Power, progression and pinache were on display through the opening three rounds of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Bank of Queensland. One of the best sandbanks in event history had the ASP Top 34 reveling, with an established list of usual suspects reaffirming their dominance.
There were still a series of shocking eliminations though, specifically the Round 2 losses of Jordy Smith (25th) and John John Florence (25th), as well as the Round 3 defeat of Julian Wilson (17th), all of whom were generally regarded as ASP World Title contenders coming into the season.
A crown in 2014 may now be significantly tougher to secure though, given their early departures on the Gold Coast, at least if recent history is any indication. A review of results from the last 10 years shows that not one athlete who went on to take the ASP World Title finished worse than 9th at the opening stop of the season.
Further highlighting the Gold Coast's importance in generating title campaign momentum is the fact that the event winner eventually went on to claim the WCT title in four of the last 10 years, including three in a row from 2006 through 2008.
10 Years of World Champs on the Gold Coast:
2013 - Mick Fanning: Equal 3rd
2012 - Joel Parkinson: Equal 5th
2011 - Kelly Slater: WINNER
2010 - Kelly Slater: Equal 9th
2009 - Mick Fanning: Equal 3rd
2008 - Kelly Slater: WINNER
2007 - Mick Fanning: WINNER
2006 - Kelly Slater: WINNER
2005 - Kelly Slater: Equal 5th
2004 - Andy Irons: Equal 2nd
That said, if there is a group of athletes with the talent required to reverse this trend, it certainly includes these three. Between Smith's power-fed flair, Florence's preternatural ability and Wilson's competitive focus, a quick comeback result from one or all three seems very possible. Opponents at Margaret River in Western Australia, which starts on April 2nd, should probably beware.
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Andy Irons skies out at the Superbank. Irons finished runner-up at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast in 2004, losing to Australian Mick Lowe - the last goofy-footer to claim the event.
- WSL / Tostee
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Slater slashed his way to 5th at the opening stop of 2005, losing to San Clemente axe man Chris Ward in the Quarterfinals.
- WSL / Tostee
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Kelly Slater banks off the bottom at Duranbah at the 2006 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast. Slater would win the opening event of the season and go on to claim his 8th world crown that year.
- WSL / Tostee
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Kelly Slater in 2008 slashes his way to a win on the Gold Coast and sets up a ninth ASP World Title campaign.
- WSL / ASP / Robertson
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Mick Fanning blasting his way through Snapper Rocks in 2007 for the win and setting himself up for a run at his maiden ASP World Title.
- WSL / Robertson
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Mick Fanning finished 3rd at the 2009 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast losing to Gold Coast stablemate Joel Parkinson in pumping surf at Spot X (between Greenmount and Kirra). Fanning eventually clinched his second world crown in Portugal later that year.
- WSL
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Kelly Slater finished 9th at the 2010 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, losing to Jordy Smith. Slater would eventually claim his 10-in-10 ASP World Title in Puerto Rico later that year.
- WSL / Kirstin Scholtz
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Kelly Slater claimed a win at the 2011 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast and set up his run at an 11th ASP World Title, eventually clinched at Ocean Beach in San Francisco.
- WSL / Steve Robertson
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Joel Parkinson at Snapper Rocks in 2012. Parkinson finished 5th at home, losing to South African Jordy Smith in the Quarterfinals. The Australian would go on to claim his maiden world crown at Pipeline.
- WSL
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Mick Fanning in 2013 at Kirra. Fanning lost to eventual event winner Kelly Slater in the Semifinals but went on to claim the crown in Hawaii. Lose the battle, win the war.
- WSL / Kirstin Scholtz
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Hawaiian phenom John John Florence suffered a Round 2 exit at the hands of Travis Logie during the 2014 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast.
- WSL / Kirstin Scholtz
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Jordy Smith possesses the power and natural ability to be the ASP World Champion. Will he pull his 2014 campaign back on track at Margaret River?
- WSL / Kelly Cestari
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Julian Wilson is a threat at any venue on tour, but his Round 3 elimination at this season's Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast is an opportunity lost.
- WSL / Kelly Cestari
Derailed: Does Gold Coast Dictate Champs?
Dave Prodan
Power, progression and pinache were on display through the opening three rounds of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Bank of Queensland. One of the best sandbanks in event history had the ASP Top 34 reveling, with an established list of usual suspects reaffirming their dominance.
There were still a series of shocking eliminations though, specifically the Round 2 losses of Jordy Smith (25th) and John John Florence (25th), as well as the Round 3 defeat of Julian Wilson (17th), all of whom were generally regarded as ASP World Title contenders coming into the season.
A crown in 2014 may now be significantly tougher to secure though, given their early departures on the Gold Coast, at least if recent history is any indication. A review of results from the last 10 years shows that not one athlete who went on to take the ASP World Title finished worse than 9th at the opening stop of the season.
Further highlighting the Gold Coast's importance in generating title campaign momentum is the fact that the event winner eventually went on to claim the WCT title in four of the last 10 years, including three in a row from 2006 through 2008.
10 Years of World Champs on the Gold Coast:
2013 - Mick Fanning: Equal 3rd
2012 - Joel Parkinson: Equal 5th
2011 - Kelly Slater: WINNER
2010 - Kelly Slater: Equal 9th
2009 - Mick Fanning: Equal 3rd
2008 - Kelly Slater: WINNER
2007 - Mick Fanning: WINNER
2006 - Kelly Slater: WINNER
2005 - Kelly Slater: Equal 5th
2004 - Andy Irons: Equal 2nd
That said, if there is a group of athletes with the talent required to reverse this trend, it certainly includes these three. Between Smith's power-fed flair, Florence's preternatural ability and Wilson's competitive focus, a quick comeback result from one or all three seems very possible. Opponents at Margaret River in Western Australia, which starts on April 2nd, should probably beware.
Mitch Crews
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Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast
Matt Banting takes down the field to earn entry into the first event of the 2014 Championship Tour season.
John John Florence gets disconnected from his board on a big maneuver and ultimately goes down to Travis Logie in the early stages of the
Julian Wilson ends up surfing backwards midway through his Round 3 heat at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast.
Brazilian prodigy Gabriel Medina put together an impressive come-from-behind performance to win the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast over Joel
Joel Parkinson notched a 9.00 in his Quarterfinal heat against Miguel Pupo.