The 6.0 Lowers Pro¹s ASP 6-Star PRIME status offers the maximum amount of points available for an ASP WQS even and a $145,000 prize purse, making the prestigious contest a significant stop on all competitors¹ calendars in their quest towards qualification for the coveted ASP World Tour.
Bourez crushed the day¹s highest single wave score when he annihilated an amazing Lowers lefthander, blasting several backside turns and earning a near-perfect 9.77 out of 10. The talented Tahitian then capitalized on a beautiful righthand wall and went ballistic on his forehand, donating another nine-point ride for the day¹s highest heat total of 18.77 out of 20.
That left came from nowhere,² Bourez said. ³There were no waves in my heat and there was the first wave and the biggest set had came and all of the guys were paddling for it and I let it go. Just behind it was that sick left.²
Bourez had never surfed Lower Trestles before, but he wasted no time in becoming familiar with the coveted pointbreak.
³This is my first time here,² Bourez said. ³Lowers is such a good wave and you have the left and the right on the main peak. It¹s way different than most spots on the ŒQS because you have time enough to catch one or two of the best sets, so you don¹t have to wait or change the way you act in the water.²
The powerful regular-footer is hoping to utilize his time at Lower Trestles as a good practice run before he tackles the world¹s best at the Hurley Pro, mainland America¹s only ASP World Tour event.
³That was my plan,² Bourez said. ³It¹s even better for me to come and practice here before the World Tour event, so it¹s great. My coach has told me a lot about this wave and I think that¹s what helped me in that heat.²
Sebastian Zietz (Hanalei, HI), 21, picked off one of the day¹s best righthanders and unleashed a wrath of critical, fins-free turns to earn a 9.43 out of 10 on the way to his heat victory. The progressive regular-footer dropped a second solid score of a 7.33 while advancing into the Round of 96.
³I had been looking at it all morning and it has been mostly lefts, but that wave came in and it was just a perfect right,² Zietz said. ³Dropping in, I just told myself to calm down and luckily I got a few good turns in on it.²
Zietz claimed the ASP Grade-2 Oakley Pro Junior Global Challenge USA Qualifier last year, which runs in conjunction with the 6.0 Lowers Pro, and has now graduated from ASP Pro Junior competition to full-time ASP WQS status.
³Last year was my last year on the Pro Junior, so now I¹m just doing the ŒQS,² Zietz said. ³It¹s been tough. I had only made one heat so far, so that was the second heat I¹ve made this year. It¹s definitely a lot tougher at these 6-Stars; the judges are a lot more critical and everybody rips.²
The talented regular-footer is looking to use his Round 1 success to build momentum throughout his 6.0 Lowers Pro campaign.
³It¹s good to build up your speed in the early rounds,² Zietz said. ³I¹m sure if my seed is better for next year that it will be fun to be seeded straight into the later rounds too.²
Luke Dorrington (Coolangatta, AUS), 23, traveled over to the States from Australia on his own dime and the dedicated competitor surfed explosively in his opening round heat.
³Not being sponsored makes you try a bit harder, that¹s for sure,² Dorrington said. ³I¹m just happy to be here and get a spot in the event. Trestles is a great wave, so it¹s good to be a part of it.²
The Australian is out to post a solid result at Trestles so he can continue to fund his campaign on The Grind this year.
³I just want to do as many events as I can and make some money,² Dorrington said. ³For now, I¹m just going event-by-event and am working at home to fund my own trips for the moment.²
Tomorrow¹s ASP 6-Star PRIME 6.0 Lowers Pro action will pick back up with Heat 5 of Round 2 at 8 a.m. and will see today¹s top performers tackle the event¹s top seeds, including several ASP World Tour surfers. World Tour veteran Damien Hobgood (Satellite Beach, FL), Simao Romao (BRA), Stuart Kennedy and Jesse Merle-Jones (HAW) will kick off the day in Heat 1.
Watch all of the LIVE action via www.nike6lowerspro.com <http://www.nike6lowerspro.com> . An enhanced quality webcast will be available for the last two days of competition exclusively at www.fuel.tv <http://www.fuel.tv> . The additional webcast, that rivals broadcast quality, is thanks to a partnership between Action Sports Group and FUEL TV.
