Roberto Araki karate air. Pic: Masurel/WSL

Pro surfing continued to take center stage at Boardmasters with a second day of Qualifying Series action at North Fistral. The day started with Round two of the Quiksilver Open this morning in wind-affected two-to-three foot surf.

Newquay resident via NZ Jay Quinn killed it this morning. Pic: Masurel/WSL

Long time competitor Jay Quinn (GBR) came out of competitive retirement for the event on his adopted home ground and posted a 7.33, the highest single score of the men’s event today. Navigating seasons between his native country of New Zealand and Newquay, the Kiwi surfer clearly hasn’t lost an inch of the talent that led to the QS Top 40 a few years ago.

“I was a little bit rusty there but I got a quick start so that was good!” Quinn stated. “I’ve competed since I was 17 and now this is my only event of the year, but being based here I really like to participate each year, it’s a lot of fun. Cornwall is a great place to live, August is chaos obviously but the rest of the time it’s really peaceful and there are a ton of great waves.”

Canada’s Kalum Bruhwiler Temple got one of the best scores of the round as well, a 7.17 to claim the win in Heat 14 and advance into Round Three. Hailing from the West coast area of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Bruhwiler Temple is in his first season on the QS and should start to get noticed with the caliber of surfing he’s been displaying so far.

“I’m really excited to be over here, the waves have been really fun!” Bruhwiler Temple said. “I live in a place that’s super consistent, you can surf every day of the year and if you have a boat you can find really world class surf. Being here is one of the few times I get to wear some thinner neoprene so it feels really nice. My goal is to gain experience, get better at competing and hopefully get a better ranking to enter the bigger events.”

Traveling with fellow Canadian Hanna Scott in Europe, the pair is out to showcase the talent pool coming from their country.

“My best score was a bigger set wave and I got a good opportunity for an air so I just went for it,” he continued. “I managed to land it so it felt great, it was a simple forehand rotation, no grab, but the section was perfect and I landed it pretty clean. There’s a bunch of really good surfers at home and some are starting to surf in the QS events, so hopefully you’ll hear more from us.”

In the Roxy Open‘s Round Two, the top seeded surfers took center stage at Fistral as the tide came up high and the public sat much closer to the action. Longboarding’s defending champion and former Championship Tour surfer Justine Dupont (FRA), opened her Boardmasters account with an excellent display to rack up an impressive 14.67 and move on to Round three.

“Waves were a bit tricky, it changes really quick with the huge tides but I managed to stay active and find a couple decent ones,” Dupont said. “I got a little lucky with my best wave as it kept reforming and offering more sections. We’re probably going to have similar conditions for the longboard and I’ll try my best to adapt. I got a 1st and 2nd in an event in Portugal earlier this year, so the goal is at least as well or hopefully better!”

Heat 3 was a super fun back-and-forth battle between two generations of junior talents, the current European No. 10 Juliette Lacome (FRA) and a former European Junior Champion Cannelle Bulard (REU). Both surfers fought it out all the way to the buzzer, ending up only .04 apart, Lacome taking pole position.

Round Three was tragic for the home crowd with only a single English athlete managing to advance. Ellie Turner (GBR) will be carrying the locals’ hopes for a women’s title at Boardmasters.

The reigning World Junior Champion Vahine Fierro (PYF) took an easy win in the final heat of the day. Quarterfinalist here in 2017, Fierro could be the biggest threat to Dupont’s goal as the two sit on opposite sides of the draw.

“Conditions were a bi tough but I managed to get into a little rhythm and found a couple,” Fierro stated. “I really love coming to England, there’s a lot of nature around and it reminds me a bit of home. I’m here with the Roxy crew and we’re having a lot of fun. This year has been tough for me on the QS so I just want to make heats and get a few points to turn it around, but I’m not too stressed about it.”

Eveline Hooft out of Holland hoofing one at Fisty. Pic: Masurel/WSL

Surfers in the men’s QS will once again be on call at 8 a.m Friday morning, while the women’s QS will come in at 10:30 a.m and longboarders in the UGG Men’s Longboard Pro and UGG Women’s Longboard Proat 11 a.m.

Boardmasters are scheduled from August 8-12, 2018 at Fistral Beach, Cornwall – England. For all results, photos, video highlights and press releases, log on to worldsurfleague.com.

Boardmasters are supported by Corona, Relentless, Cornish Orchards, Quiksilver, Roxy, Ocean Florida, Canna, All Out Beauty, Coca-Cola, Tarquins, Havaianas, Samsung, G-Shock, Malibu, Kraken, House of Marley, Monster, UGG, Voxi, Carve Surfing Magazine, Surfgirl, Radio X and DJ Mag among others, with MagicSeaWeed.com as official forecaster.

Fistral was busy AF. Pic: Masurel/WSL

UPCOMING QUIKSILVER OPEN ROUND 3 MATCHUPS:
Heat 1: Jobe Harriss (GBR), Arran Strong (GBR), Leon Glatzer (DEU), Ian Fontaine (FRA)
Heat 2: Pedro Neves (BRA), Joshua Braddock (GBR), Jake Elkington (ZAF), Daiki Tanaka (JPN)
Heat 3: Reubyn Ash (GBR), Miles Lee-Hargreaves (GBR), Luke Dillon (GBR), Alonso Correa (PER)
Heat 4: Luis Diaz (CNY), Enzo Cavallini (FRA), Arne Bergwinkl (DEU), Jay Quinn (GBR)
Heat 5: Angelo Bonomelli (ITA), Pedro Coelho (PRT), Samson Coulter (AUS), Joss Ash (GBR)
Heat 6: Andy Criere (ESP), Roberto Araki (CHL), Luke Hynd (AUS), Lens Arancibia Avila (FRA)
Heat 7: Jose Gundesen (ARG), Kalum Bruhwiler Temple (CAN), Jarred Veldhuis (ZAF), Stanley Norman (GBR)
Heat 8: Ben Penny (AUS), Naru Awada (JPN), Herbert Moreno (BRA), Titouan Canevet (FRA)

UPCOMING ROXY OPEN ROUND 3 MATCHUPS:
Heat 1: Justine Dupont (FRA), Cannelle Bulard (REU), Maelys Jouault (FRA), Jess Grimwood (AUS)
Heat 2: Juliette Lacome (FRA), Laura Coviella (CNY), Eveline Hooft (NDL), Natasha Van Greunen (ZAF)
Heat 3: Yolander Hopkins (PRT), Lara Damelian (AUS), Lucia Indurain (ARG), Ellie Turner (GBR)
Heat 4: Teal Hogg (ZAF), Rachel Presti (USA), Vahine Fierro (PYF), Brooke Young (USA)

The Bude massive. Pic: Masurel/WSL

Jobe Harriss keeping home fires burning Pic: Masurel/WSL