Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) and Matt Banting (AUS) the 2012 Australian Open Of Surfing winners. © ASP/Dunbar

Matt Banting (AUS) went back-to-back at the Australian Open of Surfing after claiming the Pro Junior division title yesterday and today winning the blue ribbon ASP 6-Star division. Banting battled hard in the Final against American Evan Gieselman (USA), with both surfers going for broke in the small, but fun surf. The 17-year-old from Port Macquarie took to the air and landed some massive air-reverses that saw him post some big scores and claim the USD$25,000 1st prize and 3,500 ASP World Tour ratings points.

“This has been the best week of my life!” Banting said. “I’m so happy, this is the best feeling I’ve ever had! I’m shaking so much I can hardly talk. Evan (Gieselman) is a really good surfer, he was blowing up for the whole final, I was really scared. I was just lucky to start off well with a couple of good waves. I just want to thanks my Dad and Mum for supporting me, I love them!”

Evan Gieselman (USA) scored his best ever result at an ASP 6-Star event with his runner-up finish at the Australian Open today. Gieselman took down some big names on the road to the Final with his lethal aerial game, but fell just short in the Final losing by just over one point.

“It was a good match-up, it was really fun surfing against Matt,” Gieselman said. “I really want to congratulate him, he surfed really well, and found a couple of good rights that let him do a couple of airs. I would have loved to have won, but 2nd is a great result. I’m doing the whole ASP Star Series this year and I’m looking to qualify for the ASP World Title Series at the end of the year, so this is a great start for me.”

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) defeated Sofia Mulanovich (PER) in the final of the ASP 6-Star rated Australian Open Of Surfing, both surfers posted decent scores, but Fitzgibbons timed her turns to perfection to take out the event and claim the USD$8,000 winners cheque. Fitzgibbons has been in fantastic form all event, being rewarded by the judges for her ability to link turns together with her trademark smooth style. This week at the Australian Open Of Surfing Fitzgibbons notched four of the top 10 wave scores and two of the top three heat totals, proving that she was the inform surfer of the event and that she’s not being hampered by her wrist injury.

“It’s unbelievable!” Fitzgibbons said. “I was just focusing on working through my boards and going through some heats and before I know it I’m in the final. Sofia (Mulanovich) is such a tough competitor, I knew she’d be able to get the score needed, so it was a nervous wait at the end there. To win in front of this crowd, with so much support feels amazing! Then to have won the US Open and then the first ever Australian Open back to back is a special achievement.”

Highlights and photos available via – www.australianopenofsurfing.com

IMPORTANT EVENT INFO

The Australian Open of Surfing is made possible with the support of the following event partners: Destination NSW, Events NSW, Manly Council, Sony, Blackberry, Monster Energy, Fuel TV, Channel [V], The Manly Daily, Surfing World, Reef, Skullcandy, ASP Australasia and Surfing NSW.

Matt Banting winner of the Australian Open of Surfing Pro Junior presented by Hurley and Billabong at Manly beach. © ASP/Dunbar

Matt Banting (AUS) continued his devastating run of form at the Australian Open Of Surfing today. In the morning in his ASP 6-Star Round of 16 heat he posted the highest heat total of the event thus far, a near perfect 19.33 (out of a possible 20). He then took out the Pro Junior Final over Tim Macdonald (AUS) thanks to his technical aerial game.

“I’m over the moon right now!” Banting said. “I’ve been trying to win an ASP Pro Junior Series event for the last two years, I’m so happy! Tim (Macdonald) rips, just to be in a heat like that with him means a lot because we’re good mates. I just want to see how well I can do in the ASP 6-Star finals tomorrow.”

Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) claimed her second consecutive ASP Australasia Pro Junior Series Title at the The Australian Open Of Surfing today. Van Dijk defeated Philippa Anderson (AUS) in an exciting Final thanks to her trademark smooth style.

“I’m so so happy!” Van Dijk said. “It’s a great start to the year, I know I said the same thing at the last event, but it’s still all sinking in. To win here at the first Australian Open means so much. The crowd on the beach is insane, I though it might make me nervous, but during the heat it just felt normal. The waves were good and Philippa (Anderson) just got unlucky that I caught the good ones.”

