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Luke Munro Tabbed for Main Event
Local Currumbin surfer Luke Munro, 22, has earned a shot at glory against the world’s top 45 ranked surfers by being awarded an official main event wildcard into the US$280,000 Quiksilver Pro presented by Samsung, the first event on the 2006 Foster’s Men’s World Tour event scheduled to begin next week at Snapper Rocks.
Just three coveted wildcards are available into the prestigious WCT tournament, with the other two allocated to Reunion Island’s Jeremy Flores and the winner of the 16-man dog-eat-dog trials to be contested on Monday.
Munro, who came within one heat win of qualifying for this year’s tour after a highly impressive campaign in the World Qualifying Series competitions in Hawaii last December, will pull on the coloured jersey for the fifth time in the Quiksilver Pro after twice winning his way through the trials in 2002 and 2003, as well as having received wildcards directly into the main event the past two years (2004 & 2005).
His impressive season-ending effort in the islands was enough to convince his sponsor Quiksilver of a repeat honour and at Snapper his super-star rivals will be smart to watch their backs.
As a non-seeded surfer coming up against the highest seeds, Munro has already added a couple of the sport’s biggest names to his list of scalps in home waters, including 2001 world champion C.J. Hobgood of Florida (USA) and the event’s defending champion, local hero and current world rated number three Mick Fanning.
“I’m just happy to have the honour of competing against the worlds best surfers at Snapper again,” said Munro. “After being away from home for so much of the year, to be able to compete in front of your family and friends at your local break makes it really exciting. As a wildcard I’ll probably come up against Andy (Irons), or Kelly (Slater), but hopefully I’ll be able to break through past round three.”
Flores, meanwhile, is packing some serious WCT experience of his own. As a wildcard in the Quiksilver Pro, Hossegor, France last year, the 18 year-old barnstormed his way through some of the biggest beachbreak barrels seen in WCT competition.
Flores too can name Fanning among his list of super-star casualties and it was only a freak, last-minute tube ride by the sport’s greatest performer, seven-time world champion Kelly Slater (Fl, USA), that halted Flores’s impressive run in France.
Both surfers jet into the Gold Coast this week, following strong showings in two Qualifying series events, including a career high semi-finals finish for Flores in the 6-star Costão Pro Floripa.
The lone remaining trials wildcard will be a battle royal between 10 Australians and six internationals. Seven surfers with solid local knowledge will have the odds on their side with Shaun Gossman, Damon Harvey, Ryan Hipwood, Corey Ziems and Jay “Bottle” Thompson able to lay claim to calling the main event site of Snapper home, while the Sunshine Coast’s Julian Wilson and Cabarita’s Josh Fuller also carry plenty of local experience.
But all will first have to overcome a super impressive influx of Quiksilver sponsored internationals and a who’s who of other very capable surfing talents. American prodigy Dane Reynolds has accepted a last minute invitation to contest the preliminary event and will be joined by fellow Young Gun, Hawaiian teenage phenomenon, 16 year-old Clay Marzo.
Former WCT ranked surfer, Maz Quinn of New Zealand will enter alongside fellow country-man, junior surfer Richard Christie. While Tahitian standout Michel Bourez, who finished second in the ASP World Pro Junior Championships at Narrabeen last month, and Brazilian King of the Groms winner Wiggolly Dantas will also be gunning for the big-time.
West Australian goofy-foot Ry Craike (Kalbarri), prolific junior star Ben Dunn (Old Bar, NSW) and Umina’s (NSW) Glen “Micro” Hall round out the 16 hopefuls.
The Quiksilver Pro, Gold Coast will be run in conjunction with the women’s opening 2006 WCT event, the Roxy Pro presented by Samsung and the final of the Quiksilver Core Store Surf Challenge.
Be sure to tune your URL every day to Quiksilver.com for Quiksilver’s unrivalled live webcast coverage and Live at 5 daily wrap ups!
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