UPDATE: Event is ON NOW LIVE

TEAHUPOO, Tahiti (Tuesday, May 19, 2009) – The Billabong Pro Tahiti presented by Air Tahiti Nui, event No. 3 of 10 on the 2009 ASP World Tour, has called competition on today, with a champion being crowned by day’s end, conditions permitting.

This morning’s surf is running in the three-to-five foot (1- 1.5 metre) range and the opening heats of the day will hit the water at 8:30am.

“We have clear skies and similar sized surf to yesterday and we’ll get competition underway at 8:30am,” Luke Egan, Billabong Pro Tahiti Contest Director, said. “We’re planning on completing the event today, but will monitor the conditions throughout the day to ensure the athletes are run in the best possible surf.”

Yesterday saw the surprise eliminations of reigning nine-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 37, and current ASP World No. 1 Joel Parkinson (AUS), 28, at the hands of Aritz Aranburu (EUK), 23, and Taylor Knox (USA), 38, respectively.

Still remaining in the event are past Billabong Pro Tahiti winners Damien Hobgood (USA), 29, and Bobby Martinez (USA), 26, as well as former ASP World Champions Mick Fanning (AUS), 27, Andy Irons (HAW), 30, and C.J. Hobgood (USA), 29 – both Irons and Hobgood are also past winners at Teahupoo, with Fanning a former runner-up.

First up this morning, former three-time ASP World Champion and event wildcard Irons will take on Martinez in Heat 5 of Round 3 at the Billabong Pro Tahiti.

Surfline, official foreers for the Billabong Pro Tahiti, are calling for a larger SE groundswell to fill in throughout the day as well as some new SW swell building through today and tomorrow.

Today’s Billabong Pro Tahiti presented by Air Tahiti Nui will be web LIVE via www.billabongpro.com ning at 8:30am.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

YESTERDAY’S BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 15.50 def. Jay Thompson (AUS) 6.17
Heat 2: Taj Burrow (AUS) 12.04 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 9.40
Heat 3: Mick Campbell (AUS) 15.07 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 8.50
Heat 4: Taylor Knox (USA) 15.46 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 5.57

REMAINING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 5: Andy Irons (HAW) vs. Bobby Martinez (USA)
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)
Heat 7: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA)
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Tom Whitaker (AUS)

UPCOMING BILLABONG PRO TAHITI QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS:
QF 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Taj Burrow (AUS)
QF 2: Mick Campbell (AUS) vs. Taylor Knox (USA)
QF 3: TBA
QF 4: TBA

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story on yesterdays heat

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Billabong Pro Tahiti is called off for the second day in a row. The event will resume tomorrow morning if the swell that is predicted hits. Perry Hatchett, ASP World Tour Head Judge, said, “We went on hold for the morning to see if the swell would jump and the wind would turn but it hasn’t with only small, onshore waves out there today. We’re expecting a new swell to fill in over the coming days with better winds so we’re hoping to be running again soon.”

story via

On shore winds and 4ft waves cause the event to be called off today. Billabong Pro Contest Director, Luke Egan, says:

“We obviously don’t have the idyllic conditions that graced us yesterday with the swell a bit lump and the wind onshore. We’ve called competition off for the day, but are monitoring swell and winds for the coming days and it looks like we may be running again soon. We’ll be back tomorrow morning to make another decision.”

REMAINING ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 15: Heitor Alves (BRA) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 16: Roy Powers (HAW) vs. Mick Campbell (AUS)

ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:

Heat 1: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Phillip MacDonald (AUS)
Heat 2: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Jay Thompson (AUS)
Heat 3: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Marlon Lipke (DEU)
Heat 5: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Josh Kerr (AUS)
Heat 6: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. TBA
Heat 7: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Heiarii Williams (PYF)
Heat 9: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Andy Irons (HAW)
Heat 10: Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. TBA
Heat 11: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Dustin Barca (HAW)
Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. TBA
Heat 13: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Aritz Aranburu (EUK)
Heat 14: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Dean Morrison (AUS)
Heat 15: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Ben Dunn (AUS)
Heat 16: Tom Whitaker (AUS) vs. Tim Boal (FRA)

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