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Newquay boy is highest-placed British surfer
by George Mojo
07/12/2007:// Russell Winter finished the World Qualifying Series pro tour as the highest-placed British surfer.
The 33-year-old British number one ended the 2007 season in 81st place after a fourth-round exit at the final event the O'Neill World Cup, in Hawaii.
Winter, from Newquay, gained 6,539 points from his top seven scoring events ending the season more than 8,000 behind tour winner South African Jordy Smith.
Winter, who has been a regular on the pro circuit for more than a decade, has been one of Britain's most high profile surfers in recent years with a brief stint on the World Championship Tour.
He was forced out of the top 44 due to injury. A past winner of the Rip Curl Newquay Boardmasters he recently helped Newquay retain their British Inter Club title at Fistral Beach.
Winter ended the season at Sunset Beach in style finishing second in his opening heat before booking a place in round four with a heat winning performance that saw him defeat Kirk Flintoff, Kekoa Bacalso and Mason Ho.
In his last outing, a round found clash against TJ Barron, seed Joel Parkinson and Dayyan Neve, the Cornish-based surfer only managed 2.16 points in demanding waves at the famed North Shore break.
In a fairly low-scoring heat, Barron and Neve progressed with nine point totals, while Winter had to settle for fourth and eventual elimination.
While Winter could only watch from the sidelines for the rest of the competition, a childhood dream came true for Sunset Beach resident Makuakai Rothman when he won the biggest professional surfing event of his career to win the final at the beach he was born and raised on.
In the dying two minutes of the final, Rothman secured the highest scoring ride of the 35-minute heat to edge out Brazilian Leonardo Neves.
Neves had dominated from the outset and the local Brazilian contingent were starting to celebrate when the wave of the final peaked up and Rothman took off.
Needing a near-perfect score of 9.2 points, Rothman found his way into the tube, earning 9.5 points to turn the tables and seal the victory.
World champion-elect Mick Fanning, from Australia, took third place, and O’Neill World Cup giant-killer Daniel Ross, also from Australia, placed fourth in the final.
Reaching the final was especially sweet for Fanning, who has won his way onto the elite ASP World Championship Tour for 2008 with this result.
Top seeds took control of the ASP World Qualfying Series 6-Star Buondi Billabong Pro Portugal posting big scores and impressive performances in the good three to four foot waves on offer at Ribeira d’Ilhas
Briton Russell Winter's run in the Buondi Billabong Pro in Portugal came to an abrupt end when the Cornishman finished last in his second round heat
The upcoming Boost Mobile Pro presented by Hurley may be the closest thing eight-time ASP World Champion and ratings leader Kelly Slater (USA) has to a home court advantage on the ASP World Tour
Home advantage saw Lee Ann Curren claim top spot in Rip Curl Pro Junior Mademoiselle at Les Bourdaines in Seignosse
The August Bank Holiday weekend saw a hive of activity at the inaugural Quiksilver Skins invitation competition, one of the most innovative contest formats to grace the circuit
Champions tell the story of their success step by step
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