Teppei Tajima claimed top honours in Round 1 heat at Murasaki Quiksilver Jeju Open of Surfing
Japan’s Teppei Tajima advanced to the second round (Round of 16) at the first-ever Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 2-Star Murasaki Quiksilver Jeju Open of Surfing after walking away with top honours from the eighth heat of Round 1 (Round of 32)
that went down at Jungmun Beach in Jeju Island, Republic of Korea, on Saturday, June 16.
Hawaii’s Nick Mita accompanied Tajima into the next round of the competition following his runner-up finish. Japan’s Hideyoshi Tanaka was sent packing after putting on an ordinary performance that resulted in a third-place finish for him.
For the first time ever, ASP became involved in a surfing event taking place in the Republic of Korea. The Murasaki Quiksilver Jeju Open of Surfing received a 2-Star status by ASP, which led to the increase of prize money to $US 5,000 and an opportunity
to earn up to 500 ASP ranking points.
Looking to make the most of the opportunity on offer, the young guns from around the globe had converged to Jungmun Beach. They were met with sunny weather and waves that lay in the two-foot range. The stage seemed all set to host some of the most memorable
action. A huge crowd had gathered at the event site to witness the history in the making.
The eighth heat of Round 1 pitted Tajima against Mita and Tanaka in a three-man battle for the Round 2 spot.
As the heat got underway, Tajima got down to business right away. Locking a juicy wave in the opening minutes of the bout, the Japanese surfer launched into a series of quick turns, earning a 7.00 for the effort. He soon backed it up with another impressive
6.25-point ride to reach a heat-total of 13.25 points. The score kept him in the lead until the end to see him through into the next round.
Mita scored a 5.00 off his first business-wave and backed it up with an outstanding 8.00-point ride. The resultant heat-total of 13.00 points served to earn him runner-up position, consequently adding him to the Round 2 line-up.
Tanaka scored a 2.25 and 3.25 off his best-two waves for a heat-total of 5.50 points, which led to his removal from the contention for the event title.
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