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| Rip Curl Tip 2 Tip Chapter 5 Here are 3 new parts to Rip Curl's Tip 2 Tip series, which chronicles a journey through uncharted waters in the vast Indonesian archipelago with Rip Curl's team of surf stars. The last chapter saw a softer side of the mission as the boat was taken over by the Rip Curl Girl's team. In chapter 5 the cream of Rip Curl's young talent crop take over the helm, with WCT surfers Matt Wilkinson, Ben Dunn, and Kekoa Bacalso. Channels: Surf Coco Ho and Kekoa Bacalso Take ASP Rookie of the Year TitlesIn a year that's seen an overall numerical demise of Hawaiian standouts on the World Tour--there were only four Hawaiians on the men's tour and three on the women's side--the Aloha State still managed to make the best of what they had on offer. A rookie year on the CT is no rose garden, but for Kekoa Bacalso and Coco Ho, their maiden voyage on the World Tour proved less than tumultuous as the duo were both awarded Rookie of the Year honors recently from the ASP. Bacalso has been seen as a breath of fresh air amid the stoic nature of many of his counterparts. Not only a guy you'd want to grab a beer (or 10) with, "Bam" as he's known, has shown that he's got what it takes in the water to be a formidable threat in any heat--3 foot or 10--and finished the year off at the 18th spot. "I'm super stoked to win this award," Bacalso said. "My main goal coming into this season was to finish within the Top 27, so to claim the Rookie of the Year award is a bonus and I wasn't expecting it. Freddy P [Fredrick Patacchia] was giving me a hard time throughout the year because he and Andy [Irons] won it when they were rookies and now I guess it's Dusty's [Payne] turn." Coco Ho's success on the tour in her rookie year was equally, if not more so, inspiring. Coming out of the gates, when most competitors would succumb to nerves or buckle under the pressure, Coco appeared calm, focused, and professional. At Snapper, the opening event of the season, she dropped a third and at the Rip Curl Pro Search in Portugal she won the damn thing, leaving her a shoe-in for Rookie of the Year and a world title contender in the Hawaiian leg. "Coming into my rookie year, I didn't have any expectations because I was the last seed and the last to qualify," Ho said. "I kind of qualified for the World Tour accidentally and it felt great to know that entering the second-to-last event of the year that I was in contention for the Women's World Title." Although she didn't win the title, Coco solidified her name as legit contender. In just a few short months, all of this year's accolades will be well behind the two Hawaiian standouts. With the Quik Pro just around the corner, they'll once again be facing down the world's best. And this year, with the likes of Dusty Payne and Carissa Moore making their rookie debuts and a change up in the system, there will be no room for sophomore blues. Channels: Surf Parko Makes It Two In A Row Joel Parkinson has won the first two stops of the ASP World Tour after defeating event wildcard, Adam Robertson, in the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Snickers. The waves were six feet and pumping, the sun was out, and the crowd was on the beach. A classic final day went down yesterday in Victoria, Australia. Trials winner and local-boy, Robertson, surfed great all event taking out the likes of: Bede Durbidge, Freddy P and Tom Whitaker, but in the end Parkinson was just too much, ending the fairy tale. Thus giving Parko a commanding lead in the overall standings of the ASP World Tour.  Adam Robertson looking like a regular-footed Occy on this early round wave. Photo: ASP One wave in particular during the final put it out of reach for Robertson. Parkinson surfed the wave perfectly, pushing each turn to the most critical of points, and recovering with that signature Parko style. Then to cap it off he did a perfect carving reverse on the tricky inside section, that Mick Fanning says, "Can make the best surfers in the world look like kooks." The judges gave the wave a 9.57, and Robertson was in the dreaded combo land. The celebration in the Parkinson camp began, not that Robertson has nothing to celebrate. The kid is a sponsor-less wilcard who won 9 heats in a row beginning in the trials and ending in the Final of the main event, he better of had a couple coldies after that performance. I know we're in a recession and everything, but would someone sponsor this guy.  Parko being Parko. Photo: ASP Another surfer who really impressed me in this contest was Jordy Smith. He surfed great all event and was just edged out by Parko in the Semifinals. He is really making it clear that all the hype is deserved, and that he is going to be a force on tour for years to come. I mean come on, he took out Mick Fanning, a World Champ, in the Quarterfinals, in Australia, in front of a packed beach of drunk, super patriotic Aussies. That's composure. Oh, just in case you've been in a coma for a decade, Fanning is Australian. Another stop on the Dream Tour, another win for Parkinson. He's starting to run away with it, but the title is not out of reach for a single surfer on tour, everyone gets two throw-away contests. Next stop Teahupoo in Tahiti, I place Parkinson is not really thought of in terms of who on tour surfs the wave the best. When I think of that wave, I think of: Slater, The Hobgoods, Wardo and whoever the wildcard is: Jamie O'Brien, Monoa Drollet and if we're lucky, maybe Andy Irons himself. We'll see. RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH FINAL RESULTS: SF 1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.33 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.24 QF 1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.17 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 8.66 Channels: Surf |
