Congratulations to Hawaii's Joel Centeio, winner of the 2007 Xcel Pro Presented by No Fear!
Centeio maintained his smooth, collected style through early and later rounds and stepped it up during the exciting, down-to-the-wire final heat.
Needing only a 3.40 to overtake Mason Ho in first, Centeio capitalized, turning in a 7.77 ride that sealed the deal. Centeio’s final two-wave score came in at 16.10, thanks to an earlier 8.33 charge.
"This win feels insane - it's such a huge relief," said Centeio during the awards ceremony on the beach. "I've been waiting for a big win since turning pro six years ago. I had a feeling it was going to come today."
Centeio takes home $10,000 for the title, as well as 1,500 points towards his WQS rating.
"Look at the list of past winners - some of the best surfers in the world," he added. "This is a dream come true - I'm psyched." Centeio will go on to compete in the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.
Runner-up Mason Ho, 19, showed the kind of Sunset Beach acumen likely passed down from his father Michael and uncle Derek, who share five well-earned Xcel Pro titles.
Centeio and Ho were joined by Makua Rothman and Alex Gray, third and fourth respectively, in the finals – a veritable "young-gun" showdown, with the average age barely legal at 21.7. This is the second consecutive Xcel Pro final for Rothman, 23. And, with his SoCal roots, Gray, 21, was the only finalist not from Hawaii.
Waves ranged from 4' to 7, staying relatively consistent in size as the lineup shifted to the point around midday.
The 4-Star 2007 Xcel Pro Presented by No Fear is the kick-off event for Oahu's North Shore winter surf season.
Be sure to check out the official Web site www.xcelwetsuits.com for full results and photos, plus highlights from Surfing Live's Webcast.
Many thanks to Surf News Network, the official contest hotline at (808) 596-SURF. For full information on the 2007 Xcel Pro Presented by No Fear, please visit the contest Web site at www.xcelwetsuits.com.
2007 Xcel Pro Presented by No Fear
Final Results
1 Joel Centeio $10,000 (1,500 pts)
2 Mason Ho $5,000 (1,313 pts)
3 Makua Rothman $3,000 (1,125 pts)
4 Alex Gray $2,400 (1,069 pts)
Xcel Pro Past Champions
1984 Kerry Terukina
1985 Denton Miyamura
1986 Hans Hedemann
1987 Ronnie Burns
1988 Michael Ho
1989 Richard Schmidt
1990 Michael Ho
1991 Michael Ho
1992 Sunny Garcia
1993 Kaipo Jaquias
1994 Derek Ho
1995 Kaipo Jaquias
1996 Michael Ho
1997 Andy Irons
1998 Pancho Sullivan
1999 Bruce Irons
2000 Pancho Sullivan
2001 Gavin Beschen
2002 Fred Pattachia
2003 Pancho Sullivan
2004 Fred Pattachia
2005 Ian Walsh
2006 Evan Valiere
About the Xcel Pro
Now in its 24th year, the 2007 Xcel Pro Presented by No Fear is a 4-Star ASP WQS contest with a $75,000 purse, drawing amateurs and seasoned professionals to Sunset Beach, one of the world's best surf venues on Oahu's North Shore.
No Fear is the presenting sponsor of the 2007 contest, with SoBe, Kustom, VonZipper, and Fuel TV on board as associate sponsors. Fuel TV will produce the contest television show to be aired late 2007 (schedule at www.fuel.tv). Surfing Live and Surf News Network also support the event.
For the full heat draw of the 2007 Xcel Pro Presented by No Fear, visit ASP on the Web at www.aspworldtour.com.
For more, please visit the contest Web site at www.xcelwetsuits.com.
About Xcel
Founded in 1982, Xcel International, Inc. (Xcel) is a global wetsuit brand distributed throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Rim. Headquartered on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, Xcel's core wetsuit business focuses on the cutting edge of material and design development. Xcel's primary markets include surf, dive, wakeboard, paddle, and sun (UV protection).
In addition to its North Shore office, Xcel operates two retail stores on Oahu and a warehouse/repair facility in California. To learn more about Xcel, please visit www.xcelwetsuits.com.
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Contact:
Robin Kloc
Xcel International, Inc.
(808) 637-6239
robink@xcelwetsuits.com
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