The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) North America has crowned its 2008 regional champions in the men’s and women’s ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS), Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS), and Pro Junior divisions and now that the 2008 season is in the record books and the dust has settled, the nation boasts Patrick Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 23, and Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, CA), 17, atop the ASP WQS regional ratings, while Cory Arrambide (Ventura, CA), 19, and Christa Alves (Cocoa Beach, FL), 19, claimed this year’s ASP North America Pro Junior Series titles. In the ASP LQS, America saw Taylor Jensen (Oceanside, CA), 24, and Cori Schumacher (Carlsbad, CA), 31, claim this year’s regional longboard championships.
All of North America’s top competitors strive each year to attain a center stage position in their respective divisions. The ASP WQS acts as a gateway for the ASP World Tour and Women’s World Tour, while junior surfers tackle their regional events in an attempt to earn a spot at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships. The ASP LQS acts similarly, as surfers work to gain a spot on the ASP World Longboard Tour (WLT). Each surfer is fighting to earn the right to advance to the next level of competition, giving them a chance to win an ASP World Championship in each of their respective divisions.
Gudauskas, who put together an amazing season throughout the year, finished 17th overall on the ASP WQS globally and claimed the title of ASP North America regional champion this year. The regional title is a goal that he had originally set out for himself at the beginning of the season.
“Winning the domestic ratings was a huge goal for me this year, along with qualification,” Gudauskas said. “I knew that with the good start in Florida this would be tangible.”
With so many talented surfers hailing from the United States, Gudauskas feels especially proud of his achievement of finishing atop the regional competition.
“To win the North American ratings race is a big deal to me because it asserts you as one of the top prospects coming from the talent rich continent of America,” Gudauskas said. “I think a lot people look to American surfers to see what’s the future of both style of surfing and approach. To be amongst the top of my competitors is an accomplishment in itself, and to win it was icing on the cake. I take a lot of pride in being from America, and to be on top of the American pro ratings, it’s a special thing.”
Arrambide, the America Pro Junior Series Champion, was equally satisfied with the accomplishment earned over the stiff competition throughout the year. The up-and-coming young talent is a part of several successful surfers hailing from the Ventura area and now Arrambide is hoping to claim his first ASP World Junior title in Australia this January.
“I’m stoked to have won the junior’s in 2008,” Arrambide said. “That was the goal that I had set out for myself at the beginning of last year and now I can’t wait to go to Australia. I’ve been training and surfing as much as I can to prepare for the event and am really looking forward to the contest.”
Christa Alves clinched this year’s ASP North America Pro Junior Series Women’s title with a win at the Billabong Sebastian Inlet Pro earlier in the year and will be accompanying fellow top surfers such as Arrambide to Australia to compete for an ASP World Junior Championship title due to her No. 1 finish regionally.
“Finishing first this year means that I finally get to represent our country,” Alves said. “I’ve worked hard, saved my money and am really excited to go.”
Cori Schumacher, a former competitive longboard standout, had taken a sabbatical from competition starting in 2005, but she came back in top shape this year when she claimed the regional ASP LQS title at the Roxy Jam Cardiff, an ASP LQS 6-Star event, over the world’s top female longboarders at her home break. Since Schumacher hadn’t competed in a few years, she had to begin in the opening rounds, but the Carlsbad local ended up winning every heat she entered, eventually taking out the win.
“I had competed in ’05, but 2001 was my last real contest and I felt really good going into the event at home,” Schumacher said. “I felt focused, strong and I was able to pull everything together from the first heat all the way through the Final.”
The 2009 season will play host to several increased ASP WQS events as well as many new ASP LQS contests and the opening event is just around the corner, with the O’Neill Sebastian Inlet Pro, an ASP WQS 4-Star, beginning on January 12, 2008. LIVE action can be found via www.oneillsipro.com
If you’d like to watch America’s top junior competitors in action at the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships, log on to www.billabongpro.com 
Top Australian junior surfer Lincoln Taylor has signed a multiple year sponsorship deal with Lizzard International. Originally from North Stradbroke Island but now based on the Gold Coast, Lincoln shot into the limelight this year after locking down big results on the Australia Pro Junior series as well as featuring in a number of surf videos and high profile magazine interviews.
