Andy Irons has died

Former world champ Andy Irons has died in the US on his way home from Puerto Rico. Andy missed his round one heat and then pulled out of the event due to illness. Billabong are reporting that he was suffering a re-occurrence of dengie fever and at this stage this is suspected as being the cause of his death.

Andy came back to the tour this year after a year off to deal with some personal problems. He won in Tahiti and had mixed results elsewhere.

His wife is pregnant, which makes the loss just a little sadder.

Round twos are done

Round two of both the Quiksilver and Roxy Pros were run today in ok surf. No real surprises with highest rated surfers generally winning, except Ben Dunn beaten by WQS champ Dan Ross and Roy Powers who had AI. Andy was throwing buckets on each turn and found the only clean tube of the day. Despite being hugely overscored on his second wave Powers wasn't close. Expect to see this line again over the season - Travis Logie got a 33rd.

In the womens WA Clair Bevo was knocked out and the two former world champs (Hedges and Mulanovich) cruised through.

Heats to watch in round three -

• Taj vs Owen Wright - the aerial master vs the apprentice. If the waves are good will be a killer. Taj said in his round two interview that he has given up all that stretching and training and is just going to free surf in his heats.
• Bobby Martinez v Andy Irons - goofy v natural. Bobby is one of the few backsiders that can go vertical enough at Snapper to challenge and AI is looking red hot already
• Mick, Joel, Dane and Kelly's heats just because they are in them. They should all win.
• Steph Gilmore v Tyler Wright - a world champ whose style is perfect for Snapper vs Owen's radical little sister
• Sophia vs Carissa - the "old" guard vs the new school. Carissa will be one to watch all year.

Coverage is on the webcast and live on FuelTV, who also have a full highlights package at about 4 and 7 each night WA time.
QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST REMAINING ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 9: Dean Morrison (AUS) 15.17 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 11.33
Heat 10: Kai Otton (AUS) 13.83 def. Nathan Yeomans (USA) 11.37
Heat 11: Kekoa Bacalso (HAW) 9.53 def. Jay Thompson (AUS) 8.07
Heat 12: Mick Campbell (AUS) 15.17 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 14.00
Heat 13: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 13.00 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 11.54
Heat 14: Daniel Ross (AUS) 12.43 def. Ben Dunn (AUS) 7.97
Heat 15: Andy Irons (HAW) 14.57 def. Roy Powers (HAW) 13.36
Heat 16: Luke Stedman (AUS) 10.44 def. Drew Courtney (AUS) 9.57

QUIKSILVER PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 2: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Heat 3: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. Chris Davidson (AUS)
Heat 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Owen Wright (AUS)
Heat 5: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Andy Irons (HAW)
Heat 6: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Luke Stedman (AUS)
Heat 7: Dean Morrison (AUS) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 9: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 10: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Kekoa Bacalso (HAW)
Heat 11: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Daniel Ross (AUS)
Heat 12: Dane Reynolds (USA) vs. Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Heat 13: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Luke Munro (AUS)
Heat 14: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Mick Campbell (AUS)
Heat 15: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 16: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)

ROXY PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 14.83, Bruna Schmitz (BRA) 12.76, Nikita Robb (ZAF) 9.67
Heat 2: Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 12.94, Paige Hareb (NZL) 12.43, Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 5.23

ROXY PRO GOLD COAST ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Coco Ho (HAW) vs. Amee Donohoe (AUS)
Heat 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) vs. Bruna Schmitz (BRA)
Heat 3: Paige Hareb (NZL) vs. Rebecca Woods (AUS)
Heat 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Tyler Wright (AUS)
Heat 5: Silvana Lima (BRA) vs. Lee Ann Curren (FRA)
Heat 6: Chelsea Hedges (AUS) vs. Rosanne Hodge (ZAF)
Heat 7: Melanie Bartels (HAW) vs. Jessi Miley-Dyer (HAW)
Heat 8: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) vs. Carissa Moore (HAW)

ASP is over for 2009

With the end of the 2009 WCT the seeded surfers for next year have been released. Lots of the bottom rung of WCT surfers have disappeared after failing to back up on the 'QS and there are some exciting rippers taking up rookie spots next year. Owen Wright made the WCT and Andy Irons was given the ASP wildcard he was promised before taking a break in 2009.

