Heitor Alves claims top honours in Round 1 heat at Volcom Fiji Pro – Surfing News
Brazil’s Heitor Alves jumped straight into the third round at Volcom Fiji Pro, the fourth of ten stops on the 2012 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour, after barely clinching the win in the 10th heat of Round 1 that
went down at the primary event site of Cloudbreak in Tavarua, Fiji, on Sunday, June 3.
Australia’s Julian Wilson was forced to settle for a second-place finish, whereas America’s Kolohe Andino finished in third place. The two surfers consequently had to take a trip into the relegation Round 2, having to surf again for a place in the third
round.
The world’s best surfers from around the globe had arrived in Fiji to continue their campaign for the coveted ASP World Title. With the race still pretty intense and opportunity for nearly everyone to still have a shot at the prestigious honours, the latest
stop of the elite tour was expected to feature plenty of memorable performances. The six-to-eight foot waves gracing the open ocean reef pass on the opening day of the competition furthered added to the excitement, serving as an ideal canvas for the surfers
to put their exquisite skills on display.
The 10th heat of Round 1 saw Alves squaring off with Wilson and Andino in a three-man battle for the Round 3 spot.
As the battle kicked-off, Alves got off to a promising start, moving in a perfect position to lock a juicy left-hander, which he utilised to post a 6.83 on the score-board. The sea refused to show any more generosity to him or any of his rivals. He eventually
had to settle for a 1.87 off his second business-wave, consequently finishing with a heat-total of 8.70 points. The score proved to be a decisive one in the low-scoring affair, thus sending him through into the third round.
Wilson, the 2011 ASP World Rookie of the Year, failed to make much of an impact during the course of the battle. He failed to do any better than Alves, struggling to get his hands on a single decent wave. In the end, he had no choice but to settle for a
second-place finishing following his heat-total of 6.70 points, which included a 3.17 and 3.53-point ride.
Andino, an ASP World Tour rookie, did not get off to a start that he must have been hoping for at the latest stop on the elite tour either. The Californian young-gun only managed to score a 3.67 and 2.00 off his best-two waves to finish with a heat-total
of 5.67 points, accompanying Wilson into the relegation round as a result.
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