Jensen Wins Golden Breed Pro While Williams Takes Banana Boat Pro in Epic Noosa
NOOSA HEADS, Australia (Saturday, March 21, 2009) – With perfect 1.25 metre surf pouring through the idyllic pointbreaks at Noosa Heads today, USA surfer Taylor Jensen (San Diego) and Australia’s Chelsea Williams (Tweed Heads/NSW) won high-scoring finals of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) events, the Golden Breed Pro and Banana Boat Women’s Pro.
It was Taylor Jensen’s first Final at Noosa despite traveling to this event for the past five years and the former three-time USA Longboard Champion won the Final in convincing fashion posting three outstanding 9-point plus rides , finishing on a Final score tally on his top two rides of 18.70 to Australia’s Josh Constable on 17.15 (out of a possible 20).“The waves out there today were unbelievable, just about as good as it possibly gets for surfing longboards and I pretty much knew before the Final started that the winner would need to score a pair of 9-point plus rides,” Jensen said. “With waves like these that peel so perfect the scope to score big is just endless and it worked out perfectly for me today. I’ve had plenty of great battles with Constable over the years and he beat me in the Semifinals of the 2006 ASP World Titles which he went on and won so I feel I have just got one back on him today.”
Constable did all he could to chase down Jensen’s lead in the Final and at the half way stage was in contention when he scored an excellent 8.5 ride but shortly after Jensen delivered a 9.6 ride and the chase was as good as over with all three opponents chasing a combination of two scoring rides to catch Jensen’s 18.70 tally.
“Taylor has been the form surfer all week and he deserved today’s win,” Constable said. “I’m stoked to have made the Final and placed second – The last six weeks I’ve spent recovering from pneumonia so I am pleased with my result. It’s early in the year and getting a good result here sets me up for a good year ahead.”
Today’s Banana Boat Final was just as exciting with Chelsea Williams displaying enormous competitive spirit requiring a 9.3 ride late in the Final and posting a 9.5 ride to take the lead with five minutes remaining.
“I knew if I could catch the right wave I had a high 9 point ride plus ride in me,” Williams said. “Melissa had a great start and had two excellent scores early but I always figured with such perfect waves out there that a winning ride was going to pop up for me and fortunately that’s exactly what happened. When Noosa breaks like this there’s just about no better wave for surfing longboards and today’s final was nearly as good as it gets.”
Final scores and placing’s in the Banana Boat Pro were Chelsea Williams on 17.70 to Melissa Combo (Ballina/NSW) on 17.50 with Selby Riddle (Qld) third on 13.25 and Isabelle Brayley (Byron Bay) fourth on 12.3.