Swell Time For World’s Best

By Duncan Horscroft on April 7, 2011 in Sport

Photo: ASP

Practising in the recent big swells along Sydney’s eastern beaches has certainly paid off for the world’s top two surfers.

Both Kelly Slater and Taj Burrow, who were temporarily residing at Tamarama, revelled in the solid five-metre conditions at the $250,000 Drug Aware Pro at Margaret River.

World No.1 Slater bucked the trend of using longer equipment in the testing conditions, easily outpointing his nearest rival, Japan’s Masatoshi Ohno .

Slater said he was a bit hesitant paddling out on a 5’9” board, which was more at home in the smaller waves of his local break in Florida.

“When I was paddling out I was thinking I should have taken out an eight-footer,” the 10 time world champ told the ASP.

“But when I had to duck-dive a bomb set I was glad I had a small board which I could push all the way down.”

Burrow also put in an impressive display to progress to the round of 24 behind fellow Aussie Kai Otton.

“It’s wild and woolly,” the 32-year-old West Australian said. “Lots of big lumps.”

“The conditions might favour the locals a little bit, but everyone cops a beating out there, no matter who you are.”

Burrow gets the chance to even the score when he meets Kai Otton again in the man-on-man round of  24.

Slater faces New Zealander Billy Stairmand, who finished second to Damien Hobgood in the round of 48 and ended Bronte surfer Tom Whitaker’s campaign.

The big swell is expected to continue for the start of the round of 24, but it’s uncertain if the women, featuring Bronte’s Jessi Miley-Dyer will hit the water for their quarter-final showdowns.

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