Taj finished fifth ater his win at Pipe and a reasonable year. Four of the top five were Australian but the rest of the top ten were Yanks and Adriano DeSouza.

On the womens side Steph Gilmore ended up winning easy. WA's Clare Bevilacqa made it back to the 'CT with a strong WQS season. Jessie Miley-Dyer back up on the QS to keep her spot and will be joined by super-grom Carissa Moore and Tom's little girl, Lee-Ann Curren. Unfortunately Alana Blanchard is out.

Next year both a new seeding system and the number of surfers in each event will change after Tahiti. Eventually there will be a single rating system but that will be fully implemented in 2011. After Chopes the number of surfers will drop from 45 on the 'CT to 32 plus wildcards. Anyone on the WCT in that bottom 13 will be back on the WQS. From then on the events will have 36 surfers (top 32, 2 ASP wildcards and 2 event wildcards) basically cutting a day off the running time.

Mundaka has been cut with the licence moving from Billabong to Rip Curl but remaining in Europe.

The Mens and Womens WCT surfers are -

ASP Top 27 (ASP World Tour)
Mick Fanning (AUS)
Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Bede Durbidge (AUS)
Taj Burrow (AUS)
Adriano de Souza (BRA)
Kelly Slater (USA)
C.J. Hobgood (USA)
Bobby Martinez (USA)
Damien Hobgood (USA)
Dane Reynolds (USA)
Jordy Smith (ZAF)
Taylor Knox (USA)
Tom Whitaker (AUS)
Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Dean Morrison (AUS)
Kai Otton (AUS)
Kekoa Bacalso (HAW)
Mick Campbell (AUS)
Chris Davidson (AUS)
Michel Bourez (PYF)
Ben Dunn (AUS)
Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Tiago Pires (PRT)
Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Roy Powers (HAW)
Drew Courtney (AUS)

Top 15 (ASP WQS)
Dan Ross (AUS)
Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Jadson Andre (BRA)
Adam Melling (AUS)
Owen Wright (AUS)
Luke Munro (AUS)
Jay Thompson (AUS)
Nathan Yeomans (USA)
Dusty Payne (HAW)
Brett Simpson (USA)
Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Tanner Gudauskas (USA)
Travis Logie (ZAF)
Marco Polo (BRA)
Blake Thornton (AUS)

ASP Wildcards:
Andy Irons (HAW)
Luke Stedman (AUS)
Neco Padaratz (BRA)

The national breakdown for the 2010 ASP World Tour is:

Australian: 46.7%
American: 22.2%
Hawaiian: 11.1%
Brazilian: 8.9%
South African: 4.4%
French: 2.2%
Tahitian: 2.2%
Portuguese: 2.2%

Top 10 (ASP Women’s World Tour)
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
Silvana Lima (BRA)
Sofia Mulanovich (PER)
Coco Ho (HAW)
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
Melanie Bartels (HAW)
Chelsea Hedges (AUS)
Paige Hareb (NZL)
Rebecca Woods (AUS)
Rosanne Hodge (ZAF)

Top 6 (ASP WQS)
Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)
Carissa Moore (HAW)
Claire Bevilacqua (AUS)
Lee Ann Curren (FRA)
Bruna Schmitz (BRA)
Nikita Robb (ZAF)

ASP Wildcard
Amee Donohoe (AUS)

The national breakdown for the 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour is:

Australian: 41.2%
Hawaiian: 17.7%
Brazilian: 11.8%
South African: 11.8%
Peruvian: 5.9%
New Zealand: 5.9%
French: 5.9%

Hawaiian contest finally back on

AThe first contest of the Triple Crown has finally re-started after a three lay days for no swell. Today was in the couple of feet range and with a strong sideshore wind. The brown water made it look a bit like winter in Bunbury, just with some walls and power.

The event is still in the round of 96, with the WCT surfers coming in during the next round. Parko is entered to try and defend his Triple Crown title from last year. He has a difficult heat up against Pancho Sullivan and Tanner Gudaskis, who needs a good result to make next years WCT. Mick Fanning has pulled out to concentrate on Pipe.

The Irons brothers are through as is Sunny Garcia who won his heat with the highest combined total of the round.

Everyone will be hoping for some swell, especially the women whose WCT event is on hold pending good surf.

News, heats on demand and the webcast can be accessed from the Triple Crown website.