CAPBRETON, France (Thursday, May 28, 2009) – The latest episode of the 2009 exclusive documentary by Daz is ON AIR with a full retrospective of the ASP Top 45 European members at the Billabong Pro Tahiti, Stop No. 3 of the ASP World Tour. Aranburu’s fantastic run to the Semifinals for his career best result, Bourez’s unpexpected early loss under pressure in front of his home crowd… No mentioning Flores, Picon, Pires, Boal and Marlon Lipke’s first heat win this year against fellow rookie Drew Courtney…

The Billabong Pro Tahiti seen through the eyes of the biggest ever European contingent on tour comes to you with beautiful footage from French Polynesia. Crystal clear waters, barrels and unbeatable sunsets enable you to share a piece of life on the ASP Dream Tour. Check it out now…

EUROFORCE WORLD TOUR 2008/2009 BROADCAST SCHEDULE
Webisode 1
2008 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast Review – February 21, 2009 – ON AIR
2009 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast Show – March 14, 2009 – ON AIR

Webisode 2
2008 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Review – April 1, 2009 – ON AIR
2009 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach (Aus) Show – April 21, 2009 – ON AIR

Webisode 3
2008 Billabong Pro Tahiti Review – May 2, 2009 – ON AIR
2009 Billabong Pro Tahiti Show – May 23, 2009 – ON AIR

Webisode 4
2008 Globe Pro Fiji Review – June 20, 2009 –
Webisode 5
2008 Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro Review – October 12, 2009
2009 Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro Show – July 8, 2009

Webisode 6
2008 Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Review – July 2, 2009
2009 Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay Show – July 22, 2009

Webisode 7
2008 Rip Curl Pro Search Somewhere Review – August 10, 2009

Webisode 8
2008 Boost Mobile Pro of Surf Review – September 6, 2009
2009 Hurley Pro Show – September 22, 2009

Webisode 9
2008 Quiksilver Pro France Review – September 16, 2009
2009 Quiksilver Pro France Show – October 7, 2009

Webisode 10
2008 Billabong Pro Mundaka Review – September 28, 2009
2009 Billabong Pro Mundaka Show – October 20, 2009

Webisode 11
2009 Rip Curl Pro Search Somewhere Show – November 1, 2009

Webisode 12
2008 Billabong Pipeline Masters Review – November 21, 2009
2009 Billabong Pipeline Masters Show – December 23, 2009

2009 ASP WORLD TOUR SCHEDULE
Feb. 28 to Mar. 11 – Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, Queensland (Australia) – Joel Parkinson
April 7 to 18 – Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, Victoria (Australia) – Joel Parkinson
May 9 to 20 – Billabong Pro Tahiti, Teahupoo – Bobby Martinez
June 27 to July 5 – Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro (Brazil)
July 9 to 19 – Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay (South Africa)
Sept. 13 to 19 – Hurley Pro, California (USA)
Oct. 23 to 4 – Quiksilver Pro France, South West Coast (France)
Oct. 5 to 17 – Billabong Pro Mundaka, Euskadi (Spanish Basque Country)
Oct. 19 to 28 – Rip Curl Pro Search Somewhere
Dec. 8 to 20 – Billabong Pipeline Masters, Oahu (Hawaii)

NEWPORT BEACH, California (Tuesday, May 26, 2009) – The third of 10 stops on the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) North America Pro Junior Series is just weeks away from commencement with the ASP Grade-3 Arnette All Day Antics Pro Junior presented by Jack’s Surfboards which will run at 54th Street in Newport Beach, California from June 6-7, 2009. The two day event will be webcast live and play host to the nation’s top ASP Pro Junior talent in what will be a critical stop in all surfer’s campaigns towards qualification for the ASP World Junior Championships.

The 2009 ASP North America Pro Junior Series is a qualifier for the ASP World Junior Championships; with all surfers on the series looking to compile their best five results to earn a top three regional finish at year’s end. Arnette’s decision to upgrade their Pro Junior to an ASP Grade-3 event translates into additional points on offer in the Newport contest, which will play a vital role in each surfers qualification for the prestigious event held in Narrabeen, Australia.

“We are fired up for the second annual Arnette Pro Jr,” Arnette Brand Manager Joe Freitag said. “Coming off of such a successful event last year, and working with such great partners as Jack’s and ASG, we’ve decided to up the ante and upgrade the event to a 3-grade, giving younger competitors a greater opportunity to battle it out and earn points on the ASP North American Pro Junior Series.”

Andrew Doheny (Newport Beach, CA), 16, is a local at 54th street and was also a qualifier for the ASP World Junior Championships last year. The talented regular-footer is hungry to post an impressive performance in front of his home crowd and is out to utilize his local knowledge in the Arnette Pro Junior to help his cause.

