Volcom Fiji Pro 2012

DAY ONE HIGHLIGHTS

he Volcom Fiji Pro got started right out of the gates on the first morning of the 13 day waiting period in beautiful conditions with solid 6-8 foot surf. There had been plenty of swell activity around the island in the days leading up to the event and after last night’s traditional Fijian opening ceremony, there was an energy of excitement in the air between the surfers and event directors expecting a day one start.

The morning started off with Jordy Smith getting the opening wave of the Volcom Fiji Pro scoring a 4.67 and then backed it up with massive 9 point tube ride on his second wave. Smith would eventually win the heat advancing to round 3, sending Fred Pattachia and Brett Simpson to round 2.

Today’s biggest story was wildcard Mitch Coleborn upsetting 11 time world champion Kelly Slater with the highest heat total of round 1. Mitch paddled into one of the best tubes of the day halfway through the heat earning a 9.27 wave score. Afterwards, the ocean went quiet for several minutes leaving Coleborn in need of a mid range score. As the timer counted down towards the end of the heat, it looked as though Mitch would not get another scoring opportunity. Then, with only 7 seconds left, Mitch dropped into a wave and threaded through a fantastic tube scoring an 8.10 as the horn sounded. “When I got that last wave, I knew that I was going to make it and I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face. Said Mitch. “I’m so stoked! Its a dream come true.”

DAY TWO HIGHLIGHTS

Cloudbreak turned on once again for the world’s best surfers as the opening 10 heats of the elimination Round 2 of the Volcom Fiji Pro were completed in clean four-to-six foot (1—1.5 metre) waves at the primary event venue.

DAY 3 HIGHLIGHTS

Day three of the Volcom Fiji Pro saw some of the largest waves Cloudbreak has ever seen. Though we were only able to get through 2 heats before the contest was called off, Volcom opted to continue to broadcast and cover the jaw-dropping free-surfing that was taking place. People watched history making waves Live around the world, complete with commentary and re-plays! Here are some of the highlights from the feed.

DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS

Volcom Fiji Pro Day 4 - Three Perfect 10 Point Rides as Restaurants fires for
round three and four.

Following one of the greatest big wave surfing days in history, at the world famous Cloudbreak, The Volcom Fiji Pro resumed this morning in quality four to six foot waves at Restaurants, the fringe reef off the island of Tavarua.

Australians Bede Durbidge and Taj Burrow kicked off Round 3 with both surfers executing deep barrel rides and vertical backside re-entrys, a sure sign of the day of surfing to come. In a cruel twist of fate, Bede’s heroics of the previous day counted for nothing as he was dispensed from the event by an on-fire Burrow.

As the day progressed, the wave quality improved with every heat and the world’s best surfers lifted the bar.  Standouts included Damien Hobgood (USA), Mick Fanning (AUS), Gabriel Medina (BRZ) Joel Parkinson (AUS), Kelly Slater (USA), Heitor Alves (BRZ), and Owen Wright (AUS). But the highlight of Round three came when sentimental event favorite CJ Hobgood scored the days first perfect 10, a deep draining double up barrel followed by a fearless floater above the razor sharp coral.

As the event then moved into the non-elimination Round 4, it was almost as if perfect rides were growing on the coconut palms that surround Tavarua. First John John Florence made his intentions for this event, and perhaps a rookie year World Title clear by threading one of the set waves of the day through the entire length of the inside reef for a 10 point ride.

Then a heat later 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater answered the youngster with an impossible line through six folding sections only to emerge to unanimous 10’s from the judges. Australia’s Owen Wright, who surfed against Kelly,  would have won any other heat in the entire event but will now have to surf Round 5 tomorrow.

DAY 5 HIGHLIGHTS

After yesterday’s full day of competition at pumping Restaurants, the Volcom Fiji Pro resumed today at six to eight foot Cloudbreak where round 5 kicked off just after 12pm.

The first heat of the day saw Mick Fanning execute some viscous backhand turns right out of the gates against Damien Hobgood. As the heat winded down Damien was in need of a solid score as he fought to stay alive. With minutes left, Hobgood locked into a good tube through the inside section but was unable to exit and Fanning advanced into the first quarterfinal.

Amazing performances were put forth in round 5—Taj Burrow took down current world #1 Joel Parkinson, Julian Wilson bested Owen Wright, and CJ Hobgood advanced against Brazil’s Heitor Alves.

Action resumed with the first two quarterfinal heats before the comp was called off due to increasing winds and an excellent outlook for tomorrow’s conditions. Before it was called off, Mick Fanning posted two high scores against John Florence. “I was just trying to play it smart out there” said Two Time World Champion Mick Fanning, “Once I got that first score I just wanted to keep building from there and put the pressure on John. The kid is phenomenal and by far the most dangerous person in the world at the moment.”

FINAL DAY HIGHLIGHTS

Congratulations Kelly Slater, The Volcom Fiji Pro champion!

The final day of competition was a supercharged morning of excellent Cloudbreak surfing and Kelly Slater has emerged the champion of the inaugural Volcom Fiji Pro. Slater surfed a blitzing final against Brazil’s Gabriel Medina scoring 18.16 points with only two waves ridden in the 35-minute battle.

Earlier in the day, CJ Hobgood had one of the more memorable rides of the day with an unbelievable barrel in the dying minutes of his quarterfinal heat against Brazil’s Adriano De Souza.

“It was a blessing that wave came and it did,” Hobgood said. “I knew Adriano (de Souza) was going to post huge scores and he did. That wave came and I just put my head down. That feeling when they read out the score, it just feels good.”

Hobgood met a different fate in the semis where the 11-time world champ beat him out for a spot in the final showdown.

The final was on and Slater put on a Cloudbreak clinic against Brazil’s Gabriel Medina. Gabriel had impressed the world with his amazing charge to the final but in the end was no match for Kelly’s near-perfect performance.

“That’s probably the best I could surf out here,” Slater said. “The barrel and the turn sections just lined up for me and I was able to do what I did. That was a perfect canvas for me.”

With this win, Slater moves up to 2nd in the ASP World title ratings behind new ratings leader, Mick Fanning.

Congratulations Kelly!!