Coco Ho and Sally Fitzgibbons reach quarter-finals at Vans US Open of Surfing – Surfing news
Hawaii’s Coco Ho and Australia’s Sally Fitzgibbons successfully secured their place in the quarter-finals at the Vans US Open of Surfing, stop no.6 on the 2013 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women’s World Championship Tour, after claiming top
honours in their respective Round 3 heats that went down at the Huntington Beach Pier in California, America, on Thursday, July 25, 2013.
Ho got the better of her compatriots Carissa Moore and Alana Blanchard in the third heat to earn her place in the next stage of the competition, while relegating both her rivals to the fourth round.
Fitzgibbons, on the other hand, qualified for the quarter-finals by finishing on top of France’s Pauline Ado and America’s Lakey Peterson in the fourth heat. Both her rivals were consequently forced to take a trip to the fourth round.
Despite being a no-loser round, the elite female surfers were determined to make the most of the opportunity to jump straight into the quarter-finals without having to face the pressure of the relegation round.
Pitted against and Blanchard in the third heat of Round 3, Ho put on a superb performance to walk away with the win. The 22-year-old Hawaiian collected a 7.17 off her first business-wave late in the heat and soon backed it up with an 8.50-point ride, thus
finishing with a decisive heat-total of 15.67 points.
Moore, former ASP Women’s World Champion and current No.2 in this year’s race for the coveted title, registered a heat-total of 13.24 points to finish in second place, while Blanchard was forced to settle for third place after finishing with a heat-total
of 10.10 points.
“It was cool to surf with Carissa (Moore) and Alana (Blanchard) and it’s a heat we’ve all had before,” Ho said. “We try to have fun in that no losers round and I’m happy I got through. I think all of the adrenaline and psych makes you push harder on every
turn and that’s what I’m going for.”
The fourth heat saw Fitzgibbons claim victory over Ado and Peterson, though just barely, after what turned out to be an intense battle.
The Australian surfer got off to a relatively modest start, thus allowing Ado to grab the lead with a heat-total of 14.20 points.
Eventually finding her rhythm in the later stages of the heat, Fitzgibbons managed to collect a 7.00 and 7.33 off her two business-waves, thus getting to a heat-total of 14.33 points. The score proved just enough to seal the fate of the battle in her favour.
Peterson finished in third place with a heat-total of 10.63 points and thus accompanied Ado into the relegation round.
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