The Outerknown Fiji Pro has been a good one so far. The waves turned up, and the performances matched it–at least in some cases. Strangely enough, it was mostly the veterans who weren’t able to move on. First up, Owen Wright.
While his return to surfing’s biggest stage was nothing short of inspirational, Wright wasn’t able to do what everyone knows he can do at Cloudbreak. In the past, he’s been a standout. This time around, though, he lost to a very in-form Ian Gouveia but just a fraction. It’s just a result, but it hurts because it’s a perfect lefthander, and it’s pumping,” he told Barton Lynch. He know it could be worse, though. “It’s okay… I’m in Fiji.”
Another Fiji giant who couldn’t find the next level was Gabriel Medina. In the last heat of the day, he came up against Italo Ferreira. Although the heat came right down to the buzzer, Ferreira, who’s fresh off the recovery table from a back injury, managed to progress.
Kelly Slater, after a dismal round one performance, managed to hang on. In his second-round heat against newcomer Ethan Ewing, he used all of the knowledge he’s gained over the years to stay in the event. “He’s an incredible surfer,” Slater said of Ewing. “He just hasn’t been able to get on a roll yet.”
Heat 5: Mick Fanning vs. Michel Bourez
Heat 6: John John Florence vs. Leonardo Fioravanti
Heat 7: Jordy Smith vs. Joan Duru
Heat 8: Kelly Slater vs. Connor O’Leary
Heat 9: Joel Parkinson vs. Jeremy Flores
Heat 10: Kolohe Andino vs. Bede Durbidge
Heat 11: Sebastian Zietz vs. Wiggolly Dantas
Heat 12: Adriano de Souza vs. Stu Kennedy
Keep an eye on things over at Worldsurfleague.com.
