Billabong Pro Mundaka Waiting Period Starts Monday, September 29th-Slater can clinch #9 in Spain!

MUNDAKA, Basque Country/Spain (Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008) ASP World Tourratings leader Kelly Slater (USA) was 7.31 points away from clinching hisninth ASP World Title when he was beaten by Australia¹s Adrian Buchan intheir French final bout yesterday. Slater now has to secure an equal 9thfinish at next week¹s Billabong Pro Mundaka to clinch crown No.9.
³I was one wave away [from the title],² Slater said. ³One wave away is a lotcloser than two heats but we¹ll see how we go.²
Slater won his last world title in Mundaka and will do so again this yearshould he advance out of Round 3. If he doesn¹t, and reigning ASP WorldChampion Mick Fanning (AUS) or World No. 2 Taj Burrow win the event, therace will continue to Brazil. Slater will match-up with wildcards in theearly rounds.
³In Mundaka for some reason I haven¹t had trouble in those wildcard heatsbut in Brazil I have before,² Slater said. ³Taj and Mick haven¹t won thisyear but they¹ve both won in Brazil and they¹ve gotten seconds and thirds inMundaka, so those are good contests for those guys. But worse case scenariofor me, it will be narrowed down to one guy at the next event.²
Bobby Martinez (USA) has won the event for the last two years the only twotimes he¹s competed in Mundaka. Martinez finished equal 5th in France andnow sits 7th on the ratings.
³It¹s so tough because I just got lucky with waves and my luck is bound torun out sometime so it could be this year,² Martinez said. ³Mundaka has beena cool place to me the last couple of years and it will always be cool nomatter what happens but I¹ve never done good in France and then I¹ve donegood in Spain so I¹m just hoping it¹s not the other way around this yearsince I just did alright in France.²
The Billabong Pro Mundaka waiting period stretches from next Monday,September 30 to Sunday, October 12.
Top 10 ASP World Tour Ratings going into the Billabong Pro Mundaka:1. Kelly Slater (USA) - 7852 points2. Taj Burrow (AUS) - 6002 points3. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 5668 points4. Adriano De Souza (BRA) 5426 points5. Joel Parkinson (AUS) - 5373 points6. Mick Fanning (AUS) - 5310 points7. Bobby Martinez (USA) - 5092 points8. CJ Hobgood (USA) - 4880 points9. Adrian Buchan (AUS) - 4719 points10. Jeremy Flores (FRA) - 4407 points