Kelly Slater (USA) has won the Billabong Pro Tahiti after defeating John John Florence (HAW) in the Final in eight-to-ten foot surf at Teahupo’o. The final day of competition at Stop No. 7 of 11 on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) has been treated to incredible performances by the world’s best surfers, culminating with Slater’s win. The Final day saw 35 barrels ridden between the two finalists.
11-time WSL Champion Slater claimed the 55th CT victory of his career to jump 11 places on the Jeep Leaderboard to 8th. The win today is Slater’s fifth in Tahiti, with previous event titles in 2000, 2003, 2005, 2011 and solidifies his position as the best surfer at Teahupo’o.
“When I look back that will for sure be one of the best wins I have ever had,” said Slater. “To have John John [Florence] in the Final is a dream for me. It is no secret that I am towards the tail-end of my career. John John and Gabriel [Medina] are on their way up and those guys are just monsters. John John is all of our favorite surfers, so I want to see how many heats I can get with him before I am done and to have him out here where he and Gabriel are the favorites. This is a really special time for me. I am stoked.”
Today’s win is Slater’s best result of the season and backs up a Semifinal berth in Fiji and a Quarterfinal finish in Jeffreys Bay. It also marks a return to form and his first CT event win since the Billabong Pipe Masters in 2013.
“It just came together for me,” continued Slater. “I was on the right waves, I was in sync and totally relaxed the whole time. To be in that Final with John John and lose would have been no problem for me. I was taking each heat as a bonus. I have had such a bad run for me historically over the last couple of years that anything was going to be good.”
The Final saw a stacked match-up between the two CT superstars. Florence was quick to get points on the board with an 8.00 on his opening ride, but Slater fired with a near-perfect 9.77. Slater landed a miraculous free-fall drop followed by escaping a deep barrel to garner a stunning 9.17. Florence, with a 15.23, was put in a combination situation and needed two new scores with ten minutes left on the clock. Slater continued to better his score with a phenomenal 9.90 for a near-perfect 19.67 combined total to claim his victory.
En route to the Final Slater posted a Perfect 20 heat total in his Round 5 match-up with Keanu Asing (HAW). This is only the ninth time a perfect heat has been achieved in 40 years of professional surfing and the third time Slater has accomplished this feat. Despite a strong opening from Asing, the Slater juggernaut picked up momentum throughout the back half of the heat, posting a Perfect 10, an excellent 8.10 and then another Perfect 10 to seal the win and etch another achievement in the history books.
“The first 10 of that heat was a more difficult ride definitely, but the second one was a bigger, more perfect, classic tube,” said Slater after winning Round 5. “I just thought that the first one was a lot more difficult, so I was not sure if they would throw a 10 on the second one. I have been feeling good all week. A perfect heat is not going to happen many times in your life so I am stoked.”
Slater previously dispatched event Wildcard Bruno Santos (BRA) in the Quarterfinals with another Perfect 10 and a commanding 9.27 back-up score to take the win.
Slater also received the Andy Irons Most Committed Performance Award, which is given out every year to the standout surfer of the Billabong Pro Tahiti. Previous winners include C.J. Hobgood (2015), Owen Wright (2014), John John Florence (2013), Ricardo dos Santos (2012) and Jeremy Flores (2011).
“I’m so stoked, I’ve worked for this thing for years,” said Slater. “Andy [Irons] would be equally mad and stoked that I won this. Last time I surfed against Andy, it was here at Teahupo’o and he won the event. It was his last win, and I lost to him in the Semifinals. It was a really special heat for me and this is a really special award. This is rad and I can’t wait to put the award in my house. I feel like I’ve won the contest already.”
The runner-up finish for Florence is his best ever result at Teahupo’o and sees the 23-year-old claim the Jeep Leader Jersey heading into the next event on the CT at Lower Trestles. Florence previously defeated Joel Parkinson (AUS) in Round 5, Julian Wilson (AUS) in the Quarterfinals and Gabriel Medina (BRA) in the Semifinals.