“Newport is my home,” Doheny said. “It is just really nice having a contest at home, but in the end it is a beachbreak so it’s all about wave selection.”

Doheny is also looking to utilize the event’s ASP Grade-3 status to help him earn back-to-back qualifications for the ASP World Junior Championships next year. Since there are two ASP Grade-3 events and one ASP Grade-4, the Nike Pier Pressure, on the 2009 calendar, the Newport Beach local is well aware of the importance of a big result at the upcoming event.

“The contest is very important,” Doheny said. “Whether or not you go to Australia will be decided by how you do at the two Grade-3’s and the Grade-4. I am really looking forward to the event and I am stoked that it is at [54th Street].”

Nat Young, who is a constant threat to all competitors on the ASP Pro Junior Series, is also on the hunt for a win at the Arnette All Day Antics Pro Junior. Young hopes that a solid result at the event at 54th Street will help pave the way to a successful campaign for the 2009 season.

“I think it is very important do well in this contest,” Young said. “Since it’s a Grade-3, there are more points involved and I think whoever wins this contest will be sitting well for qualification to worlds. There is a Grade-4 and another Grade-3, but it would be good to have a really good result early on in the year.”

Young has already had a successful year on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS), with standout performances against some of the world’s finest international competitors and now he’s looking to carry the confidence earned from those events over to his regional ASP Pro Junior campaign.

“I think it definitely helps with confidence,” Young said. “I just had the hardest heat of my life at Lowers with C.J. (Hobgood) and Dane (Reynolds). However, I try not to underestimate anyone, because anyone can have a good 20 minutes. And when I do underestimate someone I usually end up losing to him.”

Tim Boal Looks Back on Last Couple of Months

ANGLET, France (Wednesday, May 27, 2009) – Tim Boal (Anglet, FRA), 25, a rookie on this year’s ASP World Tour, is currently surfing some perfect waves in the Mentawaii Islands enjoying a break from competition after placing equal 17th at Teahupoo and probably getting barreled more than enough to relax and enjoy some time with his Red Bull team mates. Boal, who stands inside the Top 30 at this stage, remains in good position towards a possible requalification so far, and the Anglet resident just sent out a few lines with his insights about the last couple of months. Check it out now…

“It’s been non stop for the past few months since Bells, with a couple of WQS events and the Billabong Pro in Tahiti.

Straight after Australia I headed to Carcavelos in Portugal to compete in the ASP WQS 6-Star event. It was good to be in contest mode again as prior to that, my only two contests in the last 6 months had been the Quiksilver Pro at Snapper and the Rip Curl Pro at Bells as I was injured for the last few months last year. My goal after the Australian leg was to surf as much as possible and compete more and more.

The contest in Carcavelos was fun, and i twas good to hang out with all the European guys again on the WQS. Some of the younger surfers are really pushing and I’m sure a few of them will be qualifying for the World Tour this year or in years to come. Joan Duru is on his way with a few good results already and Charly Martin has been surfing very well too. He hasn’t had the biggest results yet but he will very soon. Another impressive young surfer was Alejo Muniz who ended up winning the event. I actually lost out to him in the Quarters and was pretty happy to see him going on to win the contest. The waves didn’t really cooperate on the last few days but all in all it was a good contest with Quiksilver doing a great job organizing the whole thing.

The day after Carcavelos I flew over to California for the Nike 6.0 Lowers pro. It’s pretty tough travelling around on such a tight schedule but it’s all worth it… Surfing Trestles with only three other guys was enough to make me forget how bad airplane seats are.

The waves were really good for the whole week of the event and that was probably the best organization I’ve ever seen for a WQS event… Any event actually! The webcast was amazing and the whole setup was just great. A few of the Euros were there, Alain Riou, Michel Bourez, Aritz Aranburu and Charly Martin so it was good to spend some time, share some waves and compete altogether. I had only competed in Trestles once before and this was a good opportunity to get some practice in before the world tour heads over there in September. I had a really good board and I pretty much just stuck to the rights the whole time and ended up getting third so I was glad I made the trip there and got a feel for the place.

A lot of the ASP Top 45 guys were there so the level of surfing was pretty high and there were some great heats. Charly Martin was a standout on the webcast as he spent quite a bit of time in the tower with the commentary team… Funny stuff. Fred Pattachia ended up winning against Ben Bourgeois who came close to defending his title!

