Joel Parkinson powers his way into Round 3 at Rip Curl Pro Portugal – 2011 ASP World Tour
The ninth of eleven stops on the 2011 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World tour, Rip Curl Pro Portugal, commenced at the renowned beach-break of Supertubos in Peniche, Portugal, on Sunday, October 16, with the opening heat of Round 1 pitting Australia’s Joel Parkinson against Brazil’s Jadson Andre and Hawaii’s Fredrick Patacchia in a battle for the Round 3 slot.
The three-man battle definitely delivered the high intensity action that is expected off an elite tour event, with the competitors really stretching themselves to reach out for top honours. In the end, however, it was Parkinson who managed to clinch victory, consequently securing a place in Round 3. Andre and Patacchia rounded out the second and third place respectively, getting relegated to Round 2 as a result.
The 30-year-old Parkinson has been making waves during the current season of the ASP World Tour and came to Portugal with a lot of hype surrounding him. His experience and wide range of skills makes him really stand out during his heats, while the crowd had already witnessed what he was capable of during Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach in Australia earlier this year. He had been quite consistent in the current edition of the ASP World Tour so far and was sitting comfortably in the Top-5 on the ASP World Title Ranking Table.
Squaring off with Andre and Patacchia in the clean one-to-three foot waves in the first heat of Round 1, Parkinson wasted no time in gaining control of the heat and placing his competitors under pressure. A few minutes into the heat, he locked a barrel to unload a string of exquisite manoeuvres, posting a 9.37 on the score-board. A short yet effective search allowed him to add an additional 8.50 points to his account, consequently moving to an intimidating heat-total of 17.87 points. The score remained unbeatable till the end and served to seal the fate of the contest in his favour, sending him directly into Round 3.
Talking to a reporter after the heat, a delighted Parkinson said, “The conditions improved so much in the span of one heat when compared to the warm-up just before. It was great and everyone was getting barrels and scores. I guess it just shows how quickly things can change out there.”
The young Brazilian force, Andre, had no intention of letting the Australian get away with an easy win and put up a real determined fight. However, his efforts eventually proved to be in vain as he finished with a heat-total off 15.47 points, which included a 6.90 and 8.57-point wave, getting forced to settle for runner-up place and moving into the relegation Round 2 as a result.
Patacchia remained the lowest scorer of the three-man battle with a heat-total of 11.93 points, which comprised of a 5.83 and 6.10-point wave. The lacklustre performance led to his relegation to Round 2.
For more updates on Round 1 of Rip Curl Pro Portugal, stay tuned to bettor.com.
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