Davidson and Lima Win at Mr. Price Pro
July 6, 2008 – 12:56 pm PT by GregTags: ASP, Chris Davidson, Silvana Lima, WQS —
Aussie Chris Davidson and Brazilian Silvana Lima were the big winners at the Mr. Price Pro this weekend in South Africa. Davidson’s victory came over hometown favorite Travis Logie, 16.10 to 12.90, and propelled him to 7th on the WQS rankings.
Lima’s victory came against the 2006 European Junior Champion Pauline Ado. Lima scored 17.83 to Ado’s 13.10. On her way to the finals, Lima scored a perfect 10, marking the only competitor (male or female) to do so during the contest.
Full press releases follow for both…
Chris Davidson Trumps Travis Logie to Win Mr. Price Pro
Australian surfer Chris Davidson (AUS) crushed South Africa’s hopes of a second ever South African winner at the Mr. Price Pro, defeating ASP World No. 41 Travis Logie (Durban) before a patriotic crowd on New Pier beach in Durban today.
Competing in crumbling one-to-two foot (0.5 metre) onshore surf, arguably more suited to the Australian’s natural-footed stance, Davidson’s powerful front-side surfing saw him out-position his local rival to win the heat with a 16.10 heat total to Logie’s 12.90, jumping to 7th on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) ratings.
“I’m stoked I made the final and beat the local boy,” Davidson said. “It was tough for Travis surfing little right-handers on his backside (right foot forward stance) so it definitely favoured me. I’ve got tens here in the past, but I was the underdog out there today, so it felt good to come home with the win.”
A former competitor on the prestigious ASP World Tour, Davidson drew first blood opening with a respectable 6.67 (out of a possible 10) ride and followed up with a near perfect 9.43 putting his South African rival in a combination situation.
At the five minute mark, so confident of his win was Davidson that he began surfing with his board upside down and exited the water with three minutes still remaining on the clock.
“That was just a bit of fun and no disrespect to Travis,” Davidson said. “He’s an incredible competitor but I knew I had the heat won.”
The Australian took home 2500 ratings points towards his 2009 qualification campaign for the ASP World Tour.
Despite finishing as the highest placed South African in the event, Logie was visibly disappointed that first place had eluded him for the second time in his career, after reaching the final here in 2000.
“I’ve always wanted to win this event because I grew up surfing here and I live five minutes up the road,” Logie said. “The final was very tough and Chris definitely got the two best waves, I just couldn’t get the right ones today.”
One of just three South African surfers to advance into the final day of competition today, Logie disposed of fellow countryman Greg Emslie (East London) in the Round of 16 before dismissing ASP World No. 19 Jordy Smith (Durban) in the Quarterfinals, eventually defeating Patrick Gudauskas (USA) in the Semifinals.
“I was stoked with second, it’s better than third and I will be back again next year, though, trying to win it,” Logie said.
While the runner-up finish will have no impact on Logie’s ASP World Tour ratings points, Greg Emslie’s 9th has seen him jump to No. 19 on the ASP WQS ratings while David Weare (Durban) who was eliminated on Saturday with an equal 25th, has jumped to an incredible No. 2 on the ASP WQS ratings.
Finishing equal third at the Mr. Price Pro today were Patrick Gudauskas (USA) and 2003 Mr. Price Pro Champion Neco Padaratz (Bra) who were defeated by Logie and Davidson respectively.
Gudauskas’ result saw him jump back into the lead on the ASP WQS ratings ahead of Weare, while the ratings leader coming into the event, Hizunome Bettero (BRA), has ped down to third.
“I’ve never done well in Durban so to get a third today is a great result for me,” Gudauskas said. “I’m really excited to be back at No. 1, it’s a very long season so I just want to continue bettering my results.”
Silvana Lima Claims ASP WQS 5-Star Mr. Price Pro
DURBAN, South Africa (Saturday, June 5, 2008) - Extraordinary Brazilian surfer, former ASP World No. 3 Silvana Lima (Rio De Janeiro) won the ASP WQS 5-Star Mr. Price Pro today, defeating 2006 European Junior Champion Pauline Ado (FRA) to become the second ever Brazilian women’s champion at Durban’s New Pier, today.
