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Curren Wins Billabong Pro Panama
03.18.01Transworld Surf PLAYA VENAO, PANAMA - Three-time world champion Tom Curren scored perfect tens on an incredible backhand barrel to win the Billabong Pro Panama in what must rate as one of the best tube rides ever seen in professional surfing. Curren's flawless competitive performance throughout the event was a display of precision maneuvers, capped by his unbelievable last wave in the final. Competitors, band members, spectators and officials rode event buses five hours from Panama City to Pedasi, hometown of Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso and where most surfers stayed, a short ride from the contest site. The beach break at Playa Venao delivered consistent walled peaks with all-day offshore winds to surfers who had come from a plethora of nations in Central America, North and South America, Europe, and the Caribbean. The Latin-flavored contingent favored surfing around the fuller waters of the extreme tidal ranges, which dictated when the event would run. Against a backdrop of grassland and forest, with sailboats anchored in the lee of the southern headland, seven-time Panamanian national champion and event wildcard Gary Saavedra progressed to the quarterfinals, where arguably the hottest heat of the event took place. In a split decision, eventual second-place finisher Magnum Martinez of Venezuela and Phillip Watters of Florida progressed at the expense of Saavedra, who was unlucky to be left needing a stronger third ride. Some days before the event began, Curren had shown up at the contest site with Saavedra, appearing fit and relaxed. At the pre-event press conference party held at Senor Frog's in Panama City, Tom had played electric guitar with Donavon Frankenreiter and Sunchild, and to the great delight of the crowd, again joined the band at their contest site performance, this time on the drums and acoustic guitar. But Curren's best performance was to come in the last minutes of the final, when he took off backhand on one of the largest set waves, which at first glance appeared to be a close out. He pulled in right away at breakneck speed, and was immediately lost from sight as the wave shut down. Finalist Cam Anderson, who briefly rode the right towards him, reported seeing Curren taking a high line and pumping hard in what was the only tube ridden in the entire event. After a few seconds, Curren's shadow could be seen by the stunned crowd, traveling at full speed behind the curtain. At the last possible moment before the right met the left and the lip shut down, Curren shifted weight to his outside rail, straightened out of the tube to a roar of disbelief from everyone, looked at the crowd and briefly claimed the wave. Saavedra said he had never seen a tube like that at his home break. After Curren exited the surf, the throng of photographers and admirers swarmed him and his Panamanian wife Makeira, who went waist-deep into the shore break to meet her husband after his astonishing victory. As Tom and Makeira hurried arm-in-arm across the burning black volcanic sand, the crowd cheered and clapped, respectfully keeping their distance, allowing husband and wife an unimpeded run to the podium. "That was pretty nice, huh?" said Curren of his barrel, in typical understatement. In the women's event, despite the impressive backhand surfing of Julia Christian and an unexpected charge from French entrant Claire Karabatsos, World Championship Tour seed Keala Kennelly of Hawai'i dominated all her heats and emerged a clear winner in the women's event. In the Nations Challenge, Colombia and Panama had an early exit, while the USA defeated Inca and then Venezuela to meet finalists Mexico, who had taken care of Costa Rica and the Caribbean. To the delight of the crowd, Puerto Escondido locals Raol Noyola and Eric Ramirez unexpectedly defeated the USA, taking home $400 and a bunch of Mexican pride. The two event buses arrived at the town of Jaco after an eighteen-hour ride, filled with surfers, boards and bags. The Billabong Pro Costa Rica runs March 23-25 at Playa Hermosa/Jaco, a small surf-based tourist town that houses most of the competitors.
Results of the Billabong Pro Panama Mens
Results of the Billabong Pro Panama Womens 
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