“I am super stoked to be the leader on the Jeep Rankings,” Florence said. “But at this point, it is only a yellow jersey and what counts is at the end of the year and there is still a lot to go this year. I am going to keep chipping away at it.”
Gabriel Medina (BRA), 2014 event winner, takes home a third-place finish following an incredible match-up against Florence in the second Semifinal. The sensational superheat saw the pair battle for a place in the Final and the chance to claim the Jeep Leader Jersey. The surfers traded impressive scores throughout the heat, posting seven excellent barrels above 9.00 between them during the bout. The Hawaiian held a slight lead with a near-perfect 18.44 to Medina’s 17.46, but with ten minutes left on the clock, Medina challenged Florence by coming out of a monstrous barrel to earn a Perfect 10 (the fifth of the day) and gain control of the heat. Under pressure and with four minutes remaining, Florence needed a 9.31. In a dramatic exchange, Florence used his priority to land a critical 9.93 to regain the lead and followed it up with a 9.73 to seal the win.
“It was a really fun heat,” said Medina. “John [Florence] is always hard to beat anywhere. We both had really good waves. It was his day today. I look forward to Trestles.”
Medina previously dispatched Jadson Andre (BRA) in Round 5 and Josh Kerr (AUS) in the Quarterfinals before facing Florence. Following today’s result Medina will remain in third place on the Jeep Leaderboard heading into the next event on the CT at Lower Trestles.
Adrian Buchan (AUS) finished the event in third place, matching his best result of the season, after being defeated by eventual winner Slater in the Semifinals. The bout was a rematch of the 2013 Final between the two former event winners, however this time it was the 11-time World Champion that took the win. Slater found a near-perfect 9.63 and a 6.67 to take the lead from Buchan on his opening exchange, while Buchan trailed close behind with an 8.17. Buchan, needing an 8.14, made numerous attempts to escape deep barrel rides, but was unsuccessful on his attempts. Slater increased his lead with an 8.77 to put Buchan in a combination in the last thirty seconds.
Today’s result sees Buchan move up from 11th to 4th place on the Jeep Leaderboard. Buchan previously dispatched Jordy Smith (ZAF) and Kolohe Andino (USA) from the event in Round 5 and the Quarterfinals, respectively.
Julian Wilson (AUS) was defeated by eventual runner-up Florence in Quarterfinal 4 by only 0.74 points in a close head-to-head battle. Florence fired early with excellent rides, but Wilson kept selective. A wipeout on the razor-sharp reef rattled the Australian, but he fired back by coming out of a deep tube to earn a Perfect 10. Despite Wilson’s strong score, Florence was quick to answer back with the dominant combined score for the win. Wilson moves up to 5th place on the Jeep Leaderboard.
“I had the two waves to win that heat for sure,” said Wilson. “The first one I waited for but I got caught out of position and got absolutely walloped and split my chin and took some skin off. It rattled me a bit and I had to reset and gave myself another chance. That 10 was super fun, I knew I had to make the most of that wave. I got the lead for a minute but John John got that wave right behind.”
The next stop on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour will be the Hurley Pro and Swatch Women’s Pro at Trestles, which will see the battle for this season’s World Title heat up as with the world’s best surfers take on Lowers from September 7 -18, 2016.
BILLABONG PRO TAHITI FINAL RESULTS:
1: Kelly Slater (USA) 19.67
2: John John Florence (HAW) 15.23
BILLABONG PRO TAHITI SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 18.40 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 16.10
SF 2: John John Florence (HAW) 19.66 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 19.23
BILLABONG PRO TAHITI QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 18.16 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 16.00
QF 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 19.27 def. Bruno Santos (BRA) 17.43
QF 3: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.90 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 13.40
QF 4: John John Florence (HAW) 17.34 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 16.60
BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 5 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 16.77 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.60
Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 20.00 def. Keanu Asing (HAW) 14.70
Heat 3: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.43 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 14.33
Heat 4: John John Florence (HAW) 18.30 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.90
2016 WSL Jeep Leaderboard Top 5 (after Billabong Pro Tahiti):
1. John John Florence (HAW) 39,900 pts
2. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 36,000 pts
3. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 35,700 pts
4. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 26,200 pts
5. Julian Wilson (AUS) 25,200 pts
The Billabong Pro Tahiti, Stop No. 7 of 11 on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour (CT), continued today in three-to-five foot (1 – 1.5 metre) surf at Teahupo’o. The day saw top scores and exciting match-ups as the world’s best surfers battled through Rounds 3 and 4 to avoid elimination and earn a direct advance to the Quarterfinals.