Evan Gieselman (USA) advanced to the Quarterfinals of the Australian Open of Surfing today after eliminating fellow American and good friend Kolohe Andino (USA). Gieselman was in sync with the ocean, finding all the best waves in the heat and used his variety of exciting moves to post some decent scores

“I’ve been surfing against Kolohe (Andino) since I was 10, it’s always a fun match-up and I’m really glad to get the win,” Gieselman said. “On my first wave I got a 7.33 (out of a possible 10), then got a 6.33 under his priority and that put all the pressure on him. I’m really stoked to be through to the Quarterfinals, this is my first good result in a 6-Star and I’m looking forward to the rest of the event!”

Alex Ribeiro (BRA) was ecstatic after he defeated the event number one seed Joel Parkinson (AUS). Parkinson struggled in the smaller conditions, while Ribeiro said the surf was a lot like his home break in Brazil.

“This is a dream for me!” Ribeiro said. “I am so happy, that was the best heat of my life! When I was little I would watch all of Parko’s movies and I remember watching him surf at home in Brazil, so to be in a competition with him is so good for me, but now I just have to try and focus on the Quarterfinals.”

Billy Stairmand (NZL) scored an epic come from behind victory over one of the event’s standout performers Mitch Crews (AUS). Needing a big score to advance to the Quarterfinals, Stairmand found a nice left-hander in the dying minutes and launched into some solid turns and airs.

“I started off slow and I heard that Mitch (Crews) was getting some good scores down the beach, so I was lucky to get that good left at the end and get through the heat,” Stairmand said. “I’m just stoked to start the year off good, this event is close to home and I’m having a great time.”

Adrian Buchan (AUS) bucked the trend of the top seeds losing. Buchan found two long lefts and launched into a series of sharp snapping turns and a big alley oop, sending Adam Melling (AUS) home with an equal 9th place finish.

“That was a good heat, it was a good test for me,” Buchan said. “Adam (Melling) looked really strong at this event, he’s been working hard over the last few months so it’s good to win that one. I just found some nice little lefts that did the trick for me. I like to take to air if I have to, and if the section is right, but I know my rail work can get me some big scores too. It’s been a good summer for waves at home, I haven’t surfed waves this small in a while, but I’ve got good boards that are working out there.”

Tomorrow the Australian Open Of Surfing will see the Finals of the Men’s and Women’s ASP 6-Star divisions and will also feature skating competitions and demos, music concerts, athlete signing sessions and much more. The event is free for the public to view in person and live on the internet via australianopenofsurfing.com

IMPORTANT EVENT INFO

The cigarette and alcohol-free event is expected to welcome more than 100,000 people to Manly, the location of the very first World Surfing Championships in 1964 and the first Australian beach to legalise day-time swimming in 1904.

Destination NSW, along with major event partners Hurley and Billabong, expect the Australian Open of Surfing to inject more than $6 million into the local community.

The Australian Open of Surfing is made possible with the support of the following event partners: Destination NSW, Events NSW, Manly Council, Sony, Blackberry, Monster Energy, Fuel TV, Channel [V], The Manly Daily, Surfing World, Reef, Skullcandy, ASP Australasia and Surfing NSW.

18-year-old Matt Banting (AUS) one of today's top performers at the Australian Open Of Surfing. © ASP/Dubnar

Matt Banting (AUS) is on fire this week at the Australian Open Of Surfing after advancing to the Final of the Pro Junior division on the weekend and today defeating ASP World Title Series surfers – Jordy Smith (ZAF) and Matt Wilkinson (AUS).

“I’m rapt! I’m really happy with my surfing right now,” Banting said. “I’ve made the final of the Pro Junior, and I’ve been surfing every day since then so I feel like I know the waves pretty well here. It’s great to have a heat with those guys, let alone win, they’ve been my heroes since I was a little kid.”

Joel Parkinson (AUS) advanced to the round of 16 with a solid heat win this afternoon alongside Kolohe Andino (USA) who finished 2nd. Parkinson was looking sharp both in the air and on the open wave face and finished the heat with a big air-reverse.

“It’s crazy sitting in the water and looking back at a packed out beach,” Parkinson said. “The surf is small but we’re all dealing with the same conditions, I actually caught some fun ones. I’m a bit of a momentum builder, I don’t want to surf my best heat in the first or second round, I want to try and peak towards the end.”

Mitch Crews (AUS) continued to impress at the Australian Open Of Surfing, racking up another heat win to advance to the round of 16, the first man-on-man round of the contest. Crews managed to find some long right-handers and belted out some big turns.

“It’s fun, it’s tiny, but you can still generate speed in the pocket,” Crews said. “I saw that Ace (Buchan) went into the lead at the end there and it fired me up, then I got a good wave and tried to go big to take the lead back off him. I’m frothing.”

