Urban Surf

Joel Parkinson looked relaxed, powerful and focused surfing his first official heat since the current ASP World Champion at the Burton Toyota Pro today.

He previously little trouble demolishing his opponents scoring big from the get-go when that he opened having an 8-point-ride and backed it up later with a 9 and a combined heat total of 17 out of a possible 20 defeating Matt-Lewis Hewitt (NZL) on 13. 23 who also advancing in second invest the four-man heat.

"As World Champion I assume Personally i think there is a target on my right back, I am the main one to remove but once I was in heat I felt good on the market - It's good to obtain the jersey right back on" said Parkinson.

"Toward the finish of this past year there is an unbelievable quantity of pressure and today that isn't there maybe I could be a far more relaxed and dangerous opponent in the water
"I'm sensing good waves for the weekends finals therefore i actually want to be there in the thick of the action - I do not desire to watch it from the stands! "

Brazilian wunderkind Felipe Toledo was the truth at the Burton Toyota Pro this past year where that he placed 2nd displaying a few of the most innovative aerial surfing seen. Then continued in 2012 and fast-track qualified for the elite ASP World Championship Tour now the 17-year-old from Ubutuba placed on yet another incredible aerial display to easily win to tomorrow's Round of 48.

The others to impress in the nine heats of Men's which were completed included Joan Duru (France) and Portugal's Tiago Pires while Jack Freestone, the two-time and current ASP World Junior Champion was eradicated in the ultimate seconds of his opening round heat, heading down to Santiago Muniz (ARG) and local surfer Jesse Adam (AUS).

Heat 9, the ultimate heat of your day was a thrilling someone to watch as Australians Matt Wilkinson and Matt Banting were battling for exactly the same wave, bumped boards and exchanged words. The judges deemed that Wilkinson had the proper of way and Banting was penalised having an interference. Then towards the finish of heat both Brazilian surfers Ian Gouveia and Peterson Crisanto got tangled paddling for exactly the same wave, with Crisanto coming off 2nd most readily useful earning an interference. Wilkinson and Gouveia both high level in to the Round of 48.

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) was a shock elimination from the Hunter Ports Women's Classic heading down in her morning hours heat to Alize Arnaud from France and Sage Erickson (USA).
The reigning five time ASP Women's World Champion was also by using this event to warm-up for the coming ASP World Championship Tour Season which officially begins at the Roxy Pro on the Gold Coast on March second.

As Gilmore alluded to at the press conference yesterday, she finds it difficult surfing heats with four in the water rather than the format for World Championship Tour events which are mostly two and sporadically three surfers in the water.

"I much prefer surfing heats where it's woman-on-woman, priority for waves is allocated and we're maybe not jostling for waves - In small conditions it could get congested in the water when all competing merely to obtain the right wave" said Gilmore.

With four back-to-back World Championship Tour events approaching in the Australasian region in the coming 8 weeks (Gold Coast, Margaret River, Bells and Taranaki NZ), Gilmore includes a frantic schedule ahead as she aims to guard her ASP World Title.

The stand-out surfer in the women's draw today was Lakey Peterson (USA) who posted two outstanding 9 point plus rides for a heat total of 18. 70 due largely to her successful high amount of difficulty aerial progresses each ride.

"I've been surfing waves exactly like this in the home therefore i feel very comfortable here" said Peterson. "Yesterday I was nervous being the initial heat of the brand new season but as each heat is run I am feeling good and ready because of this year. "

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) placed 2nd behind Peterson to advance to the Quarterfinals before Laura Enever (AUS) who was simply eradicated. Unsettled weather moved in on the function through the afternoon which appears to indicate larger surf in the coming days and in to the finals week-end.

Burton Toyota Pro Round of 96
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (Aus) 17, Matt Lewis Hewitt (NZ) 13. 23, Wade Carmichael (Aus), Steven Sawyer
Heat 2: Joan Duru (Fra) 16. 77, Tomas Hermes (Bra) 15. 8, Hiroto Ohhara (Jpn), Beyrick De Vries
Heat 3: Tiago Pires (PRT) 16. 17, Oney Anwar (IND)11. 67, Michael Powell (USA) Mark Occhilupo
Heat 4: Felipe Toledo (Bra) 14. 7, Bino Lopes (Bra) 12, Evan Geiselman (USA), Billy Stairmand
Heat 5: Kalani David (HAW) 15. 7, Damien Hobgood (USA) 11. 87, Nobuyuki Osawa (Jpn), Jay Quinn
Heat 6: Santiago Muniz (Arg)16. 33, Jesse Adam (Aus)11. 77, Jack Freestone (Aus, Tanner Gudauskas
Heat 7: Charles Martin (Glp) 14. 34, Jeremy Johnson (USA) 13. 34, Frederico Morais, Wiggolly Dantas
Heat 8: Mark Lacomare (Fra) 14. 33, Maxime Huscenot (Fra) 13. 77, Kolohe Andino (USA), Caio Ibelli
Heat 9: Matt Wilkinson (Aus) 17. 40, Ian Gouveia (BRA) 14. 20, Peterson Crisanto (BRA), Matt Banting

Hunter Ports Women's Classic Round of 12:
Heat 1: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 15. 60, Dimity Stoyle (Aus) 14. 70, Alize Arnaud (Fra) 7. 4
Heat 2: Sage Erickson (USA) 15. 43, Pauline Ado (Fra) 13. 93, Sofia Mulanovich (Per) 9. 70
Heat 3: Lakey Peterson (USA) 18. 70, Sally Fitzgibbons (Aus) 10. 93, Laura Enever (Aus) 8. 2
Heat 4: Alessa Quizon (Haw), Bianca Buitendag (ZAF), Nikki Van Dijk (Aus)

Hunter Ports Women's Classic Round of 24:
Heat 1: Dimity Stoyle (Aus)17, Sofia Mulanovich (Per) 12. 07, Nage Melamed, Tatiana Western-Webb
Heat 2: Alize Arnaud (Fra) 15. 17, Sage Ericson (USA) 14. 67, Canelle Ballard (Reu), Stephanie Gilmore
Heat 3: Pauline Ado (Fra) 16. 10, Courtney Conlogue (USA) 12. 54, Johanne Defay (Fra), Keely Andrew
Heat 4: Lakey Peterson (USA) 14. 04, Alessa Quizon (Haw) 12. 23, Felicity Palmateer, Ellie-Jean Coffey
Heat 5: Sally Fitzgibbons (Aus) 17. 10, Nikki Van Dijk (Aus) 11. 14, Brittani Nicholl (Aus), Stephanie Single
Heat 6: Bianca Buitendag (Zaf) 12. 53, Laura Enever (Aus) 11. 90, Bronte Macaulay, Philippa Anderson