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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, October 22, 2006

Hawai'i surf team falls out of world title race

Advertiser Staff

Hawai'i dropped out of contention for the team championship in the ISA World Surfing Games yesterday, but still has a shot at an individual title.

The seventh day of the eight-day contest was completed in 1- to 3-foot waves at Huntington Beach, Calif.

Hawai'i dropped to sixth place yesterday after four of its surfers were eliminated. Australia is in first, followed by Brazil, the United States, South Africa and France.

Hale'iwa's Bonga Perkins is the only Hawai'i surfer still remaining for today's final day of competition. He will compete in the semifinals of the longboard surfing division today against Harley Ingleby of Australia, Mathew Moir of South Africa and Benjamin Skinner of the United Kingdom.

Kaua'i surfers Gavin Gillette and Sebastian Zietz were eliminated in the open men's surfing division.

Gillette started the day undefeated, but lost in the fifth round of the winners' bracket.

He then won a heat in the eighth round of the repechage bracket, but then lost in the ninth round. The contest follows a double-elimination format, so surfers from the repechage bracket can come back to win the division.

Zietz's run through the repechage bracket ended in the eighth round. Prior to yesterday, he had won seven consecutive repechage heats.

The open men's surfing division had the most entries with 128. Gillette finished in a tie for eighth place, and Zietz was tied for 11th.

In the open women's surfing division, Bethany Hamilton of Kaua'i and Lani Hunter of Punalu'u were eliminated in the sixth round of the repechage bracket.

Hamilton and Hunter both started the day undefeated, but lost twice yesterday.

Australia has seven surfers remaining for today's final day of competition. Brazil has six, the United States has four and South Africa three.

Each team started with 10 competitors. Hawai'i is recognized as its own country for the event.

The World Surfing Games is held every two years at a different location around the world.