The 2007 ASP WQS 6 Star Yumeya Billabong Pro Tahara final day was held on the main site, Akabane Long Beach or Ooishi Beach. The weather was scorching with 1-2 ft conditions and clean with light winds. In the afternoon the onshore wind picked up and the tide moved out the conditions got worse and the conditions were testy. Still the waves were enough for a few moves.
Defending event champion Royden Bryson (ZAF) was eliminated at the round of 16 with an interference against fellow South African David Weare (ZAF), leaving the field wide open. It was the 26-year-old rookie of the elite tour, Gabe Kling (USA), who stepped up to take the title in a tense final against Ben Bourgeois, who overall seemed to be the surfer in best form on the day.
Another surfer in good form was Troy Brooks (AUS), who was eliminated at the quarter finals against Thiago Pires (PRT) – both favorites among the fans. Both surfers showed good manoeuvers, however it was Thiago who clinched the best waves in the final. The WQS ranking leader showed he is quite certain to be surfing the elite tour 2008.
The conditions were testy and the key to winning was the choice of right waves and some luck. Gabe took 2 straight 6.67 points at the final and just went straight to winning. These 2 waves were the best scores for the finals, as Ben scored a 7 pointer in the middle but didn’t get a second wave.
Still, Ben took a runner up result in his first ever WQS 6-Star event, putting him in a good spot for the elite tour 2008.
QUARTER 1
1. Weare, David (ZAF)
2. Muscroft, Nic (AUS)
QUARTER 2
1. Kling, Gabe (USA)
2. Pires, Tiago (PRT)
QUARTER 3
1. Alves, Heitor (BRA)
2. Souza, Adriano de (BRA)
QUARTER 4
1. Bourgeois, Ben (USA)
2. Neve, Dayyan (AUS)
SEMI 1
1. Weare, David (ZAF)
2. Kling, Gabe (USA)
SEMI 2
1. Bourgeois, Ben (USA)
2. Alves, Heitor (BRA)
FINAL
1. Gabe Kling
2. Ben Bourgeois
Current WQS rankings after the Yumera Billabong Pro Tahara
1. Pires, Tiago (PRT) 11650
2. Thompson, Jay (AUS) 10825
3. Smith, Jordy (ZAF) 10575
4. Bourgeois, Ben (USA) 10376
5. Khodr, Jihad (BRA) 9875
6. Flintoff, Kirk (AUS) 9675
7. Alves, Heitor (BRA) 9525
8. Reynolds, Dane (USA) 9476
9. Perrow, Kieren (AUS) 9301
10. Padaratz, Neco (BRA) 9213
The Grade 1 ASP Billabong Pro Junior Tahara 2007 also went through all the way to the finals with Adriano de Souza taking the top podium spot. Full details here.
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