| SURFERS TO WATCH | |
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ADAM VIRSBirthday: December 24, 1978 The classic Ventura surf hooligan, Adam Virs runs with a hyper-talented pack (including Dane Reynolds among others). Between this fact and the incredible wealth of waves in his territory his powerful approach has developed to an extremely progressive level. Citing Green Eggs and Ham as his favorite book, if his performance at the 2008 Macy's Trifecta is anything like his literary choices, this year could be a downright silly season for Virs. |
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ASHER NOLANBirthday: October 17, 1978 Like cohorts CJ and Damien Hobgood and Ben Bourgeios, Asher Nolan is an East Coast staple. Originially breaking out of the pack in 1998 at the U.S. Open, where is went from trials to quarters and ended up a very respectable 9th, Nolan's been on the move ever since. The proud papa of a little girl, Nolan's surfing for more than just a reputation, he's gotta put food on the table these days, and the big-dollar Trifecta prize has to be looking good to him. |
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DUSTY PAYNEBirthday:December 27, 1988 Maui's prodigal son is rising, and rising fast. The newest member of the Nike 6.0 squad, coming up Dusty Payne has been tagged with a host of labels, "a mini Bruce Irons" possibly being the most telling. Equally adept in 8-foot Honolua Bay barrels or knee-high D-Bah wedges, Dusty possess a well-rounded, well-refined style that seems to be serving him well. After suffering a knee injury this past January, he's put in the time with the physical therapist, he's worked his ass off rehabbing, and after recent trips to Fiji and Australia he claims he's back to 100%, back to his same old, high-performance self. Considering how determined he is after coming back from the injury, as well as his penchant for flaring up whenever an open section presents itself, Dusty should definitely be considered a contender at Lowers. |
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KIERAN HORNAs team manager for the Men's O'Neill Surf Team, and as a seasoned competitor, Kieran Horn is both a mentor and a proven success story from the Santa Cruz area. With an intimate knowledge of the Lane, and as a former Cold Water champion - he won the event in 2003 - he undoubtedly knows what it takes to make it to the top, and is sure to be a tough competitor when the Trifecta hoard descends on his home town. |
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NICK ROZSABirthday:September 22, 1987 Uber-talent Nick Rozsa's coming into his own these days. After graduating from the junior ranks with flying colors, the performance-oriented 21-year-old from blue-collar Oxnard Shores has a penchant for power, and is renowned for his explosiveness. On any given day he's got the talent to beat almost anybody, and it's only a matter of time before he posts a massive result…a result that could very easily come in the form of a title at the Newport Beach Pro or the Cold Water Classic. |
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PAT GUDAUSKASBirthday:November 20, 1985 Late last September, just after finding a foothold on the WQS, Pat Gudauskas mangled his ankle while trying to land an air. He promptly found himself sidelined for the rest of the year. Now, with the hitch in his giddy-up behind him, and with six-star win already to his credit, as of press time, Pat's leading the 2008 'QS, and happily discovering that trading one step back for two steps forward may not be such a bad thing after all. With a little momentum on his side, and a life lesson or two under his belt, the hometown kid who won a national title at Lowers in high school, will now be looking to further his aspirations of world tour glory. |
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SEBASTIAN ZIETZBirthday:March 15, 1988 An understated, and not to mention, until lately, an extremely underrated surfer, Sebastian Zietz's profile may not be as lofty as some of his classmen, but when it comes down to it, he has to be considered a contender in any conditions. For the past several winters "Seabass," as he's been affectionately dubbed, has applied a time-honored approach to getting recognized on the North Shore. He'll paddle out on the ugliest day at Off the Wall, find the most hideously deformed closeout, hurl himself over the ledge, and hope a camera catches the action. At the very least, it's earned him the respect of surfers both young and old, which goes a long way in the Islands. "Seabass rips," says Alex Smith, who's grown up on the North Shore of Kauai surfing with Zietz. "He catches more waves in one session than I do all year. He just goes and goes and goes. He's classic to party with too. He'll usually get himself into a dance-off and end up singing karaoke." The hard-charging regularfooter has also developed a fondness for Teahupoo, spending some serious time there over the past several seasons. And while he's not necessarily known for doing his best work while wearing a contest jersey, his small-wave act is impressive as well. Garnering the highest heat score of the recent O'Neill Sebastian Inlet Pro, he proved there's more to his surfing than simply sitting on the foam ball and hanging behind the curtain. "I'd eventually like to make the WCT," he said in Florida, "but for now I'm on the WQS and doing everything I can to make the dream a reality." |
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