2003 ASP/WCT BILLABONG PRO JEFFREYS BAY: DAY FOUR

It wasn't just the home crowd that was hoping for a repeat of the 2002 Holmes-over-Irons result. Andy is so far ahead in the title race that most of the top 45 must have been silently spurring Sean Holmes on.

The South African opened up with two equal 7.33's. Iron's smashed his first wave for an 8.5, but struggled mid-heat. With a weak back-up wave, and the red flag showing, Irons needed a 6 and some small change. Sean played the thinking man's game in an ocean that wasn't co-operating, and pushed the Hawaiian onto a low-opportunity insider, handing the World Champ his fourth consecutive Round 3 exit at J-Bay. Even board caddy Brad Bricknell got a cheer from the crowd when he made his way back up the famed wooden boardwalk.

"I knew he wouldn't get the score on that wave," said the South African who was only called into the main event as a wildcard replacement. "This win gives me confidence. It makes me think that I'm capable of holding my own against these guys if I was on the CT." He has the talent and the mental toughness. All he needs now is a kick in the pants.

How Andy's loss will affect the ratings is yet to be seen, depending on his challengers' performances. And so far, nobody's capitalized. Under a gray afternoon sky, second on the ratings met second last on the ratings: defending champion Mick Fanning versus Tom Whitaker, who until Tuesday had yet to register a heat win this year.

Whitaker made two rookie mistakes, kicking out of one wave too early and not reading the bump on another. But his grinding forehand carves and long, accelerated floaters earned him a 15+ heat score.

Fanning's tack sharp bottom-turn/top-turn combo brought him back in the hunt with a 9.33. His speed through turns is probably unmatched by any surfer in the world. Still looking to prop up a 5-point throwaway, Fanning made some uncharacteristically poor wave choices. A last ditch barrel effort over Impossibles wasn't enough. Fanning had a major opportunity to close the gap in the Title race, and blew it.

It was dark, windy, and miserable at the beach. The competitors' tent was virtually empty, save for a handful of Aussies and a beer-clutching Kauaian who ran out to high-five Whitaker.

"You're the man, Tom -- you're the man!" -- Jeremy Saville/ZigZag

Live streaming footage, scores and commentary are available on www.billabongpro.com or www.aspworldtour.com.

Billabong Pro Round Three Heats (1st>Rnd4; 2nd=17th receives US$4,000) H1: Kelly Slater (USA) 19.5 def. Lee Winkler (Aus) 14.67
H2: Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 17.67 def. Trent Munro (Aus) 9.33
H3: Danny Wills (Aus) 16.33 def. Phil MacDonald (Aus) 9.83
H4: Kieren Perrow (Aus) 17.5 def. Beau Emerton (Aus) 13.83
H5: CJ Hobgood (USA) 15.34 def. Flavio Padaratz (Brz) 12.1
H6: Luke Egan (Aus) 14.07 def. Richie Lovett (Aus) 12.1
H7: Taylor Knox (USA) 11.5 def. Jake Paterson (Aus) 9.84
H8: Sean Holmes (SAfr) 14.66 def. Andy Irons (Haw) 13.5
H9: Joel Parkinson (Aus) 14.4 def. Luke Stedman (Aus) 11.1
H10: Shea Lopez (USA) 12.27 def. Neco Padaratz (Brz) 11.74
H11: Taj Burrow (Aus) 16.83 def. Victor Ribas (Brz) 12.5
H12: Guilherme Herdy (Brz) 11.33 def. Michael Lowe (Aus) 9.5
H13: Tom Whitaker (Aus) 15.33 def. Mick Fanning (Aus) 14.5
H14: Damien Hobgood (USA) 12.77 def. Shane Powell (Aus) 10.77

Remaining Round Three Heats (1st>Rnd4; 2nd=17th receives US$4,000)
H15: Cory Lopez (USA) vs. Armando Daltro (Brz)
H16: Dean Morrison (Aus) vs. Peterson Rosa (Brz)

Round Two Heats (1st>Rnd3; 2nd=33rd receives US$3,000)
H15: Trent Munro (Aus) 14.06 def. Chris Davidson (Aus) 11.9
H16: Guilherme Herdy (Brz) 13.17 def. Darren OÂ’Rafferty (Aus) 11.34

 

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