Parko and Slater Title Race to be Decided in Hawaii
Pretty stoked about this, I kinda wouldn’t have minded Parko wrapping up the title in Santa Cruz but it was a long shot. Now it will come down to Pipe, so hope Parko wins this one, he’s so due!
Shake-Up at O’Neill Coldwater Classic, ASP Title Race Held Off Until Hawaii
Caption: Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, topped dangerous local wildcard Nat Young (USA), 21, to advance to Round 4 of the O’Neill Coldwater Classic.
SANTA CRUZ, California/USA (Sunday, November 4, 2012) – The O’Neill Coldwater Classic, Stop No. 9 of 10 on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), returned to Steamer Lane in fantastic fashion today, bearing witness to major shakeups in the race for the 2012 ASP World Title.
Matt Wilkinson (AUS), 24, former O’Neill Coldwater Classic winner (2010), caused a significant upset this morning, eliminating ASP WCT No. 4 John John Florence (HAW), 19, in Round 2 of competition, ending the young Hawaiian’s run for the 2012 ASP World Title. Wilkinson’s victory came at the hands of a dominant backhand performance, where the talented goofy-footer claimed one of the day’s highest scores of a 9.20 for a seamless combination of turns.
“I know I can get big scores out here and I kind of know which waves are good,” Wilkinson said. “It’s a really tricky wave and there are so many elements that can make a good wave bad. It was a relief when I got that 9. I started off on a wave that I thought was perfect and there was so much wonky stuff going on. I just decided to wait for a bomb and when that one was coming I was super nervous. I knew if I just surfed it I’d get an 8. It was a perfect wave and I got a good score so I’m stoked.”
Wilkinson will face off against Owen Wright (AUS), 22, when O’Neill Coldwater Classic competition resumes.
Jadson Andre (BRA), 22, issued the upset of the day, eliminating current ASP WCT No. 3 Mick Fanning (AUS), 31, in Round 2 of competition. Andre was in need of a 7-point ride in the dying moments of his heat and combined a furious combination of backhand blasts to narrowly edge out the two-time ASP World Champion, significantly hampering Fanning’s ASP World Title run.
“I knew that was going to be a hard heat,” Andre said. “Mick was looking for the World Title and I’m trying to keep myself on the World Tour. It was an important heat for both Mick (Fanning) and myself. Mick started with a 9 and I was wondering what’s going on. All of my heats, people are starting with 10s and 9.5s. I tried to stay focused and knew I could get the score if I had the opportunity.”
Andre was unable to surpass veteran Australian Taj Burrow (AUS), 34, in their Round 3 affair however, taking an equal 13th place finish at the O’Neill Coldwater Classic.
Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 30, contributed to the Brazilian storm of upsets today, eliminating ASP WCT sophomore Julian Wilson (AUS), 23, in Round 2 before taking down Jordy Smith (ZAF), 24, in Round 3.
“I’m feeling good, comfortable and happy and I’m just thinking about going on there to surf,” Monteiro said. “I’m just coming back from an injury. I spent three months at home and I feel like there’s no pressure. I’m just thinking about surfing.”
After suffering a career threatening knee injury in Massive Cloudbreak earlier this season, Monteiro has made a dramatic return to competition, besting Kelly Slater (USA), 40, in Portugal before taking down both Wilson and Smith at the O’Neill Coldwater Classic.
“I’m really happy because I had a pretty good result in Portugal, a 9th place,” Monteiro said. “I’m happy to be here in Santa Cruz, I like this place and I like the cold water. This is a wild place. The cold water, seals everywhere, it’s very different from where I come from and I’m just trying to enjoy it.”
Gabriel Medina (BRA), 18, relied on his aerial game while hunting the lefthanders at Steamer Lane to best veteran Taylor Knox (USA), 41, in an intense Round 3 battle of power versus progression. In need of a solid score in the dying minutes, Medina launched a massive full-rotation aerial, earning a 9.53 for the ride and a spot in Round 4.
“I just knew I needed a 7,” Medina said. “I saw the set coming and knew I was going to have a chance. I went for the air and made it, so I’m pretty stoked. Before my heat I was watching the waves and I saw the lefts were pretty good, with a section at the end of the wave. The wind is good to do airs and I just went for it.”
Travis Logie (ZAF), 33, was another goofy-footer to put on a backhand clinic at Steamer Lane today, besting fellow right-foot-forward surfer Adrian Buchan (AUS), 30, to advance to Round 4 in a hard-fought heat.
