Mick Fanning
Curse that blasted Dusty Payne. If only Mick had beaten him in Pipe the US rookie wouldn't have got a look on the Gold Coast. Sure Dusty deserved his 8-point ride, but the judges' score of 6.67 for Mick's best left everyone includiny team Payne scratching their heads. But after no warm-up events prior, one can be sure White Lightning will cause some damage at Margaret River ahead of Bells.
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Julian Wilson
He's the best looking dude on tour but it was an ugly heat against that man TB when his best wave just didn't produce enough for him to work with. Hold ya head high though little legend, getting knocked by the reigning champ in a super close heat, in your very first tour event, is better than a punch in the jeans.
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Jordy Smith
He master-minded the assassination of local Joel Parkinson in the quarters before succumbing to the whirlind that was TB in the semi. The heat was built as an aerial assualt of epic proportions, but an unlcuky Jordy ran out of ammo in a tough heat. Watch out though kiddies - Jordy angry now.
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Tiago Pires
Along with Jordy, flew the flag for team Red Bull in the finals, shocking on-lookers when he took down an explosive Matt Wilko - who was tipped to take out the event. As if the waves weren't bad enough in the quarters, the surfing Gods conspired against him in a semi-final against 10-time champ Kelly Slater, a waveless heat that could only be compared to Ben Afleck's acting in Pearl Harbour.
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Adriano De Souza
He posted the second highest score of the event with an epic 9.67 against eventual finalist Taj Burrow in the round five redemption round, in doing so producing the second highest total of the event in arguably the best heat. Unluckier than a Tiger Airways passenger, any other heat and he'd have been a force in the finals.
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Michel Bourez
Red Bull gives you wings but stablemate Tiago Pires and no waves gave Michel the shits in round five, Pirez taking out a low-scoring heat that was closer than Charlie Sheen and Betty Ford.
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Carissa Moore
In the words of Charlie Sheen, she's a winner. By-winning even - she wins here, she wins there. Carissa dominated her heats before going down in history as surfing in the best women's final of all time. Seriously. It was better than the men's final and arguably the second best heat of the entire event. Woo! Go, Carissa!
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Sally Fitzgibbons
We know she's super hot out of the water but Sal was ice-cold in it, pulling manouvres with precision and power. Hell, if you'd seen women's surfing 10 years ago you'd think the footage was from 1960 compared to the stuff Sal and the girls were delivering. It was nasty. The girl ripped the best score of the comp with an explosive 9.93 and just went down to Carissa in the semi when Carissa smoked a 9.43.
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Sofia Mulanovich
Made it all the way to round four before running in to a possessed Laura Enenver, who went on to take down four-time champ Steph Gilmore and make the semis. Her surfing was gnarly, perhaps another Red Bull would have given her the little bit extra she needed.
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