Monday 16 January 2010
Royden Bryson started his 2012 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) season with a morale boosting runner-up finish in the historic Hainan Classic, the first ASP event to be staged in China, this weekend.
Competing in excellent one metre waves at Riyue Bay on the island of Hainan in the four star rated, US $95 000 event, Bryson first overcame Marc Lacomare (FRA) by posting the highest heat total of the day – 16.87 out of 20 – in their man-on-man semi-final encounter, before falling just short of the total posted by Glen Hall (IRL) in the final.
It was Hall, the first Irish surfer to win an ASP event, who took control of the final after finding a well lined up wave that enabled him to perform multiple manoeuvres and earn an excellent 8.83 out of 10 from the judges. Bryson forced his way back into contention on his fourth ride, landing a perfectly executed double-grab air-reverse to post an 8.43.
The finalists continued to trade long rides and Hall racked up a 7.50 leaving Bryson needing 7.91 for the victory. The 29 year old from Hout Bay in Cape Town came agonisingly close, producing a 7.73, but ultimately it was the Irishman who pocketed the US $15 000 winner’s paycheque, 1 000 ASP World rankings points and a ornate jade dragon trophy.
“I’m stoked for Hally, he’s a good friend of mine, so I couldn’t have picked a better person to win the final, besides myself,” said Bryson, who earned $7 500 and 750 points, with a laugh. “All in all, I am just stoked to have come here; it’s an amazing place, and I cannot believe the quality of the waves. It’s a place I’ll definitely visit again in the future.”
Brandon Jackson (Durban North) was the next best placed ASP Africa member in the Hainan Classic, finishing 13th overall. Dale Staples (St Francis Bay) ended 25th while Greg Emslie (East London) and Nikita Robb (Cape Town) were equal 33rd and Sarah Baum (Athlone Park) 49th.
The Hainan Classic was the second of two events in the Hainan Riyue Bay International Surfing Festival presented by Quiksilver which ran from 7-14 January and was organized by the International Surfing association (ISA).
All the action from the event can be watched in the video section of the website at http://hainaninternationalsurfingfestival.com/hainan-classic/.
Final
Glen Hall (IRL) 16.33 def. Royden Bryson (ZAF) 16.16
Semi-finals
SF1. Glen Hall (IRL) 15.07 def. Dion Atkinson (AUS) 14.53
SF2. Royden Bryson (ZAF) 16.87 def. Marc Lacomare (FRA) 11.47
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