The Billabong Pro, Rio Pre-Game

As of writing, the Billabong Pro, Rio De Janeiro waiting period opens in a few hours’ time. Game day. Maybe it’ll run, maybe it won’t, who the kittens knows in this beautiful, unpredictable sport of ours? But one thing you can’t count on, with that many of the world’s best in one place, is a high level output of documentation. Meaning, most pertinently, photographs. This revolving door of images above comes still smoking from the Rio sand and stars Kolohe Andino, Gabriel Medina, Filipe Toledo, Jordy Smith, Julian Wilson, Josh Kerr, Nat Young and Pat Gudauskas. It ain’t a webcast, sure, but it’ll do until heat one’s called on. BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS: Heat 1: Josh Kerr (AUS), Alejo Muniz (BRA), Patrick Gudauskas (USA)Heat 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Yadin Nicol (AUS)Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS), Sebastian Zietz (HAW), TBDHeat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS), Filipe Toledo (BRA), TBDHeat 5: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Miguel Pupo (BRA), TBDHeat 6: Kelly Slater (USA), Kieren Perrow (AUS), TBDHeat 7: Julian Wilson (AUS), Travis Logie (ZAF), Glenn Hall (IRL)Heat 8: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Damien Hobgood (USA), Dusty Payne (HAW)Heat 9: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Nat Young (USA), Raoni Monteiro (BRA)Heat 10: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Kai Otton (AUS), Adam Melling (AUS)Heat 11: Michel Bourez (PYF), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Brett Simpson (USA)Heat 12: C.J. Hobgood (USA), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Kolohe Andino (USA)