Mick Fanning and Damien Hobgood emerge triumphant in Round 1 of Oakley Pro Bali – Surfing news
Australia’s Mick Fanning and America’s Damien Hobgood advanced straight into the third round at Oakley Pro Bali, the fifth of ten stops on the 2013 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World championship Tour, after claiming victory in their respective
Round 1 heats that went down at Keramas in Bali, Indonesia, on Tuesday, June 18, 2013.
Fanning, former two-time ASP World Champion and current no. 2 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour ranking, got to the win in the fifth heat of Round 1 by downing America’s Brett Simpson and Hawaii’s Bruce Irons, event wild-card. Both his rivals were
consequently relegated to the second round to surf again to earn their place in Round 3.
Hobgood, on the other hand, managed to hold America’s Kelly Slater, 11-time ASP World Champion and current no. 1 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour ranking, and Australia’s Jack Robinson off in the sixth heat to clinch the Round 3 spot, forcing both
his rivals into the relegation round in the process.
With the competition field comprising of the top surfing talent from around the globe and waves of around chest-height gracing the main event venue, the large crowd in attendance at Keramas expected to get treated to a series of exhilarating and adrenaline
pumping battles.
Fanning had showed off a formidable form during Volcom Fiji Pro and seemingly brought his solid form with him to Bali.
Pitted against Simpson and Irons in the fifth heat of Round 1, the Australian surfer got down to business right away stamped his authority over his rivals with a 7.33-point ride. He soon backed it up with a 7.23-point ride to get to a heat-total of 14.56
points, which held up until the end to see him through to victory.
Simpson and Irons struggled to find their rhythm during the course of the heat and eventually finished with a modest heat-total of 6.83 and 5.50 points respectively, thus getting relegated to Round 2.
The next heat featured the biggest upset of the day, as Hobgood managed to get the better of Robinson and, much to everyone’s surprise, Slater.
The 41-year-old Florida-based surfer had been in prime form at Fiji and had eventually claimed the overall victory at Volcom Fiji Pro. He was expected to be just as solid and fierce Bali, but clearly Hobgood had other plans.
Through some excellent wave selections and passionate surfing, Hobgood posted a 7.33 and 6.77 on the score-board to finish with a heat-total of 14.10 points.
Slater began the hunt with a 7.33 off his first business-wave, but failed to back it up with another solid score. Managing to add a mere 4.67 to his account, he ended up finishing with a heat-total of 12.00 points. He failed to improve on this score and
eventually had to settle for second place.
Robinson finished in third place after registering an ordinary heat-total of 5.83 points, which included a 3.33 and 2.50-point ride.
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