‘Strayan journeyman Adam Melling won the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach yesterday to requalify for 2013’s ASP World Title race.

Mello! Photo: Kirsten/ASP

“Waking up this morning I was like, this comp is going to be over today and I really want to be on that podium,” said Melling, who surfed a total of four heats today. “Pretty glad that I loaded myself with a lot of breakfast and just hit the vitaminwater after each heat to keep a bit of energy in me.

“I don’t know why it comes to this but on tour it’s definitely hard. It’s only 32 guys and they want it so bad and they all surf so good. Some of the smaller seeds come into play in heats especially man on man. I haven’t had too much luck this year but felt like my surfing’s been the best it’s ever been, so hopefully I don’t put myself in this position ever again.

Kauai’s Seabass still leads the Vans Triple Crown. Photo: Cestari

“I saw Melling get that wave and I already knew it was the score,” recounted Seabass. “He blew it up super hard and I knew he only needed a six. But I’m still super happy, Melling is a friend of mine and I’m stoked that he won it. I’m still over the moon. I have two finals in a row and I can’t ask for much more.

“(A wildcard to Pipe) definitely never seemed like a possibility but yeah, it’s happened and I was stoked to hear. I just found out that Andy Irons was the only surfer to ever get three finals in a row (at the VANS Triple Crown), so hopefully I can do that and put my name next to Andy’s and that would be a dream come true.”

Medina. Photo: Cestari
Medina did eleven double back flips in the final but it wasn’t enough. Afterwards he said something about Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, but didn’t cry.

Ace. Photo: Cestari

Ace Buchan ripped all the way to final but ended up 4th. He said, “Golf and tennis, tennis and golf. Golf and tennis. Tennis and golf, golf, golf, golf, golf, golf, tennis, tennis, tennis, tennis, tennis.” He said that pretty slowly, it took like and hour and a half to spit that much out.

Final
1st – Adam Melling (AUS) 16.16pts, $40,000
2nd – Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.67pts, $20,000
3rd – Sebastien Zietz (HAW) 13.70pts, $12,000
4th – Adrian Buchan (AUS) 13.26pts, $10,000