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Brett Simpson is one of the most liked surfers on Tour. Never one to take things all that seriously, Simpo fell off the tour last year. It was the first time he failed to requalify since 2010. Now sitting at 50th on the QS, Simpson’s WCT future looks to be on shaky ground. Going into the Trestles event as a wildcard, hopes weren’t all that high, but Simpson is proving everyone wrong.

After defeating world number two Matt Wilkinson, he drew John Florence–who’s wearing the yellow jersey–in the third round… and won. “I’m really stoked. Every time you surf against John, those top guys, all you’re thinking is ‘I hope I’m not going to get blown out of the water,'” he said in his post-heat interview. “Even when there was five minutes [left], I was still like, ‘there’s still a chance.’ The guy is amazing. He knows how to pull scores out of mediocre waves, too. I’m obviously happy. I could have used that when I was on tour, but the pressure’s off. I’m able to relax and do my thing.”

This gives John John a 13th in the ratings, which will put a massive dent in his world title campaign. Watch the whole heat above. It’s crazy.

 
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