Michel Bourez and Adam Melling confirm title shot at 2011 Vans World Cup of Surfing
After a series of thrilling battle over the course of one week, the first round of Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, Vans World Cup of Surfing, came down to the first Semi-Final at the Sunset Beach in Oahu, Hawaii, on Friday, December 2, pitting Tahiti’s Michel
Bourez against Australia’s Adam Melling, Hawaii’s Olamana Eleogram and his compatriot Dusty Payne.
Even though all four surfers had been nothing short of outstanding in their previous heats to get this far, Bourez was the only one who managed to come up with an impressive performance during the first Semi-Final and consequently clinched victory to confirm
his place in the Final. Melling secured second place to advance through into the Final as well. Eleogram and Payne disappointed their fans after exhibiting a real lacklustre performance, which led to their third and fourth-place finish respectively. Both the
surfers were ejected from the competition as a result.
The 25-year-old Bourez had been simply sensational over the last few days, overcoming one challenge after another as he gradually made his way towards the Semi-Final stage. The waves on offer at the Sunset Beach had been amazing, allowing the Tahiti-based
surfer to put his remarkable skills and style on exhibit. Once in the Semi-Final, Bourez found himself facing three formidable and in-form surfers in a fight for top honours and a shot at the event title.
As the battle got underway, Bourez got off to a shaky start and only managed to collect 4.70 points off his first business wave during the early stages of the heat. However, he remained persistent during his hunt for a competitive score and eventually caught
a wave in the later stages of the battle to unleash a flurry of quick turns, earning 7.33 points for the effort and consequently moving to a heat-total of 12.03 points. The score earned him a convincing victory, giving him the coveted confidence as he made
his way into the Final.
The 26-year-old Melling did not look comfortable as he conducted his search for a couple of competitive scores despite his vast experience and renowned skills. However, he eventually managed to find a 5.07 and 2.93-point wave to finish with a heat-total
of 8.00 points, which proved enough to get him into the Finals.
Eleogram and Payne had given the local crowd plenty of reason to cheer their lungs out over the last few days. However, neither of them was able to live up to the expectations during the Semi-Final battled and ended up disappointing their support after finishing
with a heat-total of 7.60 and 4.60 points respectively. The lacklustre effort resulted in their elimination from the competition.
For updates on the second Semi-Final of Vans World Cup of Surfing, stay tuned to bettor.com.
Tags: