Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson qualify for Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Quarter-finals – Surfing News
Australia’s Mick Fanning and his compatriot Joel Parkinson secured their place in the Quarter-finals of Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, second stop of the 2012 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Title Series, which continued at Bells Beach in Victoria,
Australia, on Thursday, April 5.
The third heat saw Fanning down his compatriot Kai Otton and America’s CJ Hobgood to advance through into the Quarter-finals while sending his rivals into the fifth round.
Parkinson got the better of South Africa’s Jordy Smith and America’s Brett Simpson in the fourth heat to make his way into the Quarter-finals, forcing his two rivals to take a trip to Round 5 to have another go at earning a place in the Quarter-finals.
There was a significant improvement in surfing conditions prevailing at the primary event site during Thursday afternoon. The world’s best surfers had a good opportunity to put their exquisite skills on display, treating the crowd and fans to a heavy dose
of thrilling action.
Pitted against Otton and Hobgood in the third heat, the former two-time ASP World Champion Fanning came up with an outstanding performance to walk away with a convincing victory.
The 33-year-old Australian locked his first business-wave early in the heat to post an 8.77 on the score-board and immediately followed it up with a near-perfect 9.43-point wave to finish with a heat-total of 18.20 points.
“It’s only been one event and there’s a long way to go,” Fanning said. “Kelly [Slater] missed a whole event last year and won the title with one event to go. I’m not super focused on that part right now. I’m focused on having fun. I’m just stoked. Bells
is just one of those places. I love to come down to bells and having my main sponsors here, they’re so supportive and it’s just a great place. I’ve been coming here since ’97 and it’s always a great time.”
The 32-year-old Otton finished in second place after scoring a heat-total of 14.07 points, whereas Hobgood rounded out the third place with a heat-total of 10.83 points, which included a 3.40 and 7.43-point wave.
The fourth heat saw the defending event champion and 2011 ASP World Runner-Up Parkinson steal the show through his superb performance, which included an 8.00 and 9.27-point wave. The resultant heat-total of 17.17-point wave served to take him through into
the Quarter-finals.
Smith was forced to settle for runner-up place after finishing with a heat-total of 15.60 points, while Simpson rounded out the third position with a two-wave total of 7.00 points. Both the surfers still had an opportunity to make their way into the Quarter-finals
by putting on an even better performance in Round 5.
Tags: