I’m sure it may be difficult for most of us to believe, but people are actually going to be doing physical activity today! While the tryptophan and heavy gravy are just starting to wear off and our blood flow is
I’m sure it may be difficult for most of us to believe, but people are actually going to be doing physical activity today! While the tryptophan and heavy gravy are just starting to wear off and our blood flow is hopefully starting to return to a normal pace, both the World Cup of Surfing and the Target Maui Pro should be getting underway today with some incoming swell encouraging the action.
As the second leg of the Triple Crown, the World Cup at Sunset Beach usually separates those with a realistic shot at the prestigious title from those who have impressed but aren’t real contenders.
It will be an opportunity for Australia’s Wade Carmichael to add to his current Triple Crown points lead after winning the Hawaiian Pro. It will also be an opportunity for him to try to secure a spot on the 2016 world tour with continued movement up the Qualifying Series rankings.
For Maui’s Dusty Payne, it’s a last ditch effort to re-qualify, thanks to his fourth-place result at Haleiwa. Payne has struggled mightily on the CT this season after a win at Haleiwa and a runner-up showing at Sunset last year put him back on the dream tour. He’ll need similar back-to-back results if he is to move up from his current 17th-place standing and into the necessary qualifying area.
Kauai’s Koa Smith will be in the contest’s opening heat, taking on a pair from Portugal — Tiago Pires and Frederico Morais — along with Oahu’s Seth Moniz. Older brother Alex won’t be far behind as he enters the water during the third heat against Willian Cardoso, Medi Veminardi and Kekoa Cazimero. Alex reached the fourth round at last year’s World Cup, losing out to Josh Kerr by just two-tenths of a point.
Evan Valiere follows in heat four and both Dylan Goodale and Kaimana Jaquias compete in heat five. So five Kauai surfers hit the water in the first five heats, all hoping to improve upon their Haleiwa results. Gavin Gillette goes in heat nine to complete the Garden Isle’s round one contingent.
Sebastian Zietz awaits in round three as he and most of the CT surfers have byes directly to that point.
A quick flight over to Maui would give a bird’s eye view of the even more consequential contest opening today, the Target Maui Pro. It’s the final women’s CT contest of the year and will determine whether Carissa Moore adds to her already impressive trophy collection with a third world title, or if Courtney Conlogue can earn her first.
The duo has traded the points lead back and forth all season, but it’s Moore who currently holds the slight edge. If she reaches the final at Honolua Bay, she can clinch the crown. But Conlogue will undoubtedly be keeping the pressure on, as she has all year.
Moore’s first-round opponent will be Silvana Lima, as well as a wildcard to be determined just before round one. A four-woman heat featuring Dax McGill, Summer Macedo, Brisa Hennessy and Cayla Moore — Carissa’s younger sister — will put the winner into the main draw to face off with the world’s top surfer.
Conlogue will take on Coco Ho and Aussie Keely Andrew in her opening non-elimination heat.
Tatiana Weston-Webb looks to put the finishing touches on an impressive rookie season when she opens in round one against Tyler Wright and Dimity Stoyle. Tati is coming off a runner-up performance at the Roxy Pro France and a third at the Cascais Women’s Pro in her previous two CT events.
Malia Manuel is safe and will re-qualify for the world tour one way or another. She’ll stay in the top 10 as long as Nikki Van Dijk and Coco Ho don’t both make deep runs in Maui. But even in the unlikely event she falls out, her QS ranking is enough to bring her back.
So if you’re still feeling like a big vat of gravy, you can at least turn on the TV or the live stream and see that there are humans moving around today. And for that, I am certainly thankful.
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David Simon can be reached at dsimon@thegardenisland.com.
