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COOLANGATTA,
Australia – Round 1 of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by Samsung
was full of upsets after the ASP Foster’s 45 did battle in the three to four
foot (1 to 1.2 metre) surf at Snapper Rocks today, Mar. 1 2007. 
Julian
Wilson (AUS), who gained entry into the Quiksilver Pro as a wildcard, wasted little
time in his inaugural opportunity against the world’s best, scoring a sensational
upset in defeating reigning and eight-time Foster’s ASP World Tour champion
Kelly Slater (USA). 
“I’m
stoked – I have never surfed in a big comp like this before and my expectations
weren’t this high,” Wilson said. “I’m trying to keep them
high, but it’s pretty hard when you’re looking into a lineup like the
one I have ahead of me. I’m just taking it one step at a time and hopefully
I’ll do all right.” Slater, who is the defending
Quiksilver Pro champion, was relegated to Round 2 while Wilson has been seeded
directly into Round 3. “Julian is a good surfer –
he is one of those guys who you’ve started to hear about in the last two/three
years and he has the talent,” Slater said. “He is one of those guys
who comes from a free surfing background but he is starting to develop into a
good contest surfer – obviously, he won that heat.” 
Slater
will next meet 19-year-old local wildcard Dale Richards (AUS), who alongside former
three-time Foster’s ASP World Champion Andy Irons (HAW), was sent to Round
2 at the hands of South African Greg Emslie. “I
get Dale Richards now who obviously knows the wave real well,” Slater said.
“He hasn’t had the chance to surf these events before so we’ll
see if he can get himself real calm and just focus on what he is doing. If he
doesn’t get too distracted, he could do real well.” 
Richards
won the Quiksilver Pro trials to earn main event entry and, in doing so, has become
the first-ever indigenous Australian in a Foster’s ASP World Tour event. “I
guess I am the first indigenous surfer to make it one of these events so I feel
real privileged to be that surfer,” Richards said. “I’ve actually
never really thought about competing against Slater, but I’m looking forward
to it now, definitely. I’ve just seen him in the movies and watched his first
heat, that’s all.” Taj Burrow (AUS) was the third
of the Top 5 seeded Foster’s 45 surfers failing to advance straight through
to Round 3 today. Although netting an impressive 9.27 out of a possible 10 for
a beautiful series of carves and aerials, it was too little too late and he will
have to battle his way out of the elimination Round 2. Mick
Fanning (AUS), No. 3 seed in the Quiksilver Pro, led a local charge today that
saw Gold Coast surfers Joel Parkinson (AUS), Dean Morrison (AUS) and rookie sensation
Josh Kerr (AUS) advance through their respective heats straight into Round 3. 
Of
the 10 new faces on the 2007 Foster’s ASP World Tour, six advanced straight
to Round 3 today – Leonardo Neves (BRA), Kai Otton (AUS), Ben Dunn (AUS),
Josh Kerr (AUS), Jeremy Flores (FRA) and Ricky Basnett (ZAF) among them. 
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