Dane Reynolds bows out to Gabriel Medina in ASP PRIME Nike Lowers Pro Quarter-finals
Brazil’s Gabriel Medina comfortably made his way into the Semi-finals of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) PRIME Nike Lowers Pro after putting on a superb performance to get the better of America’s Dane Reynolds in the third Quarter-final that
took place at the renowned point-break of Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California, on Saturday, May 5.
The appeal of the prestigious event title, huge prize purse and ASP ranking points on offer had served to bring some of the top surfing talent from around the globe to San Clemente. The first four days of the competition had turned out to be nothing short
of epic, with one intense battle being followed by another as the surfers pushed themselves hard to ensure their survival in the competition field.
Medina remained a standout performer during the early stages of the competition, stealing the spotlight in his heats on more than one occasion despite going against some of the best in the business. He adjusted exceptionally well to the glassy two-to-four
foot waves that had been regularly gracing the event site and thus was treating the local crowd to some memorable surfing.
Pitted against Medina in the third Quarter-final was Reynolds. The legendary American surfer was expected to pose an even greater threat considering the contest was taking place in what could easily be considered as his hunting ground. The familiarity with
the conditions and waves put Reynolds at an advantage, though that was not the only thing that made him so dangerous. His skills and experience was way more than that of his young Brazilian rival.
As the third Quarter-final got underway, the 18-year-old Medina got off to an excellent start, locking his first business-wave to pull off a series of powerful carves and quick turns, thus posting a 9.00 on the score-board. Backing it up with a 9.20-point
ride in the dying minutes of the heat, he moved to a heat-total of 18.20 points.
Reynolds struggled to build momentum throughout the course of the heat. Struggling to pounce on the potential scoring opportunities before his rival further added to his troubles. In the end, he had to settle for a couple of scores in the five-point range
for a heat-total of 11.03 points. As a result, he was forced to concede victory and thus the Semi-final slot to Medina.
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