World surfing tour opens with Kelly Slater vs. CJ Hobgood
Brevard County's top two surfers, Kelly Slater and C.J. Hobgood, will be paired up in the first round of the season-opening World Surf League event, the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, which begins Saturday in Queensland, Australia.
Slater, 43, the 11-time world champion from Cocoa Beach, is seeking to win that elusive 12th title after three years of near-misses. He finished fourth last season after a pair of runner-up finishes.
Slater comes into the season with 54 career championship tour victories and a 75 percent career heat win percentage.
Hobgood, the 2001 world champion from Satellite Beach, is back on tour after a near-miss himself, but the goofy-footer was granted the top wild-card spot for the season after finishing a career-low 33rd.
Hobgood, 35, comes in with four career championship tour wins and a 50 percent winning percentage in all heats.
Joining Slater and Hobgood in the three-main pairing will be Hawaii's Freddy Patacchia.
The winner of the heat advances to Round 3, while the other two must compete in an elimination Round 2 heat.
The first round:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 2: Michel Bourez (PYF), Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Ricardo Christie (NZL)
Heat 3: Kelly Slater (USA), Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), C.J. Hobgood (USA)
Heat 4: John John Florence (HAW), Jadson Andre (BRA), Glenn Hall (IRL)
Heat 5: Mick Fanning (AUS), Matt Banting (AUS), TBD
Heat 6: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), TBD
Heat 7: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Kai Otton (AUS), Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Heat 8: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Filipe Toledo (BRA), Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 9: Taj Burrow (AUS), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Keanu Asing (HAW)
Heat 10: Josh Kerr (AUS), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Heat 11: Kolohe Andino (USA), Julian Wilson (AUS), Italo Ferreira (BRA)
Heat 12: Owen Wright (AUS), Nat Young (USA), Adam Melling (AUS)
The award winners at this week's preseason banquet:
Breakthrough Performers: John John Florence (HAW) and Johanne Defay (FRA)
Heat of the Year: John John Florence (HAW)/Kelly Slater (USA) at Tahiti & Tyler Wright (AUS)/Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) at Bells Beach
Move of the Year: Julian Wilson (AUS) and Lakey Peterson (USA)
Wave of the Year: Kelly Slater (USA) and Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
WSL Junior Champions: Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) and Mahina Maeda (HAW)
WSL Longboard Champions: Harley Ingleby (AUS) and Chelsea Williams (AUS)
WSL Women's Runner-Up: Tyler Wright (AUS)
WSL Men's Runner-Up: Mick Fanning (AUS)
WSL Women's Champion: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
WSL Men's Champion: Gabriel Medina (BRA)