And then it was on to Tahiti where the contest started off the very first day of the waiting period just like the first two events in Australia. The waves were good for the first day although very inconsistent. Teahupoo is pretty special, you can tell the guys who have been there before or have spent some time surfing there. It’s not as straightforward as it looks from the boat and once you get out for a heat it’s pretty tough to figure out what’s happening. My feeling was that it gets easy to wait too long for the waves you’re actually going to be able to surf better, but you get tricked into that and end not getting anything, especially when it’s inconsistent like it was. After the first day, we waited about eight days before we got back out there which was rally long! That’s the tough part on the world tour, and you have to learn how to wait and stay busy and occupied. It gets pretty frustrating especially when you have calls for the event to start every couple of hours some days…

The event finally got going towards the end of the waiting period and there were some great heats, especially Kelly Vs Aritz! Aritz pretty much smoked him and found some deep barrels. Kelly did the most amazing turns but it wasn’t enough and he went down for another 17th. I thought CJ Hobgood was going to win the event as he looked consistent and has a great record at Teahupoo, but Taj stopped him in the Quarters.

To see Aritz get third was great, he had a tough year last year with injuries and a tough start this year so to see him do well felt extra-special and inspiring. Next stop is Brazil at the end of June, I’ve never been to the place but I’m pretty sure it’ll be easier to figure out than Teahupoo. In the meantime I’m going to the Mentawaiis on a Red Bull trip with all the World Tour Red Bull riders men and women, as well as a few of their juniors so it should be pretty amazing.”

HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (Sunday, May 24, 2009) – Stop No. 3 of 10 on the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour had an exciting finish to competition after several lay-days and saw California talent Bobby Martinez (Santa Barbara, CA), 26, take top honors for the second time at the Billabong Pro Tahiti when he surfed a near-flawless 18.46 out of 20 heat against fellow finalist Taj Burrow (Yallingup, AUS), 30, to claim the win.

Martinez proved to be unstoppable throughout the event’s entirety, topping an amazing crop of talent on the way to his fourth elite ASP World Tour victory by utilizing his impressive forehand barrel riding skills to oust the competition.

“I feel great and a bit emotional,” Martinez said. “I feel wonderful. I waited for the good ones out there and just got lucky. There weren’t too many waves and I was lucky enough to get a couple of good ones and not fall. Things just seemed to work out for me today. I really don’t know what to say. It feels really special.”

In addition to defeating several of the world’s finest competitive surfers including three-time ASP World Champion Andy Irons (Hanalei, HI), 30, event dark horse Aritz Aranburu (Zarautz, EUK), 23, and current ASP World No. 5 Adriano de Souza (Guaruja Sao Paulo, BRA), 22, Martinez managed to achieve the feat on borrowed equipment after breaking all of his personal boards.

“I actually borrowed a board from Alain Riou (local Tahitian surfer),” Martinez said. “He rides Darren Handley shapes and the board was the same dimensions and pretty much the same board I ride. It was great to find that as yesterday, I was a bit skeptical about today in terms of the conditions and my equipment, but everything worked out perfectly.”

Martinez now sits in seventh overall on the ASP World Tour after his Billabong Pro Tahiti victory.

Taylor Knox (Carlsbad, CA), 38, donated his best performance of the year when he ousted current ASP World No. 1 Joel Parkinson (Coolangatta, AUS), 27, on the way to a fifth place finish. Knox jumped out to an early lead before solidifying the win with a second solid score to defeat the Australian talent and the solid result launches him in to the No. 10 position overall amongst the world’s finest.

“It was one of those heats where we were jockeying for position,” Knox said. “I got a 6 and then it went flat. Joel (Parkinson) was tired of waiting and used his priority on a wave that didn’t offer much. Then that really good one came through and I was in position for it. I really thought there were going to be more waves in that heat and that I’d need more than a 6 in my score line, but that’s the way it worked out. I won my heat so I’m stoked and will go home happy now.”

C.J. Hobgood (Melbourne, FL), 29, who is a constant threat at the Billabong Pro Tahiti, was one to watch again this year when he worked through to a fifth place finish. Hobgood’s dominating forehand barrel riding skills helped him earn a victory at Teahupoo in the past, and he was a standout again at this year’s event.

“I look forward to coming here every year and Tahiti is definitely one of my favorite stops on tour,” Hobgood said. “I’ve had a pretty good start to the year, but it’s going to take a lot to catch Joel (Parkinson) at this point. I’m hoping for a good result here.”

CURRENT ASP WORLD TOUR TOP 10:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 3000 points
2 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 2318 points
3 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 2208 points
4 – C.J. Hobgood (USA) 2196 points
5 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 2174 points
6 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 2076 points
7 – Bobby Martinez (USA) 2025 points
8 – Tom Whitaker (AUS) 1932 points
9 – Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 1886 points
10 – Kieren Perrow (AUS) 1742 points
10 – Taylor Knox (USA) 1742 points
10 – Damien Hobgood (USA) 1742 points

CAPBRETON, France (Wednesday, May 20, 2009) – Aritz Aranburu (Zarauz, EUK), 23, flew the Basque flag up to the Semifinals of the Billabong Pro Tahiti at Teahupoo last night, the young man making his way through to the Semifinals of the prestigious event after an exceptional run that saw him best 2008 ASP Rookie of the Year Dane Reynolds (California, USA), 23, nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (Florida, USA), 37, former event champion Damien Hobgood (Florida, USA), 29, and experienced ASP Dream Tour competitor Tom Whitaker (New South Wales, AUS), 29.

