Joel Parkinson and Miguel Pupo dominant in Round 3 of Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast – Surfing News
Australia’s Joel Parkinson and Brazil’s Miguel Pupo walked away with top honours from their respective Round 3 heats at the opening event of 2012 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour, Quiksilver Pro presented by Land Rover,
which went down at Snapper Rocks in Queensland, Australia, on Monday, February 27.
With his win over fellow countryman Yadin Nicol in the seventh heat, Parkinson advanced through into the fourth round while eliminating his rival from the competition in the process.
Pupo also advanced through into the next round after prevailing over Australia’s Mick Fanning in the eighth heat, removing the latter from the contention for the event-title in the process.
As the seventh heat got under-way, the 2011 ASP World Runner-Up Parkinson continued his momentum from Round 2 and managed to put on an impressive show. Locking a wave early in the heat, he posted a 5.50 on the score-board and later backed it up with an 8.00-point
wave to finish with a heat-total of 13.50 points.
Nicol offered a strong challenge during the course of the battle, but was eventually forced to finish behind his rival on the score-board after scoring a heat-total of 12.27 points, which comprised of a 5.10 and 7.17-point wave.
The eighth heat featured one of the biggest upsets of the day as Pupo managed to bringing the competition to a premature end for the two-time ASP World Champion Fanning.
The 20-year-old Brazilian put his highly-experienced Australian rival under pressure with a 7.60 off his first business-wave and eventually added an additional 5.07 to his account to get to a heat-total of 12.67 points.
The 30-year-old Fanning struggled to recover from a slow start and eventually finished with a two-wave total of 11.17 points, which comprised of a 5.00 and 6.17-point wave.
“I just tried to find good waves because it’s pretty tough out there,” Pupo said. “I had to win that one, to be on tour you have to beat the big boys. Mick [Fanning] surfs so good. He’s got a couple of ASP World Titles and I knew that it would be a tough
one. I tried my best.”
The third day of Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Land Rover continued with the remaining heats of Round 3 at Snapper Rocks on Monday.
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