South East wind and medium size swell is the call for Asu! Just a few hours from Lagundri Bay, up the coast from Nias Island (2,5 hour taxi, 30min speedboat) you find Asu, the most north Island of the Hinako Island chain.This left-hander works the best, when Lagundri gets onshore wind, Asu will be offshore! Only few people out this session living the dream.

There’s probably more chance of the likes of your average surfer hitting the local swimming pool, than hacking into the GOATS golden wave pool. But you’ve gotta have hope right, in the meantime take a look at the social media master Jamie O’Brien digging in at The Ranch.

• Teahupo’o Delivers Perfection to Set Stage For Finals Day Tomorrow
• Big Barrels and Bigger Scores for World’s Best at Teahupo’o
• Event Winners To Be Decided Tomorrow
• More Available at WorldSurfLeague.com

Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia (Thursday, August 18, 2022) –  The Outerknown Tahiti Pro, Stop No. 10 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2022 Championship Tour (CT), has seen an incredible day of competition with Teahupo’o turning on six-to-eight-foot surf with eight-foot-plus sets for the completion of men’s Opening Round, Elimination Round, and the Round of 16. With the Quarterfinalists locked in for men and women here in Tahiti, the race to the WSL Final 5 is all but set, with only one spot left in the women’s and all 5 men’s spots decided after the completion of competition today. 

Men’s WSL Final 5 Decided in Epic Waves at Teahupo’o
Today’s huge day of competition saw the completion of 21 heats, the Quarterfinalists locked in, and the WSL Final 5 men decided ahead of the upcoming Rip Curl WSL Finals. With his equal 9th place finish here in Tahiti, Jack Robinson (AUS) has locked the second spot in the WSL Final 5 with Filipe Toledo (BRA) clinching the top seed spot after falling out in the Elimination Round.

Current World No. 3 Ethan Ewing (AUS) has booked himself a spot in the WSL Final 5 with a Round of 16 finish here at the Outerknown Tahiti Pro. Ewing had a clutch win over Michel Bourez (BRA) in the Elimination Round, but was eventually beaten by trials winner Kauli Vaast (FRA) in his following heat. An equal 9th was enough for Ewing to clinch and his performance against two of the best at Teahupo’o was commendable. Vaast progressed into the Quarterfinals looking like the one to beat, posting a 17.07 (out of possible 20) two-wave total in Heat 1 of the Round of 16.

Heat 5 of the men’s Elimination Round saw two good friends in Jadson Andre (BRA) and Italo Ferreira (BRA) go head-to-head in an all goofy match-up. It was a massive heat for former WSL World Champion Ferreira who is currently sitting in fourth on the rankings and needed to make the heat to clinch his spot in the WSL Final 5. It was a high scoring affair with the friends going wave-for-wave, each posting multiple excellent scores, but it was Andre who took the win with a 17.00 point two-wave total, one of the highest of the event so far. With the loss, Italo was left to rely on the fate of Griffin Colapinto (USA) and Callum Robson (AUS). With the two of them being ousted early he was able to hang onto his spot in the WSL Final 5 and will be off to Trestles for a shot at a second World Title this September. 

In a nail biting and emotional end to the day, Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) clinched the last spot in the WSL Final 5 by taking the win over Andre in Heat 7 of the Round of 16. Coming to Tahiti as World No. 6, Igarashi needed a huge moment and he got it with a 9.70 in the dying minutes of the heat. This landmark win makes his dreams of a first shot at a World Title a reality. Along with his heat win today, Igarashi needed Griffin Colapinto (USA) to fall out of the draw early which he did in Heat 3 of the Round of 16 at the hands of Yago Dora (BRA). Colapinto will fall short of the title race, but after a breakthrough season in 2022 he’s certain to be knocking on the door of a World Tile in years to come. 

“I really don’t know what to say – this is super emotional to me –  I’m lost for words right now,” Igarashi said. “First of all I want to thank Teahupo’o – I’ve been coming here for so long and spending time with some of the locals and preparing myself for a moment like this, and when that wave came I knew if it was meant to be it was going to happen right there. Now, I’m into the top five and heading home.”

