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[Mick Fanning back to defend his world title in 2008]
World’s best surfers with the world’s best waves
by George Mojo
14/02/2008:// The equation is a simple one – pair the world’s best surfers with the world’s best waves and a ‘Dream Tour’ is born.
In 2008, the ASP World Tour will once again take the world’s Top 45 surfers to 11 of the world’s most revered waves in its quest to crown an indisputable ASP World Champion.
The Globe Pro Fiji is back in 2008 after being sorely missed last year. It will take place off the Fijian islands of Tavarua and Namotu from May 23 to June 6, 2008.
“With the incredibly perfect point break waves of Cloudbreak and Restaurants, this is an event that stands out on the ‘Dream Tour’ as the surfers’ favorite,” Michael Marckx, Vice President of Global Marketing at Globe International, said. “Globe is stoked to be able to once again run this event and we have been extremely encouraged with the high level of support we have received from the ASP, everybody involved in Fiji and from the global community of surfers who understand the importance of this event.”
On the heels of highly successful Rip Curl Pro Search events in Mexico and Chile, organizers of the 2008 installment of the Search, which boasts a floating license allowing them to hold the event at a different venue each year, are still ‘Searching…’ so to speak.
“We’ve identified three great potential locations for the event and are currently conducting research on the viability of those sites,” Andy Higgins, Rip Curl International Events & Sponsorship Manager, said. “Once we find a feasible site, the next step is gaining local support. The Rip Curl Pro Search event is confirmed and is slated to happen somewhere within the June, July or August window in 2008.”
The season opener, the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, takes place on home turf for reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) and a number of other elite tour surfers.
Held at Snapper Rocks in Coolangatta, Australia from Feb. 23 to Mar. 5, the reeling, right-hand wave has produced a host of accomplished surfers, each of whom will be eager to kick start their campaign at home.
A week after the Gold Coast event wraps up, the tour takes a trip south to the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, held in Torquay, Australia from Mar. 18-29. A staple on the calendar since professional surfing’s inception, winners of the Bells Beach event read like a who’s who of the best surfers in the world, thus a win there is considered one of the sport’s highest honors.
After the Australian leg, the surfers have the month of April to prepare for the South Pacific portion of the tour. The Billabong Pro Teahupoo, is held at the monstrous, heaving reef break of Teahupoo in Tahiti from May 8-18 and is followed by the Globe Pro Fiji and Rip Curl Pro Search events.
The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, held from July 9-20, marks the halfway point on this year’s ASP World Tour. From there the surfers head to the Boost Mobile Pro in California from Sept. 7-13, the Quiksilver Pro France from Sept. 19-28 and the Billabong Pro Mundaka in Spain from Sept. 29 to Oct. 12.
The penultimate event on the 2008 ASP World Tour, the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro, is held in Imbituba, Brazil from Oct. 28 to Nov. 5. The season finale, the Billabong Pipeline Masters, takes place at Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii from Dec. 8-20.
ASP World Tour Calendar 2008
Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast pres. by LG – Snapper Rocks, Australia Feb. 23-Mar. 5, 2008
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach – Torquay, Victoria, Australia Mar. 18-29, 2008
Billabong Pro Teahupoo – Teahupoo, Tahiti May 8–18, 2008
Globe Pro Fiji – Cloudbreak/Restaurants, Tavarua/Namotu, Fiji May 23–Jun. 6, 2008
Rip Curl Pro Search – Somewhere June, July or Aug
Billabong Pro JBay – Supertubes, Jeffreys Bay, South Africa July 9-20, 2008
Boost Mobile Pro pres. by Hurley – Lower Trestles, California, USA Sept. 7-13, 2008
Quiksilver Pro France – Seignosse/Hossegor, France Sept. 19-28, 2008
Cornwall's Russell Winter has had a superb start at the Buondi Billabong Pro in Portugal notching up one of the top four heat scores of the competition so far
Cornwall's Ruebyn Ash put in a superb performance to reach his second European Pro Junior final of the season
Skins "King of the Groms" Contest and Spencer Hargraves raise £800
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