Jordy, currently sitting in 4th place, will be one to watch for at Trestles. Credit: ASP/ROWLAND

The forecast ain’t looking exceptional for the Hurley Pro 6-day waiting period and long Lowers lulls you can be sure of. But a series of waist to head-high contestable bumps will of course be more than enough for the top 34 to go batshit out there, especially as the tour heads into the tail end of the year and title race/re-qualification pressure mounts.

With only four events remaining, Parko will certainly need a couple of big results if he wants to defend his maiden title to the end. The ASP recently caught up with the champ to find out his thoughts on the event:

“I’ve just got to channel what was working for me last season,” Parkinson said. “I had a great run though California and Europe last year and I’ve just got to recapture that consistency again. Looking at the ratings, I’ll probably need to win one of the next three events, if not two, if I’m going to be a chance to put myself in the world title mix again. However, I’ve felt great about my surfing this year.”

Currently in 4th place, Jordy is another who’s momentum will no doubt depend on his result at Trestles. Based out of Carlsbad, the South African says he’s had plenty of time to get his pre-game on so it’s looking promising:

“I still think the title is a possibility, but I understand I need to post a win in the next couple of events,” Smith said. “I feel like I’m slip streaming the breakaway pack at the moment ready to strike. I’ve had a great preparation for Lowers so far. I’m living in Carlsbad at the moment and have been surfing Trestles every day there has been waves.”

Finally, Tahiti victor Ace Buchan had this to say about the up-coming leg and the transition everyone would be making from reefbreak tunnels to soft rippable walls:

“Lowers was actually where my professional career really kicked off,” Buchan said. “I got a second there to kick off my qualification run in 2005 and I’ve had some really strong results over the years (3rd at the NIke last year) and a bunch of 9ths and a Quarterfinal loss to Kelly last year where I really felt strong but made some wave selection errors. In terms of my strengths I think Lowers is up there with my stronger events. Its a perfect wave but its also a very technical one and that suits me. You need to read the wave well and play the game and I like playing the game.”

In other news, Glenn Hall has again withdrawn due to his ongoing back injury he sustained in June in Fiji. He’ll be replaced by San Clemente standout Pat Gudauskas. The draw is now looking like this:

HURLEY PRO AT TRESTLES ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1: Nat Young (AUS), Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 2: Taj Burrow (AUS), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Travis Logie (ZAF), Owen Wright (AUS)
Heat 5: Mick Fanning (AUS), Kolohe Andino (USA), Mitch Crews (AUS)
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA), Brett Simpson (USA), Dane Reynolds (USA)
Heat 7: Josh Kerr (AUS), Gabriel Medina (USA), Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 8: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Filipe Toledo (BRA), Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 9: C.J. Hobgood (USA), Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 10: Adrian Buchan (AUS), Jeremy Flores (FRA), Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 11: Julian Wilson (AUS), John John Florence (HAW), Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 12: Michel Bourez (PYF), Kai Otton (AUS), Damien Hobgood (USA)