While also sorts of behind-the-scenes controversy was going down off camera, the 2013 Quiksilver Pro France ran smoothly today – well sort off. In tough conditions (read lots of closeouts and close heats), contest director, Miky Picon, decided to run the Mens event in the first half of the day, take a break, let the lighties surf the Quiksilver King of the Groms event and then, after that, threw the Dream Tour competitors back in the water to surf the afternoon swell.
JJF looked sublime (as usual) especially when he dropped this turn after casually blasting out one of the barrels of the day.
In the Mens event, morning surfing opened at La Graviere with heat wins from the title chasers Taj Burrow, Mick Fanning and Kelly Slater, seeing them all avoid the knockout round and moving through to Round 4 – where this year’s exciting world title race will continue.
In Mick Fanning’s heat against Ramzi Boukhiam, Jordy supporters just about fell off their chairs thinking there was going to be some new drama in the title race. Ramzi cleanly exited a perfect left barrel and judges threw him a 9.17. Fortunately for Mick, Ramzi couldn’t back up that high score, and Mick showed why he is on top of the title chase by winning confidently.
Filipe dominated his heat against Jeremy Flores with a performance that included this massive alley oop.
Filipe Toledo continued to blow minds, which he has done often this year with his technical ability above the lip, scoring the highest scoring two wave total of the day. The Brazilian rode out a massive alley oop (barely claiming it) after scoring an overhead tube only minutes earlier, which saw him take down local boy Jeremy Flores.
In the King of the Groms event SA’s representative, Shane Sykes, grabbed a respectable 10th place. Having just made a return from a long lay-off following a knee injury, the Salt Rock local had to make a run back up the beach mid-heat after busting a fin. Following that, Shane struggling to find some exits to the barrels on offer once back in the water, and saw his chances of scooping the King of the Groms crown dashed.
After the Juniors event was complete for the day, Jordy lit up as the light faded in the final heat of round 3. Jordy led the entire heat and despite the waves suiting Kieren Perrow’s strengths, Jordy’s form allowed him to walk away with the win.
Will Jordy get the shoulder hoist in France? It’s too early to say, but a lot of people are predicting it…
Following Jordy’s win, organisers managed to squeeze one more heat into the long day, and Taj, Parko and Kai Otton went at it hard for the first heat of Round 4, while web viewers and judges squinted into the dipping sun. It was Kai who got the best of the high-action encounter, cementing his spot directly into the quarter finals, and making the road a little tougher for World Title chasers Parko and Taj to reach the summit.
Round 4 action has resumed, and you can watch it live on – https://quiksilverlive.com/profrance/2013/
REMAINING QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE ROUND 4 MATCHUPS:
Heat 2: Michel Bourez (PYF), John John Florence (HAW), Mick Fanning (AUS)
Heat 3: Kelly Slater (USA), Filipe Toledo (BRA), Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 4: Julian Wilson (AUS), Gabriel Medina (BRA), Jordy Smith (ZAF)
QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Kai Otton (AUS) 19.17, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.80, Taj Burrow (AUS) 17.50
QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.50 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 7.17
Heat 2: Kai Otton (AUS) 7.40 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 4.10
Heat 3: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.16 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 8.83
Heat 4: Michel Bourez (PYF) 16.73 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 9.50
Heat 5: John John Florence (HAW) 15.67 def. Sebastien Zietz (HAW) 10.20
Heat 6: Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.34 def. Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 10.67
Heat 7: Kelly Slater (USA) 11.50 def. Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 9.37
Heat 8: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 18.47 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 2.67
Heat 9: Brett Simpson (USA) 13.77 def. Adriano De Souza (BRA) 12.16
Heat 10: Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.26 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 14.30
Heat 11: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.87 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 16.40
Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.17 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 11.40
Check out the official press release below.
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LA GRAVIERE, Hossegor/France (Wednesday, October 2, 2013) – The Quiksilver Pro France resumed today in clean 4-6Ft waves at the primary venue of La Graviere and completed the third round of competition with the World’s Best lighting up the Hossegor peaks to whittle the field down to just twelve surfers.
Event No.8 of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour, The Quiksilver Pro France was in a holding pattern for the past four days due to non-existant swell and finally recommenced today in pumping surf. This event will play a major role in the World Title race as well as requalification campaigns of the Top34.
