The Quiksilver and Roxy Pro France, Stop No. 9 on the Samsung Galaxy World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), completed 16 heats today, whittling the men’s and women’s fields down to the final four surfers and setting up the Semifinals for a dramatic finish later this week.
The hotly anticipated match-up between John John Florence (HAW) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA) in the Quarterfinals turned into a progressive surfing show as waves started to shut down, offering limited options other than air sections. The current World No. 1 on the Jeep Leaderboard got his revenge over Toledo who outshone him in the previous round yesterday and advances to the Semifinals where he will face Keanu Asing (HAW).
John John Florence durung Round 5 at the QUiksilver Pro France.
“I’m super stoked just to make it through that heat, it’s like perfect conditions for Filipe (Toledo) right now,” Florence said. “The tide is real low and it’s really dumpy on the inside right now, a lot of the waves are running really fast.”
Gabriel Medina during the quarterfinals of the Quiksilver Pro France
Current World No. 2 Gabriel Medina (BRA) showcased why he is the defending event winner in France as he took to the air to land incredible maneuvers to earn a phenomenal 15.07 combined heat score. Medina had the crowd on their feet as he performed epic stunts for the heat win over Julian Wilson (AUS). Wilson attempted to fight back, but with a 10.13 combined score, could not find the 8.24 needed to challenge the former World Champion. Wilson will leave the event with a 5th place finish. Medina will face Kolohe Andino (USA) in the Semifinals.
“That was a good heat, I was feeling tired before that one because of yesterday, but my board felt good and I’m stoked I landed those airs,” Medina said. “It’s good to be in the title race but it’s hard, not only because it’s against John John (Florence). Hopefully everything goes well and we have a good battle in Hawaii.”
The two dark horses of this 2016 Quiksilver Pro France, Matt Banting (AUS) and Keanu Asing (HAW), went head-to-head in the opening Quarterfinal battling for an all-important semifinal ticket as both surfers currently sit well outside the re-qualification bubble and desperately need the points. Both surfers exchanged multiple waves but ultimately it was Asing who built the stronger house and advanced to reach a career-first Championship Tour Semifinal.
“I’m just elated, this feeling is so surreal, to be here now in the semis is a dream come true,” Asing stated. “I’ve always dreamt of being on this tour, so actually making it to the Semifinals with the best surfers in the world is pretty amazing. I watched Carissa (Moore) light up a left when I was walking down the beach and it really got me fired up. We grew up surfing together at Kewalos and it sort of made me at home and I knew exactly what I had to do.”
Stopped in Round 5 by Florence, reigning WSL Champion Adriano De Souza (BRA) claimed an equal 9th place finish and will head to Portugal with a relative confidence boost after the Brazilian surfed three excellent heats in France to put a halt to an early loss streak in Tahiti and Trestles.
“For me it was definitely frustrating, if I had won that heat I would have made the Top 5,” De Souza said. “I know John John (Florence) is a tough man, number one in the World, he has a lot of pressure on his shoulders and I tried to use that as an advantage. I put everything I could in the last two waves, but it wasn’t enough.”
Kolohe Andino (USA) rounded up the day’s action and eliminated Kai Otton (AUS) to advance past the quarterfinals a second time this season. The Californian will face World No. 2 Gabriel Medina (BRA) in the semis when competition resumes.
The Roxy Pro France ran through Round 4 and the Quarterfinals to decide the event’s Semifinalists and whittle the field down to just four hopefuls for a title in France.
Tyler Wright during the quarterfinals at the Roxy Pro France.
Tyler Wright (AUS), current frontrunner on the Jeep Leaderboard, will continue her charge for the WSL World Title as she defeated compatriot Laura Enever (AUS) in the second Quarterfinal heat. Wright, the two-time defending event winner, posted two strong 6-point rides on her backhand to advance to the Semifinals.
“I like the crowd and how they do not just cheer one surfer, but they cheer on everyone whether you win or lose up the beach or down the beach,” Wright noted. “As a general crowd that is pretty amazing. I plan to do my thing [in the Semifinal]. I do not know who is going to win or lose, but I know what I can do and I know me. I am happy with that. I have a very good team behind me so we will go after that heat with the same goal in mind — to win every heat and win every final. Other than that, I cannot do much more.”
Courtney Conlogue during the quarterfinals of the Roxy Pro France.
As the only surfer able to block Wright’s Title win in France, all eyes were on Courtney Conlogue (USA), current Word No. 2, in her Quarterfinal heat against Nikki Van Dijk (AUS). Conlogue unleashed a series of powerful backside turns to secure a 7.33 and a 7.97, but Van Dijk posted an excellent 8.60 to narrow the gap. Conlogue waited for a set to fire back with a near-perfect 9.17 to secure her place in the Semifinals and keep her World Title hopes alive.
“It is down to the nitty-gritty right now and Nikki (Van Dijk] got me in the first round so I did not want that to happen again,” Conlogue explained. “To be honest, I wanted to take the opportunity off of Nikki when I used priority in the last few minutes. I have had so many times where there has been a minute remaining and that one wave ends up being it. I decided to put my cards in when taking that wave. This World Title race is really exciting for me. Now, I am simplifying and giving myself the best shot I have.”
The final Quarterfinal matchup saw an intense clash between three-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) and six-time WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS). Moore powered through the heat with an excellent 8.67 and a near-perfect 9.57 to put Gilmore in a combination and take the win. Moore will advance to the Semifinals where she will face Conlogue. Gilmore will walk away with an Equal 5th place finish, her sixth Quarterfinal loss this season.
“I wish Steph (Gilmore) was on the other side of the draw so we didn’t have to meet up until the Finals,” Moore said. “I love competing against her, I think she brings out the best in everybody. I knew I’d have to go out there and swing my best swing if I wanted to beat her. It would be amazing to win her, so far this year it’s been tough for me to break the Semis and win.”
Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) fired in the opening Quarterfinal matchup to defeat Sage Erickson (USA). Weston-Webb put on a clinic with a near-perfect 9.47 and a commanding 7.77 second wave score. The Californian battled back with a 13.84 combined score, but could not challenge the Hawaiian’s excellent forehand rides. Weston-Webb’s win will mark her fourth Semifinal berth of the year.
“I have really just been enjoying myself this whole week and taking a serious/fun approach to this event,” commented Weston-Webb. “I feel really confident and feel like my surfing is there. As long as I catch the waves, I feel good. After the 9.47, I knew that was the most amazing, fun wave I’ve probably ever caught in a contest. I kicked out and thought that it should hopefully be an 8. I was really surprised when I heard it was a 9, but forgot how many turns I did on that wave.”
Previously, Erickson eliminated crowd favorite Johanne Defay (FRA) in the opening heat of Round 4, and continued her recent rise through the CT ranks to reach the Quarterfinals for the fourth time in a row.
“Johanne (Defay) has been one of my inspirations on this tour, when she qualified she came in as the last seed from the QS and she’s won events and completely transformed her surfing,” Erickson said. “Luckily I had good scores at the beginning, I would have liked to build on that 5 but I made it so I’m happy. I’m excited to compete, I have amazing people around in my life and it’s a beautiful time in our sport, I think the girls are incredible and I just want to be a part of that mix.”
Event organizers will reconvene at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning to assess conditions and make the next call.
Surfline, official forecasters for the World Surf League (WSL), are calling for:
Fun to mid size WNW swell continues Sunday with favorable wind for much of the day. Smaller, but still fun size, WNW swell early next week as wind remains favorable. The latest model trend is for an increase in swell for the end of the waiting period (Thur-Sat), although wind may prove to be somewhat problematic.
Just in case you missed it yesterday: JJF and Filipe’s punt off is pretty sick…
QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE SEMIFINAL MATCH-UPS: SF 1: Keanu Asing (HAW) vs. John John Florence (HAW) SF 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA)
QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE QUARTERFINAL RESULTS: QF 1: Keanu Asing (HAW) 13.04 def. Matt Banting (AUS) 12.67 QF 2: John John Florence (HAW) def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) QF 3: Gabriel Medina (BRA)15.07 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 10.13 QF 4: Kolohe Andino (USA) 12.70 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 9.93
QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE ROUND 5 RESULTS: Heat 1: Keanu Asing (HAW) 11.00 def. Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 10.53 Heat 2: John John Florence (HAW) 10.64 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 10.37 Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 13.87 def. Caio Ibelli (BRA) 13.84 Heat 4: Kolohe Andino (USA) 12.50 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 11.70
ROXY PRO FRANCE SEMIFINAL MATCH-UPS: SF 1: Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) vs. Tyler Wright (AUS) SF 2: Courtney Conlogue (USA) vs. Carissa Moore (HAW)
ROXY PRO FRANCE QUARTERFINAL RESULTS: QF 1: Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) 17.24 def. Sage Erickson (USA) 13.84 QF 2: Tyler Wright (AUS) 13.06 def. Laura Enever (AUS) 2.07 QF 3: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 17.14 def. Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 13.93 QF 4: Carissa Moore (HAW) 18.24 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 9.54
ROXY PRO FRANCE ROUND 4 RESULTS: Heat 1: Sage Erickson (USA) 13.34 def. Johanne Defay (FRA) 12.93 Heat 2: Laura Enever (AUS) 13.50 def. Alessa Quizon (HAW) 12.63 Heat 3: Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 14.33 def. Coco Ho (HAW) 10.87 Heat 4: Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.50 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 13.70
Kolohe Andino during Round 3 at the QUiksilver Pro France.
SEIGNOSSE/HOSSEGOR/CAPBRETON, Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine / France (Saturday, October 8, 2016) – The Quiksilver and Roxy Pro France, Stop No. 9 on the Samsung Galaxy World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), resumed in excellent four-to-six foot (1.2 – 2 metre) surf at Culs Nus. The Quiksilver Pro ran through the all-decisive Round 3 as well as the three-man non-elimination Round 4 to decide the event’s first four Quarterfinalists. The women also powered through Round 3 to determine the first four Quarterfinalists of the Roxy Pro.
The World Title race kept everyone on their toes as John John Florence (Haw) and Gabriel Medina (BRA) managed to stay alive in France while their direct competition Matt Wilkinson (AUS) joined the long list of top seeds failing to maintain a good rhythm in Hossegor.
Filipe Toledo won Heat 2 of Round Four with a perfect 10 point ride at the Quik Pro France.
A thrilling battle played out between World No. 1 Florence and Filipe Toledo (BRA) in their Round 4 matchup as the two aerialists kept pushing each other towards bigger maneuvers, lighting up the crowds every time they paddled for a wave. Both Florence and Toledo started with an excellent barrel ride each, then went to the air to send massive punts, Toledo leading the show with a Perfect 10 point ride for the win.
“I did not even know that I was needing a huge score, I just heard that John [Florence] had a 9.40 and I had an 8.50,” Toledo explained. “In a heat against John and Stuart [Kennedy] you have to go big because they have been ripping in the whole event. Round 4 is a good round to try some big airs and crazy stuff. That left came perfectly to me and it was amazing to beat John and go straight to the Quarters.”
Florence will have another chance when competition resumes, facing Adriano de Souza (BRA) in Round 5. Previous to that incredible show, Florence had already had a close call in Round 3 against rookie Ryan Callinan (AUS). In a similar scenario, Florence and Callinan did battle in the air with a slight edge this time for the Hawaiian.
“That was a super fun heat and I’m so stoked to have a heat with Ryan [Callinan],” Florence said. “He really pushes me and makes me want to do airs too. That was an interesting one and a real battle. The battles feel really good when you finish it, win or lose. It feels good to wear the Jeep Leader Jersey. I’ve surfed a few heats and I’m getting back into my rhythm.”
Gabriel Medina (BRA) barely escaped a treacherous matchup with giant killer Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) in Round 3. Medina had a strong start, but it was a patient Fioravanti who found an absolute gem in the lineup to navigate a great barrel and punctuate the ride with a snap for an 8.57, the heat’s biggest score. Ultimately Medina stayed in pole position for a mere 0.44 to defeat the wildcard. The 2014 WSL Champion, fighting for his second Title this season, went on to dominate his following matchup to advance directly into the Quarterfinals and apply pressure on Florence.
“Of course you get fired up when someone’s surfing really good, I’m stoked to get to the quarters,” Medina said. “France is special to me, every time I go to the water I feel good and confident. I tend to get nervous before every heat, but when I’m out there everything goes my way. I love the support here. Everyone comes down the beach to support us and it gives you more energy. You want to show them some good surfing.”
Kai Otton (AUS) played the spoiler twice today, eliminating current No. 3 on the Jeep Leaderboard Matt Wilkinson (AUS) in Round 3 before sending Julian Wilson (AUS) and Sebastian Zietz (HAW) to Round 4 as the Australian veteran built confidence and momentum to reach the Quarterfinals for the first time this season.
“I did not really care about Wilko [Matt Wilkinson] at all in that heat to be honest,” Otton admitted. “I was just all about me. I need to make some heats if I want to stay on Tour. I just want to win. I do not want to go out losing in the third round all year and that was a really crucial heat for me. I am rooting for Wilko to win the Title, but I have to win my heats when they come.”
At the top of the Jeep Leaderboard for the first half of 2016, Wilkinson’s early efforts are going to waste with a string of bad results in the last four events, unable to produce his best surfing and select the right opportunities past the third round.
“The plan was to sit on the back of that little rip,” Wilkinson analyzed. “At the start I moved down. When Kai [Otton] had priority, I moved off of that and I nearly got to a couple wide ones that ran off, but they did not end up turning out. Kai got the best wave of that heat. I probably should have stuck to the plan a little bit. I felt like my surfing was great but I just could not get a wave in that heat.”
Adriano De Souza (BRA) confirmed his new found form following two mediocre results in Tahiti and California as the reigning WSL Champion overcame rookie Conner Coffin (USA)to advance into Round 4. De Souza who was unable to capitalize on the following round will have a chance to redeem himself when he faces Florence in Round 5.
“For me it’s been such a tough year,” said De Souza. “I’ve had a lot going on this year outside of surfing which has taken me out of the water. All the champions have the same challenges and I’ve never been a champion before so I didn’t really know how to deal with it. I have to keep going even though I’m out of the World Title race this year. I’m cheering for Gabriel Medina, the whole country is cheering for him.”
Today’s competition also saw Keanu Asing (HAW) put on a good show in the opening men’s heat of the day and surfed his way to a 14.50 total to eliminate Adrian Buchan (AUS) from competition. Asing unleashed his powerful surfing to move past Round 3 for only the second time in 2016.
The Roxy Pro France, Stop No. 9 of the Women’s Samsung Galaxy World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), resumed as well and continued to deliver exciting action as the world’s best surfers enjoyed rippable peaks in their non-elimination Round 3 encounters.
Tyler Wright at the Roxy Pro France during Round 2.
Tyler Wright (AUS), the current World No.1 wearing the Jeep Leader Jersey, continued her path towards a maiden World Title by advancing into the Quarterfinals of the Roxy Pro France. The Australian stayed busy in the lineup and surfed numerous waves to lock in two good scores and dispatch compatriot Laura Enever (AUS) and Sage Erickson (USA).
“I was happy with how that heat went, I had a plan and just had to stick to it, it’s a rip bowl on my backhand which is kind of new territory for me,” Wright stated. “Working with Micro [Glenn Hall] this year we’re like a team, you have Wilko [Matt Wilkinson], Laura [Enever] and I and we’re kind of rocking around together and it’s great. Being away from home for most of the year, it’s good to have that familiarity with people where you can relax and do things with them.”
Courtney Conlogue (USA), current World No. 2, did not let the immense pressure of the WSL Title race battle with Wright get to her, and negotiated a tricky Round 3 win over Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) and Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) to make her way into the Quarterfinals as well.
“Conditions were so tricky on that high tide, on my first wave I was hoping to finish that last turn and not making it kind of put me against the wall,” Conlogue admitted. “I’m stoked to get into the quarters and hopefully I get a few more waves than that. I knew I needed to bring my A-game in that heat. Sally [Fitzgibbons] is a really smart surfer that strategizes a lot and Nikki [Van Dijk] also, so I’m happy to make it through this one.”
Stephanie Gilmore during Round 2 of the Roxy Pro France.
Six-time WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) blasted through the final heat of the women’s third round with an inspiring performance in the day’s most-exciting exchange against three-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) and Coco Ho (HAW). While all three competitors opened their account with a high 8, Gilmore was the only surfer able to back her highest score with another excellent wave for an impressive 17.37 heat total and a spot in the Quarterfinals.
“I could be surfing a lefthand pointbreak and I’ll still keep my eyes open for a right,” an amused Gilmore commented. “I saw a couple of rights appear and disappear so I just kept them in mind and it worked out. You always have to be ready to adapt here, it’s lefts then it’s rights, it’s rip bowls then it’s huge hollow chunky waves so you just have to be ready for anything. I haven’t won an event in a while and that’s what it’s all about so I’ll do my best and we’ll see what happens.”
Last season’s Rookie of the Year Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) bounced back from an unlikely stumble in her opening matchup in Hossegor, and took control of the first heat of the day, relegating crowd favorite Johanne Defay (FRA) and Alessa Quizon (HAW) to Round 4 while she will advance straight to the Quarterfinals. The Hawaiian found two excellent lefts and displayed her trademark snaps in the power sections of the wave for an excellent 8 point ride backed up with a 6.00.
“It’s kind of chilly here in the morning so you have to work hard to get up early, I think I was the third person out in the lineup but I only really did one turn before my heat,” Weston-Webb said. “You have to select the ones that stand up through the channel on the inside, and to be in that position you need to maintain your paddling because the rip is taking you out. They’re hard to get but when you do they’re super fun waves.”
Event organizers will reconvene at 8 a.m. local time tomorrow morning to assess conditions and make the next call.
Surfline, official forecasters for the World Surf League (WSL), are calling for:
Fun to mid size WNW swell continues Sunday with favorable wind for much of the day. Smaller, but still fun size, WNW swell early next week as wind remains favorable. The latest model trend is for an increase in swell for the end of the waiting period (Thur-Sat), although wind may prove to be somewhat problematic.
ROXY PRO FRANCE ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) 14.00, Johanne Defay (FRA) 11.00, Alessa Quizon (HAW) 9.53 Heat 2: Tyler Wright (AUS) 11.37, Sage Erickson (USA) 10.10, Laura Enever (AUS) 8.46 Heat 3: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 10.30, Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 10.14, Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 6.10 Heat 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 17.37, Carissa Moore (HAW) 12.66, Coco Ho (HAW) 12.64
ROXY PRO FRANCE ROUND 4 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Johanne Defay (FRA) vs. Sage Erickson (USA) Heat 2: Laura Enever (AUS) vs. Alessa Quizon (HAW) Heat 3: Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) vs. Coco Ho (HAW) Heat 4: Carissa Moore (HAW) vs. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Keanu Asing (HAW) 14.50 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.40 Heat 2: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 14.50 def. Conner Coffin (USA) 12.80 Heat 3: Matt Banting (AUS) 9.16 def. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 8.80 Heat 4: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 15.93 def. Davey Cathels (AUS) 14.53 Heat 5: Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 11.06 def. Nat Young (USA) 10.76 Heat 6: John John Florence (HAW) 16.80 def. Ryan Callinan (AUS) 15.50 Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 13.34 vs. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 12.90 Heat 8: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 12.23 vs. Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 10.90 Heat 9: Kolohe Andino (USA) 14.93 vs. Jack Freestone (AUS) 8.83 Heat 10: Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.43 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 10.93 Heat 11: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 15.67 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 12.66 Heat 12: Kai Otton (AUS) 12.60 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 10.43
QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Matt Banting (AUS) 14.43, Keanu Asing (HAW) 13.76, Adriano De Souza (BRA) 13.53 Heat 2: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 18.50, John John Florence (HAW) 18.47, Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 12.03 Heat 3: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.17, Caio Ibelli (BRA) 9.13, Kolohe Andino (USA) 8.74 Heat 4: Kai Otton (AUS) 15.50, Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 6.30, Julian Wilson (AUS) 2.33
QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE ROUND 5 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Keanu Asing (HAW) vs. Stuart Kennedy (AUS) Heat 2: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Adriano de Souza (BRA) Heat 3: Caio Ibelli (BRA) vs. Julian Wilson (AUS) Heat 4: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA)
Courtney Conlogue (USA) Placed 1st in Heat 3 of Round Two at Roxy Pro France 16
SEIGNOSSE/HOSSEGOR/CAPBRETON, Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine / France (Friday, October 7, 2016) – Round 2 of the Quiksilver Pro and Roxy Pro France, Stop No. 9 of the Samsung Galaxy World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), was completed today in good three-to-four foot (1 – 1.2 metre) conditions at the main venue of plage des Culs Nus in Hossegor. The day witnessed a flurry of upsets as the challenging French beach breaks set the scene for a great shake up of the current rankings.
Matt Wilkinson during Round 2 at the Quiksilver Pro France.
Matt Wilkinson (AUS), current World No. 3 on the Jeep Leaderboard, progressed through to Round 3 at the expense of local wildcard Joan Duru (FRA). The goofy footers battled on two exciting exchanges on back-to-back waves, with a slight edge for the Australian who displayed more control in the bumpy conditions.
“The waves were really fun and rippable and I knew Joan (Duru) living here is probably one of the most solid guys to come up against,” Wilkinson said. “We ended up getting two really good waves each and I’m stoked I came out on top. I’m pretty relieved, I gave him an absolute bomb at the start and to come back from that and win is satisfying.”
Ryan Callinan (AUS) put a dent in Jordy Smith (ZAF)’s WSL Title campaign by eliminating the current World No. 4 in Round 2 of the Quiksilver Pro France. The young Australian rookie took a page out of Wilkinson’s book, ripping backside and clinching the winning ride (a 6.93) halfway through their matchup with a smooth three-turn combo.
“It was pretty slow, I thought there would be a lot more waves, but when they come through they’re pretty fun it’s just hard to position yourself,” Callinan stated. “I’ve only made two heats this year, this was my third, and two were against Jordy (Smith) so it might just be a little good luck charm. I’ve had a lot of close heats this year so to have one go my way feels really good and hopefully it keeps going.”
Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) continued to wreak havoc as a wildcard on the Championship Tour this season, taking down 11-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater (USA) for the second time this year. The Italian surfed his way to a solid 13.26 heat total while Slater had a hard time linking maneuvers on the fast breaking lefts of Culs Nus.
“I don’t have any pressure at CT events, I’m not trying to re-qualify or win a World Title here so I just want to have fun and when I went up against Kelly (Slater) again I just want to make the most out of it,” Fioravanti commented. “Whether I won or lost it was going to be an unbelievable experience. The more experience I get the better it is for next year if qualifying actually happens, so every heat is another 30 minutes in a World Tour rashie and I want to get as much as I can before I get my own rashie. Kelly is my idol and I’m always learning from him, spending some time with him in Margaret and Fiji has been a huge learning curve for me.”
Filipe Toledo (BRA) delivered one of the biggest performances of the day and eliminated fellow Brazilian Alex Ribeiro (BRA), courtesy of his slick forehand attack on the clean waves of Culs Nus. Toledo’s rebound in Round 2 put a brief stop to the carnage amongst top seeds bailing in 25th place in France.
“I’m so relieved, I was super nervous but after my 8.67 I felt like much more confidence as my board was working good and I felt great,” Toledo stated. “I have so much on my mind right now with the baby coming, I’m trying to get some sleep but it’s not easy with everything going on at home. It feels good to get that win and I’m excited for the next round.”
Alejo Muniz (BRA) and 2016 WSL Rookie Jack Freestone (AUS) delivered a couple more upsets by defeating Michel Bourez (PYF) and Josh Kerr (AUS) respectively, as the ever-changing conditions continued to end campaigns for some of the event favorites in Hossegor.
Rookie Conner Coffin (USA) surfed an extremely patient 30-minute matchup against Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), but capitalized on every opportunity he got to net an amazing 9 point ride with powerful backhand gauges on a great lefthander. The Californian backed it up with a similar approach on a shorter wave for a 7.33 and a Round 3 berth.
“Wiggolly’s always a tough draw, we’ve had a lot of close battles together, but any heat you make on this tour is good,” Coffin said. “Waves were fun in that heat, I’m just stoked to be here in France because this place is insane. I’m here with my family, Ryan and Philippe Malvaux who lives here and works with Hurley so lots of good energy. After a few bad results I’m kind of in the mindspace of just enjoying the whole tour experience, you never know when it’s going to end.”
Following the completion of Men’s Round 2, the the Roxy Pro France got underway with Women’s elimination Round 2.
