Nine World contenders advance in Rip Curl Cup
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
The waves may have been disappointing, but the world title contenders were not during the opening round of the Rip Curl Cup.
All nine surfers in contention for the 2001 world tour championship remained so yesterday by advancing through the first round, which was completed in 3- to 6-foot waves at Sunset Beach.
"Usually, someone gets some bad luck on the first day, but it didn't happen that way," said Kaua'i's Andy Irons, one of the nine title contenders.
The Rip Curl Cup is the final contest on the 2001 world tour, and is also the second jewel in the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.
The world title contenders are, in order: C.J. Hobgood, Mark Occhilupo, Cory Lopez, Taylor Knox, Sunny Garcia, Irons, Jake Paterson, Shane Powell and Daniel Wills.
Garcia, the defending world champion from Wai'anae, was hoping for the contest to start in larger waves to give the Hawai'i surfers an advantage.
"We depend on Mother Nature and when she doesn't supply our wishes, we have to go with it," Garcia said. "But if we're the best surfers in the world, we should be able to surf in anything."
Added Irons: "I'm definitely disappointed. Sunset is such a great big-wave spot, I was hoping we would wait for bigger waves."
Yesterday's first round featured three-man heats, with the top two advancing. The remaining rounds will feature a one-on-one format.
"It's just you and the other guy, and only one can advance," Garcia said. "That's when it gets interesting."
Myles Padaca of O'ahu's North Shore advanced yesterday, and will face Florida's Hobgood in the second round. Hobgood is currently ranked No. 1; Padaca does not compete on the tour, and gained entry into the contest by winning the grueling trials contest.
"If there's pressure, it's on (Hobgood)," Padaca said. "He's the one going for the world title, not me."
Second round pairings
Kalani Robb (Hawai'i) vs. Pat O'Connell (California); Jake Paterson (Australia) vs. Beau Emerton (Australia); Daniel Wills (Australia) vs. Greg Emslie (South Africa); Mark Occhilupo (Australia) vs. Ben Bourgeois (North Carolina); Andy Irons (Hawai'i) vs. Renan Rocha (Brazil); Shea Lopez (Florida) vs. Fabio Gouveia (Brazil); Guilherme Herdy (Brazil) vs. Trent Munro (Australia); C.J. Hobgood (Florida) vs. Myles Padaca (Hawai'i); Sunny Garcia (Hawai'i) vs. Mick Fanning (Australia); Damien Hobgood (Florida) vs. Nathan Hedge (Australia); Luke Egan (Australia) vs. Armando Daltro (Brazil); Peterson Rosa (Brazil) vs. Taj Burrow (Australia); Cory Lopez (Florida) vs. Shane Beschen (California); Richard Lovett (Australia) vs. Flavio Padaratz (Brazil); Taylor Knox (California) vs. Russell Winter (Great Britain); Shane Powell (Australia) vs. Michael Lowe (Australia).
