THERE isn’t a lot of margin for error when it comes to the sport of surfing.
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Just ask Port Macquarie’s Matt Banting.
Banting progressed to the third round at the US Open in California in second position after he was pipped by 0.04 of a point.
Home town hero Brett Simpson got the nod from the judges by the barest of margins when he scored a 8.07 and 6.57 for a total of 14.64.
It would prove to be just enough to claim first position over Banting who scored a 7.43 and 7.17 for a total of 14.60.
Banting’s father, Len, felt the 22-year-old was surfing well and it was the nature of the sport.
“Sometimes you create your own luck,” he said.
“I was talking on the phone to Matt about 1.30am this morning (Thursday) and he was happy to finish in the top two.”
The two-foot conditions at Huntington Beach were suited to Banting who picked up a right hander at the end which was scored as a 7.43.
It was followed by a left hander with three good turns and an aerial which only saw him pick up 7.17 from the judges.
Len felt three of the four surfers in the heat which included Banting surfed better than the heat winner.
“They were surfing more top to bottom whereas he was surfing more like windscreen wipers,” he said.
Banting will be in action again at 4.30am AEST on Friday morning when he lines up against Torrey Meister, Evan Geiselman and Tomas Hermes.