Big Barrels and Bigger Scores For World’s Best at Teahupo’o

In an unbelievable performance, South African CT sophomore Matt McGilivray (RSA, above), who surfed Teahupo’o for the first time yesterday, scored a perfect 10 point ride in Heat 2 of the Round of 16, with an incredible fins-free drop into a deep, square tube, disappearing from sight then getting spat out into the channel. His opponent Samuel Pupo (BRA), took the heat to the final buzzer, posting a heat total of 16.43, but McGillivray was able to find a 7.00 in the dying seconds to claim the heat win of his career and book himself a spot in the Quarterfinals. 

“I could feel the nerves all morning and right before I was going to paddle out,” said McGilivray . “All morning I have been feeling the adrenaline. To have these conditions in the contest is a dream come true and to surf it with only one other person out is amazing. You really have to be in the moment and calm yourself. It was cool to surf with Sammy (Pupo), he  has been charging in his heats so it’s cool to see everyone pushing it out there today. I’m stoked to be through the Quarterfinals here and can’t wait to get back out there.” 

The standout heat of the day was World No. 2 Robinson going up against event wildcard and former Tahiti Pro finalist Nathan Hedge (AUS) in Heat 5, Round of 16. Robinson, an event favorite, demonstrated his barrel riding skills, navigating the foam-ball with a high-line to score a 9.10, then backed it up for a heat total of 17.60, leaving Hedge in a combination situation (needing two new scores to take the lead). With less than 10 minutes left, the 43-year-old Hedge never gave up and found two hugely committed barrels to post a heat total of 18.30, the highest of the entire event, to overcome Robinson’s 17.60 total.

“At the start of that heat Jack (Robinson) really showed me what was up,” Hedge said. “He paddled behind me for one and the only person that has done that to me out here was Andy (Irons), and I was like, ‘he’s gnarly’ which was a fair bit to deal with mentally for me. I knew If I was to beat Jack (Robinson) I’d have to be on the biggest best waves. He kept improving his scores on every wave but I just kept patient and held onto the faith and eventually the right ones came to me. When I’m paddling into these waves I just remind myself that this is where I want to be and to stay super committed and that quietens down the noise a bit and I can focus on getting pitted.” 

Hedge will face off against Caio Ibelli (BRA) who was a huge standout in the Round of 16 and Opening Round. Ibelli took down an in-form Jordy Smith (RSA) to lock in a matchup with old friend Hedge in Quarterfinal Heat 3. 

Five-time Tahiti Pro winner Kelly Slater (USA, above) is into Quarterfinals after a close heat against an in-form Connor O’Leary (AUS). Slater opened the heat with back-to-back waves scoring in the excellent range for a two-wave total of 17.00 . O’Leary answered back with two excellent scores of his own but it wasn’t enough to overtake Slater, who will now take on Yago Dora (BRA) in Quarterfinal Heat 2 as he looks for his sixth victory at Teahupo’o.

The 2022 Outerknown Tahiti Pro looks to conclude tomorrow with the men’s and women’s event winners being crowned by the end of the day. Be sure to tune in as a call is made at 6:45 a.m. TAHT for a possible 7:05 a.m. start to competition.

Outerknown Tahiti Pro Men’s Opening Round Results:
HEAT 1: Yago Dora (BRA) 8.66 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 8.14, Matthew McGillivray (ZAF) 5.10
HEAT 2: Kauli Vaast (FRA) 13.60 DEF. Barron Mamiya (HAW) 10.93, Ethan Ewing (AUS) 2.33
HEAT 3: Jack Robinson (AUS) 16.26 DEF. Nat Young (USA) 7.33, Michel Bourez (FRA) 6.70
HEAT 4: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.00 DEF. Nathan Hedge (AUS) 8.67, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 1.87
HEAT 5: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.94 DEF. Jadson Andre (BRA) 12.86, Griffin Colapinto (USA) 8.33
HEAT 6: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 12.50 DEF. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 7.76, Jackson Baker (AUS) 3.17
HEAT 7: Samuel Pupo (BRA) 13.00 DEF. Callum Robson (AUS) 10.44, Seth Moniz (HAW) 6.53
HEAT 8: Connor O’Leary (AUS) 15.63 DEF. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 15.27, Jake Marshall (USA) 6.60

