Drollet, Irons and the Hawaiians Dominate At Teahupoo Trials

Bruce Irons (Hawaii), back in competitive mode and progressing through to round three at the Air Tahiti Nui Von Zipper Trials at Teahupoo. Photo: Steve Robertson

Teahupoo, Tahiti –  WITH one wildcard spot up for grabs for next weeks Billabong Pro Tahiti, 32 international surfers have matched up against 32 Tahitians on day one of the Air Tahiti Nui VonZipper Trials at Teahupoo.

In clean 1.5-2m waves, it was the overseas challengers who dominated opening day proceedings as competition moved from round one, through to heat four of round three. 

Former world tour competitor Bruce Irons (HAW) showed why he is regarded as one of the most dangerous surfers at Teahupoo by winning through two trials heats and booking a spot in the third round.  (the final four heats of round three are yet to be surfed)

Having not surfed a competitive heat since 2008, Irons grabbed a last ditch tube ride in his second round heat to scrape through behind proven Teahupoo specialist Damien Wills (AUS).  Eliminated from the heat were Tahitian duo David Dandois and Heifara Tahutini.

“I haven’t surfed a heat for seven months, the first time since high school I ‘ve had that sort of break, but watching Bells and Snapper over the internet made me want to pull a rash vest on again,” said Irons.  “Every time I came here to surf the main event the trials were pumping, so I figured I’d quit the tour and come do the trials, hasn’t really worked out that way yet though.”

“It was really slow out there, but Tahiti’s always nice to get away to, so I’m not complaining.”

He will now face Nick Vasicek (AUS) Niuhi Marere (PYF) and Heremoana Luciani (PYF) in round three.  Should he win the trials, he will surf alongside Brother Andy, who has been given a direct wildcard into the main event.

Fellow Hawaiian Mark Healey was another standout performer on the opening day, winning through three rounds to progress into the final 16 surfers.  A perfect display of small wave tube riding in his round three heat saw him take an impressive victory over live-wire goofy footer Clay Marzo (HAW), eliminating Tahitian surfers Steven Pierson and Germain Tuataa.

Hawaiian surfers excelled on day one of the VonZipper Trials, with six surfers still in contention for the wildcard slot into the Billabong Pro.  Joining Irons, Marzo and Healey to progress were Kamalei Alexander, Reef McIntosh and Kalani Chapman. 

Australian surfers also fared well on the opening day with the Sunshine Coast duo of Wade Goodall and Mark Visser both winning their round three match-ups.

The 2008 trials at Teahupoo left Goodall with 8 staples in his head after a nasty encounter with the reef, but his opening day in 2009 proved friendlier, winning through three heats in fine style.

“I’ve only got one cut so far, I’m normally good at hacking myself up, but it hasn’t got that big yet,” said Goodall.  “Every heat has been really hard today, on the high tide it was pinching a lot and not really tubing, but it was better later this afternoon on the outgoing tide.”

“There are so many good surfers in this event, now that the numbers have been cut down from 80 to 64, everyone in it is really good at surfing Teahupoo, there are no walk through heats in this contest.”

Fellow Australians still in the event include Nick Vasicek (Gold Coast) and 2008 semi finalist Damien Wills (Copacabana).

2007 trials winner and 2008 Billabong Pro runner up Manoa Drollet progressed unharmed through his opening heat of competition, posting a comfortable win over Ricardo Santos (BRA), and compatriots Jean-Claude Rota and Teiva Mare in round three. 

In conditions that were virtually identical to the final of the Billabong Pro last year, the top seeded Drollet used smart barrel riding to easily win through to the final 16 surfers.

“It was just like the final of the Billabong Pro last year, it was slow, but still some little waves,” said Drollet.  “I am feeling good, but it all comes down to who gets the best waves, especially here at Teahupoo.”

The Tahitian spectators were given another reason to celebrate late in the afternoon with local hero Alain Riou progressing into round four behind Australian Mark Visser.

The fast surfing goofy footer threaded a deep tube ride late in the heat to scrape into second and eliminate compatriot Marama Darrouzes and Australian hot-shot Julian Wilson. 

 “It wasn’t easy but it was a lot better than this morning,” said Riou.  “I was expecting some great barrels but it didn’t really happen as I planned, it was a slow heat but I got two good waves and made it through.”

“For the Tahitians this is their one big time heat all year, their chance to get known by the outside world so they feel like they have a lot to prove,” he said.  “Tahiti is a long way away from the surfing world and they definitely feel like they have a chance to show themselves, it is a great event for the Tahitian people.”

The Air Tahiti Nui VonZipper Trials will finalise tomorrow, Wednesday 6^th May.  The winner will be awarded a wildcard to face the top 45 surfers on earth when the Billabong Pro Tahiti main event starts on May 9.  A full list of today’s results can be found at this linkhttp://www.billabongpro.com/tahiti09/results.php

Bruce Irons. Photo: Steve Robertson

vancouver island

on tuesday at 4 pm; only very small lines at our rivermouth point, but criss-crossing feverishly in all directions …. – we have had stormy turbulence for several days, and the straits are tumultuous, making it a sure bet for something ragged but surfable a little further up the straits, as evidenced by healthy surfmobile traffic today, clearly not stopping at our rivermouth – ucluelet, some 125 km up the coast, is showing stormy, blustery shore conditions in the 2 -3 foot range – estevan point, about 50 km further, has somewhat longer, smoother lines – strong marine wind warning in effect at our straits mouth, 50km from here: winds westerly to 25 knots – please stay tuned ….

