Chopes trials fisticuffs?

[dUg]

From the ASP Facebook page, 9 hours ago:

The ASP is aware of an incident that took place during the non-sanctioned trials for the Billabong Pro Tahiti. The ASP Rules and Disciplinary Committee is investigating the incident to determine if further action is required. To that end, allow us to reiterate Article 155 of the ASP Rulebook - Violence has no place in professional surfing and will not be tolerated.

http://www.aspworldtour.com/pdf/asprulebook.pdf

Article 155: Physical Assault and Mutual Combat
No Competitor shall, at any time, physically assault any Judge, Event staff
(including volunteer), opponent, member of the media, spectator or any other
person within the designated Event area. For the purposes of this Article,
physical assault is defined as any battery or assault including any attempt to
commit a battery and/or assault. All forms of shoving, fighting, mutual combat
or the like are considered violations of this Article. All Competitors should be
aware that physical violence has no place in professional surfing and will not
be tolerated. If it is immediately clear to the Chair of the Rules & Discipline
Committee, a Tour Manager, the Head Judge, or Event Director, which
Competitor or Competitors were the initial aggressor of the incident, then that
Competitor SHALL be disqualified from the remainder of that Competitive
Event or, if the Competitor has already been disqualified via loss, then the
Competitor shall be suspended from the next Competitive Event. Any
Competitor involved in an incident of physical assault (which includes throwing
a punch regardless of whether it connects) will be also be subject to the
following disciplinary action:
(i) Monetary Fines and Disqualification.
First Offense: $5,000 USD and automatic disqualification from remainder
of the Competitive Event. Disqualification may be waived in a “mutual
combat” type situation.
Second Offense: $10,000 USD and automatic disqualification from
remainder of the Competitive Event.
Third Offense: $15,000 USD and automatic disqualification from
remainder of the Competitive Event.
(ii) Suspension and Expulsion.
Any offender under this Article may be subject to suspension and/or
expulsion from an ASP Tour upon the first offense. Fighting has no place
in an ASP Tour and will not be dealt with lightly. Where multiple offenses
occur within one or more concurrent seasons which clearly efface a pattern of unacceptable conduct, the Competitor may be subject to
suspension and/or expulsion from an ASP Tour.
(iii) Points
Any offender under this Article who is disqualified from a Competitive
Event may still receive points for the Event only if they have competed
without incident in at least one heat of the Event.

c'mon rumor mill... don't fail me now

[dUg]

http://stabmag.com/jamie-obrien-on-the- ... -incident/