“Ace (Buchan) is one of the most lethal backhanders out there and I knew it was going to be a tough one,” Logie said. “The waves changed so much from the heat before, but I just stuck to my guns and waited for the two double-up ones and I’m feeling good now. I feel like my surfing suits this wave and I had a few good heats out here last year.”
Logie, current No. 26 on the ASP WCT, is in need of a solid result to remain among the ASP Top 34 for 2013 and his advancement through to Round 4 marks the best performance of the strong South African’s year.
“I’ve been stuck in that third round all year and Round 4 is a no-losers heat,” Logie said. “It’s always a lot of fun, there’s no pressure, but there’s still a lot at stake, so I’m going to be out there to win it. I want to get to that Quarterfinal so bad, so I’m excited. It looks like we’re going to have some waves tomorrow and it should be a good day.”
While Fanning and Florence fell early, current ASP poll leader Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, and 11-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 40, were victorious today, intensifying the race for the 2012 crown.
Joel Parkinson looked at home among the righthanders of Steamer Lane and displayed his signature forehand approach to top dangerous local wildcard Nat Young (USA), 21.
“It was pretty cool surfing against Nat (Young),” Parkinson said. “It’s always good to surf against someone who has the whole beach behind them. I get to do it at Snapper, but it’s nice to see someone else get it.”
Parkinson, the most consistent surfer this season, has yet to win an elite event in 2012 and clearly announced his intentions to take out this year’s O’Neill Coldwater Classic to aid in his ASP World Title campaign.
“Making this round is good if you need a result, but I need a win here,” Parkinson said. “I really want a win here. It’s what I’m striving for and I can’t really control what everyone else does, so I’m just worrying about myself.”
Kelly Slater current ASP WCT No. 2, kept his hopes of a 12th ASP World Title alive, narrowly escaping a slow Round 2 affair over wildcard Jason ‘Ratboy’ Collins, before eliminating Dusty Payne (HAW), 23.
“There’s a very good chance that I’m out of the race if I don’t win a couple of heats here,” Slater said after his Round 2 victory. “With that being said, it’s easier for me to make up points if I start getting results. If I make Quarters or better, I’ll add some good points.”
Slater had admittedly struggled to find a rhythm in the challenging Steamer Lane lineup, but rebounded in his Round 3 bout against Payne, forcing an ASP World Title showdown at the Pipe Masters with his Round 4 berth.
“I just can’t seem to figure this wave out, so I better figure something out quick,” Slater said. “It’s tough. There weren’t many opportunities out there. I think Rat (Jason Collins) had a couple of good ones, but he kept telling me there were huge boat wakes coming in. My last wave was a nice open face, but I didn’t have to do much on it. I just had to do a couple of turns and not fall. There just weren’t too many waves at the time. I’m frustrated as could be right now. I just keep thinking I can’t have a worse heat, so I hope I have a better one next heat.”
Slater would regroup to survive a hard-fought battle with Dusty Payne (HAW), 23, in this afternoon’s Round 3, eliminating the mathematical chance of the ASP World Title being decided at Steamer Lane and sending the race to the final event of the year in Hawaii.
When competition resumes, up first will be Owen Wright (AUS), 22, against Matt Wilkinson in Heat 9 of Round 2.
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 6:15am local time for a possible 6:45am start.
Highlights from the O’Neill Coldwater Classic will be available via http://www.oneill.com/cwc/
For additional ASP information log on to http://www.aspworldtour.com
O’NEILL COLDWATER CLASSIC ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.83 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 12.17
Heat 2: Travis Logie (ZAF) 14.67 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.13
Heat 3: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.53 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 14.77
Heat 4: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 11.10 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 10.23
Heat 5: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.33 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 11.30
Heat 6: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.63 def. Nat Young (USA) 12.43
Heat 7: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.84 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 14.77
Heat 8: Michel Bourez (PYF) 12.40 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 5.27
O’NEILL COLDWATER CLASSIC ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 11.20 def. Jason Collins (USA) 9.40
Heat 2: Jadson Andre (BRA) 14.10 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 14.06
Heat 3: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 14.50 def. John John Florence (HAW) 8.66
Heat 4: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.43 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 11.50
Heat 5: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 14.44 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 13.67
Heat 6: Owen Wright (AUS) 10.63 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 8.27
Heat 7: Damien Hobgood (USA) 15.50 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.94
Heat 8: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.47 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 12.53
Heat 9: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 18.33 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 12.60
Heat 10: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 12.17 def. Heitor Alves (BRA) 10.53
Heat 11: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 15.10 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 15.06
Heat 12: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 13.40 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 9.07
I really hope parko gets the title he deserves!! Slater, as amazing as he is needs to retire or get knocked off his perch!! haha! He’s just so competitive and loves winning i cant see it happening anytime soon!!
