Florida's Hobgood wins ASP title

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

The big waves came up, but the big names went down on the second day of the Rip Curl Cup.

Florida's C.J. Hobgood was eliminated in the second round of the Rip Curl Cup, but still managed to clinch his first world championship. Bernie Baker • Special to The Advertiser

The entire second round and three heats of the third round were completed yesterday in waves that ranged from 8 to 15 feet at Sunset Beach.

The final day of competition will be completed today, but none of the 13 remaining surfers has a shot at catching Hobgood in the overall tour ratings.

"I can't believe this is actually happening," Hobgood said. "I feel like I'm dreaming or something."

It actually started in nightmare fashion.

When yesterday's competition started, nine surfers were in contention for the world title. Shockingly, all nine were eliminated yesterday, including Hobgood, who was ranked No. 1.

"I was crying inside when I lost," he said. "But now I'm crying for joy."

Hobgood, 22, was defeated by Myles Padaca, a North Shore surfer who has grabbed the spotlight from the world-title contenders in this contest.

Padaca, 30, does not compete on the world tour, and gained entry into the contest by winning a grueling trials event last week.

"Luck plays a big part when the conditions are like this," Padaca said. "But I think I have a better chance and I have more confidence in myself when the waves are big and all over the place."

Padaca's elimination of Hobgood put the world title up for grabs, but none of the other contenders took advantage.

Particularly surprising, 2000 world champion Sunny Garcia from Wai'anae and Andy Irons from Kaua'i — Hawai'i's only two title contenders — were eliminated in the second round.

Garcia was defeated by Australian Mick Fanning, who recorded the day's best scores. His top three waves scored a total of 23.9 points (out of 30), including a near-perfect 9.5.

"I can't explain it," Fanning said of the numerous upsets. "Sunny Garcia is amazing out there. I was just trying to keep up with him."

Irons was eliminated by Brazilian Renan Rocha on a tie-breaker.

"I did my job for my friends (Garcia and Irons) that were in the running," Padaca said. "It's too bad they lost out. I would have liked to see them move on."

Instead, Padaca and Kalani Robb are the only Hawai'i surfers still in contention for the $30,000 first prize.

Like Padaca, Robb did his part to mess up the title chase. Robb won two heats yesterday, including a third-round victory over Australian Jake Paterson, who was ranked No. 6 and also had a shot at the world title.

"I just wanted to have fun," Robb said. "I'm not in the title run, so there's really no pressure on me."

Other contenders to fall yesterday were Mark Occhilupo, Cory Lopez, Taylor Knox, Shane Powell and Daniel Wills.

"If you were to ask me (yesterday) morning if all nine contenders were going to lose, I would have bet a world title that it wasn't going to happen," Hobgood said. "That's Sunset (Beach), and it's a crazy place."

His championship became official when Wills was eliminated in the second-to-last heat of the day. Hobgood had already left Sunset Beach and was prepared to surf at another North Shore spot when contest officials called him back.

"They said you better come and check this out, you might win it today," he said. "I didn't think they were serious."

Hobgood clinched the title despite not winning a contest on the 2001 World Championship Tour. He is the first surfer to clinch the world title without winning a contest in that same year since 1976.

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, three contests in Europe were canceled. This year's world championship was based on five contests, including the Rip Curl Cup.

Among the 13 surfers still remaining is Hobgood's twin brother, Damien. If Damien wins the contest, he will finish the tour ranked No. 2.

The Rip Curl Cup is also the second jewel in the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. The final jewel, the Xbox Gerry Lopez Pipeline Masters, is scheduled to begin tomorrow at Ehukai Beach.

Remaining pairings

Third round

Trent Munro (Australia) vs. Myles Padaca (Hawai'i); Mick Fanning vs. Damien Hobgood (Florida); Luke Egan (Australia) vs. Peterson Rosa (Brazil); Shane Beschen (California) vs. Richard Lovett (Australia); Russell Winter (Great Britain) vs. Michael Lowe (Australia).

Quarterfinals

Kalani Robb (Hawai'i) vs. Ben Bourgeois (North Carolina); Renan Rocha (Brazil) vs. TBA; remainder of quarterfinals to be determined by third-round results.