Tomas Hermes (BRA) looked right at home in today’s challenging conditions, finding a few nice waves and going big with a couple of clean airs.

“The waves are like where I’m from in Brazil,” Hermes said. “It’s feels great to win the heat because this contest is so hard and full of really good surfers. This event is huge, just like the US Open, it’s great to be here in Manly.”

Keanu Asing (HAW) advanced to the next round after finishing 2nd to an in-form Jesse Mendes (BRA). Asing’s powerful carves and huge inverted airs have been impressing the judges and the masses of onlookers on the sand.

“To make this heat feels so good, especially after losing first round in Brazil last week,” Asing said. “Our heat got lucky we probably had the best waves of the afternoon, so it was great see some nice waves and good surfing. Every heat at this contest is a tough one, I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing and hopefully go a lot further.”

The last heat of the day saw an upset with the number 2 seed, Taj Burrow (AUS) eliminated by Granger Larson (HAW) and Peterson Crisanto (BRA).

Tomorrow the Australian Open Of Surfing will see Men’s ASP 6-Star action and will also feature skating competitions and demos, music concerts, athlete signing sessions and much more. The event is free for the public to view in person and live on the internet via australianopenofsurfing.com

IMPORTANT EVENT INFO

The cigarette and alcohol-free event is expected to welcome more than 100,000 people to Manly, the location of the very first World Surfing Championships in 1964 and the first Australian beach to legalise day-time swimming in 1904.

Nat Young (Cali, USA) scoring the first 10-point-ride of the Australian Open Of Surfing. © ASP/Dunbar

Nat Young (USA) showed that despite the small conditions it’s still possible to earn some big scores after he posted the first perfect 10-point-ride of the Australian Open Of Surfing.

“That was the best wave I’ve had at Manly,” Young said. “I just made sure I didn’t fall because it was such a good wave and I didn’t want to ruin it. I just got here yesterday morning from Brazil and was jet-lagged all day. It was a mission to get here, but that heat was worth it, I’m glad to be here.”

Adrian Buchan (AUS) advanced to the next round after finishing 2nd to Brent Savage (AUS) in an exciting round of 96 battle. This is Buchan’s first event of 2012 and the Central Coaster is looking sharp, posting an excellent 8.00 (out of a possible 10) in the last couple minutes of the heat.

“It was fun out there,” Buchan said. “The waves I got score on I feel like they were tiny, I was just trying to catch the ones that hugged the bank. This is kind of a home event for me, I’m staying with me fiancee’s parents house, we spend a bit of time there so it’s nice to wake up in familiar surroundings and drive down in your own car, I’ve also got a lot of friends down here. I’d love to do well here, let’s just hope the swell hangs around.”

Tiago Pires (PRT) almost missed his opening heat at the Australian Open Of Surfing today. Pires landed at Sydney International airport after a long flight from Portugal this morning and after a slow trip through customs he arrived at Manly Beach five minutes after his heat started. The elite ASP World Title Series surfer immediately went to work and still managed to win the heat, despite the other three surfer having a 5 minute heat start.

“I was hoping to be in one of the lat heats of the day, but when I saw I was in heat 8 I knew it would be tight,” Pires said. “I landed at 8am and my shaper Chilli picked me up from the airport, I was getting my board ready and getting changed in the car and paddled out late for my heat. The waves have some push and they’re fun, I feel good to win that one.”

Josh Kerr (AUS) came flying out of the gates in his round of 96 heat today and scored the highest heat total of the event so far – 18.27 (out of a possible 20). Kerr launched a variety of technical aerial manoeuvres, giving the judges and the crowd exactly what they want to see.

“There was a couple of little waves out there and the wind is really good for airs today,” Kerr said. “It was hard to get the good ones, I wanted to go out there and do some turns, but it was so choppy and bumpy, but those chops are good to do some jumps off. I didn’t realise I the highest score the event, that’s cool. I was just stoked to do a stalefish air-reverse.”

Jordy Smith (ZAF) took out his round of 96 heat that was stacked some exciting up and coming surfers Matt Banting (AUS), Thomas Woods (AUS) and Krystian Kymerson (BRA) who finished 2nd, 3rd and 4rd respectively. In 2011 Smith finished 7th on the ASP World Title series despite missing two events with an rib injury.

“That heat was pretty tough,” Smith said. “The surf wasn’t great, but the grommets are doing well. They’re doing airs all over the show, so I just copied them. I haven’t surfed in a comp since Pipe last year, so it’s good to get going again and get my feet in the wax. It was good to have a break and get my rib injury healed, work on my board and get ready for this year.”

