The Power Game

TABLE TURNING: Jordy pulled it off in the last minutes of the quarters. Photo WSL / Morris

Both women's and men's events - The Swatch Pro and Hurley Pro at Trestles - finished the penultimate day with surfers racking up over ten nine-point rides in clean 3-5' surf. In the quarters of the men's, Morais (PRT) had banked a 8.70 and 7.90 with Smith needing an excellent 8.28 paddling into his final wave of the heat. Smith obliterated it for a near-perfect 9.43 and crucial berth in the semis.

“I’ve never been in this position before at No.1 so just run with the thing and have fun with it,” Smith said. “There are not too many people that get this opportunity to be here and it’s really something. I was hearing Tyler [Wright] saying earlier she represents her family and her country in this yellow jersey and that resonated with me. We haven’t had a World Champion in South Africa in probably 40 years, so it means a lot and I want to wear it proud."

ACE UP: Adrian Buchan is up against Jordy in the semi-finals tomorrow. Photo WSL / Morris

Smith will surf against Aussie Ace Buchan in the semis tomorrow (with 2-4' surf forecast at Lower Trestles) after Buchan eliminated world #6 and 2015 WSL Champion Adriano de Souza (BRA) in the opening Quarterfinal. Smith went on to say that Buchan was "another competitor you don’t want to take lightly. He’s smart and he knows how to pick the eyes out of the lineup and he’s really going to make you work”.

The big South African has put #2 John John Florence under pressure going into finals day. After losing the non-elimination Round 4 to France's Jeremy Flores, Florence must face him again in the upcoming quarter-final heat after he saw off CT veteran Durbidge in the elimination Round 5 with a spectacular 18.40 heat total.

In the last upcoming quarter-final heat, Brazilian pocket rocket Filipe Toledo faces Kanoa Igarashi (USA) after falling to the in-form Flores in Round 4 and then pulling off an electrifying Round 5 win against world #5 Julian Wilson. The 19-year-old blasted a 9.30 to put Wilson in a combination situation that the Australian couldn't overcome. Wilson walks away with an equal 9th finish.

PRESSURE IS ON: John John must beat Flores after losing to him in Round 4. Photo WSL / Morris

You have to feel for three-time WSL Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) who left the event a bit controversially. The day started with a Round 3 Heat 9 re-surf against Igarashi, according to a new WSL rule (Igarashi was deemed to have blocked Fanning in the first iteration of their matchup). It ended with Igarashi again winning the heat after opening with a 8.3 in very slow conditions. Fanning could only muster a 6.50 start and exits with equal 13th.

In the women's event, marked by another incredible boost in skill levels as competitors pulled off big airs and huge hacks, Silvana Lima (BRA) upset six-time WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) in the Quarterfinals, who exits equal 5th. Earlier, Gilmore opened Round 4 with an incredible performance over defending winner Tyler Wright (AUS) with two big rides and an amazing 18.90 heat score. Wright could not find the two scores required and settled for her worst result of 2017.

In another huge upset, world #12 Keely Andrew (AUS) defeated #6 Sage Erickson (USA) in the final Quarterfinal. Andrew earned the highest heat total of her CT career with a 9.07 and 9.40. Erickson exits with her third 5th place result of the season.

180 DEGREES: Lakey Peterson took down Johanne Defay and Carissa Moore. Photo WSL / Rowland

En route to the Semis, world #10 Lakey Peterson (USA) took down #5 Johanne Defay (FRA) in Round 4, and Defay heads into the Cascais Women’s Pro with her second 9th place of the year. Peterson continued her form into the Quarterfinals against three-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) by opening her account with an 8.50. In a massive exchange minutes later, Peterson blasted a 9.70 on technical turns, as Moore followed and finished off with a huge layback-hack to end her wave for a near-perfect 9.77 of her own. But, Peterson then found another near-perfect 9.87 to post the highest heat total of both the Hurley Pro and Swatch Pro -- an outstanding 19.57 over Moore’s 18.00.

"Carissa is so progressive with airs and her rail game is incredible"“Carissa [Moore] is so progressive with airs and her rail game is incredible, so I knew I just had to bring my best," Peterson said. "I was kind of thinking back to Snapper a little bit and just what I was doing there. My rail game felt really good on that wave and it was getting rewarded, so I was just trying to bring it back to that. This morning I felt a bit nervous coming off a few bad results and I was just wanting to get through that round. I think after getting through that one there was no pressure and I’m just really enjoying myself.”

World Title contender Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) was eliminated today by Courtney Conlogue (AUS) in the third Quarterfinal. Fitzgibbons will hunt for a better result at the Cascais Women’s Pro to strengthen her 2017 World Title campaign. Conlogue will advance to the Semif to face Andrew.

For more information, check out www.WorldSurfLeague.com.

AERIAL ATTACK: The women are routinely pulling off explosive airs. Photo WSL / Morris

Hurley Pro Round 4 (H3-4)
Heat 3: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 15.94, John John Florence (HAW) 15.23, Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 11.33
Heat 4: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 16.13, Julian Wilson (AUS) 14.00, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 13.16

Hurley Pro Round 5
Heat 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 16.27 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 14.84
Heat 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 13.43 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 6.84
Heat 3: John John Florence (HAW) 18.40 def. Bede Durbidge 14.54
Heat 4: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 17.00 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.90

{youtube}7pO9NjwG5Js{/youtube}

Hurley Pro Quarterfinal
QF 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 16.27 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.30
QF 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.76 def. Frederico Morais (PRT) 16.60

Hurley Pro Remaining Quarterfinal Match-Ups:
QF 3: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. John John Florence (HAW)
QF 4: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Kanoa Igarashi (USA)

Swatch Pro Round 4
Heat 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 18.90 def. Tyler Wright (AUS) 8.83
Heat 2: Lakey Peterson (USA) 14.17 def. Johanne Defay (FRA) 11.84
Heat 3: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 16.63 def. Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 14.13
Heat 4: Keely Andrew (AUS) 14.40 def. Pauline Ado (FRA) 14.03

Swatch Pro Quarterfinal
QF 1: Silvana Lima (BRA) 17.36 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.30
QF 2: Lakey Peterson (USA) 19.57 def. Carissa Moore (HAW) 18.00
QF 3: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.06 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 13.43
QF 4: Keely Andrew (AUS) 18.47 def. Sage Erickson (USA) 10.83

Swatch Pro Semifinal Match-Ups
SF 1: Silvana Lima (BRA) vs. Lakey Peterson (USA)
SF 2: Courtney Conlogue (USA) vs. Keely Andrew (AUS)