6.0 Lowers Pro

ASP 6-Star Prime Mens WQS event Lower Trestles, San Clemente Ca 28 April - 3 May 2008

Fred Patacchia wins 6.0 Lowers Pro

Surfersvillage Surf News, 2 May, 2009 : - - San Clemente -- Fred Patacchia (North Shore, HI), 27, won mainland America’s first Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star PRIME, the 6.0 Lowers Pro, when he defeated defending event champion Ben Bourgeois (Wrightsville Beach, NC), 30, by a score of 16.84 to 14.10 in two-to-four foot surf at the famed cobblestone reef of Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California.

Patacchia demolished the Lower Trestles righthanders in his Final against Bourgeois, opening up his battle against the former ASP World Tour campaigner with a 9.17 out of 10 in the opening minutes of the heat. The Hawaiian talent backed up the score with a 7.67 to solidify the win.

Patacchia is currently sitting in the No. 3 position on the ASP World Tour after two events and was using the premier ASP WQS 6-Star PRIME to help his competitive focus before launching into the Billabong Pro Teahupoo next week.

“It’s a good warm up for the Hurley Pro,” Patacchia said. “It’s not a good warm up for Tahiti, but I just want to stay in contest mode, keep my body in shape and keep my mind strong. I’m having a fairly decent year this year so I just want to keep it going.”

Bourgeois won the 6.0 Lowers Pro last year, when the event was an ASP 4-Star, and worked his way through to the Final again this year. The talented regular-footer gave stellar performances throughout the event but fell short of the scores needed in the Final to overtake Patacchia for the 6.0 Lowers Pro win.

“I’m stoked to make the final, it was amazing,” Bourgeois said. “I wish I could have caught a few more waves there at the end, but I’m stoked for Fred (Patacchia). He’s been ripping.”

Bourgeois, who was a competitor on last year’s ASP World Tour, topped several of the finest up-and-coming competitors and also defeated current ASP World Tour No. 6 Adriano de Souza (Guaruja Sao Paulo, BRA), 22, who was in top form throughout the event, on the way to his result.

“It was a stacked field for sure,” Bourgeois said. “To make the Final with all of those guys is huge.”

View complete results, photos and video highlights online. Heats On Demand from the last two days of competition are available at fuel.tv. The 6.0 Lowers Pro wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of sponsors Nike 6.0, co-sponsor Red Bull, and media sponsors Surfer (surfermag.com), Surfing (surfingthemag.com), WaveWatch.com and FUEL TV.

6.0 Lowers Pro Final: 1 – Fred Patacchia (HAW)16.84 2 – Ben Bourgeois (USA) 14.10

6.0 Lowers Pro Semifinals Results: Heat 1: Fred Patacchia (HAW) 13.17 def. Tim Boal (FRA) 7.60 Heat 2: Ben Bourgeois (USA) 15.80 def. Nathan Yeomans (USA) 14.66

6.0 Lowers Pro Quarterfinals Results: Heat 1: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 15.00 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 8.83 Heat 2: Tim Boal (FRA) 14.96 def. Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 11.94 Heat 3: Ben Bourgeois (USA) 15.77 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.67 Heat 4: Nathan Yeomans (USA) 16.50 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA)

Photo Checkwood: Ya Checky!!!