BURTON TOYOTA PRO
4-Star ASP World Qualifying Series - Event No. 7 of 42
Newcastle Women’s Open
1-Star ASP Women’s World Qualifying Series – Event No. 2 of 8
Merewether, Newcastle, NSW-Australia
March 9-14, 2010
South African surfers advance at Burton Toyota Surfest in Australia
Three South African surfers have advanced to the business end of the Burton Toyota Surfest in Newcastle, Australia, touted as the world’s biggest surfing event with more than 750 competitors.
Tarryn Chudleigh (Kommetjie) posted an impressive display to move into the semifinals of the Newcastle Women’s Open, a 1-Star rated ASP Women’s World Qualifying Series event, along with Chantelle Rautenbach (Melkbosstrand) while Brandon Jackson (Durban North) progressed to the last 16 in the Burton Toyota Pro, a 4-Star Men’s WQS event that was won by fellow Durbanite Travis Logie last year.
Chudleigh, 19, in her first WQS event of the year, conquered the messy one metre plus waves and onshore winds to rack up both the highest single ride score, 7.83 out of 10, and heat total, 13.33 out of 20, in the women’s event.
Rautenbach advanced in second place in the same heat while Faye Zoetmulder (Port Elizabeth) was eliminated in the previous round.
Jackson, also in his first WQS event of 2010 and the No. 12 seed, started his campaign in the Round of 32 of the Burton Toyota Pro with a comprehensive 13.0 to 10.54 man-on-man victory over New Zealand’s Billy Stairmand. Jackson will face Michael Spencer (AUS) in the Round of 16 when competition resumes.
Former Capetonian Damien Fahrenfort, who finished 17th in the previous WQS event in Australia in February and the No. 10 seed here, is up against another Australian in Darren O’Rafferty in Heat 12 of the Round of 32.
Earlier Chad du Toit’s outstanding run in the event came to an end in the Round of 48. The 19 year-old from the Berea in Durban has been the form surfer amongst the SA contingent in Australia, placing 3rd and 9th in highly competitive Pro Junior (U20) events last month and advancing through four rounds at Newcastle before being ousted in equal 33rd place with prize-money winnings of US $850.
Saffas Dale Staples (St Francis Bay), Brendon Gibbens (Kommetjie), Shaun Joubert (Mossel Bay) and Ricky Basnett (Bluff) were eliminated in earlier rounds.
Boost Mobile Surf Sho 2010
Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Specialty Event
World’s Best Aerial Surfers competing at Bondi Beach, Australia
Friday 12 March to Sunday 14 March |