Adam Melling (AUS), 26, winner of the ASP 6-Star O'Neill Cold Water Classic New Zealand.

GISBORNE, New Zealand (Tuesday, March 29, 2011) – Adam Melling (AUS) has clinched the first event of the 2011 O’Neill Cold Water Classic at Gisborne, New Zealand today claiming the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) six-star event in the last 30 seconds over Brazilian surfer Willian Cardoso.

The final took place at The Pines on Wainui Beach in clean 1.5m waves with offshore winds. This was despite a horrid forecast of gale force onshore winds for today. The miraculous turn around in weather had the crowds out, rugged up and absorbing the action that unfolded in the last seven heats.

Melling posted 15.20 out of a possible 20 points for the win, made even more special given he was celebrating his 26th birthday.

“I am 26 today and I won the final… I am stoked” said Melling after being chaired up the beach by his mates.

BANANARIDERS.COM SURF SHOP

“Pretty fun out there, it turned on for the final. Even though the tide come up there were still sets. It was a little slow at the start but came on in the end, last 90 seconds anyway” added Melling of his last minute victory after scoring an 8.03 point ride for two huge forehand turns with only seconds to spare.”

“At the start of the heat there, I was looking back in at the beach and I was thinking wow I don’t have any waves. I missed one at the start and I was freaking out a bit and Willian was down the beach but I knew I was in a good spot and if a ‘sucky’ one came in I knew I could bang out the turns and get the score.”

GISBORNE, New Zealand, (Monday, March 28, 2011) – Day six has officially been called a lay day at the O’Neill Cold Water Classic. After putting the event on hold twice this morning, Contest Director Matt Wilson opted to call it quits at midday.

The swell continued to build throughout the morning but the strong onshore southeast winds that have helped the building swell have not eased and are forecast to stay strong throughout the remainder of the day.

“This morning we had discussions with the remaining surfers and we all feel that conditions tomorrow will be no worse than they are today and there will also be more swell” said Contest Director Matt Wilson.

“This is why we have waiting periods for the O’Neill Cold Water Classic.”

“We always knew we had a tricky seven day forecast from the start of the event. We are fortunate that we ran as many heats as we could early on so that we allowed ourselves time at the end of the event where there are a lot of points and big money up for grabs” said Wilson.

BANANARIDERS.COM SURF SHOP

The final day of the waiting period is scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday 29th March) when surfers will reconvene at The Pines, Wainui Beach for a potential 8:00am start.

Kolohe Andino (San Clemente, CA), 17, winner of both the Vans Pier Classic and Vans Pro Junior.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, California/USA (Sunday, March 27, 2011) – Young California surfer Kolohe Andino (San Clemente, CA), 17, put on an absolutely amazing performance at Huntington Beach Pier to take a clean sweep of both the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 4-Star Vans Pier Classic presented by Jack’s Surfboards and the ASP 4-Star Vans Pro Junior in peaky three-foot surf.

After a spectacular performance to take out the Vans Pro Junior, Andino followed up by winning the Vans Pier Classic by jumping out to an early lead, holding the position throughout the heat’s entirety to earn the victory over ASP World Tour surfers Adriano de Souza (BRA), 24, who finished runner-up, veteran Taylor Knox (Carlsbad, CA), 39, and Floridian Damien Hobgood (Satellite Beach, FL), 31, further establishing the young Californian’s name as one of the world’s most deadly up-and-coming professionals.

BANANARIDERS.COM SURF SHOP

“I’m at a loss for words,” Andino said. “I believed in myself, but once I actually made all of the heats, I can’t believe it. All seven surfers that I surfed against in the Finals were amazing. I never even had time to get nervous because it feels like one big heat now.”

Andino, current leader on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series, took out a come-from-behind victory in the ASP 4-Star Vans Pro Junior. The talented regular-footer clawed his way back into the heat to overtake the early heat leader, Conner Coffin (Santa Barbara, CA), 17, notching a 6.93 and quickly following up with an 8.30 earned for a gigantic air-reverse on a righthand ramp to further his lead on the ASP North America Pro Junior Series Rankings.

KINGSCLIFF / Australia (Sunday, March 27, 2011) - American surfers Taylor Jensen (Oceanside), 27, and Jennifer Smith (San Diego) , 25, upstaged their Australian counterparts to win the respective ASP Australasia Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) Cancer Institute NSW men’s and women’s divisions.

Californian carver Jensen, who has placed 2nd in the LQS men’s division at the Malfunction for the past two years, finally etched his name onto the event’s winner’s list, beating Buderim’s Mitch Surman, former ASP Men’s World Longboard Champion Josh Constable and Currumbin’s Jackson Close in an entertaining final.

“It feels pretty good to finally win this event,” said Jensen, who claimed US $2000 and 250 rating points.

“I started off really slow. I couldn’t get a wave, fell on my first one and wasn’t feeling great. But I finally lucked into a couple smaller ones which ran along the bank.”

BANANARIDERS.COM SURF SHOP

The lanky natural foot accruing a 9.33 and an 8.82 to finish in the numero-uno position on 18.16 points (out of a possible 20).

Despite his third placing in the day’s blue ribbon final, Constable heads the men’s LQS ratings ahead of Jensen, with Surman, Jared Neal (Coffs Harbour) and Harley Ingleby (Emerald Beach) rounding out the top 5. The final event of the Australasian LQS is the Whalebone Classic, which starts on July 16.