PAPARA, Tahiti (Saturday, July 28, 2007) - After yesterday’s interruption in the last heat of round 3, what a relief it was fro everyone to get back to the beach knowing Keoni Perkins (Haw) was definitely safe. We could then start round 4 in the best conditions, some clean 3 ft waves breaking for this final day of competition of the OPT-Tahiti Pro Longboard.

The three-men quarterfinals started at 8.30 AM, and Duane De Soto (Haw) faced Scott Fong Jnr (Haw) and local Heifara-Jean Tahutini (Pyf). With a similar level, the three men surfed really well, Fong using the repertoire with accuracy while De Soto and Tahutini were going vertical on the hollower lefthanders. Opening the day with an upset, Tahutini eventually eliminated Fong to advance to the man-on-man quarterfinals.

“I’m stoked to make the man-on-man heats at home. Just too good to reach such a round and surf against some of the best surfers in the world,” said Tahutini.

Carlos Bahia (Bra) was eliminated in round 3 by fellow countryman Eduardo Bagé (Bra) and onfire frenchman Damien Castera (Fra) in a close heat when the three men kept exchanging waves until the last minutes, the situation changing every second, when Castera found a long hollow left to score perfect re-entries finishing with a classic hang-five and get an 8.10 pts reward. Beating the two brazilians, Castera was delighted with his victory.

“I chose to surf all the lefthanders I could and I knew I had some tough opponents out there. I was hoping to qualify, but to win is just perfect and gives confidence in a such a heat,” said Castera.

Heat 4 brought some amazing action when tahitians Michel Demont and Heifara-Peter Tahutini surfed against french favourite Antoine Delperro. In the highest scoring heat of the event at that time, the two tahitians going off on every wave of their home spot. Delperro resisted despite Demont’s best score of the event with a 9.25 after landing a huge floater re-entrie and linking the sections with a perfect nose-riding to secure his spot in the quarterfinals.while Heifara Peter Tahutini was destroying a lefthander to control his second place qualification.

The man-on-man quarterfinals got underway straight after, and Eduardo Bagé (Bra) was the man of heat 1 when he eliminated Duane De Soto (Haw) thanks to an excellent ride while Duane couldn’t find his waves to catch up with the brazilian and had to accept an equal 5th finish.

In quarter #3, Jackson Close (Aus) just dominated the battle against local Heifara Peter Tahutini (Pyf), leaving him in need of a combination; only australian of the final day, Close left the water very satsified and confident about the remaining heats; however he finished equal 3rd and got $1500 for his result when he was eliminated by furtur champion Michel Demont.

“It’s been a great event, what a pleasure to be on this island. I mean, it must happent again and maybe if it is at another time in the year we will have all the best... For sure actually, as this was running at the same time as the US Open. But great thanks to all, happy with my result,” said Close.


The clash of the titans took place in the last quarterfinal when Michel Demont (Pyf) faced former world champion Bonga Perkins. In a tight heat until the last minute, Demont used his priority to find the 5.65 pts he needed leaving Bonga at the outside out of reach of a spot in the semifinals.

The giant killer Heifara-Jean Tahutini (Pyf) was eventually in reach of his first final in an ASP World longboard tour event when he paddled out against Eduardo Bagé (Bra). Starting fast, the brazilian looked unstoopbale again opening with a 7.25 pointer out of possible 10. Slowly but confidently, Tahutini surfed wave after wave, feeling no pressure to catch up with the brazilian until he stuck to the lefthanders and started getting on fire, overtaking Bagé to advance to the final of the OPT-Tahiti Pro Longboard.

“I just started good but couldn’t hear the scores clearly outside because of the wind and couldn’t stop paddling because of the current. However he got the bomb of the heat and just deserved making this one”, said a positive Bagé, finishing equal 3rd pocketing $1500 of prize.

The second semifinal sent the last foreign representation home, Michel Demont (Pyf) beating one of the favourites Jackson Close (Aus) with the same control and experience, added to all the technique that brought him to the semis.

The ultimate heat of the event lasted 35 minutes and brought together giant killer Heifara-Jean Tahutini (Pyf) and longtime competitor and favourite Michel Demont (Pyf). The two men loked relaxed and confident, already satisfied with their result, but still knowing they could seize the first ever OPT-Tahiti Pro Longboard title, and the 2007 ASP European Longboard Pro Tour crown. Everything started with average scores, Demont opening with a 6 pointer while Tahutini was securing a 4.75.

Then the men got on fire, and started destroying the lefthanders with amazing verticality and power; halfway in the heat, the two surfers were tied, with the same total for three minutes, before Demont took off on this 4 ft solid set wave and carved his way up to the shore using the whole repertoire of longboarding from radical re-entries to perfect hands-in-the-air hang five nose rides, claiming his 8.5 pts reward and knowing he had definitely taken the option for the victory.

“So stoked to win this event. I entered this 4 Star WLT event with no goal, just the pleasure of surfing with my friends and the new generation and I end up winning it... So happy. I want to thank all the organisers and contest directors Ralph Sanford and Christophe Hollozet for making this possible and I hope it will be back next year,” confessed Michel Demont after his victory in the first ever OPT-Tahiti Pro Longboard 4 Star WLT event in Papara, Tahiti.

Michel Demont becomes the 2007 ASP European Longboard Champion and grabs OPT-Tahiti Pro Longboard title in front of an impressive field of internationals, including former world champion Bonga Perkins (Haw). Congratulations for the event, see you next year from Tahiti.


RESULTS

Final: Michel Demont (Pyf) def. Heifara-Jean Tahutini (Pyf)

Semifinal #1: Heifara-Jean Tahutini (Pyf) def. Eduardo Bagé (Bra)
Semifinal #2: Michel Demont (Pyf) def. Jackson Close (Aus)