In the difficult conditions, consisting of 50% close-out faces, 30% close-out tubes and 20% rideable waves, it seemed like it would remain as the highest.
Enter Josh Kerr stage left.
A medium-sized right-hander. A quick pump or two for speed, and straight into a huge swooping forehand air rotation with an outside grab, into a soft landing. Nearly as critical as Kelly’s move but not quite. The difference was probably in the landing, with Kelly landing more in the flats, into non-moving water, while Josh came down with the bubbles and eased into the landing a little. The judges, bless them, got the score spot-on and rewarded Kerrzy with an 8.33
Josh is juggling a few skills right now, and has made it known that all he really wants is a Championship Tour victory under his belt. He knows how to win events of all shapes and sizes, with two world aerial titles under the belt and a Big Wave Tour win as another of his accolades, he has yet to win a Championship Tour event, and it’s a monkey on his back. Still, he has a lot of fans out there, and he will get that win at some stage.
Right now, he is on form in Portugal, but we’re not going to curse him by calling him out for the win. Let’s just hope, quietly, that he gets a good result in Portugal.
Following on Kelly’s route of airs and barrels, exactly what the judges were after, Josh snuck into a clean and deep backhand barrel as his second wave for a score of 7.57, and the heat was his to lose. Alejo Muniz was chasing hard, but it was not to be, and Kerrzy remained in front and banked the highest score of the day with a combined heat total of 15.90 to leapfrog into the third round.
The forecast looks very good for the next few days, but to succinct it, all that needs to be done to win heats is airs and barrels and the trend will continue throughout. There are careers on the line, and there are surfers who are going to step up as well as surfers who are going to step down. The simple mathematics of it all is that the judges want to see big airs on the close-outs, and long, clean barrels on the corners. Who else, apart from Kai, Kelly and Kerrzy, is going to get this right?
Surfers who didn't get it right included Matt Wilkinson, Gabriel Medina and John John Florence, who will face the grimness of round 2 tomorrow. John John will face Miguel Blanco, a stone cold wildcard, with nothing to lose, in the first heat of the day.
Gabriel Medina will face Ryan Callinan, an affable goofy-footer who has had nothing short of a shocker of a year and will do anything, literally, to finish off the year with a little bit of respect bought back by some superior performances.
Matt Wilkinson will meet Jeremy Flores in the third heat of the day. Jeremy is another surfer who is close to making a huge comeback, but needs a little bit of luck to go his way. He will most likely qualify through the Qualifying Series, but he is also desperate to find form, to impress judges, to regain his self-respect and the respect of his peers for being a constant threat in all conditions, something that has eluded him of late.
Boy-oh-boy but there are waves heading for Portugal as well! We have been assured of clean conditions. We have been promised barrels. We have been warned about broken boards. We have been cajoled for doubting the effects of Hurricane Nicole. It’s all going to happen. Tomorrow. So stay tuned. Ring in.
Bunyips cross here at night etc etc.
