Sally Fitzgibbons and Pauline Ado enjoy success in Round 1 of Vans US Open of Surfing – Surfing news
Australia’s Sally Fitzgibbons and France’s Pauline Ado emerged triumphant in their respective Round 1 heats of the Vans US Open of Surfing, stop no.6 of 8 on the 2013 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women’s World Championship
Tour, which got underway at the Huntington Beach Pier in California, America, on Tuesday, July 23, 2013.
Fitzgibbons got the better of Hawaii’s Malia Manuel and America’s Sage Erickson in the fifth heat of Round 1 to successfully secure her place in the third round, while relegating both her rivals into the second round in the process.
The peaky two-to-four foot waves on offer at the main event site on the opening day of women’s latest elite tour event served to create an ideal stage for the battle between the female surfing talent from around the globe to commence
on.
Fitzgibbons, former event champion, was pitted against Manuel and Erickson in a three-person battle for the Round 3 spot in the fifth heat.
The 22-year-old Australian put on a dominating performance, earning an 8.33 and 8.37 off her top-two waves to finish with a decisive heat-total of 16.70 points.
“Really great coming back to Huntington and US Open week is always a unique experience,” Fitzgibbons said. “The heats are spread out, but our weeks are filled in with lots of other things. There are big crowds and it’s good fun.
I think the more time I’ve been on tour I just draw from experience and have that confidence even when I’m not competing. I’ve been training and feel really strong.”
Manuel finished in second place with a two-wave total of 14.10 points, whereas Erickson had to settle for third place after registering a heat-total of 12.27 points.
The sixth heat saw Ado claim a comprehensive victory over Ho and Peterson to advance through into the third round. The French surfer scored a 7.33 off her first business-wave and went on to back it up with an impressive8.00-point
ride in the dying minutes of the heat, thus finishing with a heat-total of 15.33 points.
Ho registered a heat-total of 10.60 points for second place, while Peterson finished in third place with a heat-total of 10.27 points.
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