​The Semi-Finalists in the Under 14 and U16 Boys’ and U16 Girls’ divisions were decided on an exciting opening day of surfing in the Billabong Junior Series event at Willard beach in Ballito on Wednesday.
 
Overcast conditions and clean one metre (hip to head high) waves that improved during the day gave the country’s top junior surfers the canvas on which to utilise their full repertoire of manoeuvres as they battled to advance to the business end of the prestigious 3A rated SSA Pro Surf Tour (PST) events.
 
Sebastian Williams (Jeffreys Bay), the reigning Billabong Junior Series U16 boys’ champion, was one of the standout performers on the day, winning both his opening heat and his Quarter-final clash to move into the Semi-Finals.
 
“That heat went good. I saw the previous heats were slow but I got a decent wave in the first 5 minutes and that kind of set my tone for the rest of the heat,” said Williams. “I’m hoping to defend my title as it’s my last year in the under 16’s. I’ve been doing this division since I was under 12, but I enjoy competing a couple of divisions above my age.”
 
Max Elkington was seeded into the Quarter-Finals and won his opening heat to advance to the semis along with heat runner-up and fellow Kommetjie resident Eli Beukes. Elkington and Beukes will be up against Williams and Koby Oberholzer (Warner Beach) in the second Semi-Final where the top two will progress to the four-man Final.
 
Kai Woolf (Jeffreys Bay) produced her customary display of high performance surfing in the U16 girls division, moving into the semis along with runner-up and Salt Rock local Sophie Bell. Kayla Nogueira (Umhlanga)  and Zoe Smith (Jeffreys Bay) won their Round 1 encounters and S'nenhlanhla Makhubu (Durban) finished second to reach her first ever U16 PST Semi Final.
 
The day’s action started with the U14 boys’ division in what for many were overhead waves. The three Round 1 heats were won by York van Jaarsveldt (Kommetjie), Nate Spalding (Gillitts) and Mitch du Preez (East London) who advanced to the last six together with their respective runners-up.
 
The youngest division, the U12 boys, will get the Day 2 action underway followed by the U14 girls before the U18 boys and girls take to the surf on Day 2 of the event on Thursday.
 
Daily Heat results and photos are posted on www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za  Click the Billabong Junior Series poster on the website to view
 
The finals of all the divisions will be run on Saturday when an exciting lineup of speciality awards will also be decided:
 

• VonZipper Airshow - surfer landing the aerial manoeuvre – R2,000
• Zigzag Blowing Up Award –standout performance, most impressive surfing over the week – R2,000
• BOS Award – Best Carve of the Contest - wins a surfboard
• Neff – Forever Fun – “The surfer that spits out something new, exciting and has the most fun doing it” – R2,000
• Skull Candy – #StayLoud Award – “Takes risks, steps away from the herd, expresses themselves in their surfing style and lives life to full volume” – R2,500

 
The U12, U14 and U16 divisions are Surfing South Africa 3A Pro Surf Tour events with prize-money of R2,600 for the U12’s and while the other divisions each share R4,600.
 
The premier U18 boys’ and girls’ divisions are internationally rated World Surf League (WSL) Junior Qualifying Series (JQS) 1000 events offering prize-purses of R20,000 and R10,000 respectively. The points earned count towards determining the Billabong Junior Series and WSL Africa overall champions.
 
The U18 boys have an added incentive as the top two placed surfers will be awarded wildcards into the SSA Ballito Pro Trials presented by Billabong on Sunday 26 June. The winner of the all-South African trials event will land a berth in the R4 million Ballito Pro presented by Billabong.
 
Scheduled for Wednesday to Saturday, 22-25 June, the Billabong Junior Series is supported by KwaDukuza Municipality, VonZipper, Zigzag, BOS, Neff, and Skull Candy, Surfing South Africa and the World Surf League.

Gabriel Medina (BRA) has won the 2016 Fiji Pro. Today’s victory rockets Medina to 2nd place on the WSL Jeep Leaderboard heading into the J-Bay Open. 

