Nat Young and Joel Parkinson win Round 1 battle at O’Neill Coldwater Classic
America’s Nat Young and Australia’s Joel Parkinson advanced straight to Round 3 at the O’Neill Coldwater Classic, the ninth of ten stops on the 2012 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour, after claiming top honours in their respective
Round 1 heats that went down at Santa Cruz in California, America, on Thursday, November 1, 2012.
Young caused one of the biggest upsets of the day during the fifth heat of Round 1 by getting the better of fellow compatriot and reigning 11-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater, as well as another fellow countryperson and rising star Kolohe Andino, sending
both his rival to Round 2 in the process.
The sixth heat concluded with predictable results. Parkinson got the win, whereas America’s Damien Hobgood finished second. America’s Jason Collins had to settle for third place, consequently accompanying his compatriot to the relegation round.
The shifting two-to-four foot waves on offer at the point-break of Steamer Line on the opening day of the latest elite tour event was expected to challenge the skills and experience of the surfers and rightly so, since the field in contention for top honours
at Santa Cruz comprised of nothing but the best.
The fifth heat saw the event trails winner Young live his dream of surfing with and finishing on top of the biggest and most glorified name in the sport, Slater, who is pretty much dominating the waves even at an age of 40.
“I just wanted to be able to enjoy that heat,” Young said. “It was a really special heat being able to surf against Kelly Slater. He’s been my idol since I started surfing and having him at my local spot and Kolohe (Andino), he’s one of my best friends,
so I was just really excited. The waves weren’t really that great in the heat. I just got a couple of 6s and made it. I’m really happy, but I wish we could have had better waves.”
The 21-year-old Young only got hold of four waves, but made a couple of them really count by earning a 5.80 and 6.37 off them, which enabled him to register a decisive score of 12.17 points.
Slater responded with a 5.67 and 4.33 off his best-two waves to finish with a heat-total of 10.00 points and thus had to settle for second place.
Andino finished third with a heat-total of 9.57 points, which included a 5.00 and 4.57-point ride. The effort only resulted in him getting relegated to Round 2 alongside Slater.
The sixth heat saw Parkinson, current No.1 on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour, dominate his battle against Hobgood and Collins to comfortable secure his place in Round 3.
The Australian surfer opened his account with a 7.83-point ride and later added an additional 9.00 points to his account, thus registering a heat-total of 16.83 points.
Hobgood earned a 6.17 and 5.23 off his best-two waves for a heat-total of 11.40 points, whereas Collins concluded the heat on a heat-total of 7.00 points, which included a rather dismal 2.00 and 5.00-point ride.
Tags: