Gorkin
Shrugs Off Tough Competitive Year To Win Seven Tiki Pro In Neptune Beach, FL By Rex Beaufort; Photos by Nate Adams
TURF: Seven Tiki Pro Presented
By Seven Tiki Spiced Rum; Lemon Bar, Neptune Beach, FL; October 16th, 2010.
ENERGY: After the first few days
of the waiting period went by with no swell on the horizon, Contest Director
Jay Dodson made the call to run the entire event in one day. Even with zero waves
in the morning, by noon a northeast windswell finally showed and held
throughout the afternoon, culminating in two- to three-foot rippable beachbreak
conditions. Commenting on Saturday’s waves, Alek Parker said, “It’s completely
contestable. The freesurfs have been fun, and there’s an OK wave showing. Just
gotta find the peaks.”
Even with small waves, it was a magnificently
sunny day, and everybody’s families and ladies showed up to support North
Florida’s largest prize purse and most exclusive surf contest, easily bypassing
300 people sizing up the competition at any one time.
FIRST TIME AT FIGHT CLUB: Under
Hurley East Coast Team Manager and Jacksonville legend Asher Nolan’s tutelage, 14-year-old
grom Jake McGuire proved why Hurley is investing a lot in him. He made it to
the quarters, where he placed a respectable 3rd, barely missing out on advancing
to the semis. St. Augustine’s Jeremy Creter emerged from a relatively quiet
stretch to advance into the semis, where he only lost to an in-form Cody
Thompson and fan-supported Asher Nolan. As a matter of fact, 904 surfers
accounted for 50% of the semifinalists, ensuring that at least some of the
money stayed close to home.
SLIDE: Aaron Cormican has now defended
only one of the six titles he won in 2009 (LandShark Pro, Reef/ Sweetwater
Pro-Am, East Coast Surfing Championships, Tommy Tant Memorial Classic,
Christian Surfers Before The Fall, and the PBR Pro, which turned into the Seven
Tiki Pro this year). Through the first five, Gorkin will be the first to admit that
he wishes he’d already bagged one victory for his “campaign,” as Dane Jeffreys
likes to say.
Local boy Cody Thompson looked strong
throughout the contest, but in the final he was a few quality waves short,
falling victim to a bad lull and shifty tides on his way to 4th-place. Asher
Nolan came to the contest every morning before any other surfer on his
two-wheeled Townie, boasting the perfect attitude and even coaching a few
teamriders. Slasher won every heat leading up to the final, but missed out on a
solid backup score to place 3rd. And Alek Parker busted three airs on one wave
in his first heat and was on cruise control after that. He gave Cormican a run
for his money in the final, but Gorkin’s aerial prowess barely edged out Alek’s
stomp and flow, with Parker finishing 2nd.
A no-handed backside air sealed
Aaron’s victory at this year’s Seven Tiki Pro. Asher had started the final out
posting two quality scores, but with Aaron’s boost, the lead slipped away for
good. Be careful fellow competitors, because it sounds like Gorkin’s got his
swagger back. Next up is the Tommy Tant, and with Gorkin on fire again, it
could be everyone else’s fall of discontent.
THE PAIN: The Pain was
definitely evident on Jeremy Johnston’s face after his semifinal heat, with
several people on the beach saying that perennial finalist JJ may have gotten
robbed. You know Gromson wanted this as bad as any local, and since there were
no true underdogs in this event, from the semis on, everyone was going to be
pissed if they didn’t advance.
THE MAN: Gorkin for posting
his first big win of 2010, Asher for hosting the contest, Jay Dodson for being
the unofficial Mayor of Jacksonville, and JR for hosting the after-party. This
contest was never about one person, and the vibe showed it.
YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB: “Having a contest here is huge for the local guys, allowing them
to compete against Cormican, Alek, JJ, and others. 904 has a great surf scene,
and with Creter making it to the semis and grom Jake McGuire making it to the quarters,
it was pretty cool. Being on the Seven Tiki team, I know all the riders wanted
to win this one.” –Duval legend and 3rd-place finisher Asher
Nolan
“This is a big win, boss! Feels good to
be on top again. In the final, I wasn’t concerned with the other guys, even
though Alek, Asher, and I are on the same team. I was just amping to get the final
underway and charge. But yeah, the win feels really good!” –A
visibly stoked Aaron Cormican, proud to successfully defend his title
FINAL RESULTS OF THE 2010 SEVEN TIKI PRO: 1. Aaron Cormican, $4,000
2. Alek Parker, $2,000
3. Asher Nolan, $1,000
4. Cody Thompson, $800
5. Jeremy Johnston, Jeremy Creter
7. Jake McGuire, Jesse Heilman, Chris
Ropero
10. Ross Howatt, Eddie Guilbeau, Kyle
Garson
: ADVERTISMENT :
: ADVERTISMENT :
IN LOVING MEMORY Flagler Beach, FL’s, Haley Watson Honors Her Mother At May Day Memorial Surf Classic
South Carolina’s Cam Richards Steals 12th Annual
Tommy Tant Memorial Classic Men’s Pro Title From Florida Vets; Cody Thompson, Amy Nicholl,
Noah Schweizer, And Dan Worley Also Win Big
VQS
HITS THE JACKPOT AT CASINO PIER Jellyfish Surf Series Winners Include Local Boys
Hammer, Schmidt, Vanaman, And Siganos, Along With Florida Girl Emily Ruppert
DUBIOUS RECORD The WRV
Outer Banks Pro Presented By Hurley Offers Locals Genuine Perspective & More
Money Per Square Foot Of Wave Than Any Surf Contest In History
Sweetwater Leaves It Up To The Grom At Oakley Surf Shop Challenge Mid-Atlantic Regional Qualifier; “Uncle” Andrew Gesler Drives Heritage Win Home In Northeast
By Matt Pruett and Nick McGregor;
Photos by Matt Lusk
