Top Seeds Post Mixed Results at Los Cabos Open of Surf

Caption: Tanner Gudauskas (USA), 25, earned the day’s high heat total of 17.00 in Round 2 of the Los Cabos Open of Surf.
Image: ASP/SHADLEY

ZIPPERS, Los Cabos, Mexico (Tuesday, June 17, 2014): The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 6-Star Los Cabos Open of Surf saw the event’s top seeds take to the water in improved two-to-four foot conditions. The veteran campaigners would earn the event’s top scores, but the full day of competition saw no shortage of upsets.

The third men’s ASP 6-Star Qualifying Series (QS) event of the season has narrowed the field from 144 to just 48, while Women’s competition could begin as early as tomorrow.

Peterson Crisanto (BRA), 22, led the Round 2 charge with a vicious forehand attack, blending an array of powerful and progressive turns to garner the day’s high heat total of 17.00 out of 20.

“It’s a good way to start the event, with a seven and a nine,” Crisanto said. “I’m really stoked. I love surfing right pointbreaks. I feel 100 percent and I want to get a good result in Los Cabos.”

Crisanto, winner of the ASP 6-Star Reef Pro El Salvador in 2013, stumbled at the last Prime rated event in Saquarema and is looking to get back on track at the Los Cabos Open of Surf.

“I lost in my first heat in Saquarema,” Crisanto said. “It’s good to have a strong start here and hopefully I can gain some good points in Mexico.”

Tanner Gudauskas (San Clemente, CA), 25, Semifinalist at the 2013 Los Cabos Open of Surf, was lethal on his backand in Round 2, decimating the Zippers walls with unmatched power to tie Crisanto’s high marks. The Californian’s high-scoring affair would see Gudauskas secure the heat win compliments of a 9.17 and 7.83.

“It was tricky because my first two waves were just fives,” Gudauskas said. “I was really caught behind the section. The nine was a little slower and I was able to get in to the face and get in a good rhythm.

“It feels really good to be back in Cabo,” Gudauskas continued. “The surf is better than last year and I’m here with Pat (Gudauskas) and it’s good energy. I like traveling and competing with him.”

ASP WCT standout and top seed Josh Kerr (AUS), 30, combined seamless combinations on his forehand for a convincing Round 1 win. While the Dream Tour campaigner spends most of his life on the road, he saw the Los Cabos Open of Surf as the perfect opportunity to blend business and pleasure.

“It’s a great excuse when there’s an event here in Cabo to bring your family down and stay at a nice resort,” Kerr said. “I haven’t been here in about 10 years and my family’s never been. We’ve been here just a few days and the family is loving it.”

Top seeds were responsible for the round’s top scores, but the day was filled with upsets. Young Brazilian Italo Ferreira, 18, would lead the charge, eliminating former ASP WCT surfers Damien Hobgood (USA), 35, and Nathan Yeomans (USA), 32, while advancing to Round 3.

“I had a good heat yesterday to start and I think that helped prepare me for Round 2,” Ferreira said. “I knew surfing against Damien (Hobgood) and Nate (Yeomans), it was going to be hard. The waves are better today, I like this wave and hopefully I can keep performing.”

Kaimana Jaquias (HAW), 21, punctuated a day of high-scoring action, smashing a top score at the Los Cabos Open of Surf. The young Hawaiian unloaded a series of devastating forehand turns, earning a near-perfect 9.40 out of 10. The excellent score was the second-highest ride of the day behind a 9.80 from young Australian Connor O’Leary, 20.

“That whole heat was pretty slow and good surfers in the heat,” Jaquias said. “To perform well, that was good for me and I’m happy to get through. The surf had been pumping all day and then it just slowed down. I knew I had to be on the best waves to beat those guys and it worked out.”

