Josh Kerr and Brett Simpson prevail in Round 1 of Hurley Pro – 2011 ASP World Tour
The seventh stop of 2011 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour, Hurley Pro, continued to treat the fans to a heavy dose of thrilling action with the 11th and 12th heat of Round 1 on Sunday, September 18, at the iconic
point-break of Lower Trestles in California, America.
The 11th heat saw Australia’s Josh Kerr walk away with top honours to advance directly to Round 3, while America’s Damien Hobgood and Australia’s Daniel Ross rounded out second and third places respectively, getting relegated to Round 2 as a result.
The 12th heat featured the biggest upset of the day as America’s Brett Simpson earned his place in the third round by defeating Australia’s Tom Whitaker and Mick Fanning, consequently getting them relegated to Round 2.
The 27-year-old Kerr, currently at Number Six on the ASP World Title Rankings, has been simply sensational this season as he has managed to consistently follow one impressive performance with another. He brought this form to Lower Trestles while continuing
his campaign for the coveted World Title, and kicked-off the event with a perfect result.
As the 11th heat got underway, Kerr waited patiently for the juicy waves to show up instead of going for the mediocre ones. While the strategy was a risky one, it worked out perfectly for him in the end. The Australian pulled-off a combination
of impressive tricks on the first wave to earn 7.00 points and soon followed it up with a 6.00-point wave to finish with a heat-total of 13.00 points.
Hobgood failed to impress during the three-man battle despite carrying a home advantage, which included the crowd’s support and local knowledge of the waves. He finished with a heat-total of 9.90 points, which comprised of a 5.33 and a 4.57-point wave.
Ross looked completely out of rhythm in his opening heat and only managed to collect a 4.10 and 4.70-point wave, finishing with a heat-total of 6.75 points.
The final heat of Round 1 saw Simpson take on Whitaker and former two-time ASP World Champion, Fanning, in a battle for the Round 3 spot. Understandably, Fanning was the favourite to win the heat due to his renowned skills and experience. However, the outcome
of the contest turned out to be a pretty unexpected one, as it was Simpson who emerged triumphant.
The 26-year-old local, Simpson, got-off to a decent start in the 12th heat, utilising his first wave to score 6.50 points. He later added another 5.90 points to his account to finish with a heat-total of 12.40 points, which remained unbeatable
until the end and secured him the win.
Whitaker finished in second place after scoring 5.67 points off his first wave in the opening minutes of the heat and immediately followed it up with a 6.27-point wave.
Contrary to expectations, Fanning finished in third place after what was a lacklustre performance by the standard of someone of his calibre. He scored 6.77 points off his first wave and later collected a 5.13-point wave to finish with a heat-total of 11.90
points.
For updates on Round 2 of Hurley Pro, stay tuned to bettor.com.
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