Courtney Conlogue (USA), current No. 2 on the Jeep Leaderboard, survived elimination Round 2 against 2016 WSL Rookie Chelsea Tuach (BRB) and will keep her World Title hopes alive as she moves through to Round 3. Tuach got off to a quick start to put points on the board, but Conlogue charged through the heat with powerful maneuvers to earn an excellent 8.07 and a stunning 7.83 for the win.
“The conditions suited backhand surfing,” Conlogue explained. “These conditions are a bit tricky and the tide keeps changing. We have been watching the lineup and saw that every fifteen minutes that it kept adjusting. I had a lot of fun out there and I’m really stoked to make it to Round 3.”
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) took an impressive win against California-native Lakey Peterson (USA) in Round 2 Heat 2. Peterson opened her account with an authoritative 7.00 and backed that up with another commanding 7.27 for an early lead. Fitzgibbons battled back with a near-perfect 9.33 to escape the combination, but still required a 4.94 to overtake Peterson. With five minutes left on the clock, Fitzgibbons fired with an excellent 8.33 for the Round 2 victory and the highest two-wave heat total of the day.
“It has been a tough run of results for myself,” Fitzgibbons said. “I have been pulling my surfing apart and trying to build something I am proud of. It has been tough to ride those losses and coming up in Round 2, I’ve been drawing some really tough seeds. In Round 2 it really puts the fire in the belly — you want to keep going in these events. I just dug deep and knew I had to perform the way I know I can.”
Laura Enever (AUS) took down 2016 WSL Rookie Keely Andrew (AUS) in the opening heat of Round 2. Enever sat in the second position for the majority of the heat, but a solid 6.17 on her last exchange gave her the slight 0.50 point lead over Andrew to take the win and advance to Round 3. Andrew will walk away with an Equal 13th place finish.
Round 2 Heat 5 witnessed an intense battle between Hawaiians Alessa Quizon (HAW) and Malia Manuel (HAW). The heat could not get any closer as both surfers locked in a 10.60 combined heat score for a tied match-up. Quizon earned the highest single wave score of the heat, a 6.33, and will advance to Round 3. The 13th place finish will mark Manuel’s worst result of the season.
“I’ve been in a lot of Round 2 heats and this year I haven’t had the best of them at the end,” commented Quizon. “I think my main mistake this year has been letting each result get the best of me. For this event, I wanted to have fun. I just wanted to have a heat where I was enjoying myself because half the time this year I haven’t been. I wanted to feel something different.”
Hawaiians Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) and Coco Ho (HAW) will also advance to Round 3 after dispatching event wildcard Bronte Macaulay (AUS) and Bianca Buitendag (ZAF), respectively.
Event organizers will reconvene at 8 a.m. local time tomorrow morning to assess conditions and make the next call.
Surfline, official forecasters for the World Surf League (WSL), are calling for:
“Pulses of WNW swell from our storm last weekend/early week will continue into the back half of the week. Reinforcing WNW swell will fill in for the weekend.”
QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 14.56 def. Joan Duru (FRA) 14.33 Heat 2: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 12.26 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 11.83 Heat 3: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 13.26 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 10.16 Heat 4: Matt Banting (AUS) 11.50 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 10.74 Heat 5: Julian Wilson (AUS) 12.00 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 9.43 Heat 6: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 15.67 def. Alex Ribeiro (BRA) 7.60 Heat 7: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 12.00 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 11.33 Heat 8: Jack Freestone (AUS) 12.36 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 9.30 Heat 9: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 12.60 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 11.34 Heat 10: Conner Coffin (USA) 16.33 def. Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 12.60 Heat 11: Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 12.00 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 10.50 Heat 12: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 12.43 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 9.17
QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Keanu Asing (HAW) Heat 2: Adriano De Souza (BRA) vs. Conner Coffin (USA) Heat 3: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Matt Banting (AUS) Heat 4: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Davey Cathels (AUS) Heat 5: Stuart Kennedy (AUS) vs. Nat Young (USA) Heat 6: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Ryan Callinan (AUS) Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) Heat 8: Caio Ibelli (BRA) vs. Kanoa Igarashi (USA) Heat 9: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS) Heat 10: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA) Heat 11: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA) Heat 12: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Over the course of the past year, Leo Fioravanti has turned from a kid you need to keep tabs on, to a man you need to start paying attention to… And potentially the first Italian world champion.
Leo is no stranger to the surf world. And the surf world is certainly no stranger to him. The little charmer has had a spotlight shining on him since before he even hit his teens. And why not? He had eerily good form, a myriad of airs, a fearless approach to fearsome waves and a carve as big as his smile. The world was his, and the hype was inevitable.
But those days are over.
Leo’s 18 now. An adult. He’s had a certain fire in him ever since returning to the water after sustaining a broken back at Pipeline. This year, he grabbed the lead on the WQS and has already beaten both Kelly Slater and defending World Champ Adriano de Souza as a wildcard on the WSL. Suffice to say, Leo has arrived.