Filipe Toledo (BRA) 18, in his rookie season amongst the Elite Top34, put on a dominant performance in Round 3 to eliminate the event’s favourite Jeremy Flores (FRA) 25. Toledo displayed his versatility opening his wave-count with a deep stand-up barrel rewarded by an excellent 8.50, before launching into a massive alley-oop perfectly executed to net the day’s highest wave score of 9.97 out of 10.
“I’m super stoked to make that heat, especially with that air and that barrel,” Toledo said. “With the tide coming up I was looking for the barrel and on the first wave I got a really good one. Then it sort of changed and I thought I was going to need to do turns, but that little wave came and I went for the alley-oop air. The Brazilian crew is great, we’re all stoked and have that positive vibe so it’s great to be here in France in warm weather and good waves. I’m feeling confident for the next round.”
Toledo will be facing defending event champion Kelly Slater (USA) and Brett Simpson (USA) in the fourth round.
Gabriel Medina (BRA) 19, former winner of the Quiksilver Pro France, was in a sizzling form, adjusting perfectly to the changing lineup on the outgoing tide late this afternoon. The talented Brazilian goofyfooter locked in a beautiful frontside barrel he exited clean and completed the wave with an impressive alley-oop to net an excellent 9.10 out of 10.
“It looks like home, I’m so stoked to make it through,” Medina admitted. “France is definitely a special place for me, I had some great results here in the past and I love to come here it’s been fun. Everyone’s hard to beat, especially Julian he surfed really good in the last couple of events, I’m really excited for the next one.”
Michel Bourez (PYF) 27, current World No.10 and recent semi-finalist in Trestles, kept the ball rolling at the Quiksilver Pro France today. The excellent tuberider hailing from Tahiti read the moving lineup at la Graviere perfectly to sit in the right spot and find two excellent waves, including a near-perfect 9.73 out of 10 on a deep righthander barrel he came flying out of.
“Those conditions are why they put the contest here, La Graviere can be really good and I’m lucky to get that one,” Bourez stated. “It’s so much fun out there, I surf to get barreled and today I didn’t even feel like I was in a heat I just wanted to get the best waves. It’s all about placement, it can be anyone’s event, if Kolohe was in my spot he would have got the scores and made the heat.”
Reigning ASP World Champion and past winner of the Quiksilver Pro France, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 32, made a smart selection of the waves on offer at La Graviere to find two good scores and advance ahead of talented Californian Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 27. Parkinson made full use of his extensive knowledge and experience in France to scour the lineup and spot the best opportunities.
“Now that there’s waves it puts such a good vibe around the event,” Parkinson said. “There’s a couple little tactics you can use to find the right ones, like try to find where the rips go out, try to get on the corners of the smooth parts, sometimes it feels like you’re paddling for nothing and it turns into a good wave.”
Hawaiian phenomenon John John Florence (HAW) 20, displayed his usual ease in the technical fast-breaking barrels of La Graviere to post a solid heat total of 15.67 out of 20 and advance into the fourth round of competition ahead of fellow Hawaiian Sebastien Zietz. Florence managed to navigate through a lengthy clean barrel and punctuated the ride with a massive lay-back snap that lit up the massive French crowds.
“I’m stoked, especially how hard it is out there, there are a lot of close-outs,” Florence commented. “Hawaiians we’re all here together, so it’s a bummer when we come up against against each other, but I’m stoked to make it through Sebastian is kind of a scary surfer. I’ve been having fun these pas few days, skating and surfing little waves, just cruising around town..”
Florence will be facing Bourez and current rankings leader Mick Fanning (AUS) in the non-elimination fourth round of competition.
Kai Otton (AUS) 33, rounded up today’s action in an exciting non-elimination round 4 battle against Parkinson and Taj Burrow (AUS) 35. Otton netted two of the highest single-wave scores of the day, an incredible 9.77 backed up with a 9.40 on two consecutive backhand deep barrels to advance straight into the quarter-finals of the event and relegate his opponents to the fifth round.
Surfers and event organizers will reconvene at 7:45am tomorrow at the main site of La Graviere to re-assess conditions and decide of the day’s schedule.
The Quiksilver Pro France is scheduled from September 26 – October 6 and will be webcast LIVE via https://quiksilverlive.com/profrance/2013