Outerknown Tahiti Pro Men’s Round of 16 Results:
HEAT 1: Kauli Vaast (FRA) 17.07 DEF. Ethan Ewing (AUS) 15.17
HEAT 2: Matthew McGillivray (ZAF) 17.00 DEF. Samuel Pupo (BRA) 16.43
HEAT 3: Yago Dora (BRA) 14.94 DEF. Griffin Colapinto (USA) 14.63
HEAT 4: Kelly Slater (USA) 17.00 DEF. Connor O’Leary (AUS) 16.83
HEAT 5: Nathan Hedge (AUS) 18.30 DEF. Jack Robinson (AUS) 17.60
HEAT 6: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 15.97 DEF. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 13.20
HEAT 7: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 15.70 DEF. Jadson Andre (BRA) 13.40
HEAT 8: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 11.00 DEF. Jake Marshall (USA) 2.40

Outerknown Tahiti Pro Men’s Quarterfinal Matchups:
HEAT 1: Kauli Vaast (FRA) vs. Matthew McGillivray (ZAF)
HEAT 2: Yago Dora (BRA) vs. Kelly Slater (USA)
HEAT 3: Nathan Hedge (AUS) vs. Caio Ibelli (BRA)
HEAT 4: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)

Outerknown Tahiti Pro Women’s Quarterfinal Matchups:
HEAT 1: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) vs. Caroline Marks (USA)
HEAT 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Courtney Conlogue (USA)
HEAT 3: Carissa Moore (HAW) vs. Vahine Fierro (FRA)
HEAT 4: Brisa Hennessy (CRI) vs. Lakey Peterson (USA)

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

• Women’s Elimination Round 2 Starts at 7:05 a.m. TAHT
• Men’s Opening Round 1 and Elimination Round 2 to Follow
• Watch LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com

The Outerknown Tahiti Pro, Stop No. 10 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2022 Championship Tour (CT), has seen an on and off day of competition with changing wind conditions forcing a number of holds and the event to be put on standby due to deteriorating conditions. In between the squalls however, Teahupo’o began to awaken, with some solid five-to-six foot plus waves breaking, offering competitors in the women’s Elimination Round and first three heats of the men’s Opening Round some incredible tube rides ahead of of what is expected to be the day of the window, tomorrow at the ‘End of the Road.’

A clutch performance from Brisa Hennessy (CRI, above) in Heat 2 of the Elimination Round saw her post the highest single wave of the round, pulling into a huge Teahupo’o pit to earn a 7.00 point ride to progress into the Quarterfinals. It was an epic show of commitment from Hennessy, who currently sits in fifth place on the rankings and needs a solid result here in Tahiti to guarantee her spot in the Rip Curl WSL Finals. Without that wave, she would have been out of the event, and possibly out of the WSL Final 5. The heat win eliminated 2022 CT Rookie Gabriela Bryan (HAW) from the event and from the race to the Rip Curl WSL Finals.

“It’s an honour to be at this event,” Hennessy said. “It feels like it’s been a long time coming and the women that were here 16 years ago paved the way for us which is really inspiring and I hope to inspire more girls with being back here now.”

“I feel like I could have been deeper on that one actually,” Hennessy said. “All the locals have been telling me that you need to feel like you’re taking off on a closeout, and it’s true – I need to be doing that more often.”

One of the event favourites who no one expected to see in the Elimination Round was Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA, above), who snuck through her matchup with Isabella Nichols (AUS) to clinch herself a spot in the WSL Final 5. Weston-Webb struggled to find a rhythm in her heat but did just enough to progress into the Quarterfinals and lock in an opportunity to battle for her maiden World Title. The heat loss puts Nichols out of contention for a Final 5 finish and ends her 2022 CT season.

Another potential top 5 competitor who snuck through her heat was Lakey Peterson (USA), who kept her dream alive with a win over Tyler Wright (AUS) in Heat 3 of the Elimination Round. Peterson dug deep to thread one decent barrel and progress, leaving Wright out of Final 5 contention.

With Nichols, Bryan and Wright out of contention for the WSL Final 5, seven-time WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) was able to lock in her spot at Trestles as she looks to claim a record breaking eighth World Title.

