Winners podium with Wright (left) and Gudauskas : photo Dara Ahmed/ASP Australasia
SriLankan Airlines Pro Maldives
ASP 6-Star Prime WQS Mens event
Pasta Point, Maldives
8 - 14 June 2009
Live Coverage | Results/Photos/Videos etc
SrLankan Airlines Pro in Maldives - Owen Wright Wins Epic Final in Maldives
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 14 June, 2009 : - -
Owen Wright (Australia) has won the 10th annual Association of Surfing
Professionals (ASP) six star PRIME rated World Qualifying Series (WQS)
SriLankan Airlines Pro in the Maldives. It was a monumental high
scoring final, described by numerous ASP officials at this event as the
greatest final they have ever seen.
This final had everything with both surfers forcing each other
to new heights combining superb power surfing with new age aerial
moves. The final scores saw Owen Wright on 19.23 out of a possible 20
to Gudauskas on 18.93. Wright's second ride in the final of 9.83 was
decisive, pulling two major aerial manoerveres along with a series of
fully powered on face vertical turns.
While that wave opened up a serious lead, Gudauskas challenged
hard on his second ride driving through a series of powerful top to
bottom turns but just fractionally mistimed his final floating re entry
and fell. The wave was still awarded an outstanding 8.94, many believed
had he landed that final turn it would have been his second perfect 10
point ride for the event.
Wright capitalised mid final with another outstanding 9.4
ride, again inclusive of aerial moves and Gudauskas suddenly found
himself in a combination situation. Gudauskas, who earlier in this
event had scored a perfect ten point ride utilizing the new age rodeo
clown move, refused to concede the final and began to focus on going
for another perfect 10 by attempting some massive rodeo clowns which he
went perilously close to landing.
Patrick Gudauskas : photo Dara Ahmed/ASP Australasia
Inside the final five minutes, Gudauskas found his final
excellent wave, unleashed three incredible top to bottom powered turns,
lined up the final section, launched and landed another amazing aerial
flip to take a perfect 10 points. Still in second place and requiring a
9.24 to win, time ran out for Gudauskas and Wright was the deserving
winner of this epic battle.
"That was the best final I have ever experienced " said Wright after his win.
" I knew Pat was capable of scoring 9 to 10 point rides and
before the final I knew I'd have to pull multiple aerials to win - my
strategy was at least two serious aerials on the waves and a lot of
powerful surfing in between the aerials and that's exactly how it
played out." Owen Wright is now number one rated surfer on the ASP
World Qualifying Series and the exciting 19 year old has already
reassessed his goals for the season.
"At the start of the year I was focusing on winning the Pro
Junior season in Australia and doing a few WQS events to get the
experience but now I'm definitely looking to win the WQS and qualify
for the ASP World Tour." ASP world tour head judge Perry Hatchet firmly
placed this final within the top five finals he had ever witnessed
while many others declared it the best final they had witnessed.
The entire event, which created history earlier when Pat
Gudauskas delivered the first competitive rodeo clown manoeuvre,
appears to have sped up the aerial assault that surfing is taking. Pat
Gudauskas's efforts both in the final and throughout the event left the
23 year old feeling good after his narrow defeat in the final.
Owen Wright : photo Dara Ahmed/ASP Australasia
"You know I feel like I've won the event even though I lost, it
was just such an amazing event and incredible final to surf in and I'm
really stoked to have pulled those aerials" said Gudauskas. "I think
surfing's heading to exciting places with these moves and I'm fully
pumped for the rest of the year."
In a significant rule implementation, the final was actually
restarted after the first 10 minutes saw both surfers without a score
on the board. This recent rule had just been passed by the ASP and it
was successful at its first go. "The 10 minute restart rule set that
final up and made it an incredible event" commented ASP World Tour Head
Judge Perry Hatchett.
Equal 3rd placed surfers today were Brazilian 19 year old
Jadson Andre and USA's Austin Ware. Andre went down in his semi final
to Gudauskas but again demonstrated his incredible aerial skills
fighting back from a massive combination scoring situation in the semi
final using his trademark massive aerial skills.
The 3rd place result for Andre further consolidates his season
on the WQS. Andre is now rated 4th on the season WQS ratings. At
season's end the top 15 surfers on the WQS will qualify for the elite
ASP World Tour and Andre is superbly placed.. For Austin Ware his 3rd
place finish was his best result of the season and also has him right
in contention on the WQS at this half way point to the season.
SriLankan Airlines Pro 2009 is made possible thanks to the
following sponsors: SriLankan Airlines, John Keells Group, Chaaya
Island - Dhonveli, Atoll Travel, Atoll Adventures, Ocean & Earth
International, Dhiraagu, Maldives Tourism & Promotions Board, ASP
Australasia.
ASP Australasia as the event managers will deliver a quality
live Webcast along with Television News Feeds, complimentary Digital
Images for newspapers and websites, Web highlight packages and a
dedicated 30 minute international television program.
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