Cronulla report by Aquasea Wetsuit Repairs

Fullish waves from the south, swell picked up yesterday, waves are a meaty 2-4feet depending where you go. Northerly wind swinging around to NE later.
WIND: NNW at 10kph. WATER TEMP: 23 degrees.
FORECAST: Fine and sunny after some early fog and mist patches. Light to moderate west to northwest winds tending north to northeast in the afternoon.
MAX AIR TEMP TODAY: 20-23 degrees.
SWELL: South 2-3.5m at 10 seconds.
TIDES: HIGH: 05:54 LOW: 12:06
WINDSURFERS: Good conditions today for advanced only.
BOAT DIVING: Average sea conditions outside, vis around 10m+ on the TUGGERAH and Kelloe, 10m at Barons Hut, thanks to www.seatamerdive.com Sydney Scuba Diving Boat Charter and Ian Griffiths “Griffiti”.
SHORE DIVING: 4 metres vis at Oak Park. 5+ metres at Shiprock.
WETSUIT REPAIRS at Aquasea, Sydney. 02.95404774 for wetty and wettie repairs contact Lesley at AQUASEA 02.95404774 for a quick turn around, zippers tears cuts and all alterations.
See ya – www.aquasea.com.au in Sydney – wetsuit wettie wetty wetsuits repair and repairs for surfing scuba windsurfers ring Aquasea on 02.95404774, go diving without tanks ie tankless diving using 12 v volt compressors also known as hookah dive diving with www.aquasea.com.au in Sydney NSW Ph: 02.95404774 led hid halogen torches and lights video boat transom lights for underwater lighting at night similar aqua cam camera and cameras see www.aquasea.com.au for stainless wire in your balustrades and for underwater lights and housings cameras. SYDNEY NSW AUSTRALIA (Ph: 61.2.95404774).
www.aquasea.com.au repairs alters wetsuits wettie wetty fin chops zipper repair broken zipper for surfing scuba triathalon kayak canoe board cover ring 02.95404774
www.aquasea.com.au makes 12 volt hookah units for tankless diving without tanks scuba powerdive power dive 12 v 12 volt regulators hookah diving for boat hull cleaning ring 02.95404774
www.aquasea.com.au makes underwater lights video boat lights aqua cam camera cameras housings torches led hid bubble arm baseplates ring 02.95404774
www.aquasea.com.au aqua skipper aquaskipper, shark shield, vortex and sea doo sea scooter electric snorkel waterbird and water bird AGM batteries chargers.
www.aquasea.com.au ring 02.95404774 P.O.Box 2141 Taren Point Sydney 2229 NSW aquasea underwater products.

On the far north coast

Hello Friends,

Swell has picked up in Sydney overnight but only a little. Swell at sea is averaging a couple metres from the SSE. The power setting was about 10 sec yesterday at midday, but has now crept up to 11 seconds. The outlook is for the swell to fade back today and tomorrow before Huey really starts tossing the chairs through the windows this coming weekend. Here’s what the long range forecast is currently showing for Monday-ish…

144 hour forecast model as of 6may09

If you look at the western edge of the system, you can see that the swell is big and pushing north from at least a couple thousand km south of Sydney. This is a very impressive fetch indeed and if it plays out as shown, should easily deliver very big, very long period south swell early in the new week. Some of the interpretations of this data are projecting 4-6 metres with a period of 15-16 seconds at the peak. Monday and Tuesday should be very interesting. Very likely it will be southerly through the period, but given the projected size, I’d guess the only open beaches with any hope of being surfable will be the ones most protected from the wind.

So what’s happening up on the north coast this morning? Well, the skies are grey and the showers are frequent. Swell has picked up a little over yesterday’s very marginal size. But it’s still not big enough to get the point at Lennox working. I might have a go at the reefs on the off chance I can get something in the waist to chest high range. It’s a toss up between the fish and the mal I’d say but however the decision comes down, I’m braced for gutlessness.

BTW, got a few little sliders at the Pass yesterday and, amazingly, Ben of Byron Bay Today actually happened to take a pic of me messing about on one. How strange is that? When he found out, he posted it in his wrap of yesterday’s conditions in Byron. Check the story below.

Picking one up inside at the reefs before heading off to school for the day

Wonder if it will get big enough to surf on this pulse? Not there yet.

Go well with your day!

Mona Vale

It’s nothing special out Moooona this morning, i’d recommend checking the other beaches! Kooks terace might have a few ones though!

A few nice ones around at Dee Why this morning

Small but clean with light offshores at first light in Dee Why.

C C

Fine, dry  and mild on the Central Coast this Wednesday morning.  The swell is smooth at 2 – 3 feet from the east southeast.  There is a light west northwest breeze forecast to go north northeast later.  High tide 0555 and low tide around 1205.  Local barometer 1023hpa, 98% humidity, 13 degrees C.  Have a good one. 

The way it was in Byron Bay May 5th 2009