Delpero & Smith take Tuaca Longboard titles in Newquay

Antoine Delpero © Aquashot / aspeurope.com

Fistral Beach -- Antoine Delpero (Biarritz, FRA) 25, and Jennifer Smith (California, USA) 25, have won the ASP Tuaca Longboard Pro 2011 titles in tricky wind affected 3ft peaks while in the Relentless Boardmasters in assoc. with Vans, quarter-finalists were decided.
 
Delpero overcame an inform Ben Skinner (Newquay, GBR) 26, to take out the inaugural edition of the ASP 3-Star Tuaca Longboard Pro in a high scoring 30-minute final which saw the lead change several times. Delpero eventually sealed the victory on a long peeling right with a combination of turns to receive a 9.17 out of 10 and an unbeatable lead.
 
“It was a great final against my friend Ben (Skinner) and I know he is a really tough competitor so I am really happy to win against him at his home break. The waves were not easy to find the right spot to take off and which ones would run through to the shore. I was lucky with the biggest one that I caught and I surfed it well. I won this one but it has been a long time since I have won one against Ben so I am happy.”
 
Delpero, current ASP World nº2, now looks ahead to the upcoming ASP World Longboard Tour which starts at the end of September in Sri Lanka and hopes to go one step higher and clinch his maiden ASP World title. “I am going to start preparing now for the World Tour event in Sri Lanka and I want to do well there because I have been twice second in the world so I think that it could be my year this year.”

Antione Delpero © Aquashot / aspeurope.com

Skinner, pleased with his runner up finish, held the performance of the event in his semi-final appearance scoring a perfect 10 point ride and another near perfect 9.5 out of 10 to the delight of the huge vocal crowd lining the shore. Advancing to the final meant Skinner claimed the ASP European Men’s Longboard title and his qualification into this year’s ASP World Longboard title along with fellow Englishman Adam Griffiths who placed 3rd in the Tuaca Longboard Pro.
 
“I am so happy,” stated Skinner. “This means the world to me. I can now go into the final to have fun and that is what I came here to do. I got lucky with those two waves and they had a nice bowl at the start to do a turn and a nose ride. I tried to link everything together and do a combination of manoeuvres which is what the judges want to see. Obviously they liked it so it feels good to perform and be rewarded so thanks to you guys for that.”
 
Jennifer Smith took out the ASP 6-Star Tuaca Ladies Longboard Pro with a dominating performance over an unlucky Georgia Young (AUS) 23, who struggled to find any high scoring waves in the testing high tide conditions. Smith opened her account early with an excellent 8.17 out of 10 and then quickly backed it up with another excellent 8.60. Stylish rail carves and classical nose rides displayed her superiority on the event score board where she claimed the top seven scores of the women’s division.
 
“I feel good definitely,” began Smith. “I found two nice rights with a smooth face and they allowed me to surf well. I was praying for 8s when I paddled out so it worked out. Georgia is a great surfer but she had a hard time finding a wave out there. The conditions are changing and it is shifty so it was tough but I got lucky and found those two good waves.”

Jen Smith © Aquashot / aspeurope.com

Emilie Libier (Vieux Boucau, FRA) 21, today claimed her maiden ASP European Women’s Longboard Title with her equal 3rd placing in the ASP 6-Star Tuaca Ladies Longboard Pro ahead of local favourite Candice O'Donnell (GBR) who placed second on the rankings to qualify along with Libier for the 2012 ASP Women’s World Longboard Tour.
 
“I am so happy because it is my first European title and it is my best result also in a European contest. I lost my semi-final against Jennifer Smith but I am pleased with my performance. I got some good waves and had a good heat against the 2-times world longboard champion. This contest in Newquay has been really good for me.”
 
“I will try and save some money so I can do the world tour,” continued Libier. “I will also try and travel to Australia in the beginning of next year to work on my technique and my physical conditioning on the longboard. I will try and compete in the event in Noosa Heads and maybe in WA as well.”
 
Round Five of the Relentless Boardmasters in assoc. with Vans was also completed today with Romain Cloitre (Capbreton, FRA) 22, securing his best result of the 2011 season with a convincing win over former ASP World Tour member and close friend Tom Whitaker (AUS) 31, who struggled to overtake the inform Frenchman. Getting off to an excellent start with a series of critical forehand snaps to bag an 8.10 out of 10, Cloitre then backed up midway through the encounter to advance through to the quarter-finals.

Jen Smith © Aquashot / aspeurope.com

“I got a really good start with the first wave and scored 8-points on this one. I was then really relaxed and just waited for another good one. Competing against Tom (Whitaker) who is a good friend of mine was hard and in the end it was difficult to go and sit on him and try to get priority. I am happy because at last I have got a result for this year and I hope to keep it going tomorrow.”
 
Jesse Mendes (BRA) 18, pulled off a last second win over a rampaging Jean Da Silva (BRA) 26, with a near perfect 9.07 out of 10 to take his pass into tomorrow’s finals day at the Relentless Boardmasters in assoc. with Vans. Relying on his priority and waiting patiently for a quality wave, Mendes displayed nerves of steel as he played his last card on his final wave.
 
“He (Da Silva) is surfing amazing and so fast and I saw his wave from behind with all his turns linked together and knew I needed something more than that to win. I tried a couple of times and didn’t get any scores and I needed an 8.40. I had priority for the last 15 minutes and just sat and waited to find something to get that score. Somehow in the last minutes a wave came through and I got in one good turn and then just went for it on the air and I got the score.”
 
Surfers competing in the Relentless Boardmasters in assoc. with Vans are out to gain valuable ranking points in their bid to climb the ASP World rankings and enter the elite Top 32 before the mid-year points cut off. European athletes are also building on their ASP European Men’s ranking as the main summer leg of events commences.

Ben Skinner © Aquashot / aspeurope.com

Results ASP 3-Star Tuaca Longboard Pro Final
Antoine Delpero (FRA)  17.50 Def. Ben Skinner (GBR) 16.74
 
Results ASP 6-Star Tuaca Ladies Longboard Pro Final
Jennifer Smith (USA) 16.77 def Georgia Young (AUS) 10.77
 
Results ASP 3-Star Tuaca Longboard Pro Semi-finals
Heat 1: Antoine Delpero (FRA) 17.27 Def. Adam Griffiths (GBR) 11.80
Heat 2: Ben Skinner (GBR) 19.50 Def. Remi Arauzo (FRA) 13.53
 
Results ASP 6-Star Tuaca Ladies Longboard Pro Semi-finals
Heat 1: Jennifer Smith (USA) 14.17 Def. Emilie Libier (FRA) 8.00
Heat 2: Georgia Young (AUS) 8.27 Def. Candice O'Donnell (GBR) 4.67