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 Ry Craike |
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Big Wave Guns Bow Out
Wednesday 25th April 2007 (Teahupoo, Tahiti): AUSTRALIAN free surfing gun Ry Craike (Kalbarri,WA) has topped scored on day two of the Air Tahiti Nui Von Zipper Trials at Teahupoo, Tahiti.
With two prestigious wildcards into the Billabong Pro Tahiti up for grabs, a day of upsets saw big wave specialists Dylan Longbottom, Jason Frederico and former trials runner up Liam McNamara eliminated in clean 1.5-2m waves.
The talented tube riding of Craike prevailed at the hollow left hander of Teahupoo as he notched up a two-wave total of 15.00 to defeat Japanese surfer Wakita Takayuki and eliminate Tahitian pair Moana Marahiti and Lionel Teihotu.
“The waves have slowed down a bit today and it is a little smaller but I went out there to wait for the best waves and that is what I did,” said Craike. “I found a couple of nice ones and ended up taking out the heat.
“I don’t really do many contests because they are all in crappy waves.”
“Tahiti is an amazing place,” he said. “The lives of the people here just revolve around the ocean, they travel in boats, go fishing and to have a contest which basically floats on water is sick.
“I don’t think there is anywhere else in the world which has a contest like this.”
Craike has now drawn defending Air Tahiti Nui Von Zipper Trials champion Heiarii Williams in the top seeded fourth round. Williams, along with fellow Tahitian specialist Manoa Drollet are regarded as two of the best surfers at Teahupoo.
“The next round is going to be a lot harder but you just need to sit and wait for the right scores,” said Craike.
Sunshine Coast World Qualifying Series (WQS) campaigner Ryan Campbell continued his impressive run by winning through his third heat and moving into round four with the rounds second highest score.
Campbell posted a two wave combined total of 14.57 to easily defeat Tahitian surfer Teiva Mare while Peruvian Gabriel Villaran and Jean-Claude Rota (Tah) were eliminated from the event.
A tough ask in round four will see the young goofy footer face Hawaiian Danny Fuller alongside Henere Paez (Tah) and Niuhi Marere (Tah). Fuller reached the quarter finals of the Billabong Pro main event last year after winning a spot through the trials and is virtually unstoppable at barrelling Teahupoo.
Fellow Sunshine Coast surfer David Scard is also still in the hunt after winning his third consecutive heat. Other Aussies in contention after progressing through include Brendan Margieson (Gold Coast) and Anthony Walsh (Lennox Head).
They will be joined by Heath Joske (Nambucca Heads), Laurie Towner (Angourie), Wade Goodall (Caloundra), Nick Vasicek (Coolangatta) and Koby Abberton (Maroubra) who all received main round seeds.
Reef Macintosh was the only Hawaiian to progress through the third round and will join Fuller a long with Mark Healy in round four.
Brazilian Rodrigo Coxinha posted a comfortable victory and along with top seeded compatriot Bruno Santos represent the last South Americans still in with a shot at a main event wildcard.
Fifteen dangerous Tahitian surfers are still in the event and will start as favourites as official event forecaster Surfline indicates a solid bump in swell for the coming weekend.
The Billabong Pro Tahiti is presented by Air Tahiti Nui and supported internationally by Bose, Yamaha Waverunner, Von Zipper, Kustom, Nixon and the Tahitian Surfing Federation. The event is also supported domestically by Coca Cola, Hyundai, Mana, Opt and Vini
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