Billabong Pro Tahiti 2011 - Aug 26
- il y a 12 ans
TEAHUPO'O, Taiarapu/French Polynesia (Friday, August 26, 2011) -- Following five consecutive lay days Mother Nature has delivered solid three metre-plus waves to the world's best surfers competing in event 5 on the 2011 ASP Men's World Tour, the Billabong Pro presented by Air Tahiti Nui.
Today's Round 2 was a complete contrast to the pristine conditions of Day 1 last weekend, with intense rainsqualls and strong southeast winds making Teahupo'o's challenging and powerful waves even more testing.
Wipeouts were common, with broken boards, broken legropes and battered bodies keeping the Billabong Pro Water Patrol on constant alert.
Local wildcard Hearri Williams (PYF) knows Teahupo'o better than most, but a rare miscalculation saw him go down hard in the first heat of the day against Frenchman Jeremy Flores (FRA). Williams never recovered, bowing out on one of the lowest scores recorded at elite level, 0.17 points to Flores's 09.67pts.
Brazil's Jadson Andre (BRA) was another to get off on the wrong foot, overbalancing at the base of a mighty Teahupo'o tube. Andre back-flipped and skipped across the base of the wave and was lucky to escape injury. Andre maintained composure, however and overcame the USA's Pat Gudauskas (USA) to advance Round 3 with a heat win, finishing on 7.40pts to Gudauskas' 06.53pts.
Brazilian Heitor Alves (BRA) felt the wrath and weight of the Pacific, copping a Teahupo'o lip to the back of his board and leg as he attempted to outrun a monster. Against an in-form Chris Davidson, Alves could do no right, eventually bowing out on 08.67pts to Davidson's two wave combined total of 15.73pts.
Australian Matt Wilkinson (AUS), current world rated # 19, became the second surfer to receive medical attention in 24 hours, following the injury of Hawaiian Dusty Payne (HAW) yesterday.
Payne hit the reef during a freesurf session and 15 stitches were required to close a slice to his knee.
Wilkinson was a little more fortunate; suffering only bruising and some minor grazes to his hip and thigh after jumping from a sky-high Teahupo'o set wave in his heat against Brazilian rookie Alejo Muniz (BRA).
Along with the gory, however, there was also glory - and it included two perfect 10-point rides.
The first belonged to Brazilian powerhouse Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 29, current world rated 25, who negotiated his way skilfully through a might South Pacific cavern to earn the first perfect scoring wave of his career against fellow countryman and former world tour front runner, Adriano de Souza (BRA).
The second perfect-10 occurred late in the day, with Aussie Kai Otton (AUS), 31, eliminating countryman Adrian "Ace" Buchan (AUS).
Three of the top five rated surfers tumbled out of Round 2 today including de Souza, tour frontrunner Joel Parkinson (AUS) who lost to American Brett Simpson (USA) and Australian Taj Burrow (AUS) who bowed out in last place to Brazilian wildcard Ricardo dos Santos (BRA).
Jeremy Flores (FRA), 23, current No. 15 on the 2011 ASP World Title rankings, proved to be the most in-form surfer of the day, surviving the opening heat of the morning in terrifying conditions local wildcard against Heiarii Williams (PYF) before besting lethal replacement surfer Cory Lopez (USA), 34, in Round 3 of competition.
The Frenchman would go on to post the highest heat total of the event, an 18.93 out of a possible 20, in his afternoon Round 3 heat, exhibiting a masterful display of backhand bravado.
Organisers are anxiously awaiting critical decisions on French government alerts, which will determine whether or not the Billabong Pro can continue with Round 3 tomorrow in waves that - according to forecasts - could exceed five metres.
Highlights from the Billabong Pro Tahiti presented by Air Tahiti Nui are available via http://www.billabongpro.com
Today's Round 2 was a complete contrast to the pristine conditions of Day 1 last weekend, with intense rainsqualls and strong southeast winds making Teahupo'o's challenging and powerful waves even more testing.
Wipeouts were common, with broken boards, broken legropes and battered bodies keeping the Billabong Pro Water Patrol on constant alert.
Local wildcard Hearri Williams (PYF) knows Teahupo'o better than most, but a rare miscalculation saw him go down hard in the first heat of the day against Frenchman Jeremy Flores (FRA). Williams never recovered, bowing out on one of the lowest scores recorded at elite level, 0.17 points to Flores's 09.67pts.
Brazil's Jadson Andre (BRA) was another to get off on the wrong foot, overbalancing at the base of a mighty Teahupo'o tube. Andre back-flipped and skipped across the base of the wave and was lucky to escape injury. Andre maintained composure, however and overcame the USA's Pat Gudauskas (USA) to advance Round 3 with a heat win, finishing on 7.40pts to Gudauskas' 06.53pts.
Brazilian Heitor Alves (BRA) felt the wrath and weight of the Pacific, copping a Teahupo'o lip to the back of his board and leg as he attempted to outrun a monster. Against an in-form Chris Davidson, Alves could do no right, eventually bowing out on 08.67pts to Davidson's two wave combined total of 15.73pts.
Australian Matt Wilkinson (AUS), current world rated # 19, became the second surfer to receive medical attention in 24 hours, following the injury of Hawaiian Dusty Payne (HAW) yesterday.
Payne hit the reef during a freesurf session and 15 stitches were required to close a slice to his knee.
Wilkinson was a little more fortunate; suffering only bruising and some minor grazes to his hip and thigh after jumping from a sky-high Teahupo'o set wave in his heat against Brazilian rookie Alejo Muniz (BRA).
Along with the gory, however, there was also glory - and it included two perfect 10-point rides.
The first belonged to Brazilian powerhouse Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 29, current world rated 25, who negotiated his way skilfully through a might South Pacific cavern to earn the first perfect scoring wave of his career against fellow countryman and former world tour front runner, Adriano de Souza (BRA).
The second perfect-10 occurred late in the day, with Aussie Kai Otton (AUS), 31, eliminating countryman Adrian "Ace" Buchan (AUS).
Three of the top five rated surfers tumbled out of Round 2 today including de Souza, tour frontrunner Joel Parkinson (AUS) who lost to American Brett Simpson (USA) and Australian Taj Burrow (AUS) who bowed out in last place to Brazilian wildcard Ricardo dos Santos (BRA).
Jeremy Flores (FRA), 23, current No. 15 on the 2011 ASP World Title rankings, proved to be the most in-form surfer of the day, surviving the opening heat of the morning in terrifying conditions local wildcard against Heiarii Williams (PYF) before besting lethal replacement surfer Cory Lopez (USA), 34, in Round 3 of competition.
The Frenchman would go on to post the highest heat total of the event, an 18.93 out of a possible 20, in his afternoon Round 3 heat, exhibiting a masterful display of backhand bravado.
Organisers are anxiously awaiting critical decisions on French government alerts, which will determine whether or not the Billabong Pro can continue with Round 3 tomorrow in waves that - according to forecasts - could exceed five metres.
Highlights from the Billabong Pro Tahiti presented by Air Tahiti Nui are available via http://www.billabongpro.com