“I’ve had a tough draw throughout the event, but that’s what has kept me motivated,” Aranburu said. “Coming up against the best guys out there, you need to lift your ability. Beating Kelly (Slater) for me is one of the biggest achievements I’ve ever had. I’ve been looking up to him for so long, and just being on tour with him is an honor. To beat him is a major achievement for me.”

Aranburu, whose equal 3rd place finish at the barrelling world famous lefthander of Teahupoo marks his career’s best result, found his rhythm in the Tahitian warm waters defeating some of the world’s best surfers en route to the Semifinals where he was stopped by Bobby Martinez (California, USA), 26, who was to win the 2009 Billabong Pro Tahiti over Taj Burrow (Western Australia, AUS), 30, in the final heat of the event.

“Bobby (Martinez) is one of the best out there,” Aranburu said. “I had one good one, but he got two good ones, and that was it. It’s my best result ever and I am stoked.”

For his second year only amongst the ASP Top 45 elite contingent, Aranburu eventually reached his goal by making the final-four of an ASP World Tour event, the Basque surfer coming from a brilliant Pro Junior and World Qualifying Series (WQS) career. After a rookie season in 2008 where he suffered several knee and ankle injuries and an equal 9th place finish in the Billabong Pipeline Masters in the final event of the year, Aranburu was awarded a wildcard by his peers to get a second chance after failing to requalify for the ASP World Tour. His Semifinal berth last night puts Aranburu back on track, his result rocketing him to No. 19 on the ASP ratings.

“I have lots of confidence going into the next events,” Aranburu said. “I just want to go home and train and try new boards for Brazil and J-Bay. The biggest thing for me is to know that if I can do it once, I can do it twice.”

Aranburu is the fourth European surfer ever to make the Semifinals of an ASP World Tour event after Jeremy Flores (Capbreton/New Caledonia, FRA), 21, Tiago Pires (Ericeira, PRT), 27 and Miky Picon (Capbreton, FRA), 30, respectively made their way to the same stage on the Gold Coast, at Trestles, in Bali and in Brazil in the last couple of years. Aranburu’s performance is also another step in the rise of European surfing as one of the world’s best surfing nations, an improvement that has seen the number of representatives grow from one in 2007 to seven in 2009.

TEAHUPOO, Tahiti (Tuesday, May 19, 2009) – The Billabong Pro Tahiti presented by Air Tahiti Nui, event No. 3 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, has called competition on today, with a champion being crowned by day’s end, conditions permitting.

This morning’s surf is running in the three-to-five foot (1- 1.5 metre) range and the opening heats of the day will hit the water at 8:30am.

“We have clear skies and similar sized surf to yesterday and we’ll get competition underway at 8:30am,” Luke Egan, Billabong Pro Tahiti Contest Director, said. “We’re planning on completing the event today, but will monitor the conditions throughout the day to ensure the athletes are run in the best possible surf.”

Yesterday saw the surprise eliminations of reigning nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 37, and current ASP World No. 1 Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, at the hands of Aritz Aranburu (EUK), 23, and Taylor Knox (USA), 38, respectively.

Still remaining in the event are past Billabong Pro Tahiti winners Damien Hobgood (USA), 29, and Bobby Martinez (USA), 26, as well as former ASP World Champions Mick Fanning (AUS), 27, Andy Irons (HAW), 30, and C.J. Hobgood (USA), 29 – both Irons and Hobgood are also past winners at Teahupoo, with Fanning a former runner-up.

First up this morning, former three-time ASP World Champion and event wildcard Irons will take on Martinez in Heat 5 of Round 3 at the Billabong Pro Tahiti.

Surfline, official forecasters for the Billabong Pro Tahiti, are calling for a larger SE groundswell to fill in throughout the day as well as some new SW swell building through today and tomorrow.

YESTERDAY’S BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.50 def. Jay Thompson (AUS) 6.17
Heat 2: Taj Burrow (AUS) 12.04 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 9.40
Heat 3: Mick Campbell (AUS) 15.07 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 8.50
Heat 4: Taylor Knox (USA) 15.46 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 5.57

REMAINING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 5: Andy Irons (HAW) vs. Bobby Martinez (USA)
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)
Heat 7: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA)
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Tom Whitaker (AUS)

UPCOMING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS:
QF 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Taj Burrow (AUS)
QF 2: Mick Campbell (AUS) vs. Taylor Knox (USA)
QF 3: TBA
QF 4: TBA

TEAHUPOO, Tahiti (Tuesday, May 19, 2009) – Bobby Martinez (USA), 26, has taken out the Billabong Pro Tahiti presented by Air Tahiti Nui, defeating fellow Finalist Taj Burrow (AUS), 30, in clean three-to-five foot (1.5 metre) waves at Teahupoo.

