Saturday, August 7th, 2004
Cory Lopez helps lead the East Coast to a
consecutive Gold Medal victory with Extreme Aerial Surfing in front of live T.V.
audience at ESPN's X GAMES X...
Huntington Beach, CA (PRWEB)
August 10, 2004 -- Top Professional Surfer, Cory Lopez (Indian Rocks Beach,
Florida) helped lead the East Coast to a second straight, consecutive Gold Medal
victory with extreme Aerial Surfing in front of a live Television audience at
ESPN's X GAMES X held Saturday, August 7th. 2004. Cory, the agile surfer from
Florida's West Coast, captivated the crowd with progressive, high flying
maneuvers - resulting in high scoring rides of 7 points or more and bringing the
(30K +) crowd to their feet by landing the only 'Aerial Reverse' of the first
quarter (below)...
East Coast team rider Cory Lopez
pulls a frontside air in the first quarter of play in
The Game at the 2004 X Games surf
contest.
Just one week prior, at the same venue in Huntington
Beach, Cory placed 3rd in the final of the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing (presented
by O'Neill) while defending his 2003 US Open title.
Although planning to compete, Cory's older brother Shea elected to withdraw from the X Games team roster. This last minute decision (although tough for Shea) may have been crucial to the East's overall success by providing an opportunity for Cory to fill the position. Cory had been previously scheduled to compete in a major Qualifying event in Japan, but opted instead to stay in California and help the East defeat the West, thus retaining their Gold Medal title in X Games X.
Shea had been rehabbing in earnest a knee injury (sustained during the final event of the 2003 WCT season - X Box Pipe Masters) while looking forward to helping the East Coast team repeat. Cory's finals berth in the U.S. Open, the previous week, helped seal the decision for the older Lopez Brother. "Cory had a good finish in the U.S. Open, so I gave him my slot. He was surfing better and they already had made the jersey's and everything with just 'Lopez' so it was an easy switch"; said Shea.
Shea could be seen sitting patiently by Coach Matt Kechele's side throughout the live telecast, cheering for his winning squad and brother Cory. Cory and Shea Lopez are the only surfing siblings to boast an X Games Gold Medal and US Open Championship.
ESPN's X GAMES X marks the first time that Professional Surfing has been televised live in the United States - on ESPN and ABC. 2004 also marks the 25th Anniversary of the celebrated first all sports network - ESPN and the 10th Anniversary of the X GAMES. X Games X is only the second year that surfing has been included in the alternative action sports extravaganza. ABC was the first major network to broadcast Hawaiian surfing events in the 1970's with coverage of the Pipeline Masters and the World Cup of Surfing on ABC's 'Wide World of Sports'.
Cory, known for charging huge barrels at places like Teahupoo Tahiti, dazzled the crowd with his aerial surfing prowess at X Games X in front of a live Television audience - a first for surfing.
The East Squad's decisive victory over the West in X GAMES X, served notice that they are indeed a force to be reckoned with. They will be back next year to make it three for three.
Although planning to compete, Cory's older brother Shea elected to withdraw from the X Games team roster. This last minute decision (although tough for Shea) may have been crucial to the East's overall success by providing an opportunity for Cory to fill the position. Cory had been previously scheduled to compete in a major Qualifying event in Japan, but opted instead to stay in California and help the East defeat the West, thus retaining their Gold Medal title in X Games X.
Shea had been rehabbing in earnest a knee injury (sustained during the final event of the 2003 WCT season - X Box Pipe Masters) while looking forward to helping the East Coast team repeat. Cory's finals berth in the U.S. Open, the previous week, helped seal the decision for the older Lopez Brother. "Cory had a good finish in the U.S. Open, so I gave him my slot. He was surfing better and they already had made the jersey's and everything with just 'Lopez' so it was an easy switch"; said Shea.
Shea could be seen sitting patiently by Coach Matt Kechele's side throughout the live telecast, cheering for his winning squad and brother Cory. Cory and Shea Lopez are the only surfing siblings to boast an X Games Gold Medal and US Open Championship.
ESPN's X GAMES X marks the first time that Professional Surfing has been televised live in the United States - on ESPN and ABC. 2004 also marks the 25th Anniversary of the celebrated first all sports network - ESPN and the 10th Anniversary of the X GAMES. X Games X is only the second year that surfing has been included in the alternative action sports extravaganza. ABC was the first major network to broadcast Hawaiian surfing events in the 1970's with coverage of the Pipeline Masters and the World Cup of Surfing on ABC's 'Wide World of Sports'.
