LIHU‘E — Andy Irons and Roy Powers each advanced into Round 4 of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia, Wednesday, as the event has been moving around to different shorebreak locations through the first three rounds. The
LIHU‘E — Andy Irons and Roy Powers each advanced into Round 4 of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia, Wednesday, as the event has been moving around to different shorebreak locations through the first three rounds.
The two Kaua‘i surfers put themselves among the 16 competitors remaining in the event, sponsored by Snickers, dispensing of some fierce opponents to this point.
Irons got the event going in style, paddling out in the first heat of Round 1 alongside Americans Dane Reynolds and Nate Yeomans, then heading in with a 14.33 score to move directly into Round 3.
Powers was the other bookend for the opening round, heading out in the final heat with Dean Morrison and Luke Munro, coming away with a 12.84, which also moved him past the second round of heats and into Round 3.
Irons faced off with Australia’s Kai Otton in the third round, a head-to-head heat, and came away with the victory, 10.67 to 6.70.
The score for Irons was on the lower end of those heading into Round 4, as he and Otton were unable to find much to work with at the Winkipop break. Irons took a 4.00 on his first wave, then a 6.67 on his final attempt. Otton’s best efforts netted him scores of 3.40 and 3.30.
Powers knocked out the formidable Reynolds in the fifth heat of the day, 13.50 to 12.34. Neither surfer scored on many rides, with Powers getting just three scores and Reynolds, four. But Powers used an 8.17 score on his final wave to advance. That score tied for the eighth-highest wave, mid-way through Round 3 of the event.
Irons was set to go up against local favorite, Taj Burrow, in Heat No. 2 of Round 4.
Powers was matched up against South Africa’s Jordy Smith.
The rest of the Round 4 heats were Brazil’s Adriano de Souza vs. Hawai‘i’s Fredrick Patacchia, Puerto Rico’s Tiago Pires vs. Australia’s Mick Fanning, Australians Joel Parkinson vs. Adrian Buchan, American Bobby Martinez vs. Brazil’s Jason Andre, Australians Bede Durbidge vs. Luke Stedman and American Kelly Slater vs. Michel Bourez.
Slater was taken to the hospital following a warm-up surf after suffering an ankle injury. Initially thinking it might be a broken bone, Slater got back in the competition when x-rays determined there was no break.
He went on to knock Hawai‘i’s Dusty Payne out of the event with a 15.10 to 13.84 win in Round 3.
Round 4 got underway Wednesday, but results were not available before press time.
