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Haleiwa, HAWAII - (Saturday, November 12, 2005)
Haleiwa, HAWAII - (Saturday, November 12, 2005) - A solid audience of spectators and competitors were on hand at Haleiwa's Ali'i Beach Park today, to enjoy the opening Hawaiian blessing that signals the official start to the six week-long Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. Celebrating its 23rd year, the Vans Triple Crown opens with the men's Op Pro Hawaii, a 6-star ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) World Qualifying Series (WQS) event, and the women's Roxy Pro, the penultimate stop on the 2005 women's World Championship Tour (WCT).
While clean 3-foot waves rolled in at Haleiwa this-morning, the promise of a much larger swell from a more favorable westerly direction later in the week prompted competitors and officials to call for a lay day in competition today. This new swell will likely hold strong to allow a succession of contestable days of waves. A total of four days are required to complete events at this, the first of three stops, and with 12 days remaining in the holding period, there is no urgency to push through the heats.
The Vans Triple Crown welcomes the return of Op, the original icon in American surfing, to Haleiwa. Op was a sponsor here back in the early '90s, and is considered to be a great fit for Haleiwa - the cultural center of the North Shore.
The Op Pro Hawaii offers a total of $125,000 in prize money, as well as crucial points towards qualifying for next year's men's WCT. In addition to the individual event honors, an $10,000 winner-takes-all Vans Triple Crown title will be awarded to best performing surfer over all three events. The defending champion of this event, and of the Triple Crown is Hawaii's Sunny Garcia. Garcia, 35, will enter retirement after this Series of events.
The $65,000 women's Roxy Pro Hawaii enters its 11th year in 2005, and once again will play a major role in determining the women's world champion. The top contenders for the women's ASP world title are defending world champ Sofia Mulanovich (Peru) and Chelsea Georgeson (Australia). Six-time world champion and defending Roxy Pro Hawaii champion Layne Beachley is out of the Triple Crown events with a neck injury.
Like the men, the women are also competing for a $10,000 Triple Crown bonus.
Jodi Young
Ocean Promotion
P.O. Box 223
Haleiwa, HI 96712
Cellular: (808) 258-8533
Fax: (808) 637-2299 |
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Watch it LIVE!!!
Watch in LIVE on roxy.com.
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