Both CJ Hobgood and Mick Fanning got back on track over at the
Quiksilver pro in France, getting through their Round Two (losers
round) heats in dominating fashion. Fanning's was sent to the losers
round after an especially close shave in Round One. In that heat, all
three competitors ended up within a one point range, but Fanning was
stuck right in the middle between Kekoa Bacalso of Hawaii, who finished
thrid, and Wild Card Patrick Beven of France, who won that heat.
Hobgood
was still rattled by his board swiping incident during Round One, but
has apparently shaken it off, having secured an alternate board. The
alternate was a board he gave and signed for the guys at Euro Glass
last year. Given his crisis, they were cool with him borrowing it off
the wall.
Hobgood had a close one against Alain Riou of Tahiti, but came out
ahead. While Fanning dusted Gabriel Villaran in his second round heat.
There was a big upset though, with Adriano de Souza finally getting
shot down early by a pumped up Phillip MacDaonald. Macca looked solid
in the punchy beachbreak, as he usually does when there's some juice
flowing.
Notable survivors of Round Two include Bobby
Martinez, Fred Patacchia and Bede Durbidge. But both Timmy Reyes and
Chris Ward were eliminated. The event is on hold today.
-PointGrinder
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Round Three Match Ups:
Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Nic Muscroft (AUS)
Heat 2: Dane Reynolds (USA) vs. Roy Powers (HAW)
Heat 3: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Ben Dunn (AUS)
Heat 4: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Phillip MacDonald (AUS)
Heat 5: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Greg Emslie (ZAF)
Heat 6: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Dustin Barca (HAW)
Heat 7: Mick Campbell (AUS) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Patrick Beven (FRA)
Heat 9: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Joan Duru (FRA)
Heat 10: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 11: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 12: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. Tim Boal (FRA)
Heat 13: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Julian Wilson (AUS)
Heat 14: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 15: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Aritz Aranburu (EUK)
Heat 16: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Chris Davidson (AUS)
