Brazilians rule round three of the J-Bay Open

All photos WSL/KC Wanna know what a good heat looks like? It looks like Round four, heat three of the 2015 J-Bay Open, and it features Mick Fanning, Kelly Slater, and Gabriel Medina. Sure, sure, it’s a no-losers round (in the truest sense, because we the viewers are winners here too), but these three can only produce a gripping battle. That is, of course, if the waves turn up. Commissioner Kieren Perrow finished the eight remaining Round three heats today, having run four yesterday afternoon and making the most of the clean swell this morning. But having reached a point in competition where only one day is required to complete the event, Kiz decided to hold off and pick the eyes out of the coming days. The Brazilians owned today. First, Wiggolly Dantas eliminated Joel Parkinson, who was looking straight danger in his round two heat yesterday against Ricardo Christie. Wiggolly has one of the better backhand whips on tour and put it to good use this morning. In the following heat, Adriano De Souza got one back on Dane Reynolds (who beat him at the last event in Fiji), during what was a sadly underwhelming battle, based purely on weak conditions. Mick Fanning beat CJ Hobgood in heat seven like he was always going to, right before Gabriel Medina lay down two nine-plus rides against Matt Wilko for some solid air work. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Gabs looking like… Gabs, but today he did. A must-see in Heats on Demand. “That was a pretty fun heat,” Medina told the WSL. “The year has been tough for me and it feels good to make this Round 3. Now it’s a no-loser round and it’s more relaxed — you can choose your waves and do your thing. I just want to keep going and keep the ball rolling.” Kelly Slater kept himself in the game by working his way past Kolohe Andino. Hawaiian Keanu Asing managed to hold his heat over Josh Kerr, and Michel Bourez tied with Bede Durbidge, though the Tahitian won on a countback. Perhaps the day’s most exciting heat was its last one, in which Filipe Toledo did two oops on one wave for an 8.90 (backed up by an 8.33), before Alejo Muniz scratched into the biggest wave of the day and took it apart way down the line for a 9.80 (with his 8.03 backup enough to get him past Filipe). Expect patchy runs of heats over the weekend, conditions pending. And til then, catch up on anything you missed right over here. J-Bay Open Round 3 ResultsHeat 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.50, Owen Wright (AUS) 15.40Heat 2: Kai Otton (AUS) 15.50, Italo Ferreira (BRA) 12.83Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 17.94, Freddy Patacchia Jr. (HAW) 8.40Heat 4: Nat Young (USA) 16.87, Adam Melling (AUS) 8.03Heat 5: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 15.13, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12.40Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.17, Dane Reynolds (USA) 11.90Heat 7: Mick Fanning (AUS) 17.50, CJ Hobgood (USA) 13.83Heat 8: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 19.07, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 16.07Heat 9: Kelly Slater (USA) 14.16, Kolohe Andino (USA) 12.27Heat 10: Keanu Asing (HAW) 14.83, Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.33Heat 11:Michel Bourez (PYF) 15.67, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 15.67Heat 12: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 17.83, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 17.23 Round 4 Match-UpsHeat 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS), Kai Otton (AUS), Julian Wilson (AUS)Heat 2: Nat Young (USA), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), Adriano de Souza (BRA)Heat 3: Mick Fanning (AUS), Gabriel Medina (BRA), Kelly Slater (USA)Heat 4: Keanu Asing (Haw), Michel Bourez (PYF), Alejo Muniz (BRA)