We’ve been used to Sunset Beach being an iffy contest location in year’s past. Fickle, big, all over the place. Extremely difficult to predict. But yesterday off the Kam Highway, things came together for a bit of a barrel party.
Mr. Florence navigated himself through a beauty on his way to another heat win. Kelly Slater, despite his lifelong trepidation in competing at Sunset, advanced. Meanwhile wildcards had a tough go of it. Keanu Asing, Kai Lenny, and Ramzi Boukhiam were all eliminated.
But the deepest barrel (and the “wave of the day”) went to Jordy Smith who chipped in to what looked like a roller at first. But then he stealthily tucked under a messy lip line and ended up deeper than anyone else yesterday for a 9.33. It was a heckuva way to start for the South African who’s trying to put another run at a title together, having missed the Final Five events thus far in the still-new format iteration.
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It looks as though the WSL will make another call this morning as they were able to get the men’s side down to the bracket stage. So the women are on deck. Hopefully, the conditions stay workable.
