Surf masterclass backs Durbridge for success

Fairfax Media , 28 March, 2008: - - Multiple world surfing champion Kelly Slater has endorsed rising Australian star Bede Durbidge as a legitimate contender for this year's global crown.

"There's been some murmurings about Bede being a contender this year and I think that is right," said Slater after only narrowly defeating Durbidge in the final of the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach in Victoria yesterday.

While Slater has cleared out to an early ratings lead after winning both Australian events on the opening leg of the 2008 World Championship Tour, Durbidge has eased into a strong second place by virtue of his semi-final appearance in the Quiksilver Pro and runner-up finish at Bells.

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'Dream Tour' beckons for Kiwi surf sensation

Paige Hareb has rocketed to third place on the World Qualifying Series standings, raising the tantalising prospect of the Kiwi surf sensation breaking onto the elite 'Dream Tour' by the end of this year.

The 17-year-old Taranaki ace arrives home on Tuesday for a two-week break after making history on Sunday by becoming the first New Zealand woman to win a round of the WQS.

The top six ranked surfers at the end of the 2008 WQS circuit graduate to the 17-woman World Championship Tour which boasts more than $US1m in prizemoney and is tagged the Dream Tour because of its exotic locations around the globe.

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Some were claiming that the morning heats on the final day saw better conditions than any ASP World Tour contest last year. We'll just call it six-foot and damn good North Straddie, Queensland, Australia... mate!

Straddie local and giant-killer, Lincoln Taylor threw down some big moves and a possible hex on former ISA World Junior Champion Julian Wilson. "I couldn't buy a wave," said Wilson. "I think Lincoln put on an island curse on me. He caught all the good waves in the final and dug deep when he really needed to." The win was Taylor's first Pro Junior victory ever and it couldn't have come at a better time. Taylor collected $7000, the most ever won in an Australian Pro Junior, and 3,500 rating points from the 9-star rated ASP Australasian tournament.

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Xcel's Bede Durbidge Takes Second at Rip Curl Pro Moves to #2 in ASP WCT Ratings

HALEIWA, OAHU, HAWAII - March 27, 2008 - Congratulations to Xcel team rider Bede Durbidge, taking second in yesterday's finals of the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach (Australia). A recent, exciting addition to the Xcel team, Durbidge's finish secured his current second-place standing in the ASP WCT ratings, just behind event winner and 8-time world champion Kelly Slater. Coming into this year's tour after a fifth-place finish in 2007 - including the 2007 Triple Crown title - Durbidge continues to solidify his position as a clear contender for the 2008 world title.

"We're so excited for Bede and are stoked to be supporting him on his quest for the world title," says Xcel president Ed D'Ascoli. "Bede's incredible talent, combined with a clear focus is on his surfing, are key to results like these at Bells Beach. We're glad to welcome him to our team and to be a part of the ride."

(Did we mention Durbidge did it all in his Infiniti X-ZIP in the finals?)

"I've just been getting through heats and I've been going all the way to the end, so it's been going pretty good for me," Durbidge told the ASP in humble fashion.

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 27 March, 2008 : - - Multiple world champ Kelly Slater has endorsed rising Australian star Bede Durbidge as a legitimate contender for this year's global crown.  'There's been some murmurings about Bede being a contender this year and I think that is right,' said Slater after only narrowly defeating Durbidge in the final of the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach yesterday. 

While Slater has cleared out to an early ratings lead after winning both Australian events on the opening leg of the 2008 World Championship Tour, Durbidge has eased into a strong second place by virtue of his semi-final appearance in the Quiksilver Pro andrunner-up finish at Bells.

"Given Bede won the Pipeline Masters which was the last event of the 2007 tour, he now has a first, third and second from the last three contests," noted former world champion and current world tour boss Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew.  "That's huge because it shows he's a contender in every contest now. Kelly is really only endorsing what a few of us have been saying about Bede for a little  hile now. 

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