Is anyone surprised that the Teahupo’o local looks right at home at Cloudbreak? Photo: Cait Miers//WSL
After several down days, the WSL’s decision to wait out the swell at the end of the Fiji Pro waiting period paid off. A full day of competition was highlighted by a display of Cloudbreak tube-riding mastery from the Tahitian rookie Kauli Vaast, who earned a perfect 10-point ride.
“I always dreamed of having a heat like this with perfect waves,” Vaast said in his post-heat interview.
Vaast backed up the 10 with a 9.07 to earn a 19.07 total, the best of his Championship Tour career. It was the second 10-point ride of the event after Erin Brooks also went perfect with a long tube in women’s round one.
The round-three win for Vaast sets up a tough quarterfinal match-up against Gabriel Medina — the first time the two goofy-footers have ever met in a heat. Vaast has made the quarters three times this season, but has yet to break through into a semifinal.
Despite a disappointing ninth-place finish at the Tahiti Pro, his home break, Vaast is sneakily moving up the rankings. He’s moved up into 11th overall, the best-performing rookie on the tour.
The Fiji Pro could finish today at Cloudbreak, September 3, local time. Vaast will take on Medina in the second heat of the day.
