The first day of the BOX trials was on at Gas Bay with R1 & R2 now completed. Rounds 1 & 2 of the IBA Box Pro Trials have been completed in one-to-two metre waves at West Australia’s infamous ‘Gas Bay’, a wedging reef break located just south of Margaret River. Gold Coaster Nick Omerod (Tweed Heads) and Sydneysider Sam Strachan (Cronulla, NSW) were two clear standouts on Day 1, with both riders progressing comfortably to Round 3 with excellent 9.0+ rides. Omerod made it tougher on himself by entering the trials late and forfeiting a certain Round 3 seed, but with punchy peaks drawing hard on the Gas Bay reef, conditions resembled a favourite local haunt of the 26 year-old and he wasted no time in asserting himself in the WA lineup. Omerod combined deep tube rides with solid rolls to walk away with two individual heat wins, accounting for the likes of Luke O’Connor (NSW, AUS) Leonardo Leite (BRA), Brady Devenny (WA, AUS) and Charles Ward (Tas, AUS) enroute to round 3. Strachan too was impressive, constantly taking off deep behind the Gas Bay peak and launching hard off the lip. Advancing into Round 3 behind Strachan was the UK’s Eddie Read (ENG) while Kristian Greaghty (NSW, AUS) and Shaun Pyne (Cronulla, NSW) were eliminated. Just eight trials spots into the The Box Pro main event are up for grabs from an international field of 64 hopefuls. Among the visiting internationals to hit the water when the Trials continues tomorrow are Sacha Specker (ZAF) of South Africa, Julien Miremont (FRA) of France, Keahi Parker (HAW) of Hawaii and Canada’s Vijay Maharaj (CAN). The $30,000 IBA Box Pro is the second of eight events on the 2011 Men’s Grand Slam Series tour and has an eight-day waiting period beginning Thursday April 14 with just two full days of competition required to find a winner. The current forecast suggests excellent conditions are likely to arrive early in the waiting period, with organisers making an official call on proceedings by 7:00am local time, Thursday morning. All the action from The Box Pro will be available live at www.redbull.com/tv . Alternatively fans can watch it online at via www.ibaworldtour.com. Australian viewers can also tune into FUEL TV – check local guides for times. Press updates, including pictures will be made available daily. A final TV newsfeed will also be made available. MUSIC//Love Connection - Lost City Of Gold

Chase O’Leary of Port Macquarie, NSW has claimed the top spot in the IBA Box Pro trials today, finishing ahead of more than 60 international riders vying for spots in the prestigious main event. O’Leary’s win was convincing, the 21 year-old consistently nailed an array of technical tricks, including ARS’s (air reverse spins) and back-flips, in the one-to-two metre waves of Gas Bay near Margaret River to advance through a total of five rounds before claiming victory in the trials final. As the highest placed among eight successful trials riders, O’Leary has drawn a tough main-event heat, up against the number 6 GSS (Grand Slam Series) seeded competitor, Mark McCarthy (ZAF) of South Africa and the ‘Kelly Slater’ of bodyboarding, Mike Stewart (HAW) of Hawaii. His win also earns him 2000 GQS points and places him neck-and-neck with another Aussie, Tom Rigby (Burleigh Heads, QLD), at the top of the Global Qualifying Series (GQS) leader board. The top eight riders on the GQS at year’s end will earn coveted seeds on the 2012 GSS World Tour. O’Leary’s bodyboarding talents were recognised earlier in the year by his local Port Macquarie Hasting Council; on Australia Day he was announced “Sportsperson of the Year” winner, one of five categories honouring residents of the region who are considered to be actively living the values of what it means to be Australian. The other successful trialists to earn seeds into the main event today were: Rigby, Mitch Woodland (Box Beach, Port Stephens, NSW), day one standout Nick Omerod (Tweed Heads, NSW), Sam Bennett (Port Macquarie, NSW), Cade Sharp (Sunshine Coast, Qld), international, Keahi Parker (Hawaii) and Joe Clarke (Gold Coast, Qld). Clarke scored a perfect-10 point ride to earn his slot, setting the beach alight with an incredible roll during his quarter final that saw him project from the lip to the heavens. Clarke leapfrogged to the lead, relegating his nearest opponent, Andrew Lester (Cronulla, NSW), to third place and elimination. Tomorrow, Thursday April 14, is the first day of the waiting period, though the current surf forecast suggests a start at the primary venue of The Box on Friday. Organisers will make an official decision at 07:00 local time. The IBA Box Pro will see the debut New GSS format that features three non-elimination rounds. The format gives all contestants a fairer chance in varying conditions as well as giving fans a greater opportunity to see their favourite riders in action. The $30,000 IBA Box Pro is the second of eight events on the 2011 Men’s Grand Slam Series tour and has an eight-day waiting period beginning Thursday April 14 with just two full days of competition required to find a winner. The current forecast suggests excellent conditions are likely to arrive early in the waiting period, with organisers making an official call on proceedings by 7:00am local time, Thursday morning. All the action from The Box Pro is available for viewing live at www.redbull.tv. Alternatively fans can watch it online at via www.ibaworldtour.com. Australian viewers can also tune into FUEL TV – check local guides for times. 1 Chase O’Leary Australia 2 Mitch Woodland Australia 3 Thomas Rigby Australia 4 Nick Ormerod Australia 5 Sam Bennett Australia 6 Cade Sharp Australia 7 Keahi Parker Hawaii 8 Joe Clarke Australia Friday is looking good for a start so stay tuned for more info MUSIC// Mountain Lion - Floors