Jack Robinson and Kauli Vaast (above) Steal The Show on Day 2 at Teahupo’o
Current world No. 2 Jack Robinson (AUS) might be competing in his first Outerknown Tahiti Pro but the 23-year-old comes into the event as one of the standout favorites with a long affinity with Teahupo’o. This affinity was on full display in his Opening Round heat as Teahupo’o began to bare it’s teeth and Robinson, under priority spun and took a huge drop into a perfect barrel, only to be spat out into the channel and awarded a near perfect 9.43 (out of a possible 10) for his efforts. Robinson then backed it up for an excellent heat total of 16.26 (out of a possible 20) to claim an easy win over wildcard Michel Bourez (FRA) and Nat Young (USA). Progressing into Round of 16 means that Robinson is now locked in the second spot in the WSL Final 5, and a win here would give him the top spot at Trestles.

“It’s been a while since I’ve taken a drop like that,” Robinson said. “Maybe since the Pipe event earlier this year – I haven’t surfed Teahupo’o for three years so it felt nice to get one like that. It’s been an on-and-off day so I think the call to wait for the wind to settle was a good one. I haven’t done that on this reef for a while so it felt so good to be back.”

Someone who has spent more time than most in the Teahupo’o barrel is local trials winner Kauli Vaast (FRA), who played a giant dominating role the last time the event ran in 2019. Today, Vaast picked up where he left off, overcoming Barron Mamiya (HAW) and Ethan Ewing (AUS), with an impressive display of local knowledge that saw him pick off the best barrels of the matchup to take the win, even riding half of one wave switchfoot through the barrel.

“I was pretty confident heading into that heat,” Vaast said. “I could see the waves continuing to improve with the wind and knew what I’d be looking for and found it. I got three or four in a row and even rode switch on one so I could stall longer in the barrel. I’m into the next round and just want to go have fun and enjoy the experience.”

Mixed Results For Tahiti’s Finest on Day 2 of Competition
Along with Vaast, Local Women’s Wildcard Vahine Fierro (FRA) put on a solid display in her Elimination Round heat to dispatch current world No. 2 Johanne Defay (FRA). Fierro found time in the tube as well as turn sections to take a convincing win and progress into the Quarterfinals where she will take on five-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) in what will no doubt be a heat to watch. Former CT stalwart and WSL Wildcard Michel Bourez (FRA) was unable to find a rhythm in his heat and will hope to re-group ahead of the Elimination Round tomorrow.

Outerknown Tahiti Pro Women’s Elimination Round Results:
HEAT 1: Vahine Fierro (FRA) 6.60 DEF. Johanne Defay (FRA) 3.20
HEAT 2: Brisa Hennessy (CRI) 8.93 DEF. Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 5.33
HEAT 3: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 6.34 DEF. Isabella Nichols (AUS) 6.17
HEAT 4: Lakey Peterson (USA) 6.65 DEF. Tyler Wright (AUS) 6.37

Outerknown Tahiti Pro Men’s Opening Round Results:
Heat 1: Yago Dora (BRA) 8.66 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 8.14, Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 5.10
Heat 2: Kauli Vaast (FRA) 13.6 DEF. Barron Mamiya (HAW) 10.93, Ethan Ewing (AUS) 2.33
Heat 3: Jack Robinson (AUS) 16.26 DEF. Nat Young (USA) 7.33, Michel Bourez (FRA) 6.70

Outerknown Tahiti Pro Men’s Opening Round 1 Remaining Matchups:
Heat 4: Filipe Toledo (BRA), Kelly Slater (USA), Nathan Hedge (AUS)
Heat 5: Griffin Colapinto (USA), Jordy Smith (RSA), Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 6: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN), Caio Ibelli (BRA), Jackson Baker (AUS)
Heat 7: Callum Robson (AUS), Samuel Pupo (BRA), Seth Moniz (HAW)
Heat 8: Miguel Pupo (BRA), Connor O’Leary (AUS), Jake Marshall (USA)

Outerknown Tahiti Pro Women’s Quarterfinal Matchups:
HEAT 1: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) vs. Caroline Marks (USA)
HEAT 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Courtney Conlogue (USA)
HEAT 3: Carissa Moore (HAW) vs. Vahine Fierro (FRA)
HEAT 4: Brisa Hennessy (CRI) vs. Lakey Peterson (USA)

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

With more than 4,500 miles of epic Pacific coastline, Mexico is a surfers paradise. Check out the latest edit to drop featuring the irrepressible Jamie O’Brien and skimboarder extraordinaire Brad Domke as they search for pits south of the border.