Kelly Slater ready for great surf at Volcom Fiji Pro 2013. Photo: ASP/Kirstin
This morning, the 2013 Volcom Fiji Pro was finally been called back on. Rich Porta, Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) International Head Judge said, “Conditions have cleaned overnight and we have good surf on offer at Cloudbreak. We will resume Round 3 of competition at 7:30am and have placed Rounds 4 and 5 on standby for a probable run today as well. Good luck to all our competitors today,” according to Surf2Surf.
No official heats of the 2013 Volcom Fiji Pro were surfed yesterday, tacking on a fourth lay day to the event hold. The “King of Surfing” 11-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater did not agree with the decisions to postpone. He commented:
“It’s a tricky one. You don’t want to put anyone on the chopping block or anything, but yesterday was a bad call. Tide dropping, swell arriving, wind was pretty good. I got some great waves yesterday. I’m baffled. I don’t know who was involved in the 6:30am call-off yesterday, but I’m pissed about it. Well, in a way I am, and in a way, I’m not, ’cause I got to freesurf at a time when there weren’t too many people in the water. Yesterday was a really competitive day,” according to Surfline.
As the fourth of ten stops on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour, surfers are ready to conclude Round 3 match-ups today.
Slater was a late arrival, missing his Round 1 heat awaiting the birth of his nephew at home in Florida. Yet, even without any time to freesurf at Restaurants, Slater defeated Fiji surfer Aca Lalabalavu in his Round 2 heat. Surfing in heat 6 of Round 3, Slater beat Aussie Mitchel Coleborn, who defeated him last year in Round 1 of this event. Slater went on to defeat Sebastien Zietz and Jeremy Flores, posting a 19.30 heat score that included a perfect ten, to advance into the Quarterinals.
“That was unbelievable,” Slater said. “Those were some of the best waves I’ve ever had in a contest. On the 10, I was deep in the barrel and grabbed my rail, but I had to let go to get speed and then I hit the foam ball, I barely made that one…I didn’t even care if I won or lost, because I’d get to surf again.”
The 2013 Volcom Fiji Pro will be webcasted live via www.volcomfijipro.com
ASP WCT Event #4: Volcom Fiji Pro 2013
