Melling has much riding on improved conditions
ADAM Melling became a victim of lacklustre conditions at Snapper Rocks on Saturday but the Lennox Heads shredder has a chance to turn his Quiksilver Pro campaign around.
Felipe Toledo, son of former Brazilian surfing champion Ricardo stands in the Tweed Coaster’s way – a challenge Melling is not taking for granted.
But surfing conditions on the Gold Coast are an added concern for Melling who is hoping he does not have to take on the 19-yearold Brazilian in small waves.
“It’s a tough one when you’re sitting there watching it and it looks really fun and (then) it dies,” he said.
“(My next heat is) not going to be easy. I’ve got Toledo and he’s beaten me the last couple of times I’ve come up against him; we’ve had some tight battles,” he said.
“I’ll be looking to get one up on him.”
Melling, 29, got off to a great start at the Burleigh Pro on the Gold Coast last month, surfing himself to the four-man final before Mitch Crews stole the show.
But the World Tour veteran said a good result at the Quiksilver Pro was particularly important in the context of his season.
“I’ve always wanted to do well in this event; it’s pretty close to home,” he said.
Melling (10.3) came second behind Nat Young of the US (15.8) in Heat 12 on Saturday, narrowly beating fellow Australian Owen Wright (9.1) in the first World Surf League event of the season.
He hopes things pick up before he is required to jump back on the board this week.
“It happens pretty quick sometimes … you can get a bit of a lull,” he said. “I guess Owen didn’t really get any waves and Nat sort of got the two best ones of the heat.
“I got one sort of average one so there wasn’t much going around in that heat.”
Melling said he expected more lay days to come until conditions pick up at Snapper Rocks.
“With the high tide pushing through in the morning it should be all right before the end of the week but you never know,” he said. “The swell’s not looking that crash hot until the end of the week so we might be having a few lay days I reckon.”