Lizzard have committed to helping Lincoln achieve his goal of qualifying for the prestigious World Championship Tour by supporting him on the WQS from 2009. Raymond Gerardy, sales manager for Lizzard Australia said "We are stoked to have signed Lincoln for the next 3 years. He’s a hugely talented surfer and we look forward to seeing him blow up on tour".
Next year will be Lincoln’s first full go on the WQS, he will first compete in the World Junior Championships at Narrabeen in January after which he’ll surf a number of Pro Junior Series contests followed by the big Australia WQS events in Newcastle, Tasmania and Margaret River.
Commenting on the deal Lincoln said "I'm very excited and appreciative of the wonderful opportunity that Lizzard have presented me. I'm particularly impressed with the quality of people that I have met and dealt with in the company, and I look forward to a long and prosperous association with Lizzard".
Having entered the official waiting period for the Billabong Pipeline Masters, and with the girls hunkered down on Maui awaiting the commencement of the Billabong Pro Maui, it is timely to reflect on a phenomenal Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.
With Stephanie Gilmore wrapping up the ASP Women’s World Title by winning last week’s Roxy Pro Hawaii, and of course Kelly’s 9th crown safely tucked away in the vault, the focus now moves to contending for the coveted ASP World runner-up and winning the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.
Wow, as though it needs to be re-iterated, but the O’Neill World Cup once again highlighted the fact that Oahu’s North Shore is the world’s premier big wave location. Sunset Beach reminded everyone that it remains peerless as the ultimate proving ground, confronting the World Cup field with challenge after mighty challenge. It was very clear over the first four days of competition that the last man standing in the O’Neill would be undisputed champion for 2008.
Hats off to all four finalists: C.J. Hobgood, Tom Whitaker, Marcus Hickman and Jordy Smith battled through unrelenting power to advance to the championship decider and deserve hearty praise for their collective effort. Individually, they all took different paths to the same meeting point. O’Neill World Cup champion C.J. Hobgood kind of used stealth to reach the Final, surfing intelligently to survive the wild and woolly stuff then stand tall in the Final, his quest for greatness guided masterfully by coach, caddy and handler, former Dream Tour surfer and North Shore resident Chris Gallagher.
On the humongous day, when the Sunset arena was bombarded by set after set of 15’-25’ faces, Jordy Smith and Tom Whitaker took centre stage, Smith coming into his own, he definitely went out there with intentions to surf hard. After carving his way to certain victory Jordy then magnanimously offered former ASP World Champion Sunny Garcia the use of his thicker board. Sunny had impressed early with a 9-point ride but was struggling late under the weight of pounding sets. In the end, the great Hawaiian warrior failed to get the required wave and upon leaving the water, fully aware that his quest for re-qualification to the Dream Tour had fallen painfully short, Garcia lavished praise on the young guns who had risen to the challenge on this heaviest of days, then spoke of getting both knees operated on before committing his soon-to-be 39-year-old body on the ’09 ASP WQS.
That was impressive. So was Tom Whitaker’s tuberiding display on this giant day. At any size, Sunset hurts when the lip slaps you on trying to emerge from the bowels of the barrel. On this day, the place throttled anyone caught in the act of escape, but this did not deter the Bronte basher from committing deep. Sunset Beach’s Marcus Hickman, along with Jordy Smith, looked the man to beat on the epic final day. Caddied by none other then defending O’Neill World Cup champion Makuakai Rothman, who had bowed out of contention, Hickman laid down a command performance.
To reach the Final, Marcus Hickman had to overcome some pretty staunch competition. Amazingly, two of the most outrageous performers along the route were Hawaii’s junior sensations Dusty Payne and Torrey Meister. Wow, do these kids have some game. They both impressed greatly, surfing smart on the huge days, blasting massive snaps on heaving bowls, laying into perfectly executed roundhouse cutties on the more friendly sections, basically surfing well beyond their years. As a reward for his Vans Triple Crown pole position after Haleiwa and Sunset, Dusty Payne now finds himself in the Billabong Pipeline Masters.