Posting the only perfect 10 point rides seen in either the Men’s or Women’s events, Lima advanced into the Finals where she proved unstoppable against 17-year-old Ado.
Defeating her European opponent with 17.83 points to Ado’s 13.10 (out of a possible 20.00), Lima jumped from 50th to 20th on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) ratings.
“I’m really, really feeling good,” Lima said. “Thanks to God, thanks to my friends, thanks to everybody from Brazil and everyone from here. I feel awesome”
Arguably one of the most radical female surfers on tour, Lima wowed Durban beach-goers with her explosive surfing style defeating ASP WQS No. 1 Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) in the Quarterfinals and ASP WQS No. 7 Bruna Schmitz (BRA) in the Semifinals. Lima went on to seal her 2008 Mr. Price Pro victory off a pair of near perfect scores, a 9.33 and 8.50 (both out of 10) in the final.
“I think that Brazilians do so well here because the waves are very similar to what we have at home,” Lima said. “The waves are really good here in Durban and I love competing at this event.”
Winning the ASP WQS 5-Star in Brazil prior to competing in Durban, Lima said it would be one of her last ASP WQS events this year as she returns her focus to top tier competition on the ASP Women’s World Tour.
Ado finished with her career best result, placing runner-up in her second ever ASP WQS competition, jumping to 42nd on the ASP WQS ratings.
“I’m so happy I made the final,” Ado said. “When I came here I wasn’t expecting such a good result, I just wanted to get some experience so that I can try to qualify on the ASP WQS next year.”
Ado defeated European Junior Champion Lee Ann Curren (FRA) in the Semifinals and South African Roseanne Hodge (East London) in the Quarterfinals, making a big impression in Durban.
“The final was amazing,” Ado said. “I knew it would be tough to beat Silvana who was just amazing, she was just ripping the whole event.”
Reaching the Quarterfinals were South Africans Rosy Hodge (East London) and Heather Clark (Port Shephard) who finished equal 5th overall when they were eliminated by Schmitz and Ado respectively.
Sally Fitzgibbons and former ASP World Tour campaigner Laurina McGrath (AUS) also ended their campaigns in equal 5th places.
The five South African men who advanced into today’s Round of 24 were reduced to just three, with Travis Logie (Durban), Jordy Smith (Durban) and Greg Emslie (East London) taking command of the small surf to earn their spots in the critical final day of competition tomorrow.
ASP World No. 35 Travis Logie was the first “Saffa” to come through for his home crowd. The pint sized New Pier local has been one of the few South Africans to make a mark at the event reaching the Quarters, Semis and Finals over the years and advanced today with a 10.77 heat total defeating Odirlei Coutinho (BRA) and Antonio Bortoletto (Durban).
“I’m really stoked, it’s been my dream to win this event,” Logie said. “I’ve come so close before and I’m not going to rest until I do win this thing so I’ll keep surfing it until I do and even then I’ll continue because I live just five minutes away. There’s good prize money and it’s an amazing event that I just can’t wait for it to come around every year.”
His small frame arguably better suited to the smaller conditions, Logie also employed some clever tactics, holding Bortoletto off one of the last waves of the heat, eliminating his fellow South African from the event.
“I had to win ugly,” Logie said. “Today it was a little tougher so I just tried to catch as many waves as possible and then got a bit ruthless, but you do what you can to win and I’m sure any hard feelings will stay in the water. Now I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.”
Greg Emslie, who advanced in second place behind heat winner Jordy Smith, shared similar sentiments after holding off Australian surfer Adam Melling in order to secure his runner up spot.
“It was more of a job out there, it wasn’t any fun,” Emslie said. “I had to hassle Adam, one of my good mates, at the end. Two South Africans are through but I hate having to hassle.”
The international contingent looked particularly impressive, with Morrocon surfer Abdel El Harim dominating the lefthanders with a flawless performance that earned him a 17.50 heat total defeating Neco Padaratz (BRA) and eliminating South Africa’s Royden Bryson (East London) from the event.
Australians Corey Ziems and Kirk Flintoff whipped out excellent 8 and 9-point rides to win their respective heats convincingly, setting themselves up to become major threats for the final day tomorrow.
