Dusty Payne is one inspirational feller. After suffering an ankle injury in 2012, followed by a torn MCL a year later, prospects of jumping back on tour were dismal, to say the least. Against all odds, Dusty bulldozed through the latter half of the 2014 WQS, winning the Reef Hawaiian Pro and finishing runner-up at Sunset, which were ultimately the deciding factors in requalifying for the 2015 WCT.
Dusty now sits exactly where he belongs: competing with the world’s best on the professional world tour. And although he hasn’t had any stellar results this year, he is looking razor sharp. Here’s Dusty in his Round 2 matchup with the Brazilian Storm leader, Filipe Toledo. The second turn on his 4th scoring wave (around the 9:20 minute marker), Dusty laid into an insane blow-tail and cleanly rode away for an 8.27. Although he didn’t get the judges’ nod in the end, there is no denying that this was a classic, textbook example of a man-turn.
