Joel Parkinson steals the show during Round 1 of Volcom Fiji Pro – Surfing News
Australia’s Joel Parkinson made his way through into the third round of Volcom Fiji Pro, the fourth of ten stops on the 2012 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tours, after putting on a superb performance to earn top honours in the sixth heat
of Round 1 that went down at Cloudbreak in Tavarua, Fiji, on Sunday, June 3.
Brazil’s Raoni Monteiro finished in second place, while Fiji’s Isei Tokovu was forced to settle for a third-place finish. The failure to clinch top position led to the relegation of both the surfers into the second round, where they were to get another chance
to try and earn their spot in the third round.
The surfing conditions prevailing at the primary event site on the opening day of the latest ASP World Tour event promised plenty of thrilling action. The best surfers from around the globe were to take each other on in gripping battles, expected to go
all out in order to ensure their survival in the contention for the event title.
The six-to-eight foot waves gracing the event site were just what the surfers needed as they got ready to resume their campaign for the coveted ASP World Title.
The sixth heat of Round 1 saw Parkinson squaring off with Monteiro and Tokovu in a three-man battle for the Round 3 spot, determined to move to Round 3 without having to surf in the second round.
As the battle got underway, it did not take very long for Parkinson to stamp his authority over his rivals. The 31-year-old Australian, current No.1 on the ASP World rankings, navigated through the waves with utmost expertise and got hold of a 9.03-point
ride to claim an early lead. He went on to add another 6.90 points to his account, thus reaching a heat-total of 15.93 points. The score kept him well out of the reach of his rivals, eventually earning him a comprehensive victory.
“The second half of the heat was really good,” Parkinson said. “The start was washing through and I thought it was going to be a scrappy one, but it really turned on. I’m really enjoying everything I’m doing. I’ve been here before. I’ve had some disappointments
so I’m not really getting myself ready for anything. One by one. This is the best contest out of them all. You post up on an island and fish and surf, it’s amazing. I’m really enjoying myself out here.”
The 30-year-old Monteiro did not offer much of a challenge to Parkinson during the course of the battle, scoring a mere 3.33 and 5.00 off his best-two waves to finish with a heat-total of 8.33 points.
Tokovu, the event wildcard entry, put on a dismissal performance to end up with a heat-total of 2.23 points, consequently accompanying Monteiro into the relegation round.
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