Event wildcard and 2008 Billabong Pro Tahiti winner, Bruno Santos (BRA), lit up the competition today with electric performances in both rounds. The Brazilian, who gained entry into the event after winning the Trials, looked unstoppable today as he not only knocked out the top ranked surfer on the CT in Round 3, but also posted highest heat score of the day, a near-perfect 18.30 in Round 4, to defeat two former event winners.
Santos began by causing a huge upset in Round 3 Heat 6 by defeating Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Jeep Ratings’ Leader. With limited opportunities during the heat, Santos got busy on the inside to earn a 12.33 combined heat score to take the lead. With only five minutes left in the heat, Wilkinson had yet to put points on the board. A set out the back gave Wilkinson an opportunity to challenge Santos, but the Australian failed to make it out of the barrel.
“I was watching the last heat and the end of that heat was really good, so in the beginning of my heat I was trying to get the first good wave,” said Santos. “Wilko [Matt Wilkinson] and I fought for the priority, but when the sets came I was too deep. I started to get the small ones and just made my scores enough to put me in the lead. I am feeling really good. It is hard to surf against Wilko who is doing really well this year. I feel stronger that I beat the big guys. I just want to keep going, step-by-step.”
Wilkinson is eliminated in equal 13th place and will relinquish his first place position on the Jeep Leaderboard to John John Florence (HAW) if the Hawaiian is able to make the Quarterfinals in Tahiti.
“I started just as I wanted to,” Wilkinson said. “But, on that first set, we were both too deep for it. Obviously, I would have loved to have been on it in the perfect spot, but I made sure he did not have an easy line into it. The heat just slowly ran away from me. I was happy letting him get those 5’s and that 6 because I decided that I wasn’t settling for anything but an 8 or above. I am disappointed, but good luck to Bruno [Santos] in the rest of the event. There is so much of the year left and I am going to focus on getting big results. Hopefully I can get on another little roll and win a few. For Lowers, I am going to work on high performance surfing and being as consistent as I can.”
Santos advanced on to Round 4 Heat 2, which saw a stacked match-up of former event winners — 11-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater (USA) and Adrian Buchan (AUS). Four-time event winner Slater showcased why he is the most decorated surfer on the CT as he miraculously came out of a cavernous barrel to earn the event’s first perfect 10.00. Santos challenged the veteran with two near-perfect 9-point rides to take 0.13-point lead over Slater and the win. Santos will advance to the Quarterfinals, while Slater and Buchan will battle again in elimination Round 5.
“I am super stoked to win that heat,” said Santos. “There were three event champions in that heat. Ace [Adrian Buchan] is so good here and Kelly [Slater] is the man. It actually was a dream for me to beat Kelly. I’ve surfed against him maybe four or five times, but as a kid I always dreamed of beating Kelly somewhere, but here it is special. It was a crazy heat with Kelly’s perfect 10. I am super stoked to be in the Quarterfinals and beat two of my favorite surfers here.”
Kolohe Andino (USA), Josh Kerr (AUS) and Julian Wilson (AUS) also earned a direct advance to the Quarterfinals following Round 4 wins.
Andino took on Keanu Asing (HAW) and Jordy Smith (ZAF) in Round 4 Heat 1. Smith held the lead for the majority of the heat, but Andino scored with an excellent 9.53 in the last two minutes. Andino’s patience paid off as he edged a narrow victory and his place in the Quarterfinals.