Event No. 3 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Tahiti survived a marathon waiting period, culminating on the second-to-last available day in improving conditions that peaked for a climactic Final.

Martinez surfed a near-flawless heat, opening up with an impressive 8.73 out of a possible 10 before putting his opponent in a combination situation with a Houdini-esque 9.73 out of a possible 10. Netting the highest heat total of the event, an 18.46 out of a possible 20, Martinez claimed his second Billabong Pro Tahiti and fourth elite tour win, establishing himself as one of the premier tube-riders in the world.

“I feel great and a bit emotional,” Martinez said. “I feel wonderful. I waited for the good ones out there and just got lucky. There weren’t too many waves and I was lucky enough to get a couple of good ones and not fall. Things just seemed to work out for me today. I really don’t know what to say. It feels really special.”

The form surfer of the event, Martinez surfed the majority of his heats on borrowed equipment, having broken most of his surfboards early in the waiting period.

“I actually borrowed a board from Alain Riou (local Tahitian surfer),” Martinez said. “He rides Darren Handley shapes and the board was the same dimensions and pretty much the same board I ride. It was great to find that as yesterday, I was a bit skeptical about today in terms of the conditions and my equipment, but everything worked out perfectly.”

Martinez, who is without a major sponsor at the moment, has rocketed himself from 19th to 7th on the ASP World Tour ratings with today’s win, putting him in excellent position for the remainder of the year.

“I’m not thinking about money right now, but rather I’m thinking about the feelings I have,” Martinez said. “I didn’t start surfing to make money. I started for me, and to win today, you cannot put a price on the feelings I have. I’m really going to let it sink it and enjoy it. It’s a great result, but it’s a long year and anything can happen. Joel (Parkinson) has a great lead, and now that this event is over, my focus goes to the next one.”

Burrow’s efforts in the Final were nothing short of spectacular, collecting an 8.17, a 7.93 and a 7.33, but they were not enough to overtake the Martinez stranglehold on the event.

“I definitely had fun but it was tricky against Bobby (Martinez),” Burrow said. “He had a dream heat. The conditions looked pretty good for your forehand because the judges like seeing you pump on your forehand in the barrel. On your backhand, you just have to park it in the pit and you can’t do much, but Bobby did everything he had to out there and deserved the win. I still had a fun Final, but hard to enjoy out there because I was in a combination situation the whole time.”

Burrow now moves into the No. 2 position on the ASP World Tour ratings, setting the Western Australian up well as he eyes up the next events.

“I’ve had two keepers in terms of results and I’m hungry,” Burrow said. “I’m still kicking and I’m looking to win. The next few events, I feel really strong at and I’m going to do whatever it takes to win. I’m stoked to get a result at Teahupoo, I haven’t done well here in a few years so it sets me up really well for the rest of the year.”

Aritz Aranburu (EUK), 23, former ASP World No. 39, was the “Cinderella Story” at the Billabong Pro Tahiti. Having failed to advance through a heat in the opening two events of the season, the Basque Country’s first ever ASP World Tour competitor stormed past Californian sensation Dane Reynolds (USA), 23, former event winner Damien Hobgood (USA), 29, Australian veteran Tom Whitaker, 29, and reigning nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 37, en route to a Semifinals berth.

“I’ve had a tough draw throughout the event, but that’s what has kept me motivated,” Aranburu said. “Coming up against the best guys out there, you need to lift your ability. Beating Kelly (Slater) for me is one of the biggest achievements I’ve ever had. I’ve been looking up to him for so long, and just being on tour with him is an honor. To beat him is a major achievement for me.”

The career-best result was halted at the hands of eventual winner Martinez during one of the most exciting heats of the event. Despite coming up short to Martinez (15.23 to the Californian’s 17.17), Aranburu’s equal 3rd place finish boosts the European to 19th on the ASP World Tour ratings.

“Bobby (Martinez) is one of the best out there,” Aranburu said. “I had one good one, but he got two good ones, and that was it. It’s my best result ever and I am stoked. I have lots of confidence going into the next events. I just want to go home and train and try new boards for Brazil and J-Bay. The biggest thing for me is to know that if I can do it once, I can do it twice.”

