Evan Geiselman and Matt Banting to square off for Australian Open of Surfing title – Surfing News
America’s Evan Geiselman and Australia’s Matt Banting qualified for the Australian Open of Surfing (ASP) 6-Star Australian Open of Surfing Final at Manly Beach in New South Wales, Australia, on Sunday, February 19.
The surfing conditions at the event site were nothing short of demanding, with two-foot waves and light on-shore winds. It was the frequency rather than the height of the waves that was proving to be troublesome for the surfers during their pursuit of a
good heat-total.
Pitted against New Zealand’s Billy Stairmand in the first Semi-final, Geiselman took an excellent come from behind victory in the dying minutes of the heat to claim the coveted spot in the Final.
As the battle got underway, the Kiwi surfer got down to business right away and posted a 6.67 on the score-board off his very first wave. He immediately followed it up with a 5.33-point wave to take his heat-total of 12.00 and thus enjoy a comfortable lead.
Geiselman looked slightly edgy in the early stages of the battle, though he seemed to be building momentum with every passing minute. It was not until the heat entered its final minutes that the American let go of his inhibitions and began to attack the
waves with maximum vigour. Locking his first business-wave, he scored an 8.00 off it and immediately followed it up with a spectacular 9.50-point wave to finish with a decisive heat-total of 17.50 points.
The second Semi-final saw an in-form Banting take on Hawaii’s Granger Larsen for the Finals’ spot. While both the surfers had done exceptionally well to come this far in the event, the performances of Banting in the recent days made him a definite stand-out.
Continuing his run of excellent form, the local surfer treated the thousands of surfing fans gathered at Manly Beach to yet another enthralling performance. Remaining quite busy throughout the course of the heat, he posted an 8.33 and 8.43 on the score-board
to finish with a heat-total of 16.76 points.
Larsen failed to respond effectively and finished with a heat-total of 9.16 points, which comprised of a 1.83 and 7.33-point wave. His lacklustre performance forced him to concede a comprehensive victory to Banting.
The battle for the inaugural Australian Open of Surfing title was going to take place between Geiselman and Banting, both of whom looked to be in one of the best forms of their life.
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