Il local di Maui IAN WALSH, 31, specialista di big waves e local di Pipeline, ha surfato in una batteria di alta drammaticità,con i locali EZEKIEL LAU e EVAN VALIERE, e il 17enne rookie italiano LEONARDO FIORAVANTI, e tutti e quattro hanno cercato di spingere i propri limiti.
Walsh è venuto attraverso con il punteggio più alto di onda individuale del contestprendendosi un tubo profondo e ottenendo un 9,5 su un massimo di 10.
Ma una storia diversa è stata per Leonardo Fioravanti, che ha preso un wipeout brutale dopo il decollo ed è stato sbattuto fuori dalla zona d’impatto dell’Hawaiian Water Patrol. Ha lasciato la spiaggia in ambulanza con un infortunio alla schiena sospetto, mettendo la sua stagione 2015 in pericolo.
Mentre il pomeriggio avanzava, i punteggi hanno cominciato a volare punteggi alti. NATHAN FLORENCE (HAW), fratello minore del pro surfer hawaiiano John John Florence, ha preso i punteggi di batteria con un 14,86 su 20. Poi la batteria successiva MIKEY BRUNEAU (HAW) ha ulteriormente con il punteggio più alto di onda 9.57, e il punteggio più alto di batteria di tutto il contest finora: 15.0.
Altre heat incredibili oggi sono state registrate da IAN GOUVEIA (BRA); JAMIE O’BRIEN (HAW); DUSTY PAYNE (HAW); KIRON Jabour (HAW); e EVAN Geiselman (Fl., USA)
PIPELINE, Oahu/Hawaii (Saturday, January 31, 2015): Top seeds took the waves for Round 3 of the VOLCOM PIPE PRO today and conditions kicked up in size and severity throughout the afternoon. Second Reef Pipe began to feather and it was boom or bust, delivering high scores, heavy wipeouts, the occasional injury and a slew of snapped surfboards as wave face heights reached 18 feet. The Volcom Pipe Pro is a $100,000 WSL QS 3000-rated event.
Maui’s IAN WALSH, 31, a regular at Pipeline and a big wave specialist, featured in a heat of high drama as the swell took a major jump in the early afternoon and became highly dangerous. Walsh was pitted against locals EZEKIEL LAU and EVAN VALIERE, and 17-year-old Italian rookie LEONARDO FIORAVANTI, and all four were pushing the limits.
Walsh came through with the highest individual wave score of the competition to that point with a critical drop and deep tube ride for 9.5 points out of a maximum 10.
But a different story unfolded for Fioravanti, who took a brutal wipeout after takeoff and was whisked out of the impact zone by Hawaiian Water Patrol. He left the beach in an ambulance with a suspected back injury, putting his 2015 season in jeopardy.
As the afternoon progressed, the scores began to fly thick and fast. NATHAN FLORENCE (HAW), younger brother of Hawaii’s top pro surfer John John Florence, took heat scores up a notch when he posted 14.86 points out of 20. Then the very next heat,MIKEY BRUNEAU (HAW) took it further with the highest scoring tube ride – 9.57, and the highest heat score of the event so far: 15.0.
“I just want to get another opportunity to surf out there with only three other guys out,” said Bruneau. “I love Pipeline so much. I fell on the wave before (the 9.57) and was kind of shattered. I lost priority and there was one minute left. Then that thing popped up and looked pretty lurchy, but I figured I had to go. It spat me out and I was pretty stoked.”
Other incredible rides today were logged by IAN GOUVEIA (BRA); JAMIE O’BRIEN(HAW); DUSTY PAYNE (HAW); KIRON JABOUR (HAW); and EVAN GEISELMAN (Fl., USA) – (see VNR highlights).
The first seven of 16 Round 3 heats were held today. JOHN JOHN FLORENCE andBRUCE IRONS will headline the opening heat when competition resumes – presumably tomorrow, immediately followed by 11-time WSL World Champion KELLY SLATER.
H1: K David (HAW) 7.34; S Zietz (HAW) 7.07; T Hendrickson (HAW) 4.1; C Arambide (USA) 4.03 ~ H2: E Lau (HAW) 12.0; I Walsh (HAW) 10.83; E Valiere (HAW) 9.2; L Fioravanti (ITA) 1.37 ~ H3: H Bettero (BRZ) 12.33; G Gillette (HAW) 10.67; C Munoz (CRI) 3.7; M Coleborn (AUS) 3.5 ~ H4: N Florence (HAW) 14.86; S Murakami (JPN) 12.04; F Patacchia (HAW) 7.6; J DaSilva (BRA) 3.14 ~ H5: M Bruneau (HAW) 15.0; D Payne (HAW) 14.63; M Giorgi (URY) 13.4; G Larsen (HAW) 3.1 ~ H6: J O’Brien (HAW) 14.4; I Gouveia (BRA) 12.8; N Yeomans (USA) 11.97; J Duru (FRA) 11.0 ~ H7: NM McGonagle (CRI) 12.4; A Aranburu (ESP) 10.93; O Eleogram (HAW) 10.17; M Tudela (PER) 6.17
Round 2:
H1: K David (HAW) 11.07; E Lau (HAW) 10.97; A Kato (JPN) 5.9; E Stewart (HAW) 5.47 ~ H2: E Valiere (HAW) 11.5; C Arrambide (USA) 9.57; P Sullivan (HAW) 7.0; T Wakita (HAW) 2.6 ~ H3: H Bettero (BRA) 13.76; S Murakami (JPN) 11.03; A Toyon (FRA) 5.96; M McNamara (HAW) 5.77 ~ H4: N Florence (HAW) 11.7; G Gillette (HAW) 6.37; K Chapman (HAW) 5.0; K Ohashi (JPN) 4.07 ~ H5: M Giorgi (URY) 13.86; J O’Brien (HAW) 12.83; J Halested (HAW) 2.53; S Bailey (AUS) 1.27 ~ H6: N Yeomans (USA) 12.0; M Bruneau (HAW) 10.43; K Sullivan (HAW) 6.93; H Batista (BRA) 6.9 ~ H7: O Eleogram (HAW) 13.27; S Moniz (HAW) 8.67; P Henrique (BRA) 7.2; J Centeio (HAW) 2.33 ~ H8: Y Dora (BRA) 9.6; M Tudela (PER) 8.47; L McNamara (HAW) 6.8; H Arai (JPN) 2.6 ~ H9: D Staples (ZAF) 9.17; H Gaskell (HAW) 7.3; I Gentil (HAW) 7.27 ~ H10: B Kemper 5.93; K Alexander 3.13; S Garcia 2.57; H Ohhara (JPN) 1.77 ~ H11: L Davis (USA) 10.1; L Felipe (BRA) 7.56; R McIntosh (HAW) 6.54; D Goodale (HAW) 2.57 ~ H12: E Geiselman (USA) 14.5; K Jaquias (HAW) 9.03; K Oliveira (HAW) 6.73; K Tanaka (JPN) 5.83 ~ H13: B Stack (USA) 10.1; B Toth (PRI) 5.1; K Smith (HAW) 3.97; L Usuna (ARG) 2.9 ~ H14: G Satt (CHL) 11.93; L Shepardson (HAW) 7.1; T Nakamura (JPN) 4.38; K Kino (HAW) 3.3 ~ 15: A Smith (HAW) 14.27; M Ohno (JPN) 8.34; R Inaba (JPN) 7.04; K Cazimero (HAW) 6.4 ~ H16: K Jabour (HAW) 14.57; M Padaca (HAW) 9.03; PC Distingui (FRA) 5.27; O Anwar (IDN) 3.63