Back to Marcus Hickman though, this local kid put in a giant-killing effort, coming up with required scores under immense late heat pressure time and time again. In the Final, he got away to a brilliant start, posting a keeper straight up, and he threatened to blow up at any moment, however events, including epic rides by Hobgood and Whittaker, conspired against Hickman for total victory. Paddling out for the finale, most money would have been on South African wunderkind Jordy Smith.
Smith was in devastating form throughout the event, but he kept his best for the final day, wailing through every round, toying with the west peak, carving huge slabs on the inside bowl, pulling into backdoor sections at will. Then disaster struck, Smith doing the involuntary splits on his opening ride. He spent 10 minutes swimming with a thought to be hip injury, then it was realized that in fact a major knee injury had been incurred. It was such a bummer of a way to conclude an outstanding campaign, but that’s Sunset.
Fantastic victory for C.J., the Floridian surging back into the ASP World Top 5 in the major league rankings, then clinching a major title at the storied Sunset Beach, converting a solid North Shore campaign into Triple Crown calculations. It was total vindication. I recall handing C.J. Hobgood the ASP World Champions trophy at Sunset Beach in 2001. There had been seven contenders going into the final event of a season shortened by the tragedy of 9/11. C.J. was the last man standing and he kind of sheepishly gave a victory speech. The other day at Sunset he was the last man standing after arguably the most challenging, the most magnificient World Cup in history
Now that’s true greatness, an awesome sporting achievement that ranks with the best sports stories of the year.
An exciting format awaits all in the 08 Billabong Pipeline Masters. three seeded rounds of competition pits the best of the best against each other in dual heat format. The opening exchanges see the creme of the local Pipe specialists going head to head with the back-end tour regulars, with a solid smattering of event and Triple Crown wildcards.
Shane Dorian returns to competition on Day 1, taking on South African goofy footer Royden Bryson, former Pipe Master Mark Occhilupo, in his testimonial Triple Crown series, comes up against Rocky point local Daniel Jones, followed by a host of ridiculously well matched clashes. There will be sentimental value in Danny Wills swansong event, the Byron Bay local meets the in-form Kamalei Alexander, while newly qualified Kauai pro Dustin Barca can expect a torrid exchange with Hawaii’s I an walsh in Ht 7.
Teen sensations Torrey meister and Dusty Payne meet Jay Thompson and Aritz Aranburu, while the allHawaiian clash between Makuakai Rothman and Ola Eleogram will generate plenty of interest. Another super exciting match-up pits new kid on the Dream Tour Kekoa Bacalso against the new king of Pipe Jamie O’Brien. There are so many great heats, the Billabong Pipeline Masters will be exciting from start to finish, and of course the big guns, Kelly, Andy, Bede, Joel, Taj, Parko and CJ are waiting in Rd 3. Mick Fanning will be contesting his final event before officially handing his crown over to World Champion elect Kelly Slater, and local stars Fred pattachia, Pancho Sullivan, Bruce Irons and Roy Powers are strategically concealed at ambush points within the draw.
SUNSET BEACH, Hawaii (Thursday, December 4, 2008) - Florida’s C.J. Hobgood, 29, won the ASP WQS 6-Star O’Neill World Cup of Surfing today in clean 20-to-30 foot wave face heights, making Hobgood the first goofy-footer in 11 years to win at Sunset Beach.
Australia’s Michael Romelese was the last goofy-footer to win at Sunset in 1997, he also won the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing title the same year.
On his backhand, Hobgood, who was the 2001 ASP World Champ, charged his way to victory, gnabbing the biggest wave of the 35-minute final. Hobgood was blown away by his first place finish and the massive waves.
"It’s perfect size and really clean. There was probably one or two sets a heat that were too big," Hobgood said. "Just some macking nuts waves out there.
"My usual experience out at Sunset is just getting worked pretty much. This ranks up there with my WT wins and everything else because I never totally pictured myself winning this contest so it ranks that much higher.