Michael Campbell (AUS), 35, opened his final day affair with a close win over fellow ASP Dream Tour veteran Taylor Knox (USA), 38, in the Quarterfinals, but the goofy-footer’s precision forehand approach wasn’t enough to overtake a rampaging Burrow in the Semifinals.

“It felt like I was a bit out of rhythm in the Semifinal,” Campbell said. “I wasn’t able to capitalize on the waves I got and Taj (Burrow) posted a couple of really strong scores mid-heat that left me wanting.”

Although falling short of a Finals berth, the journeyman competitor’s equal 3rd place finish boosts him from 29th to 16th on the ASP World Tour ratings.

“This is going to do a lot for my cause,” Campbell said. “I’ve had average results this year and last year too, so a third is pretty special for me. All of the heats have been hard and sometimes the luck goes your way. I’ve had a bit of luck this time around, but I’ve also spent some time here and I know it pretty well. Stoked to get a result and looking forward to the next one.”

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, suffered an unfortunate Round 3 loss at the Billabong Pro Tahiti, but after two event wins to open the season up, the Gold Coaster remains the frontrunner on this year’s ASP World Tour ratings.

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Bobby Martinez (USA) 18.46
2 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.10

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.86 def. Michael Campbell (AUS) 10.00
SF 2: Bobby Martinez (USA) 17.17 def. Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 15.23

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.33 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 14.06
QF 2: Mick Campbell (AUS) 12.84 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 10.17
QF 3: Bobby Martinez (USA) 15.93 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.67
QF 4: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 11.66 def. Tom Whitaker (AUS) 10.66

REMAINING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 5: Bobby Martinez (USA) 13.17 def. Andy Irons (HAW) 10.16
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.57 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 8.67
Heat 7: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 12.56 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 9.16
Heat 8: Tom Whitaker (AUS) 9.43 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 9.40

CURRENT ASP WORLD TOUR TOP 10:
1 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 3000 points
2 – Taj Burrow (AUS) 2318 points
3 – Mick Fanning (AUS) 2208 points
4 – C.J. Hobgood (USA) 2196 points
5 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 2174 points
6 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 2076 points
7 – Bobby Martinez (USA) 2025 points
8 – Tom Whitaker (AUS) 1932 points
9 – Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 1886 points
10 – Kieren Perrow (AUS) 1742 points
10 – Taylor Knox (USA) 1742 points
10 – Damien Hobgood (USA) 1742 points

CAPBRETON, France (Tuesday, May 19, 2009) – Basque surfer Aritz Aranburu (Zarauz, EUK), 23, caused the upset of Round 2 at the Billabong Pro Tahiti last night by eliminating nine-time and reigning ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (Florida, USA), 37, in Round 2 of competition. Aranburu, who found his rhythm in the three to four foot (1 to 1.2 meter) waves breaking over the infamous sharp reef of Teahupoo, not only defeated Slater but also posted an impressive 17.27 point heat score (out of a possible 20), the highest total of the day, to finalize his exceptional performance.

“Kelly (Slater) is the best competitor and the best surfer in the world and I was just trying to stay focused out there so I could get my own waves,” Aranburu said. “Once I got that first score I almost felt more pressure because I was surfing against Kelly and I know what he can do with his priority. I just tried to put the pressure off and luckily I got a second good score and it worked out.”

By besting Slater, Aranburu follows the footsteps of fellow European surfers Jeremy Flores (Capbreton/New Caledonia, FRA), 21, who defeated Slater on his first year among the ASP Top 45 at the same venue of Teahupoo in the Quarterfinals of the 2007 edition, and Tiago Pires (Ericeira, PRT), 27, who took the best over Slater in Bali last year.

Aranburu, a former ASP European Junior top competitor who qualified for the ASP World Tour in 2007, had not made it through to Round 3 of any event since the season started in February and was looking to eventually break the bad roll, something he achieved in style at Teahupoo nailing a near perfect 9.77 point ride (out of a possible 10) in the first minutes of his encounter with Slater, the best single wave score of the Billabong Pro Tahiti thus far.

“I was lucky to get that first wave,” Aranburu said. “I paddled deep because I knew I was going to need a big score against Kelly (Slater) and when I was paddling into it, I thought I was going to fall, but I made it, so I’m happy.”

The 23-year-old Basque surfer and Zarauz resident will now face other event favorite Damien Hobgood (Florida, USA), 29, in Round 3, another tough test for the young man who is slowly confirming his ability in lefthand reef barrels, a talent that emerged last year in Fiji and at the Billabong Pipeline Masters where he placed equal 9th wrapping up his rookie year with a promising run.

Other European surfer still in contention for the prestigious Tahitian crown was ASP Top 45 rookie Tim Boal (Anglet, FRA), 25, the French representative facing experienced elite surfer Tom Whitaker (AUS) in the last encounter of Round 2 where the lack of wave and a smart wave choice from the Australian top seed saw Boal exit the event with an unusual low heat result of 4.50 points. Boal still takes another equal 17th place finish.

