OCCY CLIAMS HIS FOURTH OP PRO CHAMPIONSHIP
35-year-old Occhilupo schools the "new schoolers"; Expression session at HTs follows.

Mark "Occy" Occhilupo claimed his fourth OP PRO today in perfect 5' Macaroni's point surf. Occy schooled "new schoolers" Andy and Bruce Irons by consistently stuffing himself deep in the barrel. But not to be outdone by the eclectic Irons brothers, Occy would also race out onto the shoulder and slice exacto knife gouges, laying open the wave face time after time with surgeonesque precision. Occy also threw his body and board into the air on one occasion and stuck the landing--something the other two surfers couldn't pull off. Occy earned a cool $30,000 for his victory today, close to $60,000 in Australian dollars.

Occy, the elder statesmen of the crew at 35, won his first two OP PROs in succession at Huntington Beach back in the 80's. His next two OP PRO victories, also in succession, were claimed in Indonesia, here in the wave fields of the Menatawai Islands.

"Wow! Um...I can't believe it. The waves we got the other day at CanDooies, to be able to surf there with these surfers, Andy, CJ, Timmy, Bruce, um Shane, that day was fabulous," said Occhilupo. "Then today at acaroni's...that's one of my favorite waves in the world. And I borrowed this guy's board, Herb, thanks for the board, and tell that guy Midget thanks too. Well, anyway, where was I...I had a real ball out there today. I want to thank OP for having me back. I'd never miss it. I love this event. The different variety of
surf...especially that left the other day. I'm just really grateful to be involved with this contest."

After the final the armada moved to HTs for a $10,000 winner-take-all expression session. All six surfers, Occy, Shane Dorian, CJ Hobgood, Tim Curran and the Irons brothers are eligible for the loot. However, money isn't always a motivating force for these young surfers.

In yesterday's 2nd chance repercharge heat, in which the winner would advance to the $30,000 final heat, CJ Hobgood and Tim Curran both were in position to advance with just one more quality scoring ride. However, they each chose to surf "switch foot" on waves that quite possibly could have moved them into the money round. Instead the two surfers' nonchalant approach, fooling around with
the waves, instead of cutting loose with abandon, made them, according to the judges, look like kooks. But what's thirty grand between buds?

Nevertheless, all the surfers paddled out into solid 6' bombs. Shane Dorian took off on a thick beast, turned into the tube and drove for eight seconds through a sometimes frothy, sometimes dry barrel. He won $3300 for "best tube." CJ Hobgood took home the loot for "best maneuver" with a backside 360-tailslide-floater combo. Bruce Irons landed an 360 air to take home the loot for "best aerial."

"Easily the best offshore event that I've been involved with or had the opportunity to even watch," explained an ecstatic Bernie Baker, contest director for the OP PRO. "I've never seen so many people in such precarious positions, all of the boats in the middle of the ocean...to be able to keep it together, put it together and make it work. It was an absolutely awesome event in every sense. I wish the people out there could have experienced what we have experienced. There is nothing like it, in any sport."

Official results

MEN'S FINAL

1.      Mark Occhilupo
2.      Andy Irons
3.      Bruce Irons

--Scott Bass

BLUETORCH TV on FOX SPORTSNET TV schedule for the OP PRO MENTAWAIS
Tentative exact dates:

*       SEPTEMBER 10-snow at 4pm and 2am
*       SEPTEMBER 24-28 at 4pm and 2am

Check out event coverage on OP.COM

For more information go to http://www.surfermag.com

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