Taj Burrow (AUS) posted an impressive win in the last heat of the day, finding a couple of double ups and executing his trademark fins free turns. Burrow was the winner of the last Men’s ASP event in Manly back in 1999.

“You mind surf every waves before you go out for a heat, and I was surfing a lot better from the beach,” Burrow said. “I’m just finding my feet for the first heat of the event, and I’ve been waiting all day so it felt good to finally get in the water. I’ve got some good memories of Manly, I had a great time last time I competed here. I love the US Open and I’m stoked we’ve now got one here in Australia and I’m here to win it.”

Tomorrow the Australian Open Of Surfing will see both Men’s and Women’s ASP 6-Star action and will also feature skating competitions and demos, music concerts, athlete signing sessions and much more. The event is free for the public to view in person and live on the internet via australianopenofsurfing.com

IMPORTANT EVENT INFO

The cigarette and alcohol-free event is expected to welcome more than 100,000 people to Manly, the location of the very first World Surfing Championships in 1964 and the first Australian beach to legalise day-time swimming in 1904.

The Australian Open of Surfing is made possible with the support of the following event partners: Destination NSW, Events NSW, Manly Council, Sony, Blackberry, Monster Energy, Fuel TV, Channel [V], The Manly Daily, Surfing World, Reef, Skullcandy, ASP Australasia and Surfing NSW.

Joel Parkinson (Coolangatta, QLD/AUS) on his way to winning his first heat of 2012 at the Australian Open of Surfing at Manly Beach today. © ASP/Dunbar

Laura Enever (AUS) was looking like exiting the event with a 5th place finish in her Quarterfinal against Pauline Ado (FRA), she was left needing a decent score as the ocean went flat in the last five minutes. But Enever waited patiently and with a mere 14 seconds on the clock she stood up on a nice looking left-hander and launched into a series of sharp turns, easily netting the required score.

“There was a part of me thinking this might be the end,” Enever said. “But then I thought – it’s never over, you can catch a wave with one second on the clock and get the score. I knew I had to find something and when that wave popped up and I though this is it, this is the one. I’m excited to be into the Semis and to be able to surf on Finals day this weekend.”

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) faced off against Lakey Peterson (USA) in Quarterfinal 2, which was a rematch of the Final of the US Open in August last year. Fitzgibbons took the heat on both occasions and will now match-up against Laura Enever (AUS) in the Semifinals this weekend.

“It’s a good feeling to be through to the Semis for the first event of the year,” Fitzgibbons said. “It’s exciting to be here at the first Australian Open, and to be able to compete so close to home, I’ve got all my friends and family up here supporting me. I busted up my wrist just before Christmas and I’m just getting back in the water now, I’ve got a wrist guard on for support, but it doesn’t hinder me too much.”

Malia Manuel (HAW) and Joanne Defay (FRA) finished Quarterfinal 3 tied on 11.67 (out of a possible 20) for their two wave heat total. When there’s a tie the surfer with the highest single wave score wins, and in this case it was Manuel who won with a 6.67 (out of a possible 10) to Defay’s 6.00.

“That was too close for comfort right there,” Manuel said. “She needed a 6.01 right at the end and got a 6.00, it was so close! Halfway through the heat a rip popped up right in the middle of the lineup and it made it hard for me to get a back-up score. I really admire the European surfers, they’re such a tight-knit crew and they’re all surfing great.”

Joel Parkinson (AUS), runner-up to the 2011 ASP World Title took out the opening heat of the round of 96 and progressed to the next round alongside Sydney up-and-comer Cooper Chapman (AUS) who finished second. The lead changed multiple times between the four surfers in the heat, but it was the veteran ‘Parko’ and the young gun Cooper who progressed.

“It’s been a while since I’ve surfed a four man heat, so I was nervous,” Parkinson said. “I was expecting to hear ‘Parkinson you’re in fourth place’ over the loud speaker. But it’s a good feeling to go out there and catch a few waves. I’ve been waiting all week for my heat and it’s good to get it out of the way, and start 2012 with a heat win.”

Evan Geiselman (USA) and fellow American Kolohe Andino (USA) took top honours in the last two heats of the day thanks to a couple of massive aerials. Both surfers scored waves in the 9-point-range and are looking good heading into the round of 48.

