06.18.01
by: Scott Bass
Surfer Magazine

The OP PRO 2001 weighed anchor early this morning and sailed for Telescopes, a peeling lefthander. The swell, which seemed to have dropped as quickly as it arrived, was only about 5'. The wind was straight offshore all day, and the surfers were ready to do battle. After yesterday's hairball sessions, these waves looked playful in comparison.

Upon arrival the powers that be agreed to run both a men's and women's heat. In the men's competition, two of the four surfers remaining would survive. The other two would be sent packing. There is still a "2nd chance" heat. In that heat, Tim Curran, Shane Dorian and today's two losing surfers will slug it out to see who joins the final two surfers in the next heat.

Bruce Irons

In the women's division, with only three surfers left, the competition stiffened. After today's heat, one woman surfer is to be voted off the island, so to speak. The final two women will surf in the championship heat, later in the trip.

The men's heat started straight off with an incredible display of slashing. After two hours of fierce competition which included numerous gaping tubes, lofty floaters, piercing cutbacks and what ever else the crew could throw at each other, the results came in. Mark Occhilupo and Andy Irons were victorious. Bruce Irons and CJ Hobgood now join Curran and Dorian in the 2nd chance heat. One surfer out of this 2nd chance heat moves on to surf against Occy and Andy.

Rochelle Ballard came out on top in the women's heat by nabbing large set waves and applying a repertoire of carves and speedy cutbacks. In a hard fought battle for the second, Keala Kennelly narrowly edged Serena Brooke, guaranteeing the hot goofyfoot a spot in the final alongside Ballard.

"I'm really stoked," said the victorious Ballard. "Who wouldn't be happy surfing out in perfect waves with two of your friends."

Rochelle Ballard tearin' it up

"I'm still feeling a little worked from yesterday," said Kennelly, who charged hard yesterday in the big stuff. "But it was great to surf in such fun waves. We were just cruising after yesterday."

The entire armada is still buzzing from yesterday's mind numbing barrel festival. "Mate, if you took all the barrels we got out there yesterday," explained Occy in retrospect, "and put them together one after another, you could ride one continuous, long, dry barrel all the way to Padang."

"The best tubes I've ever photographed in a contest," said master lensman Jeff Divine. "Except for Pipe, but you can't compare anything to Pipe. Yesterday was phenomenal."

Tomorrow it looks like we will move on towards HT's and Lance's left.

Mark "Occy" Occhilupo

Official results from day 8:

MEN

1. Mark Occhilupo
2. Andy Irons
3. Bruce Irons
4. CJ Hobgood

WOMEN

1. Rochelle Ballard
2. Keala Kennelly
3. Serena Brooke

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