Surfing: Quinn breaks into top 50

Jay Quinn. Photo / Doug Sherring

Jay Quinn has broken into the top 50 surfers in the world after an impressive third placing at a six-star prime event on the Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour.

Gisborne surfer Quinn finished behind Americans Nate Yeomans and CJ Hobgood at the Billabong Pro in the Azores Islands off Portugal. Despite some excellent waves early in the event, the final day was played out in tricky 1.5m waves and onshore winds.

"It was a matter of just keeping busy and trying to find something to run along the beach. It was extremely hard conditions,'' said Quinn.

In a low scoring semifinal against Yeomans, and needing only a 5.23 point ride to take the lead with over 10 minutes left, Quinn fell on his last turn on his best opportunity and came up short.

"I pretty much just had to stay on my feet and I would have made it. I am really disappointed at the moment because I had one foot in the door and didn't take advantage of it.''

Despite the loss, the third placing saw Quinn jump 12 places up the rankings to 49th to sit only three places behind Gisborne's Richard Christie as the top-placed Kiwi.

Christie finished the event in 13th place after being eliminated in a head-to-head clash with Quinn.

Quinn will now return to his base in Australia before heading to Santa Cruz for a prime rated event in a few weeks, and he will then return to Australia for a six-star event on Kangaroo Island.

With the pending birth of his first child, Quinn is likely to miss the final Hawaiian leg of the tour.