OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - October 6, 2008: El Segundo, Ca- 2001 ASP World Champion CJ Hobgood of Satellite Beach, Florida won the 9th stop on the 2008 ASP World Tour with a last minute wave, snatching victory from Australia’s Joel Parkinson. The win was CJ’s first in four years, and ironically was a nearly identical scenario to his victory over Parkinson at the 2004 Quiksilver Pro Japan.

Hobgood is known for his tube riding prowess, and the hollow lefts of Mundaka really catered to his ability. Opening the heat with a near perfect 9.93 ride, CJ couldn’t find a back up score until the last fifteen seconds of the heat. Needing a 5.93 to take the win, it came down to the last possible ride.

“Me and Joel were looking at that last wave and he was thinking about it hard,” Hobgood said. “I just made sure he was going to go or I was going to go. I didn’t know there was another one behind it, but I did hear a couple of whistles and turned around and saw the wave. I knew it was my last chance. I put my head down and didn’t even look at the wave and paddled to the shoulder as hard as I could because I didn’t want to get stuck behind it. I saw Joel in the peripheral and just threaded the needle. I could have been a little bit greedier, but I knew if I got a barrel and rode the rest of the wave I’d have a good chance.”

CJ was rewarded with an 8.57 on his final wave, earning him a heat total of 18.50 as compared to Parkinson’s 15.83.

“It feels so good to win an event again,” CJ proudly claimed. “There’s two more events on the schedule and I’m excited to keep surfing well and continue moving up the ratings.”

This was the second final for CJ in 2008, having finished 2nd to Kelly Slater at the Globe Pro Fiji in June. With the win he has jumped to 6th place on the tour ratings.



Tags: 2008 billabong pro mundaka, c.j. hobgood, globe

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