Heat 3 Round of 24
US Open of Surfing
Thursday August 2nd 2012
1st Jesse Mendez
2nd Stu Kennedy
3rd Dane Reynolds
Fuelie:
2012 Nike US open…and Rob Machado, welcome back…
Rob:
Thank you, good to be back…Miguel Pupo surfed amazing in
that last heat…
(Mendez starts heat with throw tail reverse right off the
bat…)
Fuelie:
…Stuey Kennedy, 90th in world rankings, Dane
Reynolds 94th..
Rob: He’s that high? Wow.
Fuelie:
Dane Reynolds has been one of the form surfers as well…this
is gonna be a tough one….
Rob:
I would venture to say that in a heat like this we would see
Dane letting loose…but he’s been letting loose the whole event…
(Stu gets his first wave, a left…)
Dino:
“This kid right here, Stuey Kennedy, he’s been the giant
killer. Flying on this board.
Rob:
Riding a different type of equipment. Still a thruster, I
believe. Kind of a double-ender type of surfboard. I believe it was made by
Daniel Thomson.
Dino:
I think its epoxy, as well, as you can see its got that
little bit of extra squirt…
Fuelie:
Lets have another look at that wave and that board here for
Stu Kennedy. He’s only got one score on the board here, a 5.43.
Rob
Well, having that type of surfboard, very parallel rails
with a wider nose and a wider tail, I’m guessing that its gonna create a lot of
speed and some looseness, as we see him throwing the fins out…that first
backside turn you could see he kinda spun that tail around…but very interesting
type of surfboard. I’m a fan. I like to see alternative equipment being brought
into the main stage, if its working and guys are able to keep up with the level
of surfing that is needed on tour…
Dino:
(talks about epoxy being lively) …that board looks really
quick under his feet. That first bottom turn top turn combination was really
good for Stuart.
Fuelie:
This is his first ride, and this gives you an idea of how
fast it goes (Stu does a sweeping roundhouse)
Rob:
Wow that was some neat projection, you can see it wrapping
around …you can see on that bank off the foam there the tail getting a little
squirrelly, its got a wide tail …he comes through the inside, blows the tail
out and spins it around…I’m sure with a wide tail like that you have to be
careful, I’ve noticed this with boards when I’ve had wider tails, in heats you
have a little more adrenaline and you want get up into the lip, and you almost
have to tone yourself down a little bit…cause you have a tendency to get a
little squirrelly so you could almost blow it out on bottom turns…but you can
see how he’s really working that board to his advantage.
Fuelie:
But he’s stuck to his guns…he rode this board also at the
Nike Lowers Pro a couple of months ago at Trestles, and just the other day in
his last heat he was in 4th spot and in the dying seconds of the
heat he was able to hold it together and get the score that he needed. So he’s
been able to handle things under pressure and he’s sticking by his equipment. But
you’re a man who likes to ride a lot of different craft, would you take a go on
this board?
Rob:
Oh, most definitely. Actually, I know Daniel, I’m good
friends with Daniel, I surf with him a lot. He lives down in San Diego, we
spent some time in the water together and I haven’t had a chance to get my
hands on one yet but we always talk about it, I’d like to definitely get out
the on one…as we see Stuey making the connection through, as you said Dino, on
the epoxy, blowing the fins out…
Dino:
Great control there to cram that last maneuver into that
tight little pocket.
Rob:
For sure.
(Mendez gets a
good ride rips it, they talk about Mendez, who is leading the heat)
Dino:
Look at Dane Reynolds you guys…13 minutes into the heat and
he hasn’t stood up yet.
(Dane has been waiting for a wave, but heat has very few. No
sets. Stu & Mendez grabbed all
that was available on the inside.)
Dino:
Stuart Kennedy, on the other hand, he’s real serious. He’s
trying to get a 6.9
(Tide has completely killed surf, no waves at all. 23
minutes in and Dane has not had a chance, literally, to catch a wave)
Stu gets a right
Fuelie:
Heres Stuey Kennedy, he needs a 6.93…
Rob:
The wave’s hitting that deep spot, flattening out, but look
at that board, look at that thing… his board speed…just flying down the line
looking squirrelly and skatey…boom! Huge rotation…aw his foot slipped of the
tail…
Dino
His foot came off the back of the board there…he didn’t
grab, I wonder if he would have grabbed if he might have been able to pull that
maneuver off. That would have been the score, I think, that was a pretty high
air..
Rob:
Real high…I like this little snapping cutback right there,
keeps the board speed, the board
moving, weaving it through…finds this little power pocket right here and
flies down the line right here… Dino you see him…boom! Nice rotation…maybe if
he would have compressed a little more in the air…
Dino:
Yeah, great effort there from Stuart Kennedy…
(Stu gets another wave)
…heres Stuey Kennedy on some modern equipment, didn’t really
get anything going on the outside lets see what he can pull off on the
inside…aw…nice air there for Stuart.
Rob:
Nice grab there…chanced his approach, maybe he was listening
(laughs)
Fuelie:
And Dane, 27 minutes in…still no wave..he’s scratching his
head he’s going “Where are my waves? I just want ONE…”
( Dane is having nightmare heat. Nothing coming to him at
all. Dane finally gets a wave at 29 minutes in. Surfs it really well but no
opportunity to do anything spectacular))
Rob:
As we see Stu Kennedy…got a nice little runner, down the
beach…huge spinner…gets a little squirelly…
Dino:
Yeah that board has so much squirt its really hard to
control in the air…
Fuelie:
So Jesse Mendez wins it and we’re gonna be seeing Dane
Reynolds and Stuey Kennedy in the round of 24…
(Stu draws Kelly Slater in his next heat…the first round of man
on man heats)
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