Gabriel Medina and Josh Kerr emerge triumphant in Round 4 at Billabong Pipe Masters
Brazil’s Gabriel Medina and Australia’s Josh Kerr made the Round 4 cut at the Billabong Pipe Masters after walking away with top honours from their respective Round 3 heats that went down at the Banzai Pipeline in Oahu, Hawaii, on Sunday, December 9, 2012.
Medina got the better of America’s Kolohe Andino in the seventh heat to secure his place in the fourth round, while bringing the event to a premature end for his rival in the process.
The eighth heat saw Australia’s Josh Kerr failing to hold his own against his fellow countryperson Durbidge, getting eliminated from the competition while sending the latter through into the next round.
The pumping six-to-eight foot waves breaking at the primary event site served to set up an ideal stage for the latest day of Billabong Pipe Masters, the final stop on the 2012 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour and the third
jewel on the 30th anniversary Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.
Medina, the Brazilian sensation, found himself pitted against Andino in the seventh heat for the Round 4 spot.
As the battle got underway, the 18-year-old surfer put on the most phenomenal performance of the day.
Getting off to a solid start, Medina posted a 9.50 on the score-board off his first business-wave and went on to back it up with another 9.00-point ride, thus finishing with a heat-total of 18.50 points.
Andino started off impressively as well, scoring a 9.13 off his first business-wave, but only managed to back it up with a 4.93-point ride, thus registering a heat-total of 14.06 points, consequently surrendering victory to his rival.
“It felt so good to get two waves at Pipe,” Medina said. “I’ve been watching the wave since this morning and rode a 6’6”. I’m just stoked to make it through, I’m pretty happy. Where I come from is a barreling wave. I’ve surfed there all of my life and I
think it helps me out here. I’ve heard people saying things about me not being able to surf on my backhand and that I can’t get barreled, and it’s good. I’ve been practicing and I think I’m getting better at it.”
The next heat featured an intense battle between Kerr and Durbidge, with the contest going down to the wire.
Once the dust settled, however, it was Kerr who stood victorious through his heat-total of 18.13 points, comprising of a 9.73 and 8.40-point ride, against his rival’s two-wave total of 17.13 points, which included a 9.90 and 7.23 points.
Tags: