick our window with the wind. Mello [Adam Melling] was charging out there too so tough luck to him but I’m pumped to get some bombs and get through to Round 3.”
With his success in Round 2, Durbidge moved into the third round where he will face-off with the Australian powerhouse Taj Burrow in yet another man-on-man battle for survival.
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