Tomorrow the Australian Open Of Surfing will see both Men’s and Women’s ASP 6-Star action and will also feature skating competitions and demos, music concerts, athlete signing sessions and much more. The event is free for the public to view in person and live on the internet via australianopenofsurfing.com

IMPORTANT EVENT INFO

The cigarette and alcohol-free event is expected to welcome more than 100,000 people to Manly, the location of the very first World Surfing Championships in 1964 and the first Australian beach to legalise day-time swimming in 1904.

The Australian Open of Surfing is made possible with the support of the following event partners: Destination NSW, Events NSW, Manly Council, Sony, Blackberry, Monster Energy, Fuel TV, Channel [V], The Manly Daily, Surfing World, Reef, Skullcandy, ASP Australasia and Surfing NSW.

Eric Geiselman (USA) eliminated 1999 ASP World Champion Mark Occhilupo at the Australian Open of Surfing Today. Image Credit: © ASP/Dunbar

Eric Geiselman (USA) landed at Sydney airport this morning and two hours later was in a heat against 1999 ASP World Champion Mark Occhilupo (AUS). Geiselman didn’t let the jet-lag slow him down, the young Floridian won the closest heat of the day scoring a 13.90 (out of a possible 20) heat total, with Hawaiian Keala Naihe (HAW) finishing 2nd on 13.20 and Occy eliminated in 3rd place with 13.06.

“I have a lot of respect for Occy,” Geiselman said. “The conditions were tough out there so I’m stoked to come away with the win. I’m from Florida so these waves are similar to home, you can get moving out there, but it’s all about wave selection.”

Dayyan Neve (AUS) former ASP World Title Series surfer came out of retirement for the Australian Open Of Surfing which is being held at his local beach. Neve won a spot in the event after finishing 2nd in the trials which featured surfers from the North Steyne and Queenscliff boardriders clubs.

“I couldn’t find a wave out there, I was thinking that all my family and friends came down here to watch me lose,” Neve said. “But then I got a good one with two minutes on the clock and got the score. I was nervous before the heat, it’s been a while since I’ve done any comps other than boardriders. Now I’m off to put on my suit and go to work.”

Luke Cheadle (AUS), another Manly local impressed the judges with a variety of manoeuvres including a big air-reverse to put an exclamation mark on a great heat.

“It was a slow start, a couple of the other guys got some scores and I was stressing,” Cheadle said. “But I stuck to my game plan to sit on another bank and wait for the good waves and it paid off. I got a couple of good score and the pressure was off, then at the end of the heat that left came through and I did a safety turn and pulled off an air.”

Pauline Ado (FRA) had a happy 21st birthday after she advanced to the Quarterfinals at the Australian Open Of Surfing today.

“I’m pretty happy right now,” Ado said. “I was scared for a while because I didn’t have a good start to the heat, but then about halfway though I good my good score. The waves are really hard on the high tide, but it feels great to make the heat. I was excited and nervous before the contest because it’s been so long since we have had a competition.”

Malia Manuel (HAW) also advanced to the Quarterfinals thanks to some solid surfing. 2012 is Manuel’s first year in the ASP Women’s World Title series and is using the Australian Open Of Surfing to get prepared for the first event on the Gold Coast in just under 2 weeks.

“It was tricky out there today,” Manuel said. “I’m just happy to get a couple and make it through. This is my first event of the year and it’s nice to get in that rhythm again. This is my first time in Manly and I’m happy to be here, it’s great that Hurley and Billabong have put on such a great event for us.”

Tomorrow the Australian Open Of Surfing will see both Men’s and Women’s ASP 6-Star action and will also feature skating competitions and demos, music concerts, athlete signing sessions and much more. The event is free for the public to view in person and live on the internet via australianopenofsurfing.com

IMPORTANT EVENT INFO

The cigarette and alcohol-free event is expected to welcome more than 100,000 people to Manly, the location of the very first World Surfing Championships in 1964 and the first Australian beach to legalise day-time swimming in 1904.

Destination NSW, along with major event partners Hurley and Billabong, expect the Australian Open of Surfing to inject more than $6 million into the local community.

The Australian Open of Surfing is made possible with the support of the following event partners: Destination NSW, Events NSW, Manly Council, Sony, Blackberry, Monster Energy, Fuel TV, Channel [V], The Manly Daily, Surfing World, Reef, Skullcandy, ASP Australasia and Surfing NSW.

