PIERRE TOSTEE / TOSTEE.COM Pancho Sullivan won the Rip Curl Cup trials yesterday and earned a place in the main event of the Rip Curl Cup -- the penultimate WCT event on the 2002 ASP World Tour.

Pancho wins Rip Curl trials
with Irons close behind

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Star-Bulletin staff

Hawaii's Pancho Sullivan won the Rip Curl Cup Trials yesterday at Sunset Beach, while Kauai's Bruce Irons also advanced into the main event by placing second.

Sullivan, 29, fell on his first two rides of the day, but was able to rebound for a long tube ride and a 7.67 score that put him in the lead.

"I didn't really feel like I found a good rhythm or was surfing to the best of my ability," Sullivan said. "I just kept chipping away and took waves that looked like they might offer up a little barrel section."

The Trials featured 32 competitors, including 23 from Hawaii.

"It means so much to me (to make the main event)," Sullivan said. "It's a goal of mine to win the Triple Crown during my career, and I feel I have the ability to do it."

The Rip Curl Cup is the second leg of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

The world's top 45-ranked surfers will compete, along with last year's defending champion (Hawaii's Myles Padaca) and yesterday's two wild-card selections.

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Vans Triple Crown of Surfing