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Britain's top surfers aim to make their mark
by George Mojo
18/01/2007:// Two of Britain's top surfers are aiming to make their mark early on in the world pro tour in South America.
Thirty-two-year-old Russell Winter and Newquay's Oli Adams both feature in the Brazilian leg of the World Qualifying Series.
Winter, who was the top UK surfer in the rankings in 2006, is seeded into the third round of the 6star Hang Loose Pro, in Fernando de Noronha.
It will be the England international's first outing this season and his main rivals include current tour leader American CJ Hobgood and Frenchman Mikael Picon, who is in eighth place after the first event in Florida.
Adams, meanwhile, a regular on the British Professional Surf Association tour, is concentrating on the 5star Mormaii Pro, in Florianopolis.
The 22-year-old does not have the advantage of being seeded into the third round, so must battle from round one in an entry list that includes South African Greg Emslie and Brazilian Neco Padaratz.
Adams has a solid set of results behind him going into the event including first at the BPSA Saltrock Croyde Pro Junior, runner-up at the Kangaroo Poo Watersplash Jersey Pro-Junior, and third in the Watersplash Jersey Open in 2005.
Ahead of those two events, the Billabong Monster Energy Pipeline Pro returns to the North Shore of Oahu at the at the Banzai Pipeline.
The event, the first professionally rated big-wave surfing contest of 2007, will draw more than 160 competitors from 11 nations, all out for a piece of Pipeline glory.
It will also bring 40 Monster Sweepstakes winners from across the US Mainland to enjoy the event as VIP's, recipients of surfing's largest ever consumer promotion, offered by Monster Energy Drink. More than 13,000 hopefuls entered the Sweepstakes, eager to experience the North Shore's big-wave phenomenon.
Heading the field of competitors will be defending event champion Rob Machado (California), internationally revered big-wave rider Shane Dorian (Hawaii) - a wildcard into this year's event, and a slew of local Pipeline aficionados that includes Jamie O'Brien, Makuakai Rothman, Pancho Sullivan, Ian Walsh, Jamie Sterling, and the evergreen Derek Ho.
As a highly rated four-star Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) competition, the Monster Energy Pipeline Pro is a rare opportunity for Hawaii surfers to gain valuable ratings points at home. And not only points, the event will also offer up a handful of wildcards into the world's longest running and most esteemed pro surfing tournament: the Billabong Pipeline Masters, which will be the final stop of both the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing and the ASP World Tour, in December.
While Billabong has presented the Monster Energy Pro for several years, they will come on board as the title sponsor of the Pipeline Masters for the first time in '07, essentially book-ending the world tour with a Hawaii start and finish.
Pipeline has dished up exceptional surf for the Monster Energy Pro for the past two years, with epic days of 15- to 20-foot surf rolling through consistently to provide some of the Banzai's most memorable moments. Long-range forecasts for the upcoming event promise the same.
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