So now its’ time to put the noise to rest. No more hype. No more big claims. No more calling him a kid. From here on out, Leo’s just going to let his surfing do the talking. Rest assured, we’ll be listening.
___
Kelly Slater –
“Leo has a good eye for waves. He’s always putting himself on the good ones….His best surfing comes in big waves. He seems to really like the powerful stuff, so competitively he already has a real advantage over a lot people”
“When he got hurt last year…in a way i think it was almost a blessing. It gave him a lot of time to sit back, think about where he is going, what he is doing and what he appreciates. And I think he came out more on fire after that”
Zeke Lau –
“We travel around the world together surfing the CT so it was good to mix it up and surf good waves and have fun and not worry about the contest thing.”
“His attitude towards everything is really positive, so it’s good to have that energy and feed off of and push each other to new levels.”
Leo Fioravanti –
“This is what I work hard for. I work hard to surf waves like Fiji without no one else out on the World Tour. This wave is one of the best waves in the world. It’s defiantly better than what i expected”
“This year has really been the best year of my life. I’ve gone from surfing incredible waves with my idol, to spending time with my family and scoring pumping waves with great friends. All these things combined have helped my to hopefully achieve my lifelong goal of qualifying for the world tour and hopefully one day, who knows, become a world champion.”
This is Deivid Silva. He’s just won the Quiksilver Pro Casablanca with a 9.13 and a 9.33 which he surfed back to back. This is from the 9.33 and I’m sure you’ll agree is the kind of turn that doesn’t come along that often. The brutality of it was something to be seen, indeed it’s still raining in Casablanca because of it. Dave pipped Nelson Cloarec in the final (pictured below getting selfied to death by the frothing crowd) and looks like a good bet for the big league tour next season. With man hacks like this I think he’ll fit right in!
Another day in Morocco. Another relaxed call for the Quiksilver/Roxy Pro Casablanca comp at 9:30. Another epic breakfast of omelette pancake slash crumpet things and strong as hell coffee.
Today the Brit crew got to surf again (I missed Lucy Campbell and Peony Knight going through their round one heats as was sat in Heathrow when that was happening) and it was a game of two halves.
During the heat before our slice of Casablanca beachy was looking fun as hell, the higher tide had shifted things on to a super fun, running left which was smashable as hell. Of course come the Brit girls heat things went weird and wobbly and backy offy.
Short version: after a slow start Peony got two long belters and won the heat. Lucy picked some likely looking lumps of Atlantic that then proceeded to shrug and do the backing off thing and ended up getting knocked out. Such is the way of contests.
Plus side is Peony is now in to the woman v woman quarters tomorrom where she’ll take on Kiwi Ella Williams. Which is cool.
Justine Dupont and Pauline Ado are still in the mix and looking lethal. Whoever finishes in front takes the European QS title so it’s game on…
Anfaplace Shopping Center, Casablanca – Morocco (Friday, September 16, 2016) – The Quiksilver Pro Casablanca and Roxy Pro Casablanca continued to give local surfers and crowds a great show as competition resumed in clean two-to-three foot surf at Anfaplace Shopping Center.
Ian Gouveia (BRA), 23, steamrolled through the competition, launching the day’s proceedings with an impeccable performance to move into Round Four.
Keoni Yan (HAW), 21, had a good battle with local star Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR), 23, and narrowly defeated the Moroccan, both surfers making their way into the second-to-last day of competition in Casablanca.
“I was lucky to get those good little waves, they stood up for me and I had fun in that heat,” he said. “All our crew is staying here with Jerome Sahyoun, he’s a local legend and has been very welcoming and giving us a few tips so I’m really thankful. I love it here in Morocco, everything’s so different.”
Boukhiam had previously clinched the single best score of the heat but had a hard time backing it up and was in a dangerous position up until the final moments of the heat. His opponents’ efforts proved insufficient as well, keeping the local favorite’s campaign alive on home soil.
“I found it really tough out there, I think we were at that in-between moment of the tide and it didn’t make things easy for us,” he reflected. “But I’m happy I managed to hang on to second place and the most important is to get through. This morning was quiet as we started early but I’m looking forward to surfing on the weekend, it should be epic!”
In a tense Round Three bout, event number one seed Deivid Silva (BRA), 21, was extremely picky when it came to wave selection and was sitting in last position when he finally started on his third wave with only seconds on the clock. The Brazilian locked in several good carves and exploited the little left all the way into the beach for a 7.87 buzzer-beater to take the win.
“It was absolutely crazy to wait for the last twenty seconds to catch that last wave,” he admitted. “That wave was super nice and I’m stoked to get that win. I’m super happy to be visiting Morocco for the first time.”
Heat 5 was the most decisive matchup in terms of the 2016 regional title race as Jorgann Couzinet (REU), 22, and reigning European Champion Pedro Henrique (PRT), 34, took it the water to try and keep their title hopes alive. Couzinet continued his winning streak as Henrique’s race was put to rest in Casablanca.
With Dylan Lightfoot (ZAF), 21, unable to advance past the third round of competition here, the African regional rankings are now final with Beyrick De Vries (ZAF), 23, and Faye Zoetmulder (ZAF), 25, taking home the 2016 WSL African Champion Titles.
