Updated at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, June 28, 2007
Kauai's Andy Irons surfs to Rip Curl title in Chile
Advertiser Staff
|
Irons defeated Florida's Damien Hobgood in the one-on-one final, 16.84 to 8.67.
"It was a battle," Irons said. "I was hitting the reef and getting worked, but I tried to play it smart and catch the inside waves."
Irons led the 35-minute final heat from start to finish, and secured the victory with a ride that received a score of 9.17 (out of 10) with around five minutes remaining.
Earlier in the day, Irons defeated Australia's Mick Fanning in the semifinals, 16.33 to 15.33. Fanning led for most of the heat, but Irons won it with around four minutes remaining when he received a score of 7.33.
Fanning is currently the No. 1-ranked surfer on the 2007 World Championship Tour.
Irons, who received $30,000 for the victory, moved up from No. 7 to No. 3 in the 2007 standings. The Rip Curl Pro Search was the fourth of 10 events on the 2007 tour. The next contest — the Billabong Pro at Jeffreys Bay, South Africa — is scheduled to start July 11.
