Masencamp Fires in Spain

ADIN AND ABETTING: Adin Masencamp should better his 29th QS ranking. Photo WSL / Poullenot

In-form Masencamp cruised into Round 5, where he won his heat ahead of CT tour veteran Nat Young (USA), with Kiron Jabour (HAW) and Samuel Pupo (BRA) falling out of the competition. To be the best you have to beat the best, and Masencamp will have a tough tussle in Round 6, when he faces Gatien Delahaye (FRA), Alejo Muniz (BRA), and Aritz Aranburu (ESP), the latter being two CT stalwarts.

Long time CT competitor (five years up to 2017) Nat Young (USA) applied his textbook backhand attack on the rights and posted one of the biggest heat totals of the day in Round 4. The Californian didn’t find the same opportunities in the following round but managed to squeak through behind Masencamp to keep his Pantin run alive.

“I wasn’t super confident on my peak choice, I’d seen it work before my heat but I knew it could shut down quickly,” Young said. “But I had to trust my gut feeling and it worked out. I feel comfortable out here with the kelp and the cold water, that’s what I’m surfing all the time.”

WHIPLASH: Alejo Muniz, formerly on the CT, will be a major hurdle. Photo WSL / Poullenot

Seven-year Championship Tour athlete Alejo Muniz (BRA) demonstrated his superiority by claiming the day’s highest single scores of 8.93 on a right. The lightning fast Brazilian performed two massive forehand turns, throwing buckets of water all over the lineup for a near-perfect score. He went on to surf a similar wave in Round Five and applied the same recipe to take another win and make a statement of his intentions in Pantin.

“I knew that right was the best wave of the heat but it was hard to negotiate because of the all the seaweed,” Muniz said. “The top part of the wave was alright to do turns, but down the bottom it was hard to link in between turns. It was great to get that 8.93, I got more relaxed and it allowed me to choose my next waves.”

SPANISH FLYER: Aritz Aranburu is a fast, fluid surfer with loads of talent. Photo WSL / Poullenot

UPCOMING PANTIN CLASSIC GALICIA PRO MEN’S ROUND 6 MATCHUPS
Heat 1: Weslley Dantas (BRA), Ethan Ewing (AUS), Thiago Camarao (BRA), Hiroto Ohhara (JPN)
Heat 2: Mateus Herdy (BRA), Lucas Silveira (BRA), Kauli Vaast (FRA), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
Heat 3: Carlos Munoz (CRI), Nat Young (USA), Jackson Baker (AUS), Alonso Correa (PER)
Heat 4: Adin Masencamp (ZAF), Gatien Delahaye (FRA), Alejo Muniz (BRA), Aritz Aranburu (ESP)

PANTIN CLASSIC GALICIA PRO MEN’S ROUND 5 RESULTS
Heat 1: Weslley Dantas (BRA) 13.10, Lucas Silveira (BRA) 12.47, Nomme Mignot (FRA) 12.43, Ty Watson (AUS) 11.73
Heat 2: Thiago Camarao (BRA) 13.80, Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 10.83, Nelson Cloarec (FRA) 10.54, Flavio Nakagima (BRA) 10.30
Heat 3: Mateus Herdy (BRA) 12.77, Ethan Ewing (AUS) 11.53, Timothee Bisso (FRA) 10.77, Rio Waida (JPN) 9.03
Heat 4: Kauli Vaast (FRA) 14.73, Hiroto Ohhara (JPN) 13.83, Pedro Neves (BRA) 12.06, Miguel Blanco (PRT) 11.90
Heat 5: Carlos Munoz (CRI) 13.46, Gatien Delahaye (FRA) 11.66, Thomas Cervi (AUS) 11.20, Ariihoe Tefaafana (PYF) 7.70
Heat 6: Jackson Baker (AUS) 12.94, Aritz Aranburu (ESP) 12.27, Maxime Huscenot (FRA) 11.67, Guillermo Satt (CHL) 10.23
Heat 7: Adin Masencamp (ZAF) 12.70, Nat Young (USA) 10.50, Kiron Jabour (HAW) 9.36, Samuel Pupo (BRA) 9.00
Heat 8: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 14.17, Alonso Correa (PER) 12.27, Bino Lopes (BRA) 10.84, Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 8.20