Yadin Nicol and Michel Bourez emerge triumphant in Round 1 at O’Neill Coldwater Classic
Australia’s Yadin Nicol and French Polynesia’s Michel Bourez advanced straight into the third round at the O’Neill Coldwater Classic, 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.
Nicol got the better of his fellow countryperson Owen Wright and Brazil’s Miguel Pupo in the ninth heat to secure his place in Round 3, while relegating both his surfers into the second round.
Bourez downed Australia’s Josh Kerr and Brazil’s Raoni Monteiro in the tenth heat to jump into Round 3, while sending both his rivals into the second round.
The shifting two-to-four foot waves breaking at the primary event site served as an ideal stage for the elite ASP surfers to test their skills against each other.
Pitted against Wright and Pupo in the ninth heat, Nicol got off to an rather slow start, but eventually locked his first business-wave to post a 7.33 on the score-board.
The Australian later added an additional 8.70 points to his account, thus reaching a heat-total of 16.03 points.
Wright collected a 5.33 off his first business-wave and later backed it up with a 7.17-point ride, thus reaching a heat-total 12.50 points.
Pupo scored a 5.50 and 4.83 off his best-two waves to register a heat-total of 10.33 points, which put him in third place.
The tenth heat saw Bourez claim top honours after finishing on top of Kerr and Monteiro, though just barely.
The French Polynesian surfer went down to work early in the heat, reaping a 6.50 off his first business-wave and later added an additional 8.20 points to his account, thus reaching a heat-total of 14.70 points. The score held up until the end to see him
through into the third round.
“It was a really tricky heat because of the seaweed,” Bourez said. “It’s hard to stay focused and not get stuck. When you get the right one you just have to forget about it and do the best you can. I’ve been traveling since I was 17, so I’m used to the cold
water here and after San Francisco last year, I get used to it pretty quickly.”
Kerr collected a couple of scores in the seven-point range, thus finishing in second place with a heat-total of 14.56 points.
Monteiro finished third after registering a heat-total of 11.40 points, which comprised of a 6.33 and 5.07-point ride.
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