TEAHUPOO, Tahiti (Monday, May 18, 2009) – Following four consecutive lay days, the Billabong Pro Tahiti presented by Air Tahiti Nui roared back to life this morning, with the world’s best surfers tackling the three-to-four foot (1 – 1.5 metre) waves on offer at Teahupoo.

Stop No. 3 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Tahiti saw perennial favorites C.J. Hobgood (USA), 29, Taj Burrow (AUS), 30, and Michael Campbell (AUS), 35, advance through to the Quarterfinals alongside Taylor Knox (USA), 38, current ASP World No. 14 and longest-serving competitor on the ASP Dream Tour, who eliminated current ASP World No. 1 Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, from competition this afternoon with a staggering 9.03 out of a possible 10 single-wave score in the final heat of the day.

“It was one of those heats where we were jockeying for position in the beginning,” Knox said. “I got a 6 and then it went flat. Joel (Parkinson) was tired of waiting and used his priority on a wave that didn’t offer much. Then that really good one came through and I was in position for it. I really thought there were going to be more waves in that heat and that I’d need more than a 6 in my score line, but that’s the way it worked out. I won my heat so I’m stoked and will go home happy now.”

While this afternoon’s four Round 3 heats laid the groundwork for some intense Quarterfinal match-ups, it was this morning’s completion of Round 2 that provided some of the day’s most dramatic upsets and exciting action.

Aritz Aranburu (EUK), 23, current ASP World No. 39, caused the upset of the event, eliminating reigning nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 37, in Round 2 of the Billabong Pro Tahiti. For Aranburu, it would mark his first heat win of the 2009 ASP World Tour season; the young Basque surfer putting up an impressive 17.27 heat total to Slater’s 15.00.

“Kelly (Slater) is the best competitor and the best surfer in the world and I was just trying to stay focused out there so I could get my own waves,” Aranburu said. “Once I got that first score I almost felt more pressure because I was surfing against Kelly and I know what he can do with his priority. I just tried to put the pressure off and luckily I got a second good score and it worked out.”

The win was no easy feat as the pair locked in the highest-scoring heat of the event, but Aranburu’s near-perfect 9.77 out of a possible 10, for an extremely deep backhand barrel in the opening minutes of the bout, assisted the European in his landmark victory.

“I was lucky to get that first wave,” Aranburu said. “I paddled deep because I knew I was going to need a big score against Kelly (Slater) and when I was paddling into it, I thought I was going to fall, but I made it, so I’m happy.”

Aranburu will now face current ASP World No. 9 Damien Hobgood (USA), 29, in Round 3 of the Billabong Pro Tahiti when competition resumes.

For Slater, today’s disappointing result marks his third, consecutive equal 17th place finish in 2009, leaving many to ponder the iconic Floridian’s state of mind in regards to his campaign for an unprecedented 10th ASP World Title.

“That may have just given me an excuse for a big, long vacation,” Slater said. “I don’t know yet. It’s really decision time for me. With that many 17ths, you’re really hard-pressed to win an ASP World Title. I’m not here to just make up the numbers, but I don’t want to fall off the map either – I guess I kind of have though. Numbers-wise, I’m still within the possibility of getting in late in the year, but I don’t know. I guess I have a lot on my mind.”

Slater has yet to confirm if he will attend Stop No. 4 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil, from June 27 to July 5, 2009.

While Aranburu’s historic win provided the highlight for the day, Round 2 had plenty of dramatic action to offer.

Mick Fanning (AUS), 27, former ASP World Champion (2007) and current ASP World No. 2, pulled out a buzzer-beating heat win during his Round 2 bout with compatriot Ben Dunn (AUS), 23. Requiring an above-average score with time running out, Fanning got to his feet just prior to the heat-ending horn and proceeded to pig-dog his way to an excellent 9.17 out of a possible 10 to secure an exciting, come-from-behind victory.

“It’s pretty hard out there,” Fanning said. “We were fighting for 3’s until the end. I tried to get a few little ones at the beginning and tried to find the barrel – there just weren’t many out there. I was just praying one would come up, and one did and you just have to surf and hold on. I heard the five’ on the countdown paddling in and I just hung on and got through.”

Fanning will face fellow Australian Tom Whitaker, 29, in Round 3 when the Billabong Pro Tahiti recommences.

Jordy Smith (ZAF), 21, current ASP World No. 3, suffered an injury during the morning’s warm-up session when he landed on his hindquarters on the reef, but that didn’t stop the prodigious South African from posting the day’s second highest heat total (a 16.33 out of a possible 20) en route to his Round 2 victory over Heitor Alves (BRA), 27.

