06.15.01
by: Scott Bass
Surfer Magazine

The OP PRO 2001 has again been put on hold due to lack of surf. Contest Director Bernie Baker made the call to hold off on running any heats today, as the possibility of a strong swell lingers in the air like the aroma of freshly baked bread. We can smell it, and we're hungry.

Everyone cools off at small E bay

The OP PRO armada headed off to surf the small but fun surf of E Bay. The swell, which dropped instead of building, was 3'--still though, extremely fun surf, relativley speaking. Andy Irons led the charge, boosting airs at will. And Occy was carving big rooster tail roundies all the way to the beach.

Speaking of Occy...he gave away one of his surfboards to a local surfer here at E bay. "I remembered the guy from last year's event," explained Occhilupo. "Last year I was thinking I'd give that guy my board, but we left and I never got around to it. So this year when I was packing, I saw that board lying around my room, and I figured I bring it along to give him. Sure enough, when we pulled up here (Ebay) the bloke was out surfing. So I went back to the boat and got the board for him." Occy's odds just dropped to even money based on the good karma factor.

Occy gives his board to local Mentawai surfer

The local surfer was not the only one to receive good news today. Contest director Bernie Baker received a fax from Hawaiian surf forecaster Bruce Pleas, and there is a formidable low pressure system set up to produce a solid 6' swell. The low has twin gale centers spinning furiously, and aimed straight at us. The forecast is for three solid days of swell beginning on the the 17th.

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