News of an ugly incident involving former world champion Sunny Garcia, 2010 Pipeline Master Jeremy Flores and a young Burleigh Heads local has began to make its way around the world. Video of the alleged assault not pretty.
Below is the breaking news as it appeared on the Goldcoast.com website yesterday.
‘TWO professional world surfers have been disqualified from the Breaka Burleigh Surf Pro after they allegedly bashed a local surfer at Burleigh Heads today.
Sunny Garcia and Jeremy Flores were allegedly involved in an attack on the surfer in front of hundreds of spectators about 2.45pm.
Witnesses said they saw Garcia, a former world champion surfer, place the local man, known as Clarkey, into head lock, hold him under water and punch him a number of times.
Flores, currently ranked world number nine, was also allegedly involved in the incident.
” I didn’t swing first. I didn’t look for trouble and I wasn’t going to turn around and run away,” said Flores.
It is believed the alleged assault was sparked when the man allegedly cut in front of Sunny Garcia Junior during a leisure surf.
Garcia said he gone to the aid of his son.
The Association of Surfing Professionals today took disciplinary action against the pair and banned Garcia from competing in his next competition in Newcastle next month and disqualified Flores from the Breaka Burleigh Surf Pro.
Flores was unable to compete in his quarter final today.
A witness to the alleged attack said: ”They were punching him good – he was bent over and spitting blood,” the man who did not want to be named said.
”It was just totally brutal.”
An amateur camera man who was filming the commotion alleged he was chased and knocked to the concrete by Garcia.
He said he was left with bruises and cuts and a suspected broken hand from the attack.
Police were called to investigation but no charges have been laid as the victim had not lodged an official complaint.
An unfortunate incident that could see the end of one, maybe two, successful surfing careers.
ABC new reported that the catalyst was some Burleigh Heads locals verbally threatening Sunny’s son.
Report below…
“Queensland police are reviewing video footage of a brawl at the Burleigh Pro surfing competition on the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Witnesses allege Hawaiian surfing legend Sunny Garcia and French champion Jeremy Flores were involved in the fight.
The Association of Surfing Professionals has disqualified world number nine Flores from the event and Garcia has been banned from a competition in Newcastle next month.
Flores says he was trying to protect Garcia’s teenage son, who was allegedly threatened by local surfers.
Police say no one has made a complaint, but they are investigating anyway.”