Laura Enever (North Narrabeen, NSW/AUS) is off to a flying start at the Australian Open of Surfing at Manly scoring two excellent rides of a 9.1 and an 8.5 in her opening round heat win today. © ASP/Dunbar

Laura Enever (AUS), the Sydney Northern Beaches local showed that a six month break from competition hasn’t slowed her down, posting a massive 17.60 (out of a possible 20) in her opening heat of 2012. Enever finished 10th in the world in her rookie year competing for the ASP Women’s World Title last year, and has been working hard in the off season to improve on that for 2012.

“This are the best waves I’ve ever had at Manly!” Enever said. “It’s been a long time since my last heat last year, so I started to prepare early this year because I remember how fast it all goes. I guess that preparation has paid off because I felt good, I had a clear mind and felt like I was surfing well, so I’m stoked to start the year off that way. It’s also great to have the hometown support with friends and family here on the beach.”

Lakey Peterson (USA) went from 4th place to first in the last 5 minutes of her opening round heat at the ASP Women’s 6-Star Australian Open Of Surfing today, thanks to two impressive rides. This was Peterson’s first heat since her Runner-Up finish at the US Open in August last year.

“This is actually where I leant to surf when I was 5-years-old at Manly Surf school,” Peterson said. “I love coming back here because it’s where I stood up on my first wave and it brings back great memories. That heat was scary, I was never in the right spot, but I’m stoked to get the score. I’m just hoping I’ve had my bad start, and that it’s all up from here.”

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), runner-up to the 2011 ASP Women’s World Title was on point for her first heat of 2012. Surfing with an injured left wrist didn’t hamper her performance, as she posted the highest heat total of the day – 17.83 (out of a possible 20).

“It’s great to be here in Sydney for the Australian Open!” Fitzgibbons said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in the water because of my wrist, so it’s great to be getting back into it. This is a great warm-up for the first ASP Women’s World Title event on the Gold Coast. The wrist is feeling good, I’ve got a little guard on it to help stand-up and duck dive. It’s mending slowly and I’m expecting that it should be alright by the Roxy Pro.”

Coco Ho (HAW) used her powerful and stylish approach to claim an easy win in her opening heat at the Australian Open Of Surfing today. Ho is excited to be back in Australian for the start of the 2012 ASP World Tour leg.

“It feels amazing to be here and have our first event of the year be one of this magnitude, it’s huge!” Ho said. “I’m so excited for this first event, my adrenaline is going and I’m psyched for the whole year. I’m lucky that during the downtime a lot at the action was at home in Hawaii, I also took some time off to go snowboarding. But since then I’ve been training and working hard to get ready for 2012.”

Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) caused the upset of the day eliminating Tyler Wright (AUS), 2011 ASP Women’s Rookie Of The Year Tyler Wright. Buitendag scoured the line-up and found the best waves of the heat and surfed smooth and sharp.

“The conditions were quite tricky in that heat,” Buitendag said. “The tide is really high right now, the waves looked great earlier, but they’re a bit of a gamble at the moment. This is my first year competing after finishing school and I’m looking forward to just surfing my brains out and trying to get some good results.”

Bethany Hamilton (Kauai, Hawaii) was eliminated in a tight heat this morning. Hamilton surfed strong, but was out of sync with the ocean and was unable to find the waves that offered the most scoring potential.

Tomorrow the Australian Open Of Surfing will see the start of the Men’s ASP 6-Star rated event and will also feature skating competitions and demos, music concerts, athlete signing sessions and much more. The event is free for the public to view in person and live on the internet via australianopenofsurfing.com

IMPORTANT EVENT INFO

The cigarette and alcohol-free event is expected to welcome more than 100,000 people to Manly, the location of the very first World Surfing Championships in 1964 and the first Australian beach to legalise day-time swimming in 1904.

Destination NSW, along with major event partners Hurley and Billabong, expect the Australian Open of Surfing to inject more than $6 million into the local community.

The Australian Open of Surfing is made possible with the support of the following event partners: Destination NSW, Events NSW, Manly Council, Sony, Blackberry, Monster Energy, Fuel TV, Channel [V], The Manly Daily, Surfing World, Reef, Skullcandy, ASP Australasia and Surfing NSW.

Nikki Van Dijk (Phillip Island, VIC/AUS) (pictured) was on fire today, advancing all the way into the Australian Open Of Surfing Pro Junior Final. Pic ASP/Dunbar

Nikki Van Dijk (Phillip Island, VIC/AUS) advanced to the Final of the Australian Open Of Surfing Women’s Pro Junior today. Van Dijk scored a near perfect 9.80 (out of a possible 10) and back it up with an 8.35 to easily win her Semifinal over the current ASP World Junior Champion Leila Hurst (HAW) who finished equal 3rd.