“That heat was scrappy – I was waiting and waiting and finally I got a couple of waves,” said Andino. “I knew that a good wave was going to come and then it did, so I tried my best and held. I was really amped up when I made it because it means I go straight to the Quarters, which is a result for me. This is the first event my dad has been to all year and I’m stoked he’s here. I’m having a really fun time here this year but I know the Quarters will be tough.”
Kerr earned his first Quarterfinal berth of the 2016 season after defeating CT superstar Florence and Jadson Andre (BRA) in Round 4 Heat 3. Florence and Andre will be relegated to Round 5, where they will battle to stay alive in the competition.
“I am feeling great, but what a weird heat that one was,” Kerr said. “There was so much seaweed and coconut sticks in the water. It was not dangerous for waves, it was just dangerous to catch a wave that was half a foot because you would get hit in the heat by a coconut or something. The best wave of the heat was John’s [Florence] one and he got all of that seaweed and it just stopped him in his tracks. I am just stoked to keep rolling through and keep the vibes going.”
Round 4 Heat 4 saw an intense clash of CT heavyweights, as Wilson took on WSL Champions Joel Parkinson (AUS) (2012) and Gabriel Medina (BRA) (2014). The thrilling match-up up saw each of the three surfers charge and post 9-point rides. Wilson opened his account with a near-perfect 9.70 and Parkinson quickly followed suit with a 9.37. Wilson locked in an excellent 8.27 back-up score and held the lead for the entire heat. Medina fought back with a 9.27, but like Parkinson, could not find the second score required to take the Quarterfinal spot.
“That was great to start the heat with a few waves,” Wilson said. “The heat before had nothing in it at all. We were even super deep at the start of the heat, too. We were hassling each other a bit. That real south wave popped up and I was able to get a score out of it. Joel [Parkinson] caught one that was really good. Gabby [Gabriel Medina] came back into the heat with a 9. It was pretty much wide open until the end, but the waves just shut down after Gabby’s wave.”
Wilson previously eliminated defending event winner Jeremy Flores (FRA) in Round 3 Heat 10 with a buzzer-beater barrel ride to score a near-perfect 9.20.
Round 3 also saw another shock elimination when Asing took down 2015 Rookie of the Year, Italo Ferreira (BRA), in the opening heat of the day. Asing secured a 5.67 on his opening exchange to take an early lead. The top-seeded Brazilian took control with a 12.58 combined score, but the Hawaiian came out of a deep tube ride to earn an excellent 8.40 for a narrow 1.64 lead. Ferreira will walk away with a 13th place finish from the event.
“It was like I said earlier, ‘Kill or be killed,’” Asing said. “I am coming out as hard as I can. I came prepared to this event. Even though I do not have any results this season, that does not mean that I am going to give up. I came ready and I stuck to my game plan. I feel like Italo [Ferreira] thought he was going to walk right through that heat and he thought I was probably an easy draw, but I am giving it the best I can. I am fighting for money, my career, my work, and I will not let these guys take my money and take my job.”
2016 WSL Rookies Alex Ribeiro (BRA) and Kanoa Igarashi (USA), the last two rookies left in the draw, were eliminated in Round 3 by CT superstars Florence and Parkinson, respectively.
BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Keanu Asing (HAW) 14.07 def. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 12.43 Heat 2: Kolohe Andino (USA) 15.03 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 5.67 Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 7.00 def. Matt Banting (AUS) 5.17 Heat 4: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.50 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 7.33 Heat 5: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.50 def. Nat Young (USA) 12.50 Heat 6: Bruno Santos (BRA) 12.33 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 6.83 Heat 7: John John Florence (HAW) 13.33 def. Alex Ribeiro (BRA) 8.57 Heat 8: Josh Kerr (AUS) 17.44 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 4.37 Heat 9: Jadson Andre (BRA) 12.07 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 9.57 Heat 10: Julian Wilson (AUS) 16.03 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 14.77 Heat 11: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.53 def. Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 5.20 Heat 12: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.66 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 7.83
BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 4 Results:
Heat 1: Kolohe Andino (USA) 15.30, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.63, Keanu Asing (HAW) 11.63 Heat 2: Bruno Santos (BRA) 18.30, Kelly Slater (USA) 18.17, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 8.33 Heat 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.00, Jadson Andre (BRA) 10.06, John John Florence (HAW) 2.96 Heat 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) 17.97, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.04, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 10.60
BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 5 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS) Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Keanu Asing (HAW) Heat 3: Jadson Andre (BRA) vs. Gabriel Medina (BRA) Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. John John Florence (HAW)
The Billabong Pro Tahiti, Stop No. 7 of 11 on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour (CT), recommenced today with the 12 heats of Round 2 completed in challenging three-to-five foot (1 – 1.5 metre) conditions at Teahupo’o.
