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Ross, the highest rated surfer in this year’s event, defeated local standout and South African Open Men’s Champion Gavin Roberts (Scottburgh) during the Men’s Round of 16 in the small 0.5 meter waves on offer Surfers in Ballito.
“I’ve been doing the ‘QS for a while and to be only half way through the year and already sitting on over 12,000 points is a good feeling,” said Ross. “I’ve been putting in a lot of work and just kept doing what I know and it works well. I’m surfing without a sponsor at the moment but still, it’s all come together this year.”
As priority and wave selection became critical in the first of the man-on-man heats, the powerful Australian unleashed some fast and loose surfing to edge out Roberts with a 13.20 heat total to the South African’s 12.50 (both out of 20.00).
“With the waves being a little smaller I’m using the same board I rode all of last year and it’s going well,” explained Ross. “There are some good little waves out there and it’s really contestable when they do come through.”
 Former ASP World Tour campaigner and current WQS No. 45 Nathan Hedge (Aus), dominated his man-on-man match-up over Hodei Collazo (EUK), locking in a pair of 7.50 rides for his powerful backhand surfing that has seen him progress through every round thus far.
“I’m just enjoying competing here in Ballito and I’m doing some good surfing in my heats. I haven’t put so much pressure on myself to do well, and instead just come over to have a really good trip and to enjoy my surfing,” said Hedge.
Surfing in his first major international WQS event, sponsored free surfer Wade Goodall (Aus) continued to showcase his freakishly futuristic talent within the competitive arena, performing his trademark hands free air reverse followed by a clean 180-degree air, to advance ahead of Leah Sedley (Aus).
One of surfing’s new school masterminds and inventor of the signature ‘Passion Pop’ maneuver, Goodall’s 8.17 and 6.00 (both out of ten) scores earned him his place among this year’s quarterfinalists.
“The waves are really fast so if you go for a turn it’s easy to get hung up on your first one and miss the opportunity for a second turn,” said Goodall. “I just thought it was better to go for airs, I’m better at airs so I played on my strengths.”
South African wonderkid Klee Strachan, 20, (Winkelspruit) continued to script his fairytale story at this event advancing as the last remaining South African after both Gavin Roberts (Zaf) and Rudy Palmboom (Bluff) were eliminated in earlier heats.
Strachan captured an astounding heat win over event standout and the man responsible for one of only two perfect ten-point rides at this event, Marco Giorgi (Ury); outclassing the Uruguayan with two clean, and perfectly landed air-reverses that earned him 7.33 and a 6.17 (both out of 10.00) scores.
Strachan then made a smart, tactical decision using his priority to block Giorgio from catching another wave in the final minutes of their exchange, leaving the Uruguayan surfer visibly frustrated, kicking and splashing the water in disappointment, at the end to his marvelous run.
“I’m so stoked to make it through,” said Strachan. “I came into this event super pumped and I’ve been surfing a lot at home in small conditions like this and I’m just trying to surf my hardest and it’s been paying off.”
WQS No. 24 Tanner Gudauskas (USA) came out guns blazing in the final heat of the day, the young American locking in as many rides as he could in the tide affected waves to secure his win off a pair of 6’s, advancing ahead of Granger Larsen (Haw).
“I’m sure Granger wanted to be beat me as badly as I wanted to beat him, it was just unfortunate that we got the high tide being at the end of the draw,” said Gudasukas. “ It’s always nice to have a familiar face out in the lineup. There were not a lot of waves coming in and we were laughing about it. He definitely wanted to take me out!”
WQS No. 25 Matt Wilkinson (Aus) put his best foot forward with one of the day’s highest scoring rides, an 8.17 for his rapid succession of backhand (left foot forward stance) off the top cracks, to secure his victory over Austin Ware (Aus).
Also advancing into the quarterfinals were Dylan Graves (Pri) who posted his best ever result on the WQS, defeating Rudy Palmboom, and James Taipan Wood (Aus) who made the most of the tricky conditions to overcome Alejo Muniz (Bra).
Competing was called off at noon due to deteriorating conditions at Surfers. The next call will be made at 06h30 on Sunday July 5, 2009. Three rounds remain in this year’s Mr Price Pro Ballito, with the Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals scheduled to take place tomorrow morning.
New Pier local Chad Du Toit (18) has been living the life recently. Over the past few months Chad has been scrubbing dishes at the notorious Volcom House in Hawaii to earn his keep, and then jetting off to the Gold Coast for an extended stint Down Under.
Zag Tv dropped in on the grom right after touching back down in Durban to grill him on his exploits.
Click play to check out the video…
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