The Top 7 things from today at the 2014 Hurley Pro, Lowers

All photos by Tom Carey

Today at the Hurley Pro, Lowers we were treated to the better part of three rounds. We have our quarterfinalists. We have a vault of amazing surfing to look back on, and it mostly belongs to John John Florence. But here’s seven things that Stab believes deserve a microscope from today…

Words by Damien Fahrenfort

1. Kelly Slater’s still got it in the air and small wave surfing department.
Just when you think the old boy is starting to look a bit, uh, old (Tahiti excluded), he shows up and mixes it with the kids. After his round two heat that included an air Jordy Smith described as a ‘dad air,’ The King wasn’t looking too sharp. Fast forward to his heat this morning where he did a huge rotator into the flats, rode out of it and kept ripping the wave. Then, in his round five heat this afternoon, the combination of turns that left Taj wishing he had cashed in on his priority was nothing short of youthful. Can we please get a sticker on the nose of this guy’s sled already – it just don’t look right.

2. Taj Burrow had a tough day.
After getting horribly ripped off in his round four heat against Parko, where he did possibly the best turn in competition since Dane got 9.9 in Puerto Rico those years back, Taj was left facing Kelly in round five. In a pretty close match up, Kelly needed a 6.23 with five minutes remaining. After getting a pretty amazing tube (for conditions), wrapping a few cutties and finishing with an air rev, Kelly never got the score. A wave well judged and not deserving of the score, but it could have gone either way and Taj was left with priority and not much time left. With 10 seconds to go a set rolled through and although the first wave was terrible, it was going to be the only wave that could be ridden before the heat ended. Taj let it go and Kelly did his magic, surfing the wave as well as it possibly could have been ridden. Kelly got the score and Taj was left with his head in his hands, feeling a loss that he will lose a lot of sleep over. (Kelly did this to Taj in New York, too.)

3. Kelly Slater owes Mike Parsons $100
When the ASP first decided to put Brad Gerlach and Martin Potter against each other in the Heritage heat, Pottz made a few remarks about Gerr not deserving to be in it because he never won a world title. Whether this was early mind games or not, it made it back to Gerr and it was game on. Kelly decided to get involved and sent Pottz a few tips on how to straighten out his surfing to beat Gerr. Gerr’s good mate Mike Parsons let Kelly know that there was no chance of Pottz winning and Kelly decided to make the $100 wager. Now, Kelly hates losing (obviously), so he did everything in his power to make sure Pottz was ready to roll. Unfortunately it was clear after Brad’s second turn on his first wave that the old chap’s still got it and is probably the best 46-year-old surfer in the world.

4. Adriano De Souza is a beast
Is there anything this raging chunk of power can’t do. Firstly, this morning he was matched up against Filipe Toledo. Filipe opened up with a few turns and a full rote, so Adriano stepped up and one-upped him with a few bigger turns and a great air to finish. They got the same score: 8.77. Then on their back-ups they surfed very similar waves and both finished with a huge air. They got the same score again: 7.90. This left ‘em tied on 16.77. Adriano took to the air again and beat Filipe at his own game with a stronger score for the count-back. After a loss in the following round four heat to an in-form John John (despite putting up a great fight), Adriano went out in round five and combo’d Owen with nothing but rail. Grrr!

5. Stop with the claims. 
C’mon gents. It’s getting a bit much. Julian claiming sixes, Kolohe claiming fives and Jordy claiming shamelessly. Can we all take a note out of John John Florence and Nat Young’s books and show some self respect? It’s getting a bit intense and downright cringeworthy. After approaching Jordy today and talking about the claims he did bring up a good point though and said: “Roger Federer claims almost every good shot he hits, we should be claiming more I reckon.” A good point but, as Bobby Martinez told us, this ain’t the fucking tennis tour.

6. Oh, John John. You are addictive. 
With possibly the best performance of the year so far, John John decided to drop five x nine-plus rides today and leave Kelly Slater and Adriano combo’d. His rail turns were so completed and whipped that while his face looked down the line, the nose of his board was pointed back at the lineup. He’d then fly into some crazy laybacks and end with full roters. Simply put, his surfing was beyond words and must simply be watched. And not only did he do it at his sponsor’s event, but all the heads of Hurley were there to see it, and if they ever doubted their investment they won’t ever again. Pay back for tahiti, too.

7. Five boards down. 
After surfing the best on day one of competition, things went pear-shaped for Owen Wright. Not in the surfing department, but in the board department. A buckle in a free surf, a crease in a heat and another two snapped crafts, Owen was left riding his fourth back-up board for the event. A feat only he has done before: Yeah, remember when he broke three boards in one heat in Portugal? Regardless of the misfortune, Owen looked the best out of all the backhand surfers and remains the best backside surfer on tour. Heard it here.

If you missed it, then you should most certainly have at the Heats On Demand, here.

Hurley Pro at Trestles Round 3 Results:
Heat 1: Michel Bourez (PYF) 14.67 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 11.44
Heat 2: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 16.30 def. Nat Young (USA) 15.60
Heat 3: Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.60 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 10.83
Heat 4: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 11.16 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 10.93
Heat 5: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.17 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 9.93
Heat 6: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 13.30 def. Carlos Munoz (BRA) 8.77
Heat 7: Kelly Slater (USA) 14.17 def. Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 13.84
Heat 8: John John Florence (HAW) 16.57 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 11.83
Heat 9: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 16.67 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 16.67
Heat 10: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.70 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 14.10 (AUS)
Heat 11: Owen Wright (AUS) 15.37 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 13.43
Heat 12: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 16.03 def. Artiz Aranburu (ESP) 13.70

Hurley Pro at Trestles Round 4 Results:
Heat 1: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.90, Michel Bourez (PYF) 15.70, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.14
Heat 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.46, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 15.00, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 13.03
Heat 3: John John Florence (HAW) 19.73, Adriano De Souza (BRA) 17.84, Kelly Salter (USA) 11.83,
Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 14.57, Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.44, Owen Wright (AUS) 13.90

Hurley Pro at Trestles Round 5 Results:
Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.74 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 15.07
Heat 2: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.50 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 10.27
Heat 3: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 18.00 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 12.34
Heat 4: Kelly Salter (USA) 15.87 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.83

Hurley Pro at Trestles Quarterfinal Match-Ups:
QF 1: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)
QF 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
QF 3: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Adriano De Souza (BRA)
QF 4: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Joel Parkinson (AUS)