LIHU‘E — Round two of the Ferrolterra Movistar Pantin Classic was completed Thursday, with gale force off-shore winds battering the line-up and making for tricky conditions for the entire field of athletes. Kaua‘i’s Sebastian Zietz won his second-round heat to
LIHU‘E — Round two of the Ferrolterra Movistar Pantin Classic was completed Thursday, with gale force off-shore winds battering the line-up and making for tricky conditions for the entire field of athletes.
Kaua‘i’s Sebastian Zietz won his second-round heat to advance into the final 48 riders in the men’s draw.
Zietz scored well on his seventh wave, netting a 7.50 score, which he added to his 5.83 on his third ride. The 13.33 total was good for the win in the day’s third heat, while Australia’s Adam Robertson snuck by South Africa’s David Weare for the second-place spot.
Zietz’s third-round heat will also feature Brazil’s Odirlei Coutinho, Australia’s Jayke Sharp and France’s Romain Cloitre.
There were clean three- to four-foot waves on offer throughout the day.
Brazil’s Rodrigo Dornelles came home on the final siren to jump from third to first in his 25-minute clash and claim the highest single-wave score of the day, an 8.90 out of a possible 10. Needing a solid score to advance, Dornelles paddled into a long right-hander pulling off a series of powerful turns to easily advance to the next round.
Australia’s Rhys Bombaci obtained one of the highest combined heat totals of 16.17 with two excellent scoring rides in his mid-morning, low tide heat.
American Nat Young survived the toughest heat of the round where only 0.5 points separated the four surfers. Finishing behind heat winner Pedro Henrique, of Brazil, Young knew that despite getting off to a flying start, he would have to work hard to hold his opponents off.
“Right at the ning, I got a seven and most guys are making heats with a 12-point total, so I was really stoked when I got that,” Young said. “But then everyone else got sevens and eights so I had to start all over again, but I got a backup so that helped.”
First call for Friday’s Day 4 will be at 8:30 a.m. local time for round three of the Ferrolterra Movistar Pantin Classic presented by Billabong and the Cabreiroa Surfing Girls.
