Day Two of the 2012 Billabong Pro, Tahiti

It didn’t get bigger, but the waves were still of premium quality. Sure, maybe not by Chopes standards, but certainly of a quality you’d get on a plane for, right? And, at least it was clean (unlike yesterday’s windblown shiftiness). Today’s star was Miguel Pupo, who waved Yadin Nicol goodbye from inside three nine(plus) rides. “The waves were really fun for our heat,” the Brazilian said. “The waves are stop and go out there. Some heats have waves and some do not. We were happy to have a lot of waves in our heat. This is my first time competing at Teahupo’o so I am just trying to get as many waves as I can and build my experience.” Jeremy Flores, ever dangerous at Chopes, also had a blistering day, scooping a 17.50 combined heat total. “I grew up in Reunion and now live in New Caledonia so I spend a lot of time surfing over reefs,” he said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have conditions like we did last year, but when the waves come, Teahupo’o is still an excellent barrel. Most places in the world would kill to have waves like we have today so it’s all good.” When competition resumes in the morning, Mick Fanning and Freddy Patacchia will be first to hit the water. Watch it happen here. BILLABONG PRO TAHITI REMAINING ROUND 2 RESULTS:Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 11.50 def. Willian Cardoso (BRA) 6.93Heat 4: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 17.50 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 8.73Heat 5: Michel Bourez (PYF) 12.33 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 3.40Heat 6: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 12.00 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 8.97Heat 7: Kieren Perrow (AUS) 16.60 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 10.00Heat 8: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 18.97 def. Yadin Nicol (AUS) 16.97Heat 9: Damien Hobgood (USA) 14.60 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 10.34Heat 10: Brett Simpson (USA) 10.27 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 3.43Heat 11: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 15.50 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 9.67Heat 12: Kai Otton (AUS) 13.73 def. Travis Logie (ZAF) 5.67 BILLABONG PRO TAHITI ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:Heat 1: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)Heat 2: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Kai Ottonn (AUS)Heat 4: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)Heat 5: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Ricardo dos Santos (BRA)Heat 7: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Taylor Knox (USA)Heat 8: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA)Heat 9: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA)Heat 10: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)Heat 11: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)Heat 12: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS) All photos ASP