The Los Cabos Open of Surf holds a waiting period from June 16 through 22, 2014 and is webcast LIVE via www.aspworldtour.com

LOS CABOS OPEN OF SURF ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.20, Kaito Ohashi (JPN) 9.93, Matt Lewis-Hewitt (NZL) 9.40, Diego Cadena (MEX) 7.30
Heat 2: Davey Cathels (AUS) 12.34, Maxime Huscenot (FRA) 10.53, Bino Lopes (BRA) 9.83, Caio Ibelli (BRA) 9.50
Heat 3: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 15.10, Hiroto Arai (JPN) 11.84, Damien Hobgood (USA) 11.26, Nathan Yeomans (USA) 9.77
Heat 4: Billy Stairmand (NZL) 14.23, Tanner Hendrickson (HAW) 13.23, Joan Duru (FRA) 12.60, Keanu Asing (HAW) 12.10
Heat 5: Thiago Camarao (BRA) 16.90, Jack Freestone (AUS) 13.64, Gony Zubizarreta (ESP) 13.37, Tomas Hermes (BRA) 11.00
Heat 6: Jesse Mendes (BRA) 16.30, Guillermo Satt (CHL) 13.86, Nathan Hedge (AUS) 13.83, Takumi Nakamura (JPN) 11.76
Heat 7: Tomas Woods (AUS) 15.30, Frederico Morais (PRT) 13.40, Yadin Nicol (AUS) 12.90, Yago Dora (BRA) 11.97
Heat 8: Matt Banting (AUS) 15.10, Cooper Chapman (AUS) 13.83, Jeremy Johnston (USA) 12.80, Cody Thompson (USA) 11.23
Heat 9: Willian Cardoso (BRA) 15.47, Dale Staples (ZAF) 12.83, Rafael Teixeira (BRA) 9.20, Kai Barger (HAW) 8.50
Heat 10: Dylan Goodale (HAW) 13.33, Carlos Munoz (CRI) 13.23, Shun Murakami (JPN) 12.23, Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 5.40
Heat 11: Peterson Crisanto (BRA) 17.00, Ian Gouveia (BRA) 14.84, Krystian Kymerson (BRA) 13.07, Michael February (ZAF) 7.70
Heat 12: Miguel Tudela (PER) 13.30, Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 13.07, Chris Ward (USA) 10.43, Arashi Kato (JPN) 9.54
Heat 13: Flavio Nakagima (BRA) 16.24, Brett Simpson (USA) 14.50, Parker Coffin (USA) 14.37, Alex Smith (HAW) 12.60
Heat 14: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 17.00, Marco Giorgi (URY) 15.57, Stu Kennedy (AUS) 12.57, Brent Dorrington (AUS) 11.70
Heat 15: Santiago Muniz (BRA) 14.97, Wade Carmichael (AUS) 13.96, Brian Toth (PRI) 12.93, Jean Da Silva (BRA) 12.30
Heat 16: Michel Rodrigues (BRA) 14.67, Granger Larsen (HAW) 13.86, Dillon Perillo (USA) 10.46, Nathaniel Curran (USA) 7.17
Heat 17: Mitch Coleborn (AUS) 10.50, Ryan Callinan (AUS) 13.10, Evan Geiselman (USA) 12.43, Gabriel Villaran (PER) 12.34
Heat 18: David Do Carmo (BRA) 16.43, Jay Thompson (USA) 13.27, Masatoshi Ohno (JPN) 12.10, Kalani David (HAW) 11.63
Heat 19: Cory Arrambide (USA) 14.97, Nic Von Rupp (PRT) 14.30, Ricardo Christie (NZL) 14.07, Beyrick De Vries (ZAF) 9.16
Heat 20: Connor O’Leary (AUS) 16.47, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 15.17, Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 13.57, Marco Fernandez (BRA) 9.77
Heat 21: Conner Coffin (USA) 14.54, Messias Felix (BRA) 13.67, Hodei Collazo (EUK) 13.33, Michael Dunphy (USA) 11.10
Heat 22: Francisco Bellorin (VEN) 13.90, Tim Reyes (USA) 12.07, Marc Lacomare (FRA) 10.50, Matt Pagan (USA) 8.20
Heat 23: Kaimana Jaquias (HAW) 16.83, Medi Veminardi (REU) 13.94, Mason Ho (HAW) 10.60, Jake Halstead (USA) 9.67
Heat 24: Dion Atkinson (AUS) 14.76, Steven Pierson (PYF) 12.63, Dylan Southworth (MEX) 12.44, Heitor Alves (BRA) 10.90