[ SURFING ]
COURTESY OF MARK BERKOWITZ
Tom Dosland of Huelo, Maui, won the Hansen's Energy Pro, earning 16.83 for his top two waves in yesterday's final heat.
Dosland ‘baffled’ by
Hansen's victoryThe Maui surfer surprised even
himself by picking up his first
professional victory
When the Hansen's Energy Pro began last Thursday, all young professional surfer Tom Dosland hoped for was to last long enough to win some prize money.
Four days' worth of epic Banzai Pipeline waves later, did he ever.
Surprising many -- not the least, himself -- the 19-year-old from Huelo, Maui, won the prestigious Pipeline contest yesterday along with the $10,000 first prize. In picking up his first professional victory, Dosland bested a field that included 143 other surfers from 11 countries.
"This is baffling," Dosland said before taking the winner's stand. "I just took one heat at a time. I don't know. ... I'm just baffled.
"I don't know about (finishing) first -- I just wanted to make the money round. I started from the bottom -- I wasn't seeded or nothing. So I'm stoked."
The four-star World Qualifying Series and Hawaii Pro/Am Circuit event was completed in 10- to 20-foot-face waves, the majority of them breaking left and very hollow.
The Hansen's enjoyed four straight days of favorable swell action at the infamous break on Oahu's North Shore, an unprecedented feat for any event at the Pipeline, according to several contest officials.
Not surprisingly with the ideal conditions, three other Hawaii surfers came out of the international field to also make the four-man, 40-minute final along with Dosland. Mikey Bruneau finished in second place, while Pancho Sullivan took third and Fred Patacchia Jr. fourth.
Defending champion Jamie O'Brien of Hawaii was knocked out in the quarterfinals.
Dosland's top two waves in the deciding heat totaled 16.83 points (out of 20 maximum). Bruneau scored 15.50, Sullivan 14.97 and Patacchia 13.66.
Dosland explained his success by saying that "living in the Volcom house helps, for sure." Volcom, a clothing company, is his primary sponsor, and Dosland lives and surfs out of the house it owns right at Pipeline during the winter season. "The house is right on the beach, I surf here everyday. Without the house, I wouldn't have made it here."
With supporters at the house cheering loudly, Dosland nabbed an 8.5 wave score about 15 minutes into the final for successfully negotiating a dredging backside barrel riding left. The ride gave him a lead he would only build upon, as he nabbed an 8.33 about 13 minutes later for another long backside barrel ride to seal the win.
Bruneau scored the only perfect 10 from the judges yesterday to make it out of the semis, and then with only two minutes remaining in the final rode through the barrel of a 16-foot left for an 8.83 -- the highest single score of the heat.
He leapfrogged Sullivan for the runner-up spot with the ride, and was as ecstatic as Dosland was shocked when he returned to the beach. His runner-up finish was a career best, earning him $5,00. Dosland also happens to be one of his best friends.
"I told (Dosland) that if I didn't win, I wanted him to," said the 21-year-old Bruneau, who also lives within walking distance of Pipeline.
"Pipeline is the scariest wave I've ever surfed in the world," he added. "And that's my goal in life -- to be one of the better guys out there. And I'm stoked I got some good ones."
With his third-place result, the veteran Sullivan saw two winning streaks end.
Prior to the Hansen's, the 30-year-old Pupukea resident had won the last two events he entered -- the Da Hui Backdoor Shootout held at the Pipeline just three weeks ago and the Ezekiel/Faith Riding Pro at Sunset Beach at the end of last month. Sullivan also won the last two HPAC stops -- the Ezekiel/Faith and the Xcel Pro last November.
Still, Sullivan showed that he continues to remain among the strongest contenders at any North Shore venue.
"I'm stoked; any time you can surf classic Pipeline with three other guys in the water I don't think you can lose," he said. "Hats off to all the other competitors. Tom Dosland surfed incredible the whole event. I'm just really, really happy for him. It was kind of a coming-of-age for him."
