28 March 2007

Durban teenager Jordy Smith claimed his maiden win on the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) by defeating a top-class international field in the four-star, R550 000 Hot Tuna Central Coast Pro in Australia at the weekend.

The 19-year-old ASP world junior champion is regarded by astute observers as South Africa's best hope for a world title since Shaun Tomson was crowned men's world champion in 1977 - the country's only world number one to date.

Competing in wild and windswept two-metre-plus (over six-foot) surf at Soldiers Beach in Central New South Wales, relegated vastly experienced two-time WQS champion Neco Padaratz of Brazil to second place. Australia's Rhys Bombaci and France's Tim Boal took third and fourth place respectively in the final.

Smith said afterwards that the win was his most significant achievement since capturing the world junior title in January and finishing second to Australian Joel Parkinson at the World Cup of Surfing at Hawaii's Sunset Beach last December.

'A really big win'
"This is a really big win for me here," Smith reckoned. "I'm looking to qualify for the [Foster's ASP Men's] World Tour for 2008, so this is a great boost for my confidence and ambitions.

"It was pretty wild out there, but we get lots of waves like that back home (Durban), so it was fine. I like the bigger stuff," he added.

Smith started his road to victory in the event alongside the top seeds in the round of 64 and posted three of the Sunday's top 10 scores, as well as three of the top 10 heat tallies.

Along the way he recorded confidence-boosting wins over several former and current World Tour competitors whom he is seeking to join on the elite tour next year, including Australian rookie Ben Dunn, New Zealander Maz Quinn, Australians Danny Wills and Kieren Perrow, and Padaratz.

Rocketing up the rankings
Smith pocketed US$10 000 (about R75 000) for winning and earned 1 500 ratings points that elevated him from 31st to 13th in the latest WQS rankings, which is the first time he has occupied a position in the top 15 - all of whom qualify for the ASP World Tour.

Smith also won the Toohey's Dry Expression Session on Saturday with an outstanding display of aerial manoeuvres, clearly demonstrating that he has the ability to transfer his high-performance, futuristic surfing to the contest arena where the best two scores count.

Semi-final for Robb
Meanwhile, in the women's Hot Tuna Central Coast Pro, rookie WQS campaigner Nikita Robb reached the semi-finals of the event, where she placed fourth behind eventual event winner Sam Cornish of Australia and Brazilians Silvana Lima and Claudia Goncalves.

The 19-year-old East Londoner, who completed her matric last year and is now a full-time professional surfer, continued her outstanding start to the season, collecting nearly R3 000 in prize-money and 278 WQS ratings points.

Tammy-Lee Smith from Salt Rock, KwaZulu-Natal, the only other South African woman at Soldiers Beach, placed fourth in her quarterfinal to finish 13th overall with R1 500 and 225 points.

Robb maintained her 10th spot in the latest WQS rankings while Smith climbed seven places to 13th position among the 125 women who are rated.

Margaret River
The SA pair will be joined next week by ASP World Tour campaigner Rosanne Hodge of East London in the six-star-rated, R225 000 Drug Aware Pro presented by O'Neill Australia at Margaret River, Western Australia.

The men's WQS also moves the more than 4 000 kilometres across the Australian continent to the powerful Indian Ocean swells that light up Margaret River for the six-star-rated, R935 000 Drug Aware Pro presented by O'Neill Australia.

It is the third and final event on the Australian leg of the WQS.

Hot Tuna Central Coast Pro

Final Results

	World surfing champion Jordy Smith (Photo: Karen Wilson, Tostee.com)

	South African surfers riding high Smith lifts world surf junior crown Jordy Smith: world surfing champ SA all the way at Big Wave Africa Basnett snatches stunning win Sonne, Brandung und Wale beobachten Soleil, surf et observation des baleines Sun, surf and whale watching SA's Baker is Mavericks champ Watersports in South Africa

	ASP World Tour  ASP Africa  Wavescape  Jordy Smith on YouTube

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