Parko for pres!! Yew!
Yeah - am cheering hard for Parko!
Surferguy as far as I was aware Slater had indicated he would be retiring at this end of this year regardless of the outcome. As much as I rate the guy I would dearly love to see parko claim a world title while Slater is still in the game. To win when Slater isn’t on tour would be a little bit of a bug bear I reckon in the back your mind.
Yeah for sure.. Even for Mick to win 2 world championships was unbelievable! Now its time for Parko! id love to see Taj get one under his belt, the poor guys has been on he tour for years but yet to claim the big cheese. Maybe 2013 will be the year for Montaj 
yeah I would like to see Taj win it as well, for sure.
CURRENT ASP WCT TOP 5 (After O’Neill Coldwater Classic):
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 53,900 pts
2. Kelly Slater (USA) 50,700 pts
3. Mick Fanning (AUS) 47,000 pts
4. John John Florence (HAW) 44,350 pts
5. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 42,350 pts
The final stop on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour will be the Billabong Pipeline Masters from December 8 – 20, 2012.
Come on Parko!
Im interested to see what the scenarios are for Hawaii, I reckon Parko will need to do better than Kelly at Pipe to ensure the win. That’s a damn scary proposition for Parko, Slater is a proper freak but nowhere more so perhaps than Pipe.
Just did a couple of scenarios for Pipe result based on where Slater finishes. I think this is right:
If Slater wins > Parko needs 2nd
If Slater 2nd > Parko needs 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th
If Slater 3rd > Parko needs 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th or 9th
Thanks for that, ninno. Welcome to Boardworld. 
If I had to make a prediction I would go with Slater making the final. Ninno did you take into account the results that are dropped and what they would be replacing it that worst result with? I was thinking about trying to do the calc but couldn’t be bothered ha ha!
Ok direct from the ASP
ASP WCT surfers’ year-end rankings are based off their top eight finishes from the 10 ASP WCT events in 2012.
As Parkinson is the current rankings leader on the ASP WCT, the following ASP World Title scenarios will be based on his potential finishes at Pipeline.
If Parkinson finishes 13th, 9th or 5th at the Billabong Pipe Masters:
- Slater needs a 5th or higher to take the 2012 ASP World Title.
- Fanning needs to win at Pipeline to take the 2012 ASP World Title.*
*Contingent upon Slater finishing 5th or Lower at Pipeline.
If Parkinson finishes Equal 3rd at the Billabong Pipe Masters:
- Slater needs a 3rd or higher to take the 2012 ASP World Title.
- Fanning needs to win at Pipeline to take the 2012 ASP World Title.*
*Contingent upon Slater finishing 5th or Lower at Pipeline.
If Parkinson finishes 2nd at the Billabong Pipe Masters:
- Slater needs to win at Pipeline to take the 2012 ASP World Title.
- Fanning cannot win the 2012 ASP World Title.
If Parkinson wins the Billabong Pipe Masters, he will take the 2012 ASP World Title.
Full ASP WCT possibilities for Pipeline can be accessed HERE
The Billabong Pipe Masters, the third jewel of the Vans Hawaiian Triple Crown of Surfing, will be run from December 8 – 20, 2012.
For more information, log onto http://www.ASPWorldTour.com
Basically Parko needs to beat Slater by at least a couple of rounds, way better if he just wins the damn event ha ha ha!
O’Neill CWC Finals Highlights
If I had to make a prediction I would go with Slater making the final. Ninno did you take into account the results that are dropped and what they would be replacing it that worst result with? I was thinking about trying to do the calc but couldn’t be bothered ha ha!
Ha, I’m an idiot, didn’t even consider that ! This might be closer
The ASP World Championship Tour rankings are based off of the surfers’ best eight out of 10 results from ASP WCT events.
So:
Slater: Drops injury and a 13th (I assume he’s dropping the Injury)
Parko: Drops 5th and a 9th
(Here goes best 7 with 1 to go):
Slater: 5,2,1,1,1,13,9 = Points 48,950
Parko: 3,2,2,2,3,3,5 = Points 48,700
Based on above:
........... Current Pipe Points After
Slater 48950 1st 10,000 58,950
..................... 2nd 8,000 56,950
..................... 3rd 6,500 55,450
..................... 5th 5,200 54,100
..................... 9th 4,000 52,950
Parko 48700 1st 10,000 58,700
..................... 2nd 8,000 56,700
..................... 3rd 6,500 55,200
..................... 5th 5,200 53,900
..................... 9th 4,000 52,700