Gabriel Medina and Granger Larsen steal the show on day 3 of ASP PRIME Nike Lowers Pro
Brazil’s Gabriel Medina and Hawaii’s Granger Larsen emerged triumphant in their respective Round 5 (Round of 24) heats at Nike Lowers Pro, an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) PRIME event, which continued at the fabled point-break of Lower Trestles
in San Clemente, California, on Thursday, May 3.
The victory served to carry both Medina and Larsen into the sixth round (Round of 16) of the competition. Australia’s Daniel Ross and Brazil’s Heitor Alves successfully extended their stay in the competition as well by collecting runner-up result in the
fifth and sixth heat respectively.
The clean juicy waves on offer at the primary event on day 3 of the competition promised yet another dose of enthralling action the competition field comprising of top surfing talent from around the globe went at each other in three-man bouts.
The fifth heat saw Medina square off with Ross and America’s Dane Reynolds in a battle for survival. The young Brazilian sensation took the opportunity to remind everyone why he was competing with the best in the current season of the ASP World Tour.
Locking his first business-wave halfway through the heat, he unloaded a series of powerful carves for 9.73 points and went on to pull off a huge air-reverse off his next business-wave in the dying minutes of the heat to add a 9.80 to his account. The resultant
heat-total of 19.53 points proved unbeatable, thus getting him a first-place finish.
“That was fun and both the lefts and rights are pretty good,” Medina said. “I had a good heat and I think it’s because I woke up really early, at five in the morning, and got down here in the dark. I think it helped me get ready for my heat. The non-elimination
round is great because it’s no pressure too because everyone can show how they surf.”
Ross managed to survive the heat as well after scoring a 7.33 and 5.73 off his best-two waves for a heat-total of 13.06 points.
Reynolds was forced to make a premature exit from the competition after finishing in third place with a heat-total of 12.33 points.
The sixth heat featured yet a few more sensational performances, this time Larsen and Alves coming under the spotlight with their remarkable surfing. The Hawaii-based surfer finished scored an exquisite 8.93 and near-perfect 9.50 off his best-two waves for
a heat-total of 18.43 points to take the win, while Alves was forced to settle for runner-up place after finishing with a heat-total of 17.00 points, which included an 8.73 and 8.27-point wave.
America’s Brett Simpson got eliminated from the competition after finishing with a heat-total of 14.74 points.
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