Taj Burrow Wins Hawaiian Pro 2011

Taj Burrow has claimed his first Reef Hawaiian Pro title in Hawaii to take an early lead on the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing ratings. Runner-up was Adam Melling; third was Adriano De Souza; and fourth was Nat Young. Taj, who has been competing in Hawaii for 15 years, left the field in his wake today, finding a form all his own in the pumping overhead surf. Burrow surfed through four rounds on the final day, and got creative with every heat, strategically building scores with a mixed plate of form-bending tube rides and lip-belting close-out snaps. He eclipsed his challengers in the final, posting a two-wave total of 16.90 out of 20 (9.37 and 7.53).

“I had a good run, it feels good scoring in the 9-point range and it’s hard to do. I just really wanted to win an event here. I am really happy. I love being in Hawaii. I was saying to a few of my friends it is so good to come to Hawaii and sit and make a base for six weeks. We are getting on a plane every other weekend normally, it’s draining. Coming to Hawaii you just get in a good routine, you unpack your bags and you can kind of relax. We train and eat good food and just the whole routine of it all I feel much better then having to skip town every two weeks.”

The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing now moves north to Sunset Beach for the Vans World Cup of Surfing Nov. 25 thru Dec. 6. The forecast for the coming week promises exactly the kind of hefty, challenging surf that the venue is famous for. Sunset has a reputation for separating the men from the boys and is where a bid for the Vans Triple Crown is usually cemented or crushed.

Finals
Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.90 pts
Adam Melling (AUS) 12.60 pts
Adriano De Souza (BRA) 12.50 pts
Nat Young (USA) 6.10 pts