“The waves were so much fun out there, I hope it’s like that for the Final next weekend,” Van Dijk said. “After winning the first Pro Junior event of the year at Jan Juc, and now making it into the Final at the Australian Open Of Surfing, this really sets up my year. I’m so happy right now, I’m loving Sydney.”

Philippa Anderson (Newcastle, NSW/AUS) also advanced to the Final of the Australian Open Of Surfing Women’s Pro Junior today. Anderson has been surfing really strong all event, posting big scores in every heat and will now face Nikki Van Dijk (VIC/AUS) in the Final which will be held next weekend.

“It sucks surfing against your friends!” Anderson said. “In the Quarterfinals it was Skye (Burgess) and then in the Semis it was Georgia (Fish), I feel bad beating them, but I guess that’s competition. I’m so stoked to make the Final, I did pretty bad at the first event of the year, so to now make the Final is a huge boost to my confidence. The Final isn’t till next weekend, but I’ll be keeping busy because I’m also in the Women’s ASP 6-Star event this week.”

Connor O’Leary (Cronulla, NSW/AUS) won an extremely close Quarterfinal against Connor Coffin (California, USA). The battle of the Connors was the heat of the day with both surfers posting some big scores, but Coffin had the lead in the dying moments. O’Leary caught a last minute wave and was walking up the beach after the hooter had sounded when it was announced that he’d done enough to steal the victory.

“I saw that wave with about 15 seconds on the clock and knew I had to go,” O’Leary said. “Lucky for me it walled up and allowed me to do some turns. Connor and I have had a few battles at this comp, and he beat me in those, so it’s great to get one back on him. This will be my first Semifinal, I’m so happy!”

Matt Banting (Port Macquarie, NSW/AUS) survived a close heat against Creed McTaggart (Margaret River, WA/AUS). Banting won by a mere 0.85 of a point, and is thrilled to be through to the Semifinals.

“There was good waves all day, but it got tricky just before our heat,” Banting said. “Whoever got the best waves was probably going to win the heat. Creed is an unreal surfer and I was nervous going into that heat, but I’ve had a really good day and I’m stoked with my performance. This comp has been unreal, I’d love to go all the way and take top honours. This is the one comp I’ve been thinking about for a while and I really want to win.”

Tomorrow the Australian Open Of Surfing will see the start of the Women’s ASP 6-Star rated event and will also feature skating competitions and demos, music concerts, athlete signing sessions and much more. The event is free for the public to view in person and live on the internet via australianopenofsurfing.com

IMPORTANT EVENT INFO

The cigarette and alcohol-free event is expected to welcome more than 100,000 people to Manly, the location of the very first World Surfing Championships in 1964 and the first Australian beach to legalise day-time swimming in 1904.

Destination NSW, along with major event partners Hurley and Billabong, expect the Australian Open of Surfing to inject more than $6 million into the local community.

The Australian Open of Surfing is made possible with the support of the following event partners: Destination NSW, Events NSW, Manly Council, Sony, Blackberry, Monster Energy, Fuel TV, Channel [V], The Manly Daily, Surfing World, Reef, Skullcandy, ASP Australasia and Surfing NSW.

Julian Wilson (AUS), 23, throwing his fins en route to a victory at the ASP 4-Star Breaka Burleigh Pro.

“It’s been an incredible event and I was so looking forward to surfing against any of these guys and we all met in the final which was perfect.”

“We enter the event to get ready for the upcoming Quiksilver Pro which begins the World Title season and through every heat here I’ve increased my performances, dusted away the cobwebs and feel good right now about winning.”

Wilson’s aerial skills were decisive in the final after Mick Fanning jumped to a big early lead when he scored an 8.77 in the opening minute.

Wilson patiently waited for decent waves and called on his aerial reverse moves to nail the big scores – Mid way through the final Wilson matched Fanning’s 8.77 and then late in the final secured the win with a back up 7.77 on his final ride.

Not surprisingly Josh Kerr proved to be Wilson’s greatest challenge after he nailed a massive aerial move to post the highest wave score of the final of 9.23 but he was unable to find a decent enough back up score to overtake Wilson.

“Second is good but it’s also disappointing, particularly when you get the best wave score in the final but I’m good, it’s great preparation and it has been a super fun event with big crowds and good waves.”

The Burleigh Headland was packed with spectators who enjoyed the dominance of Queensland’s four best surfers in this event and the scenes reminded many of the jam packed Stubbies crowd from events back in the 70’s!

