It’s official — the ASP World Tour reached its halfway mark with start of Oakley Pro Bali in Keramas, Indonesia. This is event #5 of 10, so surfers know the importance of racking up points all too well. The round one heat draw of the 2013 Oakley Pro Bali gave us a sneak peak at what’s to come in this event. With some of the big pro surfers showing their stuff on 4-foot waves, this event won’t disappoint by any means.
Indonesia’s own Lee Wilson performed exceptionally well during the round one heat, surfing nearly a dozen waves for an average score of 7.5. Unfortunately, Lee didn’t see the wave heights he was hoping for; therefore, he was forced to surf on some rather small-to-mediocre sized waves. Of course, a 7.5 score is certainly respectable and gave him a strong footing in the competition.
Marlon Gerber also have a notable performance during the round one heat. He was able to catch some bigger waves which allowed him to really gain some serious air. One of Gerber’s best scores during the round one heat was a solid 8. His average score was still lower than Wilson’s, however.
It’s important to note that no eliminations take place during the heat rounds. Instead, surfers complete for a wild card slot in the Oakley Pro Bali event. Of course, this wild card slot doesn’t come easy, as surfers are going all out trying to grab it. The Oakley Pro Bali offers a $450,000 cash prize, ASP points and bragging rights, all of which are in the eyes of some of the world’s best surfers.
So, when does the Oakley Pro Bali begin? It’s scheduled to take place on June 18th – 29th. As long as the weather and wave conditions are acceptable, organizers will kick the event off on the 18th. Some of the names you’ll want to look out for are Kelly Slater, who is coming off a win at the previous Volcom Fiji Pro, and John John Florence. These two guys are on fire right now. With that said, there are tons of other hot surfers right now, including Mick Flanning, Taj Burrow and Jordy Smith just to name a few. In any case, you’ll want to check back on our blog for any new updated on the Oakley Pro Bali. With the event scheduled to take place on the 18th, there’s no telling who’s going to take the lead in the ASP World Tour rankings.