Medina beat  current Jeep WSL Frontrunner Matt Wilkinson (AUS) in solid 10-to-12 foot (3 – 3.5 metre) surf at the world-renowned Cloudbreak.Stop No. 5 of 11 on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour, the Fiji Pro, culminated in dramatic fashion today with the remaining members of the world’s best surfers battling one another in the largest surf of the year.

Following a slow start, with both Finalists finding themselves out of position in the building swell, Medina struck with two back-to-back scores for impeccably-navigated tube rides, posting a 7.33 and a 8.27 to place Wilkinson into a combination situation. The Australian was unable to find a rhythm in the challenging conditions and Medina posted his first elite tour win since last October.

“It feels amazing and I am so stoked,” Medina said. “I just want to thank God and my family. That was a crazy week. We have been waiting for these waves and they finally came through. They were big and we got so many sets on the head. We got a lot of barrels and it was a sick event. I am just so happy.”
Today’s victory rockets the Brazilian to second on the WSL Jeep Leaderboard heading into the back half of the season.

“I am really tired right now, but I was saving my energy for the Final because I knew it would be tough,” continued Medina. “Wilko (Matt Wilkinson) has been surfing amazing since the first event and I do not know who can stop this guy. This is his third final of the year and I am really happy to make this final against him.”

Today’s second place finish strengthens Wilkinson’s lead on the WSL Jeep Rankings and the Australian will retain the Leaders’ Jersey heading into the J-Bay Open with a commanding 32,500 points. The Fiji Pro marks Wilkinson’s third Finals appearance in 2016, after his back-to-back wins on the Gold Coast and at Bells Beach.

“I am really stoked with second,” Wilkinson said. “If I came here knowing I would get a second, I would have been absolutely frothing. That Final was just so tough. It was disappointing not to get a big barrel when there were some to be had out there, but I just had twenty sets on the head and one barrel that I got caught in. Gabriel (Medina) was unbelievable out there. It is halfway through the year and I could not have dreamed of a better start. Everyone is obviously going to be coming for me, so it is definitely not time to let off on the accelerator. I am going to go into J-Bay as focused and ready as I can.”

Adrian Buchan (AUS) defeated three-time WSL Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) in the Quarterfinals before being eliminated by Wilkinson in the Semifinals. Buchan’s 3rd place finish is his best result in 2016 and his first Semifinal berth since Jeffreys Bay in 2015. Buchan was previously in 15th place on the Jeep Leaderboard and will now move to 7th.

“I’m pretty gutted right now,” Buchan said. “I spent the whole heat duck diving washed through sets. I fought back with that 7.8 midway through the heat and I just couldn’t get deep enough on that 4.1. I spent the last six minutes dodging wash-throughs again. That was frustrating, but you can’t get mad at the ocean. I’ve been pretty in rhythm all event and that heat I was completely out of rhythm. It was amazing to surf a heat against Matt (Wilkinson), but it just hurts when you are in rhythm and you have a heat like that.”

Fanning’s Quarterfinal berth earns him a fifth-place finish and sees him move to 16th place on the Jeep Leaderboard.

“It’s been an incredible event,” Fanning said. “Celebrating Taj’s final CT appearance, having a birthday, ending in pumping surf and just having a great time has made it a really special event. I appreciate all the support I’ve had throughout the window and will see everyone in Jeffreys Bay.”

Today’s Semifinal berth for Kelly Slater (USA) marks a great result for the 11-time WSL Champion, and his first Semifinal since Jeffreys Bay in 2015, after his worst ever start on the Championship Tour. During the match-up, Slater exchanged strong opening rides with Media, but the Brazilian got the edge with an excellent 8.40 over Slater’s 6.50. As sets rolled in, Medina continued to increase his lead with a 6.27. In the dying minutes of the heat, one last opportunity came through for Slater, but Medina utilized his priority to block the four-time event winner. En route to the Semifinal, Slater unleashed incredible performances including a near perfect 19.77, the highest heat total of the event. Slater will leave Fiji with a 3rd place finish and move up to 26th place on the Jeep Leaderboard.

“I am happy because I surfed well in this contest,” Slater said. “I feel like I finally got the computer working in my brain again, but I caught a couple of viruses in that heat. I probably got a little ahead of myself. I might have gotten a little too excited from the last heat and a couple of heats before that. You just have to focus on the job at hand. Gabriel (Medina) picked it right and played the heat the right way. I had my chances and made three or four mistakes. I am looking forward to J-Bay.”

Slater previously dispatched Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) in the Quarterfinals with an excellent 18.70 two-wave heat total.

John John Florence (HAW) battled eventual runner-up Wilkinson in Quarterfinal 4 but wasn’t able to take down the Australian and takes home a 5th place finish. Florence secured a solid 6.50 on his opening ride, but Wilkinson quickly captured the lead with a 7.73 and 6.90. Florence, with a 10.93 heat score, was not able to close the 8.13 point gap against Wilkinson. Florence remains in third place on the Jeep Rankings.

“The waves are really good right now and I just did not pick the best waves,” Florence said. “I had that one at the end but I was a couple feet too deep. This result is not too bad, it is still a keeper and it’s only halfway through the year. I am pretty excited for J-Bay. All in all, I am pretty stoked. I had some really great waves in Fiji.”

Adriano de Souza (BRA) was dispatched by Medina in the opening Quarterfinal. Medina locked in multiple maneuvers to earn a 6.33  to take control. De Souza battled with a 5.83, but could not find a strong enough back-up score to defeat Medina. Medina scored a 4.53 to gain a 2.03 point lead to eliminate the reigning World Champion from the event. De Souza will walk away with a 5th place finish and 5th on the Jeep Rankings.

“It was a tough day out there for me,” De Souza said. “I got so many waves on my head and a broken board. Gabriel (Medina) has so many skills and he is so smart and picked the right waves. Right at the end one wave came through. Needing a 5, I tried to get deeper and then that cost me to not make it through the last wave. I am just happy to be in the Quarters, as it is a good result when looking at the full year. Now I am focusing on J-Bay. Before that I will stay here another week and get more barrels.”

Highlights from the Fiji Pro will be webcast LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com
High Res Images from this event available for editorial use via Reuters
The next stop on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour will be the J-Bay Open in South Africa from July 6 – 17, 2016.
For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com

Fiji Pro Final Results:

1 – Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.60
2 –  Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 6.34

Fiji Pro Semifinal Results:

SF 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.67 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 12.03
SF 2: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 13.33 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.00

Fiji Pro Quarterfinal Results:

QF 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 10.86 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 8.83
QF 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 18.70 def. Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 9.40
QF 3: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 14.60 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.40
QF 4: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 14.63 def. John John Florence (HAW) 10.93

WSL Jeep Leaderboard Top 5 (after Fiji Pro):

1. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 32,500 pts
2. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 24,000 pts
3. John John Florence (HAW) 23,900 pts
4. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 20,500 pts
5. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 20,400 pts

TAVARUA, Fiji (Thursday, June 16, 2016) – The stage is set for a thrilling finaletomorrow at the Fiji Pro, Stop No. 5 of 11 on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour. Competition today ran through Rounds 4 and 5 with world’s best surfers battling for a place in the Quarterfinals in perfect 6-to-8 foot (2 - 2.5 metre) Cloudbreak conditions.

Kelly Slater (USA), 11-time WSL Champion, delivered the performance of the day and charged through his Round 4 heat against Adriano de Souza (BRA), reigning WSL Champion, and Wiggolly Dantas (BRA). Slater opened up with an excellent 9.77 and further established his dominance with a perfect 10.00 for a 19.77 heat score. The Brazilians tried to fight back, but were forced into a combination situation by the American. Slater’s win earns him a direct advance to the Quarterfinals where he will face Dantas.

“I had to go on that last wave and I just misjudged it,” Slater said. “That was a heartbreaker. I got pitched and broke my leash and board. I am kind of tripping, even though I had a great heat. But I am putting all that behind me. This is all for Robert Rohmann and his family today. I am thinking about you guys and I am sorry for your loss.”

Matt Wilkinson (AUS), current Jeep Rankings’ Leader, squeaked through Round 4 to secure his place in the Quarterfinals against John John Florence (HAW) and Adrian Buchan (AUS). The heat saw multiple lead changes with excellent-range scores, including Florence’s no-grab barrel to earn a near perfect 9.93. Wilkinson chipped away with a 16.56 heat score, edging out Florence by only 0.13 points.

“Coming here is amazing because it is one of the best waves in the world and I really wanted to stop people questioning whether I can go left or not,” Wilkinson said. “To beat John (Florence) and Ace (Adrian Buchan) out there is the hardest heat you could have. I think those are the best waves I’ve ever seen, so to get a heat win like that and get barrels like that is the best feeling in the world. To put a big result on the board when the waves are so pumping feels pretty awesome.”

Florence went on to face Jadson Andre (BRA) in Round 5 Heat 4. Florence fired with two excellent 8.50 rides to take the lead and forced the Brazilian to find two new scores. Andre tried to fight back with a deep tube ride, but was not able to break the combination. Florence will advance to the Quarterfinals where he will surf against Wilkinson.

“I just tried to pick nice, clean waves,” said Florence. “I knew there were a lot of clean waves coming in and I didn’t have to make it harder for myself. I am excited to face Matt (Wilkinson) in the Quarterfinals. He got me in Round 3 and he is in the lead right now, but I am just going to focus on my own surfing. I’d love to get him back, but you never know. Tomorrow we are supposed to have good, big waves so I am excited.”

De Souza narrowly survived elimination Round 5 Heat 1 against injury replacement and former CT charger Dusty Payne (HAW). De Souza and Payne went wave for wave, but the reigning World Champion locked in the win with an 11.34 heat score to defeat Payne by only 0.97 points. Payne will walk away with a 9th place finish while De Souza will go head-to-head against compatriot Gabriel Medina (BRA) in the Quarterfinals.

“We had a tough heat because there was so much expectation that the waves would be crazy good,” De Souza said. “As soon as we were out there, I waited for a while and realized that I was in a heat and not in a freesurf and needed to get some points on the board. I am so happy to be in the Quarters. I am excited for tomorrow because I heard it will be bigger than this.”

Gabriel Medina (BRA) was the first surfer to secure a Quarterfinal berth and opened the day’s action by locking in a perfect 10.00 with a hollow tube ride. Dusty Payne (HAW) fired back with an excellent 8.33, but Medina carved out a huge opportunity for himself with massive aerial maneuvers to regain the lead. Medina, with a 14.60 heat score, defeated Payne and Michel Bourez (PYF).

“Everyone got sick waves in that heat and one of the sets was mine,” Medina said. “I’m stoked to get a 10. The waves are incredible -- I think it’s the best Cloudbreak I’ve ever surfed. I tried to do my best on that wave, it was the best 4 of my life!”

Bourez was not able to make it out of his Round 5 heat against Wiggolly Dantas (BRA)and leaves the contest in equal 9th place. An interference call on Bourez disqualified his second wave score, leaving him with just a 3.77 combined score.

“There were not many waves in the heat,” Dantas said. “When I saw that good wave that Bourez was on, I thought that I had to go because I had the priority. I am so happy to make my heat. It is hard when you block your friend like that, but I am stoked to make it. My boards are feeling good and I am feeling good.”

Mick Fanning (AUS), three-time WSL Champion, battled Josh Kerr (AUS) and Jadson Andre (BRA) in Round 4 Heat 3 to earn his place in the Quarterfinals. Andre got the jump on the Australians with a strong 7.93, but Fanning captured the lead with an near perfect 9.80 barrel and an incredible 8.27. Kerr fought hard to climb back and scored a near perfect 9.07 but was not able to turn in a second excellent-range score to combat Fanning.

“That was so beautiful,” said Fanning. “Looking out from that last wave and seeing all you guys with your hands in the air, I was losing it. The 10’s that have gone done today have been for barrels that were so deep so I tried to stall as much as I could.”

Fanning will face Adrian Buchan (AUS) in the Quarterfinals after Buchan dispatchedKerr in Round 5. Buchan gained control of the heat with a strong 7.50 score and secured his lead with an excellent 8.17 tube ride. Kerr fought back with a 10.66 heat score, but was not able to find the 9.34 required to advance. 

“At this stage at the event you are in your own headspace when going up against your friends,” Buchan said. “Josh (Kerr) and I are good mates and we have surfed so many heats together, and we always seem to draw each other. Those were the best waves I’ve ever surfed a heat in. It is tough to surf against friends, but I get to this point and know that I am really just competing against myself. I am excited to surf against Mick (Fanning) in the Quarterfinals. It is going to be a big challenge, but I am looking forward to it.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 6:30am local time for a possible 7am start.


The Surfline forecast is calling for:

Mid period SW swell will continue on Thursday, easing from Wednesday, but still offering well overhead sets, light wind and good surf.  A larger, longer period SW swell will build in for the final day of the waiting period. Wind looks favorable for the morning, potentially trending sideshore S for the afternoon.
Highlights from the Fiji Pro will be webcast LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com
High Res Images from this event available for editorial use via Reuters
For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com

Fiji Pro Round 4 Results:

Heat 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.60, Dusty Payne (HAW) 11.16, Michel Bourez (PYF) 10.23
Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 19.77, Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 13.34, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 11.60
Heat 3: Mick Fanning (AUS) 18.07, Josh Kerr (AUS) 15.07, Jadson Andre (BRA) 13.43
Heat 4: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 16.56, John John Florence (HAW) 16.43, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.16

Fiji Pro Round 5 Results:

Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 11.34 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 10.37
Heat 2: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 14.27 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 3.77
Heat 3: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.67 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 10.66
Heat 4: John John Florence (HAW) 17.00 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 10.17

Fiji Pro Quarterfinal Match-Ups:
​
QF 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Adriano de Souza (BRA)
QF 2: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Wiggolly Dantas (BRA)
QF 3: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
QF 4: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. John John Florence (HAW)
 

​TAVARUA, Fiji (Wednesday, June 15, 2016) – The Fiji Pro, stop No. 5 of 11 on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour, roared back to life today following a week-long hiatus with Cloudbreak delivering building six-to-eight foot (2 - 2.5 metre) waves for Round 3 of competition.

Taj Burrow (AUS), 18-year CT veteran, surfed his final CT heat today against John John Florence (HAW) and the bout proved to be the premiere battle of the season thus far. Florence opened strongly with a deep barrel to lock in an excellent 8.17, but Burrow quickly followed suit with an 8.00 to take the lead. With the swell pulsing during the heat, both competitors charged wave after wave to exchange excellent-range scores. Burrow bettered his score with a near-perfect 9.20, and Florence answered back with a near-perfect 9.43. Burrow continued to battle and earned another excellent score, an 8.60, to regain control. With fifteen minutes left on the clock, Burrow held control with a 17.80 heat score over Florence’s 17.60. On the last exchange, both surfers caught massive barrels. Burrow earned a near-perfect 9.43 for his tube, but Florence took the lead with a 9.33. Burrow finished the heat with an 18.60, just 0.16 points short of Florence’s 18.76 heat score.

“That was one of the best heats of my life and to have it with Taj (Burrow) before he leaves the Tour is one of the coolest things ever,” Florence said. “It is so special to surf against Taj with everything he has contributed to surfing. Since I was a little kid, I’ve been watching him do airs and watching him win events. That was an amazing heat and I am so stoked.”

After announcing his retirement from the elite Championship Tour earlier this year, the Fiji Pro will be Burrow’s last CT event. In his 18-year career, Burrow has been a Top 10 finisher 15 years, posting WSL Runner-Up positions in 1999 and 2007.
​
“That was one of the best heats of my life,” said Burrow. “Every time I got off the ski and got out the back, a crazy perfect wave would be there and I’d be in the perfect spot. I could not have picked a better way to finish my last event ever. The waves were exactly how I’d want them and exactly who I’d want to surf against in those types of waves, someone who will push me to be my best. This has been the best twelve days of my life and everything fell into place so perfectly. I feel like I won the event and the World Title. I am so happy. I have so many people to thank along the way - everyone who supported me on the road, my friends, fans and family. Thank you to everyone around the world for all those years of supporting me.”

​
Matt Wilkinson (AUS), current World No. 1 on the Jeep Leaderboard, dispatched Alejo Muniz (BRA) in the final heat of Round 3. Wilkinson trailed behind Muniz for the majority of the heat, but fought back with an excellent 8.50 barrel ride and a solid 5.43, forcing Muniz to chase a 7.27 in the final minute. Wilkinson will face Florence and Adrian Buchan (AUS) in Round 4. Muniz will walk away with a 13th place finish, his third Round 3 elimination of the 2016 season.
“It was tough out there,” said Wilkinson. “When the waves are pumping like this you get so excited and once I was out in the heat, the tide was still coming up and the wind had kind of fluffed onshore. The waves earlier would have been really open. I was taking off behind them but then almost dragging and getting stuck. With six minutes to go I decided to do some turns and get some scores on the board and get it back together. I am stoked I ended up getting that last barrel.”

Kelly Slater (USA), eleven-time WSL Champion and four-time event winner, eliminatedJordy Smith (ZAF) in Round 3 Heat 4. Slater found a clean barrel on his opening ride to earn a solid 7.83 and gain an early lead. The waves continued to fire and both surfers battled for control. Slater hunted for barrels and captured an excellent 8.73 wave score, forcing Smith to turn in two new scores. The South African secured an 11.83, but fell short against Slater’s 16.56 two-wave total. Smith will walk away with an equal 13th place at Fiji and Slater will move on to Round 4.

“There are waves all over,” Slater said. “There are actually waves deeper than the ledge. There’s waves on the ledge and then there are some wide ones, but you have to pick your poison. Everyone is seeing those good ones and those are the ones you want, but you cannot guarantee there are going to be a couple of those during your heats on a day like today. I got psyched out on a few waves that I really wanted, but they didn’t materialize into much. The good ones are out there.”

“Obviously this was going to be an extremely tough heat,” said Smith. “I tried to choose the best waves I could. Kelly (Slater) is the best surfer out there ever. I tried to play to my strengths, but unfortunately he got the good scores and beat me. I think I’ve just got to get back on track. I feel like my surfing is great and heading to J-Bay next should be a good one for me. I will just take everyday as it comes and chip away. I just want to go to J-Bay with an open mind and try to surf my heart out.”

Mick Fanning (AUS), three-time WSL Champion, came out of the gates firing and opened his scoreline with an excellent 8.33. Fanning continued to dominate the heat against compatriot Adam Melling (AUS) and took the win with a clinical performance and a 13.40 heat total.

“It’s been a long wait but the surf is pumping today,” Fanning said. “It’s great to see Cloudbreak turn on again and get a few waves. Adam (Melling) is a super strong surfer wherever we are and I knew he could be dangerous. Fortunately, I found the rhythm in that exchange.”

Gabriel Medina (BRA), 2014 WSL Champion and former event winner, dominated the opening heat of Round 3 against Matt Banting (AUS). With lots of opportunities, Medina made the most of his heat with fifteen rides. The Brazilian charged with massive combination maneuvers to earn two solid 7-point rides, putting the Australian in a combination situation. Banting will walk away with a 13th place finish and Medina will advance to Round 4.
“That was a good wave - the air was good but the barrel wasn’t very deep, which is why I think I got that score,” said Medina. “I got a lot of barrels in that heat so it was really fun. The waves are finally back after all those lay days and I’m stoked to be here.”

Adriano de Souza (BRA), reigning WSL Champion, blazed through Round 3 againstKeanu Asing (HAW). Asing got off to a quick start with two waves, but De Souza earned the lead, opening his account with a 6.17. On his second to last ride, De Souza claimed a near-perfect 9.10 with two back-to-back hollow tube rides. Asing, needing a 9.67, was not able to challenge the World Champion and is knocked out of the draw.

“I have been focused on the good waves and trying to improve my techniques,” De Souza said. “After this event I am going to stay another week just to improve more and more. For me it is a big learning curve to catch Kelly (Slater) on those techniques -  I’d need to live in Fiji for the next ten years -  but I am doing the best that I can. I understand that there is so much I can learn and improve. Keanu (Asing) is a tough man and he surfed so well. I was worried the whole time that he would get a 10, which he can do. I am happy to advance and go to the next round.”

Jadson Andre (BRA) caused one of the upsets of day when he eliminated current No. 2 on the Jeep Leaderboard, Italo Ferriera (BRA). The 2015 Rookie of the Year is eliminated from the competition in equal 13th place, despite holding an excellent 9-point ride in his scoreline. Today’s result is the best of the season for Andre, who is currently ranked in 34th place, and he will move on to Round 4 where he will face Josh Kerr (AUS) and Mick Fanning (AUS).

“It was an amazing heat for me,” Andre said. “I think Italo (Ferreira) was the guy who beat me the most. I started the heat well with two good scores and Italo did not have any really good scores. I pretty much had the heat in my hands until I paddled for a bad wave where I fell. Italo got a bomb and I took a set on the head. At the end of the day, I did well and I went to the right waves. I used my priority to not let him go for seven minutes because I know how dangerous he is. It has been a long time since I’ve made Round 4.”
The last 2016 WSL Rookies left in the draw, Kanoa Igarashi (USA) and Conner Coffin (USA), were not able to advance out of Round 3 as they were eliminated by Michel Bourez (PYF) and Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), respectively.

Coffin, in particular, looked in peak form against Dantas. With seconds left on the clock, Coffin held the lead with an 11.20 two-wave score over Dantas’ 6.97. In the final moments of the heat, Coffin was charged with an interference call on Dantas on his last exchange. With Coffin’s second wave score disqualified, Dantas got the slight 0.11 point advantage over the rookie to take the win.
​
“The conditions were challenging out there and I was struggling to get a good wave,” said Dantas. “I am stoked to make my heat. I am pretty happy and I am for sure going to surf better in the next round. I have been surfing Cloudbreak the last couple of days and trying to learn as much as I can. I have been learning the different sections and approaching them in different ways. It has been fun and I am excited for the next round.”

​The Surfline forecast is calling for:

An increase in surf for the middle to second half of the week: medium size, mid to shorter period SW swell Wed/Thur, with a larger, longer period swell on Friday.  Wind will be favorable in the mornings Wed-Fri, with side to onshore flow in the afternoons.

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 6:30am local time for a possible 7am start.
Highlights from the Fiji Pro will be webcast LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com
High Res Images from this event available for editorial use via Reuters
For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com

Fiji Pro Round 3 Results:

Heat 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.50 def. Matt Banting (AUS) 4.33
Heat 2: Michel Bourez (PYF) 7.67 def. Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 5.46
Heat 3: Dusty Payne (HAW) 7.20 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 6.50
Heat 4: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.56 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 11.66
Heat 5: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 6.94 def. Conner Coffin (USA) 8.83
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.27 def. Keanu Asing (HAW) 11.00
Heat 7: Jadson Andre (BRA) 14.50 def. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 13.73
Heat 8: Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.26 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 12.20
Heat 9: Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.40 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 9.17
Heat 10: John John Florence (HAW) 18.76 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 18.60
Heat 11: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 13.54 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 9.93
Heat 12: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 13.93 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 8.50

Fiji Pro Round 4 Match-Ups:
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Heat 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Michel Bourez (PYF), Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), Adriano de Souza (BRA)
Heat 3: Jadson Andre (BRA), Josh Kerr (AUS), Mick Fanning (AUS)
Heat 4: John John Florence (HAW), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Matt Wilkinson (AUS)

​Supertubes, JBay – Steven Sawyer from Jeffreys Bay is the 2016 JBU Supertrial presented by RVCA winner, and claims his wildcard slot into the World Surf League’s JBay Open Championship Tour event.

The surf pumped throughout the day, and the 24 invited surfers were blessed with consistent four to six-foot and perfect Supers waves all day. There were long tube rides, and some powerful rail surfing from the best surfers in the country, but it was the local surfer who emerged victorious in the end.
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Sawyer, the only goofy-footer in the final, was trailing in second place behind Dale Staples, when he picked up a long wave near the end of the heat. Performing some big turns on the open face, and getting a tube-ride, he secured the score that he needed to win.