By TERRY “TAPPA” TEECE
COOLANGATTA’S Mitch Crews is riding high yesterday after claiming the 17th annual Chiko Alley Classic in clean 1.5m waves at the event’s iconic home of Currumbin Alley. Former winners of the event include current world champion Joel Parkinson, and another world tour competitor Adriano De Souza, and elite list of champions to join on the prepetual trophy.
Crews beat a field of high-performers including Luke Hynd of Burleigh Heads, who is soon off to surf in the ISA World Junior Titles, Coolangatta goofy ripper Nick Vasicek and Sunshine Coast surfer, Dale Lovelock.
It was a tightly fought final with Crews coming out on top, but the victory is bittersweet with the up-and-coming pro surfer looking to qualify this year for the elite World Championship Tour.
“I’m so happy. I came second in the MP Classic the other week and I was pretty bummed about that, so it’s so good to do one better with a win here,” said an elated Crews after the final.
For the win, he takes home a $3000 winner’s cheque and the ratings lead of the Queensland Championship Circuit (QCC), but is scheduled to head to Brazil for an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) world qualifying series event.
“I don’t think I am going to be able to compete in the last two events of the series, but the first two have been such a great warm-up for Brazil,” Crews said.
Chiko MP Classic champion Mitch Parkinson was eliminated in the early rounds of competition, and with the series leader Crews unable to compete in the remaining two rounds of the series, the race for the QCC title opens right up for competitors going into the third event on the Sunshine Coast, the Chiko Sunshine Coast Pro, scheduled to start 25 May.
Based on competitors’ best three-of-four results, the series’ top two athletes will once again get the chance to compete against the world’s best surfers at the 2014 ASP World Championship Tour Quiksilver Pro Trials, Snapper Rocks. That is a prize they all want.
TYLER TAKES TOP HONOURS
Tyler Wright, 19, has defeated Sally Fitzgibbons, 22, in a high-scoring final of 17.80 to 15.67 to win the Colgate Plax Girls Rio Pro in peaky two-to-three foot waves, simultaneously taking the frontrunner position on the 2013 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour (WCT).
Wright dominated the Barra Da Tijuca line-up from start to finish, posting the high scores of each round with incredible progressive combinations on the punchy right-handers. The Australian’s efforts against Fitzgibbons in the final were no different, as Wright unloaded committed forehand combinations and was rewarded a 9.33 and 8.50 to secure the win.
What was amazing – and had even the men of the world tour checking the action – was the exciting standard of surfing shown by the ladies. Wright was busting slob-airs, straight-airs, all competitors busting out the tail of the surfboards, the women now surfing at a level which was unimaginable 10 years ago when these young ladies were just starting their careers.
Wright’s victory in Rio marks her second of the season following a win on the Gold Coast and the two victories combined with two additional runner-up finishes have launched Wright to the number one position over Hawaian Carissa Moore, 20.
Some interesting rumours have surfaced, of an eighth event being added to the Women’s 2013 World Tour, which gives Kingscliff super-girl Stephanie Gilmore a statistical chance to claw back the lead the other girls have at present, but everything will have to fall Gilmore’s way. With the foot injury keeping Stephanie out of Brazil, she has fallen further behind in the ratings. A slim chance, with Steph 13,550 points behind Tyler Wright. An announcement is due to be made soon on this new event to be held in Portugal, and then let the race continue on.
By the way, a mate of mine was out at Greenmount on Sunday afternoon, and thought he was ripping … to quote him: “And then Stephanie Gilmore came through and made me look inadequate”. Guess who’s back?
BOARDSWAP AND BBQ THIS SUNDAY
Do you have an old surfboard sitting around? Bring your board and swap it with another mate’s board.
Reduce | Reuse | Recycle Surfboards – Justins Park, Burleigh Heads, this Sunday, 19 May from 10am.
You’ll find short boards, fishes, quads, bonzers, eggs, guns, logs, historical collectibles, and more. We’ll have everything from barely ridden beauties to garage-sale beaters.
The event is free to attend, and supported by Burleigh Heads Boardriders.
Hope to see you there.