Cory, known for charging huge barrels at places like Teahupoo Tahiti, dazzled the crowd with his aerial surfing prowess at X Games X in front of a live Television audience - a first for surfing.
The East Squad's decisive victory over the West in X GAMES X, served notice that they are indeed a force to be reckoned with. They will be back next year to make it three for three.
East Coast captain Kelly Slater
receives the Gold Medal for X Games X Surf,
from Bethany Hamilton, the young
woman that lost her arm to a shark in Hawaii last year.
The East Coast team wins the gold
for the second year in a row.
Cory Lopez (front, center), holding
Gold Medal.
X Games X Surfing Results:
Team Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4
Total Score
East 27.60 22.79 24.73 21.91 97.03
West 22.47 26.22 21.99 19.34 90.02
Breakdown on Competition (Teams and Heats):
Name Number/Bib Color Hometown
EAST—
Quarters 1 and 3
1. Taj Burrow 5/Blue Yallingup, Australia
2. Cory Lopez 8/Yellow Indian Beach Rocks, Fla.
3. Dean Randazzo 1/Red Atlantic City, N.J.
4. Damien Hobgood 6/Pink Satellite Beach, Fla.
Quarters 2 and 4
1. C.J. Hobgood 4/Blue Satellite Beach, Fla.
2. Asher Nolan 2/Yellow Neptune Beach, Fla.
3. Kelly Slater 7/Red Cocoa Beach, Fla.
4. Aaron Cormican 9/Pink New Smyrna, Fla.
Substitutes
1. Bryan Hewitson 10 Indialantic, Fla.
2. Peter Mendia 3 West Palm Beach, Fla.
Name Number/Bib Color Hometown
WEST—
Quarters 1 and 3
1. Rob Machado 9/Blue Cardiff, Calif.
2. Shane Beschen 1/Yellow San Clemente, Calif.
3. Taylor Knox 3/Red Carlsbad, Calif.
4. Mike Losness 4/Pink San Clemente, Calif.
Quarters 2 and 4
1. Andy Irons 7/Blue Kauai, Hawaii
2. Pat O'Connell 5/Yellow Dana Point, Calif.
3. Tim Curran 8/Red Oxnard, Calif.
4. Dane Reynolds 6/Pink Ventura, Calif.
Substitutes 1. Jason Collins 2 Santa Cruz, Calif.
2. Nate Yeomans 10 San Clemente, Calif.
East 27.60 22.79 24.73 21.91 97.03
West 22.47 26.22 21.99 19.34 90.02
Breakdown on Competition (Teams and Heats):
Name Number/Bib Color Hometown
EAST—
Quarters 1 and 3
1. Taj Burrow 5/Blue Yallingup, Australia
2. Cory Lopez 8/Yellow Indian Beach Rocks, Fla.
3. Dean Randazzo 1/Red Atlantic City, N.J.
4. Damien Hobgood 6/Pink Satellite Beach, Fla.
Quarters 2 and 4
1. C.J. Hobgood 4/Blue Satellite Beach, Fla.
2. Asher Nolan 2/Yellow Neptune Beach, Fla.
3. Kelly Slater 7/Red Cocoa Beach, Fla.
4. Aaron Cormican 9/Pink New Smyrna, Fla.
Substitutes
1. Bryan Hewitson 10 Indialantic, Fla.
2. Peter Mendia 3 West Palm Beach, Fla.
Name Number/Bib Color Hometown
WEST—
Quarters 1 and 3
1. Rob Machado 9/Blue Cardiff, Calif.
2. Shane Beschen 1/Yellow San Clemente, Calif.
3. Taylor Knox 3/Red Carlsbad, Calif.
4. Mike Losness 4/Pink San Clemente, Calif.
Quarters 2 and 4
1. Andy Irons 7/Blue Kauai, Hawaii
2. Pat O'Connell 5/Yellow Dana Point, Calif.
3. Tim Curran 8/Red Oxnard, Calif.
4. Dane Reynolds 6/Pink Ventura, Calif.
Substitutes 1. Jason Collins 2 Santa Cruz, Calif.
2. Nate Yeomans 10 San Clemente, Calif.
Reported by
Lopez Media Management
For
more info - go to: http://expn.go.com/expn/summerx/2004/sport?archive=surf