The women’s quarterfinalists were decided as well today, with Pauline Ado (FRA), 25, leading the show in the opening Round Two matchup. Ado, by advancing into the quarters, has now tied with compatriot Justine Dupont (FRA), 25, in the European title race, meaning either surfer that finishes ahead of the other in this event will claim the coveted regional crown.
“Justine and I both want to win, here in this event and the European title, and our main goal is to re-qualify as well, so I’ll just take it one heat at a time and see what happens,” she explained. “Each heat is going to be tougher and tougher now cause we’re getting into the man-on-man heats with all the girls that have been ripping this week. It looks like we’re getting more swell on the weekend so I look forward to the final stretch in good conditions.”
Dupont went on to confirm her excellent form and advanced into the quarters, keeping all the title possibilities pending until the event resumes Saturday.
Ainara Aymat (EUK), 19, had the tough task to surf the day’s final heat at a tricky high tide and managed to find an excellent little runner of a left-hander to lock in multiple turns for the heat’s highest single ride of 6.83 and her ticket to the quarters.
“I was really nervous to surf these conditions so I’m super happy to win,” she said. “Outside, the rip takes you off the peak but as you start to come in closer to the shore the wave gets really fun. I haven’t made past the quarters yet so I’m going to try to relax and hopefully make one more!”
Event officials will once again reconvene at 9:30AM Saturday to assess conditions and plan the last couple of days at the Quiksilver & Roxy Pro Casablanca.
MagicSeaWeed, official forecaster for the WSL Europe Qualifying Series events, calls for “Saturday offers a good chance of offshore conditions, particularly in the morning, although the overnight wind and slightly lower swell period will mean a mix of waves the better sets should be pushing head high and building in the afternoon as a new swell starts to fill in under the more local swell.” for Saturday.
The Quiksilver & Roxy Pro Casablanca are scheduled from September 13-18, 2016 at ANFAPLACE Shopping Center, Casablanca – Morocco. For all results, photos, video highlights and press releases, log on to worldsurfleague.com.
The Quiksilver & Roxy Pro Casablanca are supported by Anfaplace Shopping Center, Quiksilver and Roxy, the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Surf, the Office National Marocain du Tourisme, the Marocaine des Jeux et des Sports, Red Bull and MagicSeaweed among others.
UPCOMING QUIKSILVER PRO CASABLANCA ROUND 4 MATCHUPS:
Heat 1: Ian Gouveia (BRA), Thiago Guimaraes (BRA), Keoni Yan (PYF), Rafael Teixeira (BRA)
Heat 2: Lucas Silveira (BRA), Caetano Vargas (BRA), Deivid Silva (BRA), Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR)
Heat 3: Jorgann Couzinet (REU), Matthew McGillivray (ZAF), Nelson Cloarec (FRA), Jesse Mendes (BRA)
Heat 4: Flavio Nakagima (BRA), Bino Lopes (BRA), Miguel Tudela (PER), Ian Costa (BRA)
UPCOMING ROXY PRO CASABLANCA QUARTERFINAL MATCHUPS:
QF 1: Pauline Ado (FRA) vs. Freya Prumm (AUS)
QF 2: Ella Williams (NZL) vs. Peony Knight (GBR)
QF 3: Justine Dupont (FRA) vs. Carol Henrique (PRT)
QF 4: Melanie Giunta (PER) vs. Ainara Aymat (EUK)
QUIKSILVER PRO CASABLANCA ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Ian Gouveia (BRA) 14.60, Caetano Vargas (BRA) 13.36, Victor Bernardo (BRA) 11.13, Lucca Mesinas (PER) 8.43
Heat 2: Keoni Yan (PYF) 12.73, Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 12.07, Samuel Igo De Souza (BRA) 11.20, Imanol Yeregi (EUK) 8.60
Heat 3: Lucas Silveira (BRA) 12.93, Thiago Guimaraes (BRA) 12.77, Lliam Mortensen (AUS) 11.97, Frederico Magalhaes (PRT) 7.53
Heat 4: Deivid Silva (BRA) 15.37, Rafael Teixeira (BRA) 14.27, Miguel Blanco (PRT) 14.06, Jackson Baker (AUS) 13.93
Heat 5: Jorgann Couzinet (REU) 16.60, Bino Lopes (BRA) 15.84, Marco Giorgi (URY) 11.03, Pedro Henrique (PRT) 8.76
Heat 6: Nelson Cloarec (FRA) 12.20, Ian Costa (BRA) 10.90, Raphael Seixas (BRA) 8.90, Vehiatua Prunier (PYF) 7.17
Heat 7: Flavio Nakagima (BRA) 12.37, Matthew McGillivray (ZAF) 12.30, Julen Egiguren (EUK) 11.47, Halley Batista (BRA) 7.60
Heat 8: Miguel Tudela (PER) 13.90, Jesse Mendes (BRA) 12.64, Dylan Lightfoot (ZAF) 8.80, Jackson Giles (AUS) 8.67
