BOAL LEADS EUROPEANS at HUNTINGTON BEACH Tim Boal (Anglet, FRA), 24, placed 2nd to winner Nathaniel Curran (USA) last sunday in the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star US Open of Surfing, his best result of the season so far. Boal, who failed to clinch his first major ASP WQS title in the tricky one to three foot (0.5 to 1 meter) waves, was the best European in the event and jumped from 40th to 18th on the ASP WQS international ratings with his result. Joan Duru (FRA), Marlon Lipke’s (DEU) and Michel Bourez’s (PYF) excellent results. Duru, 19, ASP European Junior Champion in 2006 and possibly Europe’s most promissing young surfer, secured one of the best results of his career in California placing equal 5th after he lost by a mere 0.10 point to former ASP World Tour campaigner Gabe Kling (USA). BILLABONG CASCAIS GIRLS FESTIVAL STARTS {mosimage} The Billabong Cascais Girls Festival, an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women’s World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star event, starts today at the beautiful beach of Guincho in Cascais. Consistent waves in the three to five (1 to 1.5 meter) waves are forecast for Day 1 of competition which will give all competitors the opportunity to get their first heat out of the way. Serena Brooke (AUS, Megan Abubo (HAW), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) and Karina Petroni (USA), current elite ASP Women’s World touring surfers, will be leading the 60-women field in the event and are seen as favorites. All looking to clinch their first victory this season, they will face a hungry pack of current WQS campaigners including reigning ASP European Women’s Champion Lee-Ann Curren (FRA) and reigning ASP European Women’s Junior Champion Pauline Ado (FRA). TOP SEEDS IN CHARGE AT THE RIP CURL PRO SEARCH ROUND 2 {mosimage} The 2008 Rip Curl Pro Search returned to its primary venue, ‘somewhere’ in Indonesia, earlier today for Round 2 of competition which saw top seeds dominate the pulsing six-foot (2 metre) lefthanders before conditions deteriorated in the early afternoon. Stop No. 6 of 11 on the 2008 ASP World Tour, the Rip Curl Pro Search saw 10 surfers eliminated today before inconsistency forced event organizers to call competition off for the day. Bede Durbidge (AUS), current ASP World No. 3, saw off lethal wildcard Owen Wright in one of the more incendiary heats of the day. Wright secured an incredible forehand barrel for an impressive 9.63 out of a possible 10 only to have Durbidge answer immediately with a 9.63 of his own for a deep tuberide followed by two powerful backhand blasts. Bobby Martinez (USA), current No. 9 on the ASP World Tour, put on an impressive tube-riding display this morning, eliminating dangerous wildcard, and the only other surfer to win an ASP World Tour event in 2008, Bruno Santos (BRA). Adrian Buchan (AUS), current No. 10 on the ASP World Tour, was another goofy-footer to excel in today’s conditions, netting and impressive 17.90 out of a possible 20 to eliminate 2008 rookie Dan Ross (AUS) from Rip Curl Pro Search competition.