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South African surfer David Weare climbs World Qualifying Series
by George Mojo
07/08/2006:// South African surfer David Weare has climbed the World Qualifying Series pro ratings after winning the Rip Curl Boardmasters at Newquay's Fistral Beach.
25-year-old Weare defeated Australian Corey Ziems after toppling junior South African sensation Jordy Smith in the quarter finals and Heitor ‘Perfect 10’ Alves in the semi's.
“I just can’t believe it – I think it’s going to take a while to sink in,” said Weare after the podium presentation. “I’ve had fun all week, but this is just awesome. To come second here last year and then come back to win it – I just can’t explain how good that is.”
“I didn’t want to surf any WQS events at the start of the year because I wanted to concentrate on the World Championship Tour but now I’m sitting in 39th on the ratings I obviously have to do some WQS events. Obviously I want to requalify on the ’CT, but if I can’t this result is very important for me.”
Competing on a surfboard he borrowed from fellow competitor and close friend Damien Fahrenfort (ZAF), the Foster’s ASP Men’s World Tour rookie surfed three high performance heats this morning en route to the title.
Jordy Smith was one of the favourites going into the final, but Weare used his World Tour experience to snatch the quarter-final win from Smith’s grasp in the final seconds of the man-on-man battle.
Needing a 7.45 with less than three minutes remaining Weare’s fate was in the hands of the wave gods. Remaining patient Weare finally snuck a wave with two minutes to go and maneuvered his way into the shore to lodge a heat-high 9.00-point ride.
A last second effort by Smith went unrewarded and Weare was through to the Semi-Finals.
Brazilian Heitor Alves would meet and eventually lose to Weare in the semis, but not after lodging a perfect 10-point ride and the highest heat score of the event – 19.17 points in his quarter0final. Alves defeated American Tanner Gudauskas in the battle, but watched his luck run out in the Semi when Weare secured a late 8.07 ride to steal the heat.
On the other side of the contest draw it’s fair to say all eyes were on event favourite and 2006 Foster’s ASP Men’s World Tour rookie Brazilian Adriano de Souza.
The 19-year-old was the event’s standout surfer - owning three of the five highest heat scores - and was extra fired up after watching his girlfriend Claudia Goncalves win the women's pro final which ran alongside the men's event in Cornwall.
Earlier in the event, De Souza won a close quarter-final over Drew Courtney but had his campaign stopped in the semi-final by Ziems.
The 2005 ASP World Qualifying Series champion was obviously disappointed not to win the event, but can take form and confidence into the Rip Curl Pro Super Series in Hossegor, France – the next WQS on the schedule.
“It is disappointing not to win this event because I have had lots of fun in England and have enjoyed my week here,” said de Souza. “I really like England for my first time and the waves here are like my home, but good luck to Corey who surfed well in that heat. I made the semi-finals and that is an important result for me on the ’QS.”
A berth in the Boardmasters Final secured Ziems’ best result of the season, so despite the final loss he was obviously over-the-moon about his achievements here in Newquay.
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
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