PUNTA ROCA, La Libertad/El Salvador – The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 3-Star Copa Quiksilver El Salvador kicked off in clean three-to-five foot (1 metre) waves at El Salvador’s pristine pointbreak of Punta Roca and the event’s opening rounds were graced with excellent conditions.
Stop No. 3. of 6 on the ASP North America men’s calendar, the Copa Quiksilver El Salvador is the perfect opportunity for up-and-coming talent to assert themselves on a global scale while earning crucial points towards their ASP World Ranking.
Santa Barbara has four locals competing in the event: Patrick Curren, Frank Curren, Adam Lambert and Brandon Smith. Both Currens and Lambert advanced through the Round of 128 by finishing second in their respective heats.
Phillip Goold (Virginia Beach, VA) led the day’s proceedings, belting the day’s highest single-wave score of 8.67 out of 10 with calculated surfing on Punta Roca’s racy walls.
“There are definitely no point breaks in Virginia, so this is nice,” Goold said. “Before that heat, I saw the sets swing wide and I just waited for it. I was less deep than the other guys and turned and went. It was definitely the best wave I’ve caught since I’ve been here. El Salvador has been great. This is the best wave I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Goold, a former standout on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series, is looking to put together standout performances in Quiksilver’s latin events in hopes to earn a spot in the upcoming 6-Star contest at his home in Virginia Beach this August.
“We have the 6-Star in Virginia Beach this year, so I’m trying to get my points up to get into my local event before the midyear reseed. I’m going to Acapulco, Mexico after this as well and hopefully I can put together a couple of good results to get some points.”
Anthony Fillingham (CRI) led the early round charge for the Latinos with impeccable forehand surfing. The Costa Rican upstart found two beautiful set waves to post the day’s highest heat total of 15.84 out of 20 to take a convincing Round 2 victory while advancing through to the Round of 96.
I’m really happy to get through that round,” Fillingham said. “I was able to find two good waves and Punta Roca is a beautiful wave and a beautiful place. This is one of the best right-handers I’ve ever surfed in my life and it’s great to have a competition here. I’m excited for the next round.”
Diego Cadena (MEX) a leader among the contingent of Mexican talent emerging on the global surfing scene, proved his versatility today with an amazing display of powerful carves and progressive tail-throws on his forehand to earn a 14.73 heat total to win his opening heat.
“In the beginning I felt really stressed out, because nothing was happening,” Cadena said. “I caught a small one and got a really low score, so I just said to settle down and wait for a good one. Then I got a 6.7 and got settled down and more comfortable. Then I got a 5.5, and I was making the heat, so I just said relax and wait for the biggest wave of the next set and see what happens. That set came in and I thought, hopefully it’ll line up for me, and it did. I got the 8.0, so that put me in first and it feels really good.”
Cadena, who has been a standout at Puerto Escondido in previous events, proved he is equally adept in his turns as he is in the barrel and is thrilled to take advantage of El Salvador’s pristine pointbreak.
“This wave is perfect and the contest is amazing,” Cadena said. “These contests in Latin America are the best because all the people get together, and people come from other parts of the world too and enjoy this wave. We call it Jeffrey’s Bay for the poor people. We are all trying so hard, it great to have a good heat.”
The Copa Quiksilver El Salvador will run from July 4 through July 8, 2012 and is webcast LIVE.
For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com or www.aspnorthamerica.org
COPA QUIKSILVER EL SALVADOR ROUND OF 128 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Jeffrey Lukasik (USA) 12.27, Rainel Bravo (VEN) 11.14, Bruce Mackie (USA) 9.03, Sergio Martins (VEN) 6.50
Heat 2: Jean Gonzalez (PAN) 13.43, Chase Wilson (USA) 9.33, Jeremy Carter (USA) 7.90, Ricky Schaffer (USA) 5.17
Heat 3: Noe Mar McGonagle (CRI) 11.00, Wesley Toth (PRI) 10.70, Alex Kamkoff (USA) 3.10, Kalani Robb (USA) ns
Heat 4: Anthony Fillingham (CRI) 15.84, Kellen Ellison (USA) 12.43, Saul Senna (BRA) 11.17, Israel Cordova (SLV) 10.60
Heat 5: Phillip Goold (USA) 15.60, Derek Gomes (VEN) 8.80, Kyle Collins (USA) 7.73, Adrian Ortiz (VEN) 6.73
Heat 6: Porfirio Miranda (SLV) 11.60, Patrick Curren (USA) 10.03, Ian Simmons (USA) 9.77, Victor Coppolone (VEN) 5.60
Heat 7: Gilbert Lopez (CRI) 11.54, Theo Lewitt (USA) 11.20, Makana Eleogram (HAW) 10.04, Luke Shepardson (HAW) 5.34
Heat 8: Tanio Barreto (BRA) 11.86, Mitchell Salazar (MEX) 6.53, Cody Canzoneri (USA) 6.47, Aurelio Prieto (MEX) 5.16
Heat 9: Tanner Strohmenger (USA) 11.93, Adam Goldstone (USA) 8.90, Maximiliano Siri (ARG) 8.77
Heat 10: Gabriel Aramburu (PER) 12.90, Victor Done (USA) 11.30, Juan Carlos Ramos (SLV) 9.40, Brandon Smith (USA) 7.23
Heat 11: Joaquin Del Castillo (PER) 11.00, Frank Curren (USA) 8.26, Joe Diamond (USA) 7.83, Julio Nurse (VEN) 5.77
Heat 12: Marco Alvarez (SLV) 10.57, Juninho Urcia (PER) 8.43, Jean Schaffer (VEN) 7.87, J Andreas Carreras (PRI) 5.53
Heat 13: Raphael Seixas (BRA) 11.56, Camilo Hernandez Ahu (CHL) 9.63, Sean Bacon (USA) 5.70, Ryan Croteau (USA) 4.75
Heat 14: Diego Cadena (MEX) 14.73, Mikey McCabe (USA) 11.84, Anthony Segura (CRI) 10.93, Ted Navarro (USA) 6.83
Heat 15: Jacob Davis (USA) 11.24, Giovani Benitez (VEN) 8.54, Trevor Thornton (USA) 7.97, Danny Berk (USA) 5.97
Heat 16: Adrian Rodriguez (MEX) 9.37, Adam Lambert (USA) 8.67, Jacob Szekely (USA) 5.93, Jonathan Chila (ECU) 5.43ROUND OF 136 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Chase Wilson (USA) 9.10, Israel Cordova (SLV) 9.10, Tanner Rozunko (USA) 6.40, Samuel Gonzales (SLV) 5.83
Heat 2: Porfirio Miranda (SLV) 8.93, Tanio Barreto (BRA) 7.76, Tomas King (CRI) 6.66, Alberto MunozHerrera (CRI) 5.27
Heat 3: Gabriel Aramburu (PER) 10.57, Juninho Urcia (PER) 8.93, C.J. Drummy (USA) 7.93, Brad Hersch (USA) 4.96
Heat 4: Anthony Segura (CRI) 12.50, Adam Lambert (USA) 10.70, Colin Saunders (VEN) 5.73, Cesar Aguiar (BRA) ns