Matt Wilkinson (AUS), current Jeep Ratings Leader, survived elimination in Round 2 against event wildcard Hira Teriinatoofa (PYF). Teriinatoofa took control of the heat with a 6.43 and a 7.07, but Wilkinson fired back with an excellent 8.00 barrel ride. Teriinatoofa, needing a 7.11, had one last opportunity in the dying seconds of the heat, but could not finish the ride to challenge the Australian. Wilkinson will advance to Round 3 where he will surf against Bruno Santos (BRA) in a heated Round 1 rematch.
“I came into Tahiti really psyched,” said Wilkinson. “I went out yesterday and John John [Florence] was in the heat before mine and he got some absolute nuggets. When I went out for my heat, I was so psyched but there was not a proper set in the heat and it was low-scoring. Bruno [Santos] got me and it was frustrating. Going in this morning, I knew it was small and slow, but when they come, there are still some beautiful tubes. I wanted to put some pressure on him. I got that one set that sealed the deal, so I am stoked.”
2016 WSL Rookie Alex Ribeiro (BRA) upset the competition today as he dispatched reigning WSL Champion Adriano de Souza (BRA). The heat saw low scoring rides, but the rookie stayed busy catching eight waves to the veteran’s three. With three minutes left in the heat, Ribeiro took the lead. De Souza only needed a 3.24 to regain control, but fell on his takeoff. De Souza will be eliminated in equal 25th place, his first Round 2 loss this year. The victory marks Ribeiro’s first Round 2 win of the 2016 season.
“I feel happy and stoked to make my heat today,” Ribeiro said. “The conditions out there were really hard. We were waiting and waiting, but there were no barrels coming. Luck was on my side and I am happy to make the next heat. I felt pressure going against Adriano [de Souza] because he is one of the best competitors in the world. The conditions were difficult and I knew I had to maximize my opportunities.”
“The waves are tricky today, but that is no excuse because we are professional athletes,” said De Souza. “We have to perform when it is amazing and when the waves are bad. We have to deal with whatever the ocean brings us. I will go back home and study what I did in this heat and come back strong for Lowers. Well done to Alex [Ribeiro]. He surfed well and best of luck to him and the rest of the team from Brazil.”
Keanu Asing (HAW) eliminated local favorite Michel Bourez (PYF) in Round 2 Heat 3. Asing got to work early in the heat with big carves and snaps to earn a 9.67 two-wave combined heat score. Bourez found a solid tube to earn a 5.70 and counter the Hawaiian. As the time wound down, Bourez searched for a section up the reef for the 3.97 needed to advance. Bourez was not able to find the required score. Bourez will leave the event with a 25th place finish, his worst result this season.
“I am glad I got a heat win,” said Asing. “You have to be smart out here when the conditions are like this. I was against Michel Bourez, who is the Tahitian prince out here. The whole channel is filled with Tahitians rooting for him, but I have to do what I have to do to stay on the CT. Whether I am doing bad on the rankings, I am just trying to do my best. I’ve come here to give it all that I have.”
Joel Parkinson (AUS) blazed through his heat against WSL rookie Jack Freestone (AUS)with a 14.00 combined score. Parkinson, former WSL Champion and event runner-up, posted a 6.67 and 7.33 to dominate the heat. The CT veteran will advance to Round 3 where he will face rookie Kanoa Igarashi (USA), who closed out the last heat of the day against Miguel Pupo (BRA).