Wilson now heads to Sydney for this week’s Australian Open of Surfing (ASP 6-Star Men’s World Tour) before returning to the Gold Coast for the Quiksilver Pro which marks the beginning of the ASP World Title Series events for 2012.

Last year Wilson, 23 years of age, was the ASP World Title Tour’s Rookie of the year finishing in 9th place overall and today’s win sets the scene for his 2012 assault on the World Title.

Taj Burrow (who didn’t compete this year) won this event in 2010/2011 and then went on to win and place 2nd in the Quiksilver Pro so the event’s history as an ideal warm-up is solid.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

Wade Carmichael (Central Coast, NSW/AUS) blowing up on day one of the Australian Open Of Surfing. Pic ASP/Dunbar

Wade Carmichael (Central Coast, NSW/AUS) is on a roll, fresh from a win at the Billabong World Junior Championships 2 weeks ago, he’s now come to the Australian Open Of Surfing Men’s Pro Junior and posted the highest wave score of the day a 9.00 (out of a possible 10).

“I was just lucky to be in the right spot when that good wave came through,” Carmichael said. “I rode it all the way in and was able to do some turns and got a 9.00, so I’m wrapped. I’m feeling confident after a few good results lately, but this is the important time of year with a couple of comps back-to-back, so you just have to keep it going.”

Mitch Parkinson (Gold Coast, QLD/AUS) won the first heat of the day and in the process eliminated hometown hero Cooper Chapman (North Narrabeen, NSW/AUS). Parkinson’s smooth style saw him carve up a score big enough to be safely into the next round.

“It’s pretty crazy having a junior event with such a massive set-up,” Parkinson said. “I was in the first heat of the contest and I’m pretty stoked that I got through. The waves aren’t too bad either, 1 to 2 foot and if you pick off the right ones they’re pretty fun.”

Tim Macdonald (North Stradbroke, QLD/AUS) was one of the standout surfers of the day, managing to find a couple of waves that stood up from out the back all the way to the shore.

“I’ve done ok in a few comps lately, except the one at home last week,” Macdonald said. “I just tried to catch a the waves that allowed for a couple of turns out the back. The surf is small, but it’s fun. It’s great for the juniors to have a comp on this scale, we’re loving it.”

Connor Coffin (California, USA) posted some big scores thanks to his trademark smooth but powerful surfing. The young Californian is in both the Junior and the 6-Star divisions of the Australian Open Of Surfing, and is looking to post big results in both.

“This is busier than the first day of US Open usually is, so I can’t wait to see what it’s like at the end of the week,” Coffin said. “The Australasian Pro Junior events are super hard, so I’m stoked to make the heat. We don’t have a lot of Junior events in North America so I decided to stay over here and have a go and I’m really enjoying it. Today the waves are a lot like Huntington Beach so, I just focused on catching the good ones and the ones I caught were super fin.”

Jordi Watson (South Coast, NSW/AUS) advanced to the next round after finishing 2nd to Jose Ferreira (PRT). The two surfers had a good battle and finished well ahead of the 3rd and 4th placed Ryan Hunt (AUS) and Josh Radford (AUS).

“I’ve had a good start to the year in a couple of competitions, so I’m just looking to build on that from here,” Watson said. “It’s small and tough out there, so it’s a matter of searching the line-up for the best waves. It’s a great to have this kind of set-up for a junior comp, it’s way better than the one tent on the beach that we’re used to, this is huge!”

The Australian Open Of Surfing at Manly Beach will see the juniors hit the water again tomorrow, followed by the ASP 6-Star men’s and women’s divisions from Monday through to next weekend. The Australian Open Of Surfing will also feature skating competitions and demos, music concerts, athlete signing sessions and much more. The event is free for the public to view in person and live on the internet via australianopenofsurfing.com

IMPORTANT EVENT INFO

The cigarette and alcohol-free event is expected to welcome more than 100,000 people to Manly, the location of the very first World Surfing Championships in 1964 and the first Australian beach to legalise day-time swimming in 1904.

Destination NSW, along with major event partners Hurley and Billabong, expect the Australian Open of Surfing to inject more than $6 million into the local community.

The Australian Open of Surfing is made possible with the support of the following event partners: Destination NSW, Events NSW, Manly Council, Sony, Blackberry, Monster Energy, Fuel TV, Channel [V], The Manly Daily, Surfing World, Reef, Skullcandy, ASP Australasia and Surfing NSW.