LIHU‘E — Brazil’s Raoni Monteiro and Australia’s Tyler Wright each came away with the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing championships, Thursday on O‘ahu, as the second leg of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing wrapped up. Monteiro took home the
LIHU‘E — Brazil’s Raoni Monteiro and Australia’s Tyler Wright each came away with the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing championships, Thursday on O‘ahu, as the second leg of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing wrapped up.
Monteiro took home the $20,000 first prize on the men’s side in a highly-contested final heat, coming back against Australia’s Julian Wilson, who put up two quick scoring waves for a 14.20 total. But Monteiro used a 7.87 on his sixth wave to move into the lead and held on from there with a 14.37 score.
Wilson was second, with Hawai‘i’s Granger Larsen coming in third (12.47) and Australian Josh Kerr in fourth (11.66).
The day began with 32 surfers still alive, 15 of them from Australia. Eight Aussies moved on into the quarterfinals, along with two Hawai‘i riders in Larsen and John John Florence. Kekoa Bacalso and Joel Centeio were each knocked off in their Round of 32 heats.
The biggest upset of the quarters was seeing the Association of Surfing Professionals second-ranked surfer, South Africa’s Jordy Smith, knocked out by Wilson and Ben Dunn as Smith paddled out against three Aussies.
Florence won his quarterfinal heat to move into the semifinals along with a loaded heat foursome of Larsen, Monteiro and Mick Fanning.
Larsen put up a round-high of 15.90 to advance with Monteiro (15.20) and knock out Fanning (13.50) and Florence (5.53).
The other semifinal saw Wilson (13.43) and Kerr (13.07) barely sneak by Adrian Buchan (13.00) and Ben Dunn (9.57), all four competitors hailing from down under.
On the women’s side, Wright stunned with a 9.57 on her third scoring wave of the final to virtually assure herself the crown with a 17.24 total score — the highest wave score and heat total of the event. She took home $12,000 for the victory.
“This feels pretty cool,” Wright said. “I had fun out there and caught a couple of waves and it started really pulsing at the end, so I was happy and having fun. The girls were ripping out there so it was good.”
Wright, who finished runner-up at the Reef Hawaiian Pro, also earned the prestigious JN Automotive Group Rookie of the Vans Triple Crown award and her current standing as ratings’ leader will see her compete for the 2010 ASP Specialty Series Title at Pipeline in a one-heat battle for the prestigious three-event series.
O‘ahu’s Coco Ho came in second (11.43), followed by tour champion Steph Gilmore (10.27) and Sally Fitzgibbons (9.96).
“Tyler (Wright) kind of had it from the start and it was hard to hear out there,” Ho said. “I just wanted to get two good ones, but I’m more happy than sad. I finally got a final this year and to finish this well at home, I’m really happy.”
The field of 16 that began the day included Kaua‘i’s Malia Manuel and Alana Blanchard, as well as Ho, Carissa Moore and Melanie Bartels representing Hawai‘i.
Manuel finished off her quarterfinal heat with a flurry, scoring waves of 7.17 and 8.50 on her final two rides to win the heat and advance. She moved on with 15.67 points alongside Gilmore in second (12.94).
Ho then followed suit with a heat win of her own, overcoming an early score by Fitzgibbons to put up 11.54 points to Fitzgibbons’ 11.33. Blanchard took third in the heat (10.86), a late 6.93 — the top score of the heat — still not enough to move on. LeeAnn Curren was fourth (6.56).
Moore (16.83) and Bartels (14.20) both moved on to the semis by getting past Sage Erickson (11.84) and Jessi Miley-Dyer (10.46).
Good rides were plentiful in the semifinals as Gilmore came away with the win in the opening heat, using her final wave to move up the charts. She added a 7.70 to her 8.33 for the win with a 16.03 total. That bumped Wright into second, but she stayed there with a 14.50 to reach the final.
Silvana Lima (14.00) had a couple late scores but just missed out, while Manuel (13.00) was unable to find one last opportunity and missed the final four.
In the second heat, Fitzgibbons used the final two of her six waves to move into first with a 13.23 heat total, sliding just in front of Ho’s 13.00, which she attained early in the heat. Bartels (10.60) and Moore (10.43) ended up in third and fourth, respectively.
Quotes provided by an Association of Surfing Professionals press release
