Surfing to crown world champions
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Survivor or Weakest Link?
Pierre Tostee photo
Which ever, professional surfers will hold their version starting this week with the Rip Curl Cup for men at Sunset Beach, and the Billabong Girls for women at Honolua Bay, Maui.
Sunny Garcia is one of several Hawai'i surfers with a chance to win a world title.
One by one, surfers will be eliminated until only one remains. At stake: world championships.
"It's why you surf on the world tour," said Kaua'i's Andy Irons, winner of the G-Shock Hawaiian Pro, which did not count toward the world championship standings. "You dream about being in a position to win it at the end, and a bunch of us are in that position right now."
Holding period for both contests runs from tomorrow through Dec. 7. Competition will take place only on days when the waves are in prime condition.
Only one surfer from each contest can emerge as the world champion of what has been a tumultuous season, which was altered by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
The Hawai'i events will serve as the final stops on both the men's and women's tours for 2001. But because of the terrorist attacks, several events were canceled in Europe. As a result, several surfers are bunched near the top of the ratings, since fewer contests have meant fewer opportunities to pull away from the pack.
"I'm fifth and I still have a shot," said defending world champion Sunny Garcia of Wai'anae. "In the past, the world title would be clinched by the time the tour came to Hawai'i. In a way, it's way more exciting this year."
In the men's contest, nine surfers still have a shot at winning the world championship. C.J. Hobgood of Florida holds the No. 1 position, followed by Australian Mark Occhilupo, and another Florida surfer, Cory Lopez.
Taylor Knox of California is fourth, followed by Garcia and then Irons.
Garcia and Irons can win the world title only if they win the contest, and the surfers ranked ahead of them falter early.
"I'm not even going to think about it," Irons said. "I just want to go out and do the best I can, hope the waves are good, and see what happens."
Other men still in contention for the world championship are Australians Jake Paterson, Daniel Wills and Shane Powell, although they are even longer shots than Garcia and Irons.
Of course, there will be other surfers in the contest who have no shot at the world title, but could serve as spoilers for any of the contenders.
In the women's contest, 11 surfers have a shot at the world title. Australians Layne Beachley and Melanie Redman, and Hawai'i surfers Megan Abubo and Rochelle Ballard can control their own fate, meaning if they win the contest, they will become world champ, regardless of how anyone else does.
"That's the best way to decide it," Ballard said. "If you want to be called world champion, I think you need to show that you can emerge victorious in a pressure situation."
Here are the scenarios for the five Hawai'i surfers in contention:
• Sunny Garcia: He needs to win the Rip Curl Cup; Hobgood can not finish higher than seventh; Occhilupo and Lopez can not finish higher than fourth; Knox can not finish higher than third.
• Andy Irons: He needs to win the Rip Curl Cup; Hobgood can not finish higher than seventh; Occhilup and Lopez can not finish higher than fourth; Knox can not finish higher than third; Garcia can not finish higher than second.
• Rochelle Ballard: Can win the women's title by winning the Billabong Girls; can finish as low as ninth and still have a mathematical shot at taking the title.
• Megan Abubo: Can win the women's title by winning the Billabong Girls; can finish as low as seventh and still have a mathematical shot at taking the title.
• Keala Kennelly: Needs to place at least fifth in the Billabong Girls, but must also rely on higher-ranked surfers to falter early. If she wins the contest, she can become world champion if Australian Layne Beachley does not finish higher than third.
