Kelly Slater wins WCT in Brazil
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Kelly Slater : photo ASPWorldtour.com/Tostee
ASP 2003 World Championship Tour Kelly Slater Wins Fourth Title & Extends Lead November 4, 2003 (Joaquina, Florianopolis, Brasil) Six-time world champion Kelly Slater (FL, USA) today moved a major step closer towards clinching a record seventh crown by winning the Nova Schin Festival WCT Brasil over Mick Fanning (Gold Coast, Aus). The US$250,000 ASP World Championship Tournament (WCT) relocated two hours drive south to Imbituba, with round four of kicking off the action. A capacity beach crowd with tens of thousands then watched as the final rounds unfolded this afternoon. Solid 6ft (2m) surf was on offer at Praia Da Vila, with the best waves seen during the entire event. Long righthanders reminiscent of Haleiwa, Hawaii, gave competitors plenty of room to perform multiple maneuvers down the line. Slater, fresh from a third WCT win in Spain last event, marked his territory throughout today ´s business end of the draw with incredible surfing. The 31-year-old posted the only perfect 10 of the tournament, together with the highest combined total of 18.67-points during the quarterfinals. Then in the main decider he created an early lead. The lead changed midway, but the Floridian then nailed his 27th event title with the final ´s top score of 9.37-points. "This is the craziest crowd I ´ve ever seen in my life," began Slater, over the deafening sound of thousands surrounding him. "I thought it was mad when I first started, but this is heavy. Andy was really running away there (on the ratings), and we were all trying to play catch up, so to match him with four wins feels amazing. "I couldn ´t hear the scores, but I knew Mick got the score he was needing halfway," he continued, of the final itself. "So I needed a good wave, basically, and I guess I pulled it off. I didn ´t see his last wave, but he ´s been surfing so well. Neither of us could hear what happened for about two-minutes after, but it ´s a pretty awesome feeling to come off the beach to applause like that. "I ´m excited," he added, of the coming events in Hawaii. "For me personally, it was real important to try and win this contest after Andy fell out and Taj lost yesterday. Right now everyone is there together at the top... This sea of people is incredible though. You come to Brazil and feel like a rock star." Fanning had been stopped in four semifinals earlier this season, but finally broke the voodoo to face Slater today. The 2002 ASP ´Rookie of the Year ´ then took it to the champ and held the lead toward the end after his best 8.17 ride. Following his opponent ´s last wave however, the 22-year-old required an additional 8.21 score. He caught another, but only posted a 7.93 and was forced to settle with his second consecutive runner-up finish in Brazil. "It feels good to have made the final," said Fanning. "I ´m a little frustrated right now, as I thought if I could just get a good wave I could have done something. I was really tired... but that ´s just the way it goes. I ´m stoked to have come back to Brazil and made another final, but sick of getting second here (laughs). I ´d just like to thank all the Brazilian people. They ´ve been incredible and just made my trip so enjoyable. Obrigado. "I ´m pretty psyched for Hawaii," he added. "But right now I ´m going to have a beer with the boys." Equal third were Taylor Knox (CA, USA) and Brazilian wildcard Renan Rocha - both collecting US$10,000. Knox was stopped by an in-form Fanning, who left the Californian searching for a combination of rides worth 16.95-points. His third semifinal finish of the year cemented his current #7 position. "That heat went so badly for me it ´s funny and I ´m not even mad about it," said Knox. "I gave him a good wave at the beginning and he was in rhythm and I never got in it. I ´m kind of surprised I did so well in this event since the airlines broke some of my boards on the way over and I never felt like I had the right equipment. "He ´s actually going to buy me a business-class seat home because of that," he added of Slater ´s pledge, following Irons elimination to Knox. "Off to Hawaii next, so the tour goes on." Rocha, a seasoned WCT campaigner who fell off the elite ranks last year, continued his great run past fellow countryman Peterson Rosa this morning and then Kieren Perrow (Bryon Bay, Aus) in the quarters. Against Slater his tactics of catching lefts resulted in some great rides, but unfortunately didn ´t match the scores of his opponent. Nonetheless, he carried the pride of the massive crowd furthest and did them extremely proud. "Kelly ´s the best surfer in the world, as everyone knows," began Rocha. "I was looking for the lefts to get some nice waves and try to get the big scores. It was just so unbelievable to be out there with this crowd. I ´m so stoked to feel something like that, with the public sending me such good vibes. I can ´t forget this." Finishing equal fifth in the Nova Schin Festival WCT Brasil were Richie Lovett (Manly, Aus), reigning world champion Andy Irons (Kauai, Haw), Lee Winkler (Coff ´s Harbour, Aus) and Perrow. Irons was stopped by Knox in a close quarterfinal clash and showed the frustration afterward by leaving the beach immediately with hopes of catching a flight home. Nonetheless, he retained his runner-up position on the current ratings heading into the final two events in Hawaii. For Winkler, the result marked his best of the season and moved into 31st position on the ratings as he strives to ensure his re-qualification for next year ´s tour. Against Slater he rose to the occasion with some great rides, but his opponent turned on the magic with the top scores of the event. "It was good to get this far, but of course I had to draw someone like him," reasoned Winkler. "At J-Bay (SAfr) he got a 10 and a 9.5 against me, so I wasn ´t expecting any less and he went out there and did the same thing pretty much. He waxed me, but it was a good experience and I ´m not so over-awed by him anymore. It wasn ´t my day out there though, it was his." The WCT now heads to Hawaii for the final two men ´s events of the year. First is the Rip Curl Cup at Sunset Beach (Nov 24 - Dec 7) and then the 2003 season reaches its climax during the Xbox Pipeline Masters (Dec 8-20). Nova Schin Festival WCT Brasil 2003 Final Semifinals Quarterfinals Round Four Current ratings after ASP event #10/12 1. Kelly Slater (USA) 8,340-points
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