New Blood Steals Heats and Headlines as Slater Positions Himself for Number Nine

San Clemente, CA- (September, 9-15, 2007)- Placed smack dab in the middle of the year, the Boost Mobile Pro is a pivotal contest for WCT competitors. For world title contenders, it can energize a struggling title campaign, or put the brakes on a runaway charge. For competitors further down the seeding chart it is even more critical, potentially deciding whether they requalify through the WCT, or if their WQS rank will decide their fate. This bodes well for the possibility of high action and drama at North America’s only WCT event.
With a lack of swell looming on the horizon, event organizers kicked off the contest in highly contestable, but inconsistent, two to three foot surf. Characteristic of this year’s event, round one contained some surprise upsets. World title aspirants Taj Burrow, Andy Irons and Joel Parkinson were all relegated to the much-maligned “losers round”, where they would face some of the most anticipated wildcards in WCT history -- Dane Reynolds, Sunny Garcia and Jordy Smith. Irons steamrolled over a paroled Sunny Garcia in the first heat of the day, and all was well within the WCT universe. But during the second heat the status quo began to crumble, as Dane Reynolds confidently disposed of Burrow. In the next heat, inspired by his friend’s triumph, WQS leader Jordy Smith trounced the sultan of style, Joel Parkinson. Besides these earth shattering upsets, things unfolded relatively predictably in the second round. But something had happened. The pecking order was shaken, and the underdogs ran rampant.
Round three saw more inconsistent conditions and huge upsets. Aussie darkhorse Troy Brooks sidelined Dean Morrison. Perpetual underdog, or should I say bulldog, Neco Padaratz convincingly defeated defending event champion Bede Durbidge. Reynolds opened his heat against frontrunner Mick Fanning with a blistering 9.93, the highest single wave score of the event, and held off Fanning’s counterattack. Jordy Smith took down the iceman Andy Irons. And Slater advanced past Rob Machado to become the only top 10 surfer left in the event.
The remaining heats of the contest were then squeezed into the final day in order to take advantage of a forecasted swell increase.
Round four saw a return of some semblance of WCT order, with ultra competitors Ben Dunn and CJ Hobgood vanquishing WQS upstarts Smith and Reynolds. By that time the message was clear: We belong. And indeed they do. Both Smith and Reynolds will be joining the WCT next year. Top seeds watch out.
By the semi-finals it was Flores the fiery Frenchman versus big Pancho Sullivan, and Whitaker versus Slater. Both Slater and Sullivan advanced into the final with relative ease. It was no surprise to see Slater in the final. The guy has been in the past four Boost finals, and has won two of them. But Pancho was a bit of a surprise finalist, seeing as how he is the heaviest competitor on tour, and the waves were less than Hawaiian quality. Nonetheless, Pancho consistently caught the best waves, and came through with big scores to find himself head to head with Slater in the final, in which he was mercilessly cut down by the champ. By winning the final Slater further cemented his status as the greatest competitive surfer ever, gathering 34 elite world tour event wins to break Tom Curren’s record of 33.
Slater now finds himself second place in the ratings, breathing down Fanning’s neck, within striking distance of a ridiculous ninth world title.