Quik Pro Gold Coast 2011 - Day 1

GOLD COAST, Queensland/Australia (Saturday, February 26, 2011) -- Gold Coast, Australia (Saturday 26th February, 2011): TEN-time world champion Kelly Slater survived an early scare from teenage Australian wildcard Matt Banting (Port Macquarie, NSW) to surge through the opening round of the Quiksilver Pro presented by Land Rover at Snapper Rocks today.
On a day of great waves and huge crowds at the famous Gold Coast pointbreak, the American surfing superstar was the man the thousands standing on the sand had come to see.
In what could be his last appearance at the Quiksilver Pro, Slater posted a combined two-wave score of 13.93 to dispose of 16-year-old Port Macquarie prodigy Banting with 11.34 and Sydney's Kai Otton with 6.70.
Slater will now progress straight through to Round 3, relegating both Banting and Otton to fight for survival in sudden-death Round 2 when competition resumes.
But the most impressive performance in the opening round belonged to defending champion Taj Burrow, who lit up Snapper Rocks with the highest combined two-wave score of the day.
The West Australian world No.3 clocked an impressive 9.27 and 7.40 to give him a great 16.67 total out of a possible 20 and easily beat Hawaiian Fredrick Patacchia with 9.17 and Brazilian Raoni Monteiro with 9.10.
Hometown hero and world No.4 Mick Fanning was another standout performer of the opening day of competition, scoring 16.03 to down American duo Bobby Martinez with 12.57 and Cory Lopez with 7.90.
A two-time world champion and two-time winner of the Quiksilver Pro, Fanning looks as though he will again shape as a major threat.
Last year's Quiksilver Pro runner-up, South African Jordy Smith, also won his heat to progress to Round 3.
The world no.2 racked up a two-wave score of 16.07 on his way to defeating Quiksliver Trials wildcard winner Mitch Crews (Currumbin, Qld) , who finished with 11.07, and American Pat Gudauskas with 10.37.
Highly-touted Australian rookie Julian Wilson (Sunshine Coast, Qld) made a successful World Tour debut, posting a two-wave score of 14.26, to narrowly beat world No.7 Adrian Buchan (Avoca Beach, NSW) and Brazilian Heitor Alves.
Other surfers to progress directly into round three with an opening win included Joel Parkinson (Aus), Matt Wilkinson (Aus), Owen Wright (Aus), Josh Kerr (Aus) and Adam Melling (Aus).
Tiago Pires (PRT) shredded the Snapper Rock point break waves to lock in one of the day's top heat scores of 15:83 (out of a possible 20 and advance with ease over Jadson Andre (BRZ) and Damien Hobgood (USA). The 30 year-old said he did not underestimate opponent Andre heading into the round one heat and was pleased to advance directly into round three in his opening heat of the year. Andre and Hobgood relegated into the sudden death round two heats.
Jeremy Flores (FRA), 23, has officially withdrawn from the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast after suffering a knee injury during a warm-up session last night. According to event medical staff, the presumptive diagnosis is that Jeremy has suffered a Grade-2 medial ligament tear in his right knee.
Marc Lacomare (FRA), 20, winner of the Billabong ASP World Junior Title event in Narrabeen last month and Runner-Up in the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast Trials, will replace him. Lacomare finished second in his opening round one to local contender Josh Kerr (Aus).
ROXY PRO presented by Land Rover.
Defending Roxy Pro champion Stephanie Gilmore's (Coolangatta, QLD) struggled to find a high scoring ride in her first appearance since being assaulted in Tweed Heads. The four-time world champion proved no match for rookie Tyler Wright (Lennox Head, NSW) today, who netted two of the round's highest individual wave scores of an 8.93 and a 9.03 to easily defeat Gilmore and Roxy wildcard Sarah Mason.
Twenty-three-year-old superstar Gilmore was clearly hindered by her lack of practice after being sidelined with a broken wrist since the attack last December.
Wright progressing straight through to Round 3 with Gilmore and Mason relegated into sudden death Round 2. The Wright just could now wrong today with older brother Owen also progressing the men's with an opening heat win.
Also through to round three with opening heat wins were world no.2 Sally Fitzgibbons (Aus), world no.4 Silvana Lima (BRA) and world no.15 Jacqueline Silva (BRA).
The Roxy Pro presented by Land Rover will commence at the completion of round one of the mens. A Roxy Pro news feed will be available via a broadcast link to be emailed later today.
The event will be broadcast LIVE on free-to-air with One HD.
The Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast will be webcast LIVE via http://www.quiksilverpro.com.au
FULL RESULTS: quiksilverpro.com.au