"That just shows you what Sunset can do. You just roll the dice, go out and sometimes Mother Nature is good to you and other times it just beats you down.
"There’s four guys out there, but you never really see your competitors the whole time. It’s Man versus Nature out there and that’s what makes Sunset so challenging and appealing."
Hobgood avoided Sunset’s wrath and negotiated the giant walls of water beautifully, scoring an 8.5 and 6.5 rides to win the 6-Star Qualifying Series Event.
Australia’s Tom Whitaker, 29, also surfed well in the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing and finished runner-up. Whitaker was in awe of the quality of surf Sunset Beach produced today.
"It’s pretty much as dreamy as Sunset gets it’s beautifully clean and really, really good sized," Whitaker said.
"It’s not too big and scary. It was just beautiful all day and I think I saw some of the best waves I’ve ever seen at Sunset. And, for the final day of the tournament to run in such good conditions it was really cool."
Sunset Beach local Marcus Hickman, 29, finished behind Whitaker in third place. He fell victim to poor wave ion, yet this was Hickman’s best Vans Triple Crown of Surfing performance to date.
South Africa’s Jordy Smith, 20, finished in fourth place and never got in rhythm, breaking his board and injuring his right leg in the final. Smith has never finished lower than the quarterfinals at Sunset and this was his second finals appearance at the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing.
Smith posted a 10-point ride earlier today in the round of 32 by getting a tube. He also posted the highest heat score of the contest a 18.50 out of a possible 20 in the same round.
The top Brazilian finishers today were Leandro Bastos and Rodrigo Dornelles. Both were eliminated in fourth place in their respective heats in the round of 32, placing equal 25th overall.
Europe’s highest finisher was Eric Rebiere (France), who placed third in his heat in the round of 32 to finish equal 17th overall.
After today, Dusty Payne (HAW) is ranked first for the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing overall title. This year’s O’Neill World Cup of Surfing Champion C.J. Hobgood(USA) is second and Joel Parkinson (AUS) is in third. All three surfers will be competing at the Billabong Pipeline Masters.
The Noseguard Rookie of the Year Award for the top performing rookie of the Vans Triple Crown series was awarded today to Australia’s Yadin Nicol, 23, who enjoyed an exceptional run here at Sunset Beach, finishing 9th place today.
Nicol narrowly missed qualifying for the 2009 World Tour at Sunset Beach today. The O’Neill World Cup of Surfing is the last event of the 2008 Qualifying Series (QS) season. The following QS surfers have all qualified for the 2009 World Tour (WT): Nathaniel Curran (USA), Chris Davidson (AUS), Michel Bourez (PYF), Gabe Kling (USA), Jihad Khodr (BRA), Josh Kerr (AUS), Nic Muscroft (AUS), David Weare (ZAF), Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), Tim Boal (FRA), Greg Emslie (ZAF), Dustin Barca (HAW), Tiago Pires (PRT), Phillip MacDonald (AUS), and Drew Courtney (AUS). Depending on Tiago Pires’ performance at the Billabong Pipeline Masters, Marlon Lipke (DEU) may qualify for the 2009 World Tour.
The third and final jewel of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing - the Billabong Pipeline Masters, begins its holding period on Monday, December 8. The women’s Vans Triple Crown will culminate on Maui with the Billabong Pro, also starting December 8.
Born: 27 April 1987
Age: 21 years old
Stance: Natural
Favourite Break: Queensbury Point
Sponsors: Roxy
Current Residence: East London
Years with Roxy: 13 years
Bio
Rosy Hodge from East London is the best female surfer in South Africa. She is currently competing on the World Tour at the young age of 21, and is the only female South African on that elite tour. While there might be many girls competing hard on the WQS, only Rosy is skilled and talented enough to be competing the premier World Tour. Rosy hails from the wave-rich city of East London, and it is the local right-hand points and reefs, combined her abundance of talent, which has groomed her to be a World Tour caliber surfer. Rosy personifies the spirit of an elite athlete and is a role model for all South African surfing girls. She is admired by surfers the world over and her career is only starting. With her rekindled competitive spirit, great things are in store for her.
