Kelly Slater Wipes Out the Competition at Boost Mobile Pro 2007

By Marlise Elizabeth Kast
www.marlisekast.com


Surfing King, Kelly Slater extended his reign by defeating Hawaiian powerhouse Pancho Sullivan at the 2007 Boost Mobile Pro held in San Clemente. The eight-time World Champion made surfing history after winning his 34th ASP World Tour Victory. During the final leg of the Boost Mobile Pro surf competition, Slater crushed the 16-year record, previously held by surf legend Tom Curren.

“This will be a neat little tournament for my career,” Slater said. “Just to get that win was important. We had similar conditions to 1990 when I won out here, so it was pretty magical.”

Marking the sixth stop on Foster’s Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour (www.aspworldtour.com), the Boost Mobile Pro is the only ASP event on the US mainland. From September 9-15th, thousands of fans swarmed San Clemente’s Trestles Beach as 48 of the world’s best surfers went head to head during the seven-day event.

Among the competitors were Taylor Knox, Jeremy Flores, Mick Fanning, Tom Whitaker and San Diego’s own Rob Machado. Just days after being voted best “Breakthrough Performer” at the September 11th Surfer Poll Awards, Wildcard Jordy Smith lived up to his reputation and new title by ripping up the waves.

Cheering from the sidelines was Damien Hobgood who was forced to sit out the competition after fracturing his knee during the ASP Tour in Chile. Prior to his injury, the San Diego shredder had been predicted to snatch a top seed position at this year’s Boost Mobile Pro.

“I feel like I was setting myself up for a shot at the world title,” said Hobgood. “Now that I can’t compete at Trestles, it’s not going to happen. I’ve got to make sure that I heal it right.”

During the 2005 ASP World Tour, Hobgood landed second place to icon Kelly Slater. Now, with Hobgood sitting beachside, many felt Slater would easily annihilate the competition. From the moment their boards touched the water, however, competitors paddled into battle for a spot in the Finals.

Kelly Slater defeated Taylor Knox in the quarter-finals while Hawaii’s Pancho Sullivan skunked Troy Brooks. On day six of the competition, surfers paired up for Hurley’s 2nd Annual “Keys to the Continent” challenge. This entertaining side-event showcased the world’s best surfers tearing it up tag-team style. Surfers from different regions joined forces to determine which territory is the strongest in pro surfing. Taking home the $20,000 prize purse for the USA were longtime buds, Kelly Slater and Rob Machado.

During the semi-finals of the main event, Slater charged solo against Tom Whitaker while Pancho Sullivan destroyed Jeremy Flores by a ten point lead. Fighting for the $30,000 cash pot, Slater battled Sullivan in the Finals, beating him only by 2.80 points.

“It’s frustrating to lose by so little,” said Sullivan. “I wanted more waves and was ready to perform but I just couldn’t go off like I hoped. I still made it to the Finals and hopefully can carry momentum into Europe.”

Despite his disappointment, Sullivan climbed eight spots from ASP position number 16 to number 8, thanks to his runner up victory.


Showing support for these talented athletes was wave charger, Sunny Garcia together with event sponsors like Boost Mobile (www.boostmobile.com), Foster’s Beer (www.fostersbeer.com) and Hurley (www.hurley.com). Chris Ernst, Boost Mobile’s Senior Manager of Events, says millions of viewers worldwide logged on to www.boostmobilepro.com for live coverage of the event.

“The Boost Mobile Pro is a huge success because we have the right people at the right place,” says Ernst. “Last year we drew in 17,000 spectators over the course of five days. This year we are even larger. Clearly there is no such thing as a perfect event, but we do the best we can by fine tuning every last detail.”

Ernst says that this year, the State Parks Department was extremely cooperative. Due to the unpredictability of the waves, they gave Boost Mobile a seven day window for the event. During the final showdown, Mother Nature brought in sunny skies and five foot waves.

Lending shade from the scorching sun were booths set up by Life Rolls On (www.liferollson.org) and Surfrider Foundation (www.surfrider.org). Proceeds from the event went to these two worthy causes. Life Rolls On (LRO) is a non-profit Foundation that provides hope for young people whose lives have been affected by spinal cord injuries. LRO began in 1999 in honor of Jesse Billauer who was paralyzed from a surfing accident three years prior.

Jesse’s father, George Billauer, now dedicates his time to the grassroots efforts of the Foundation. “A portion of our funds go directly toward research and finding a cure for spinal cord injuries,” said Billauer. “Through events like this we also motivate people to get involved and make a difference.”

Also spreading awareness to surf fans was Stefanie Sekich of Surfrider Foundation. Her goal is to educate locals about the “Save Trestles Campaign” and the threat to the world-renowned surf spot. “The Transportation Corridor Agency is planning to build a six-lane toll road through the middle of San Onofre State Park and Trestles Beach,” said Stefanie. “We are asking people to write their elected officials and to encourage the Coastal Commission to intervene. If we take action, I truly believe that the plan can be stopped.”

Taking action both on the shore and in the water was the theme of Boost Mobile Pro. Moments after Kelly Slater’s victory, dozens of groms flocked the champ, throwing down high fives and hugs of victory.

Slater’s number one fan, Rob Machado said, “When Kelly wins a competition, the place goes nuts. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Kelly look so happy to win an event as I have today.”

Now on his way to winning a 9th World Title, Kelly Slater says he is eager for the next stop on the ASP World Tour. “We’ll see what happens in France,” said Slater. “After this win I could really capitalize on everything.”