“I took a fall earlier while warming up and luckily it wasn’t anything serious,” Smith said. “It wasn’t affecting me in my heat luckily, but I saw that Heitor (Alves) got off to a good start and I didn’t watch it too much before I went out. I didn’t think there were many barrels out there, but I was able to find one. It’s tough out there. It’s not an epic day, but there are good waves and Luke (Egan) is doing a great job with the calls.”

Andy Irons (HAW), 30, former three-time ASP World Champion and past winner of the Billabong Pro Tahiti (2002), is currently on sabbatical from full-time competition, but accepted a wildcard to compete in the Billabong Pro Tahiti. The Hawaiian continued his sensational roll through Round 2 today, displaying his characteristic, preternatural backhand tube sense en route to victory.

“Competing again is a bit like riding a bike, but it’s a little scary,” Irons said. “I’m a little rusty, putting the jersey back on and getting a feel for things. If we had waves like this anywhere else, I’d be stoked, but when you think of Teahupoo, you think of eight-to-10-foot barrels. So it’s different, but there are still fun waves.”

Irons caused a major upset today in the elimination of 2008 ASP World Runner-Up Bede Durbidge (AUS), 26, from Billabong Pro Tahiti competition during Round 2.

“Bede (Durbidge) is a tough draw,” Irons said. “He’s fit and strong and last year’s World No. 2 and he’s no slouch. He’s a cool guy and I have a lot of respect for him. He is having a bit of a bad run at the moment, but I’m sure he’ll turn that around. It’s unfortunate that there was a bit of a lull during that heat, but I was able to get a couple of waves and I’m stoked to get through. Thanks to Billabong for letting me surf in the event.”

Irons will tackle an in-form Bobby Martinez (USA), 26, in Round 3 of the Billabong Pro Tahiti in the opening heat of the day when action resumes.

REMAINING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 7: Taylor Knox (USA) 11.50 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 10.63
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.26 def. Heiarii Williams (PYF) 9.67
Heat 9: Andy Irons (HAW) 13.16 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.00
Heat 10: Bobby Martinez (USA) 9.17 def. Dayyan Neve (AUS) 7.94
Heat 11: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 11.67 def. Dustin Barca (HAW) 8.80
Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.33 def. Heitor Alves (BRA) 14.34
Heat 13: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 17.27 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 15.00
Heat 14: Damien Hobgood (USA) 16.06 def. Dean Morrison (AUS) 9.00
Heat 15: Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.84 def. Ben Dunn (AUS) 11.43
Heat 16: Tom Whitaker (AUS) 14.16 def. Tim Boal (FRA) 4.50

BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.50 def. Jay Thompson (AUS) 6.17
Heat 2: Taj Burrow (AUS) 12.04 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 9.40
Heat 3: Mick Campbell (AUS) 15.07 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 8.50
Heat 4: Taylor Knox (USA) 15.46 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 5.57

REMAINING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 5: Andy Irons (HAW) vs. Bobby Martinez (USA)
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)
Heat 7: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA)
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Tom Whitaker (AUS)

UPCOMING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS:
QF 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Taj Burrow (AUS)
QF 2: Mick Campbell (AUS) vs. Taylor Knox (USA)
QF 3: TBA
QF 4: TBA

TEAHUPOO, Tahiti (Monday, May 18, 2009) – The Billabong Pro Tahiti, event No. 3 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, is set to recommence at 9am this morning, with improved two-to-three foot (1 metre) waves breaking at Teahupoo.

Having completed Round 1 and the opening six heats of Round 2, the Billabong Pro Tahiti has since survived four lay days, but this morning’s improved conditions have prompted the event’s recommencement with the remaining Round 2 heats up first, with event organizers hopeful to complete half of Round 3.

“We’re getting down to the business end of the waiting period and conditions this morning appear to be improving,” Luke Egan, Billabong Pro Tahiti Contest Director, said. “We’ll be getting underway at 9am and we’re hoping to knock through the remainder of Round 2 with Round 3 on standby. Should conditions hold, we’re hoping to complete half of Round 3 by day’s end.”

Surfline, official forecasters for the Billabong Pro Tahiti, are calling for a moderate SW swell to increase throughout the day.

Up first this morning will be Taylor Knox (USA), 27, against Kai Otton (AUS), 29, in Heat 7 of Round 2.

REMAINING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 7: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Heiarii Williams (PYF)
Heat 9: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Andy Irons (HAW)
Heat 10: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Dayyan Neve (AUS)
Heat 11: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Dustin Barca (HAW)
Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 13: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Aritz Aranburu (EUK)
Heat 14: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Dean Morrison (AUS)
Heat 15: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Ben Dunn (AUS)
Heat 16: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. Tim Boal (FRA)