Some of the standout performers in the current season of ASP World Tour
The campaign for the 2012 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour Title is definitely living up to the hype, with the fans getting treated to a heavy dose of thrilling action and plenty of exquisite performances by the best surfers from around
the globe.
The race for the prestigious World Title is always an exciting affair, one that plays a huge role in bringing surfing to the forefront and helping it gain even greater recognition. The likes of America’s 11-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater have established
themselves as one of the best athletes in the world through years of hard work, showing immense dedication and commitment to their passion and pretty much defining the sport.
The way the surfing stars push themselves hard during the ASP World Tour is what helps bring surfing closer to the mainstream status. The current season of the ASP World Title Series is no exception as far as a series of spectacular performances and intense
action is concerned.
Taking a look at some of the standout performers in the season so far, it is no surprise to see Slater top the list. The 40-year-old Florida-based surfer has been making waves in the sport for over two decades and is still looking as good as ever. With a
huge array of tricks in his arsenal, Slater had shown no mercy to his opponents at Snapper Rocks where the first stop of the 2012 ASP World tour, Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, took place. However, he was eventually eliminated from the competition at the hands
of Australia’s Josh Kerr, the same surfer who had tasted defeat at the hands of Slater a number of times during the previous season.
Slater continued to exhibit his class at Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, smoothly making it through the initial rounds of the competition and then successfully getting the better of his rivals in the Quarter-finals and Semi-finals to reach the final, where he
found himself pitted against the former two-time ASP World Champion Mick Fanning. The battle of the titans turned out to be nothing short of epic, with both surfers showing the new generation of surfers how it is really done. In the end, Fanning managed to
get the better of Slater to walk away with the event title.
The runner-up place in the second event served to put Slater on top of the ASP World Tour rankings, just above Brazil’s Adriano de Souza.
De Souza has been yet another standout performer in the current season of the ASP World Title Series so far. The 25-year-old Santa Catarina-based surfer has proved to be a force to be reckoned with yet again after making such a solid impact during the previous
season.
The opening event of the 2012 ASP World Tour saw De Souza put on a series of superb performances to gradually make his way into the Quarter-finals, where he took down the Australian sensation Owen Wright to move into the Semi-finals. He successfully defeated
an in-form and confident Kerr to secure a title shot, though he failed to go all the way after succumbing to Australia’s Taj Burrow in the final.
Bells Beach did not feature a very good result for the Brazilian surfer. Despite getting off to an ideal start, he failed to hold his own in Round 3 and continued to struggle with his form during the relegation Round 4, bowing out to Hawaii’s John John Florence
and thus getting eliminated from the event.
De Souza’s runner-up finish at Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast and ninth-place finish at Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach served to move him in second place on the ASP World Tour rankings, making him one of the major contenders for the coveted crown.
There have been a few more standout performers in the 2012 ASP World Tour, namely Fanning, Burrow and his compatriot Joel Parkinson, South Africa’s Jordy Smith and Hawaii’s Florence.
The elite tour is still in its early stages and can move in the favour of any surfer, even the ones who are yet to get themselves noticed in this season yet. It would be interesting to see how the season unfolds and who eventually manages to get his hands
on the crown.
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