Running off the steam from yesterday’s epic Pipe Invitational with sets in the triple overhead range, the call was made to start off right at 8 a.m. with a fading swell and a few scattered showers.
The conditions cooperated early with 10-12 foot sets still rolling through, but there were ups and downs with each heat. As the day continued on, the surfers struggled to find a good score with results ranging from Bede Durbidge’s winning heat total of a whopping 2.84 to another perfect 10 from the retiring veteran, C.J. Hobgood.
Italo Ferreira started off the competition in style, earning an 8.33 on the first wave of the morning. Dropping straight into the tube, he got spit out and put together a combination cutback to a closing snap getting the fins loose.
After that, it became all about the tube with each surfer risking it all just trying to make it out of the tunnel still on their feet.
Tahitian Michel Bourez, proved to be back in form, after nursing an early season hand injury at the last few events, by being the first surfer to influence the title race with a win over World No. 3 Adriano de Souza.
The local wildcards took advantage of the mixed up situation in the line-up as both Mason Ho and Jamie O’Brien won their respective heats. Ho only had a pair of 3’s, but it was enough to advance straight into the third round over Jadson Andre and Dusty Payne.
O’Brien also threw a wrench into the title race, sending World No. 2 Filipe Toledo into Round 2 to face Bruce Irons in the first heat.
Toledo led the heat early, finding a few smaller waves, but O’Brien stayed busy out in the line-up and after a few failed attempts, he found a bomb.
Dragging his whole body in the wave, he soaked up every second of tunnel vision and ducked out the doggy door. Earning a 7.33, J.O.B. took the lead and eventually the heat win.
In the next heat, Bruce Irons fell short of sending Mick Fanning to Round 2 by only 0.33. Looking to Backdoor, Fanning got the better of the exchange earning a 9.43 with a clean exit and taking the lead from Irons who earned a 7.83.
The next 9-point ride was earned by Kai Otton in heat 7. It was a pretty slow heat with Otton holding down the lead with only a 4.17. With about four minutes left in the heat, a set finally rolled through and Ricardo Christie got swallowed on the first wave after a wobbly drop. Otton was right behind him on a much cleaner wave, drawing a smooth line through the barrel. The wave spit him out with finesse and the judges scored it a 9.73, securing a large lead over the other two competitors which also influenced the title race a bit by sending Julian Wilson to Round 2.
Heat 9 was one for the books, with the three most experienced WCT surfers out in the line-up, Kelly Slater, Taj Burrow, and C.J. Hobgood.
Hobgood stole the show on his first wave. After Slater and Burrow had both put small scores on the board, Hobgood positioned himself a bit deeper in the line-up holding first priority. When the set came, all three surfer’s let the first wave go. On the second wave, Burrow and Hobgood both swung around, but Burrow pulled back with Hobgood scrapping for it on the inside of him.
Hobgood got to his feet as the lip crashed above him and disappeared into what looked to be an un-makeable tube. But just at the last second, Hobgood bust through the foam as it all closed out behind him. The degree of difficulty alone earned him another perfect 10 to add to his last season highlights.
After Heat 11 was horribly slow and Bede Durbidge won with a 2.84 heat total, Josh Kerr capitalized on the unruly leftovers of the dying swell and won the last heat of the first round.
When Round 2 hits the water, Filipe Toledo will have his work cut out for him going up against former Pipe Master and event wildcard Bruce Irons.
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