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Arica Chilean Challenge - Defending champ eliminitated

Source: www.ibaworldtour.com

posted by Jason Bitzer on 8th August 2007

Presented by: Science Bodyboards

In association with: Muncipalidad De Arica, No Friends, Via De Escape, Stealth Fins, Panamericana Hotels, Nacap, SOHO, Demolicion, Cyclo Publico Restaurant

Today August the 7th at the Arican Chilean Challenge saw many big waves as well as big name upsets in round 4 of competition. The morning surf at 7 am was far from what was expected with 15 knot on shores making the conditions almost uncontestable. The organizers and judges had waited until 15 minutes to 8 am to make the call to run the event. The winds had dropped dramatically and the surf was back on track and gaining size.

The first heat saw Mike Stewart draw first blood by pulling an outside roll to inside barrel to roll combo. Mark McCarthy and Dallas Signer never seemed to find a rhythm in the 30-minute heat, leaving a very hungry Ivan "Bananas" Hernandez (Canary Islands) to go toe to toe with Stewart. Hernandez was able to place 1st to Stewart with a very deep barrel from the peak to the channel.

Heat #2 saw some international names take the back seat and one other moving into the next days round. Thomas Robinson (AUS) and Luis Fung (Peru) both not finding the needed scores to progress. Manuel Centeno (Portugal) was on the attack forcing John Showell (Aus) into second place.

Heading into heat 3 conditions continued to improve and Amaury Lavherne (ISLA Reunion) and Yeray Martines (ISLA Canaries) made the most of each wave they took. Yeray sticking his big moves and Amaury with clean surfing. The two took out Joao Pinheiro (Port) and Nick Perry (Aus).

In heat #4 a huge upset went down with 2006 Arica winner and World Champ Jeff Hubbard (HI) placing third to a very focused Pierre Louis Costes (Frn) and Magno Passos (Brz). Both new comers were surfing with reckless abandonment for their bodies. Magno was quite for the first 15 min of the heat but awoke with a deep barrel scoring an 8.70 bringing him from 4th place to third needing a 4.00 to get into second. Jeff Hubbard was in the lead with 5 minutes left in the heat when Pierre took off and a deep bowling left with a heavy close out section in which he flawlessly backflipped and landed smoothly, only to get pushed into the inside reef and dragged out to the bay inside the wave. On the same set Magno Passos was able to land a very large roll taking into the first place to pass Pierre whom had just prior taken the lead from Jeff Hubbard. This was the way the scores remained when the heat finished!

Heat # 5 had a bit of Hawaiian revenge with David Hubbard taking out the heat with a solid left barrel and a back up wave of an ARS on medium size section. Following his lead was Brazilian champ Uri Valadao with solid combinations and airs.

Heat # 6 was a bit less earth shattering but still had solid riding by Luis Villar (Brz) and Hugo Pinherio (Port) rolling large sections to progress. Alex Bunting had difficulties finding the waves in the rising surf as well Michael Pascal (Chile) was not able to get into the rotation.

Heat 7 saw amazing surfing by all competitors with many good barrels and air sections. Paul Barcellos (Brz) all the surfing very well was edged out by Paul Benco (HI) and Dave Winchester (Aus) due to their cleaner barrel exits and manoeuvre based riding. Chilean Boris Villalobos had a ruff time exiting the fast moving large tubes produced in their heat and narrowing escaped a very large beating on the insides rocks when exiting the heat.

The final heat of the day was nothing short of spectacular with Ben Player cruising through the longest barrel of the day from the peak to the channel getting covered up three times. This was enough for him to win the heat with Mitch Rawlins rolling the right-handers well enough to progress to the next round of Man on Man heats. Gastao Entrudo (Port) and Alan Munoz (Chile) where not able to match the international talent in round 4 of the Arican Chilean Challenge!

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