Posted on: Monday, October 7, 2002

ISLE FILE
Kaua'i's Irons second in pro surf meet

Advertiser Staff

Kaua'i's Andy Irons placed second in the Quiksilver Pro France yesterday to maintain the No. 1 ranking on surfing's World Championship Tour.

Yesterday's contest was completed in 4-foot waves at Hossegor, France.

Irons advanced to the final, but came up sixth-tenths of a point short to Brazil's Neco Padaratz.

Padaratz received a total of 23.85 points for his top three rides. Irons finished with 23.25.

Irons opened the final with a 9.0 (out of 10) and led for the first 28 minutes of the 35-minute heat. Padaratz secured the victory with a 9.5 ride with seven minutes remaining.

"That was the turning point, for sure," said Irons, who earned $16,000 to Padaratz's $30,000. "When we first got out the waves had good form and you could get some turns off. But towards the middle, it just turned to closeouts. It was pretty tough conditions. He had priority and the (9.5) wave was a really good one."

Earlier in the day, Irons defeated fellow Hawai'i surfer Kalani Robb in the quarterfinals, and then six-time former world champion Kelly Slater in the semifinals.

Irons beat Slater by posting a 9.0 ride on his final wave of the semifinal heat.

Through eight of 12 events on this year's world tour, Irons has 5,852 points. Australian Luke Egan is second with 5,334.

"At the beginning of the year, I wasn't really thinking about it," Irons said of his run at the world title. "But halfway through the year now, the chance is getting better and better."

Robb is No. 9 with 4,506. Sunny Garcia, who did not compete this week because of an injury, is No. 16 with 3,992.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

• Metzger, Wong fall in final: Fifth-seeded Stein Metzger and Kevin Wong of Hawai'i lost in yesterday's final of the $150,000 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour event in Fortaleza, Brazil.

Second-seeded Marcio Araujo and Benjamin Insfran of Brazil scored a 22-20 and 21-17 win in a 59-minute match to share the $22,500 first-place prize.

Metzger and Wong, both Punahou School graduates, split $15,000 in the tour's final event of the season.

The Brazilians overcame a shaky start and a five-point deficit to scramble back to take the first set before a partisan crowd of about 4,000.

Then Wong lost concentration in the second set resulting in a string of unforced errors, which allowed the Brazilians to exert pressure to their advantage.

"We had our chances to win the match, but let it slip away," said Metzger.

Metzger and Wong finished the 2002 season with a 53-21 match record and $110,520 in earnings.

MEETINGS

• QB Club: Hawai'i football coach June Jones and men's basketball coach Riley Wallace will be the featured speakers at today's Honolulu Quarterback Club.

Lloyd Hisaka, assistant director of UH intramural sports, will also speak.

Lunch is at 11:30 a.m., followed by the program at noon at the Pagoda Hotel.

• Na Koa Club: Hawai'i offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh and quarterbacks coach Dan Morrison will speak at today's Na Koa Football Club meeting.

Lunch is at 11:30 a.m. at All Star Hawai'i in Waikiki. For reservations, call 955-8326.