Beschen Beats World’s Best

Shane Beschen surfed so poorly last year that he failed to qualify for this year’s World Championship Tour. He called that a “big wake-up call” and has been trying vigorously to ride his way back into the major leagues.

On Sunday, in front of more than 1,000 spectators under a mostly sunny sky on three-to four-foot waves at Lower Trestles near San Clemente, Beschen opened everyone’s eyes when he showed, during a dramatic showdown with the world’s top-ranked surfer, that perhaps he belongs there.

Beschen, 30, who was awarded one of two wild-card entries into the $285,000 Boost Mobile Pro, knew it would require all the skill he could muster to defeat Andy Irons, winner of two of five WCT events already this year. And Irons was well aware that Beschen, who lives only a couple of miles from the famed point break, had the ability to beat anyone on a given day.

As a result, both surfers pulled out all their tricks and, throughout their 35-minute heat, took turns performing maneuvers that had even their fellow competitors applauding.

Irons, 24, of Princeville, Hawaii, pulled off the most impressive maneuver, an aerial off-the-lip followed by a floating re-entry into the fast-breaking section. The judges scored the ride an 8 out of a possible 10. Beschen followed with a similar move on wave that scored 8.4.

Irons then used a combination of speed, power and hard-snapping turns on a long right-breaking wave to score a 9.25, one of the day’s top scores. With the judges accepting each surfers’ top two waves, Beschen needed an 8.86 to pull in front. And in the final minutes he used another aerial floater to register an 8.9 that propelled him into today’s fourth round and a matchup with Taylor Knox of Carlsbad.

“I had nothing to lose and everything to gain,” Beschen said. “If my performance was good enough to beat Andy it’s good enough to beat anybody.”

Knox, 31, advanced earlier in the day with a victory over Jake Paterson of Australia.

In failing to keep with the “locals rule” theme, Pat O’Connell, 30, of Laguna Beach, failed to advance after being defeated by Trent Munro of Australia. That leaves Beschen and Knox as the only Southern Californians still in contention.

Also advancing was six-time world champion Kelly Slater of Cocoa Beach, Fla. Pitted against Kieren Perrow of Australia, Slater posted a 9.0 early in the heat, on a long right all the way to the beach, but had trouble getting a decent second wave and watched as Kieren took a lead that lasted until the heat’s waning moments.

After falling with about three minutes to go, Slater, while scrambling back out to the lineup, saw another set of waves rolling in and paddled fiercely to make it far enough to be able to turn around and catch one.

Kieren caught the first wave of the set and Slater managed to catch the second almost as it was breaking. He stood up, kept his balance and ripped the wave apart to the tune of an 8.5, which sent him to a fourth-round match against another Australian, Darren O’Rafferty.

It was the second consecutive heat in which Slater, who is ranked No. 21, had to scrape by with late-heat theatrics.

Larger swells are forecast for today’s fourth round, which begins at 8 a.m. If conditions remain clean, the quarterfinals will follow. The semifinals and finals are slated for Tuesday.