“The last few years I have done pretty well here,” Parkinson said. “A couple of heat misses, but that is always expected, especially when conditions are like this. Teahupo’o is one of those places where you have to get in a good rhythm with it. It was hard to do in that heat but I just kept busy. I saw some bomb waves that came through, but just missed them. It is hard going against Jack [Freestone] because I watched him grow up and climb through the ranks. He is someone who I hope to pass the baton to, push and watch him do well.”
Heat 4 saw a heated battle between Julian Wilson (AUS) and 2016 WSL Rookie Ryan Callinan (AUS). Callinan put up a tough fight against Wilson, locking in one of the highest single wave scores of the day, an excellent 8.17. Wilson fired back with clean turns to earn a strong 7.17 and 6.67. On his last attempt, Callinan needed a 5.67, but just fell short with a 5.33. Wilson took the win by a narrow 0.34 margin over the rookie and will advance to Round 3.
“There are not that many opportunities out there and I just really wanted to start my heat well,” Wilson said. “Ryan [Callinan] took a few at the start and we were out of position for the best wave of the heat. I just had to wait for something that looked substantial and where I could get a barrel. That was a great heat against Ryan, who has been performing well all year. He is a good guy and I wish him all the best in the next event. I was happy to get away with a close one against a great competitor.”
Dusty Payne (HAW) scored the highest heat score of the day, a 14.27, which included the critical 7.10 that knocked out rookie Conner Coffin (USA) in the dying seconds of Heat 11. Payne will advance to Round 3 where he will face Josh Kerr (AUS), who won Round 2 Heat 9 against Stuart Kennedy (AUS).
“It probably was an exciting heat to watch,” said Payne. “Conner [Coffin] had a couple of good waves and I had a couple of good ones. We kept going back and forth. I made a priority mistake after going on that one wave and got an upper-cut to my chin. I am so stoked that last wave came. I was not sure if it would be a good barreling wave and it held open. Luckily I was able to sneak in.”
When competition resumes, up first will be Italo Ferreira (BRA) up against Keanu Asing (HAW) in the opening heat of Round 3.
Surfline, official forecasters for the Billabong Pro Tahiti, are calling for:
Stronger SSW swell looks likely to fill in Monday PM and into Tuesday with favorable winds and conditions. Surf eases Wednesday and Thursday. An increase in windswell and swell mix is possible for Friday and into next weekend but local wind conditions look poor at this point.
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. local time for a possible 7:35 a.m. start.
BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 2 RESULTS: Heat 1: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 14.17 def. Hira Teriinatoofa (PYF) 13.50 Heat 2: Alex Ribeiro (BRA) 6.23 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 5.70 Heat 3: Keanu Asing (HAW) 9.67 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 8.57 Heat 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) 13.84 def. Ryan Callinan (AUS) 13.50 Heat 5: Matt Banting (AUS) 10.93 def. Caio Ibelli (BRA) 8.33 Heat 6: Jadson Andre (BRA) 10.43 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 6.63 Heat 7: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 11.17 def. Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 6.23 Heat 8: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 14.00 def. Jack Freestone (AUS) 2.03 Heat 9: Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.17 def. Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 11.00 Heat 10: Nat Young (USA) 11.40 def. Davey Cathels (AUS) 10.10 Heat 11: Dusty Payne (HAW) 14.27 def. Conner Coffin (USA) 13.74 Heat 12: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 14.34 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 12.33
BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS: Heat 1: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Keanu Asing (HAW) Heat 2: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. Adam Melling (AUS) Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Matt Banting (AUS) Heat 4: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA) Heat 5: Nat Young (USA) vs. Kelly Slater (USA) Heat 6: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Bruno Santos (BRA) Heat 7: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Alex Ribeiro (BRA) Heat 8: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW) Heat 9: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Jadson Andre (BRA) Heat 10: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Jeremy Flores (FRA) Heat 11: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Kanoa Igarashi (USA) Heat 12: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
