Timmy Curran Wins ASP Katin Pro-Am Team Challenge 2011

Timmy Curran, former ASP World Tour surfer, charged to a come-from-behind win in the final of the ASP Katin Pro-Am Team Challenge and Team Hurley is the overall event champion.

The Katin Pro-Am Team Challenge, known for its unique format, was held this year at Huntington Beach in California.

While an individual Katin Pro-Am Team Champion is crowned, each surfer belongs to a four-man team and his main objective is to gain points for his respective group by advancing through heats. The team with the most points is the overall champion.

Timmy Curran lived up to his reputation and scored a nearly perfect 9.77 out of 10 and the event’s highest heat-total, 18.50 out of 20. Fellow finalists Chris Waring, Micah Byrne and Tanner Gudauskas would have needed two scores to overtake him.

“I had a really slow start to that heat for the first 10 minutes and thought that heat was going to be a dud for me,” Curran said. “I did one little air and then I just decided that I was going to sit out the back and just go for airs in that heat. I know with the change in criteria now that the judges are rewarding big maneuvers so I just went for the airs.”

Curran led Team Hurley to victory with his individual win at the Katin Pro-Am Team Challenge and he admitted that Team Hurley's firm lead prior to the Final heat helped ease his nerves.

“Everyone on my team kept making heats so it really took the pressure off entering the final," said Curran. "I love Huntington Beach, I’ve been coming here since I was 15 and to win this event is great.”

Curran's comeback at the Katin Pro-Am Team Challenge will help him build his ASP World Ranking and increases his chances of making it to the US Open of Surfing.

“My plan this year is to take a break from the music tour and do as many fun events as possible to try and build my World Ranking,” Curran said. “I’d love to eventually get back into the US Open.”

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