The opening Round 2 heat saw rookies Dimity Stoyle (AUS) and Alessa Quizon get off to a slow start, with both surfers picking up small scores throughout the first 10 minutes. Quizon eventually established the lead with a 4.00 for a series of frontside snaps on a small left, backing the ride up with with a similar wave for a 5.00.
Quizon switched to her backhand, extending her lead throughout the 30-minute affair. The goofy-footer looked lively in the punchy beachbreak, belting a 5.27 and 7.67 to solidify her win over the Australian.
Much to the dismay of Heat 2 competitors Coco Ho (HAW) and Johanne Defay (FRA) the surf flattened out significantly. Defay drew first blood five minutes in after hunting down a clean left-hander, managing to tally a 5.33. Ho, on the other hand, was much more selective and didn’t jump on a wave in the opening 11 minutes. Feeling the pressure, Ho only managed a couple one-cutters posting minimal scores.
The first lead change came at the 13-minute mark when Ho finally found an open face to work with, pulling a big carve and powering through the whitewater to add two pocket cutbacks for a 5.93.
Both surfers caught their best rides with under five minutes to go. Ho replaced her bottom score with a 7.33 for an impressive left-hander. Defay needed an excellent score to reclaim the lead and the last opportunity scored allowed it but her a 7.87 was just a fraction shy of what she needed and the rookie was eliminated.
Heat 3 saw a clash between old rivals Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Silvana Lima (BRA). The two have shared a series of explosive heats in the past and their battle in Round 2 of the Rio Women’s Pro proved to be no different.
Gilmore got out of the gates first with a 5.90, quickly placing Lima on the ropes with an excellent 8.17 for a two-turn backhand combo.
The Brazilian battled back, however, combining a big outside snap and clean air-reverse on a right for a 9.10 and a win over the five-time ASP Women’s World Champion.
Heat 4 quickly turned into an expression session: In the opening 10 minutes, Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) was called for an interference, neglecting to triple check Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) had given up priority.
With her opponent in need of a Perfect 10, the injury replacement for Courtney Conlogue (USA) quickly sealed the deal on the following wave, pushing her combination score to an insurmountable 11.67 and eliminating the Women’s World Championship Tour (WCT) No. 5.
Heat 5: Malia Manuel (HAW) 12.43 def. Alana Blanchard (HAW) 10.00
Heat 5 got off to a slow start, with the swell at Barra Da Tijuca fading, limiting the opportunities for competitors. Kauaians Malia Manuel and Alana Blanchard were unable to garner any high scores throughout the first half of the heat. Manuel established a small lead due to a 6.00 for two turns.
Blanchard connected for a pair of 5.00s, but Manuel’s forehand attack notched a 6.00 and 6.43, proving enough for the win over her fellow islander.
The pace picked up in the final heat of Round 2 with Pauline Ado (FRA) and Paige Hareb (NZL) splitting the first wave and began trading set for set. Ado was able to establish a narrow lead by executing more difficult maneuvers.
Hareb accomplished a lead change with under five minutes to go using a progression of vertical snaps for a 6.80. But the following set brought enough open face for Ado to string together a series of carves for a 7.17. Ado advances to Round 3.
Round 3
Heat 1: Lakey Peterson (USA) 15.36, Silvana Lima (BRA) 14.73, Malia Manuel (HAW) 12.03
The crowd roared as the day’s Brazilian hero, former WCT competitor and event wildcard Silvana Lima (BRA), took to the water to kick off Round 3. Lima fed off the crowd and the momentum she built from her Round 2 upset of Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), opening with a 7.00 and maintaining a solid lead as her opponents Lakey Peterson (USA) and Malia Manuel (HAW) neglected to post any significant scores in the opening minutes.
But in the final 10 minutes, Peterson overpowered Lima, posting a 9.03 for vertical snap and tail-out turn . Manuel and Lima needed excellent scores as the clock ticked down to zero but Peterson’s high score held up through the end of the heat advancing her to the Quarterfinals.
Reigning two-time ASP Women’s World Champion Carissa Moore combated fellow Oahu native Alessa Quizon and French talent Pauline Ado next. Moore grabbed the highest score of the heat with a 7.50 to start, but Quizon would take the lead with a 6.33 and 5.50. Ado kept her name in the hunt, logging a 5.67 of her own.
With 10 minutes remaining, Moore surpassed Quizon for the lead, notching a 5.90 on a right that would carry her through for the win.
Heat 3: Tyler Wright (AUS) 12.60, Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 10.77, Laura Enever (AUS) 10.20
Offshore winds flattened out the breaks and caused some long lulls in the all-Australian affair of Heat 3. When workable waves did surface, Tyler Wright and Laura Enever traded clean rides, Wright maintaining a slight advantage with a high score of 6.67 for a seamless progression of vertical snaps and cutbacks.
With five minutes left in the heat, Enever only needed a mid-range score to overtake the defending event champion but got caught behind the section and out of contention. Nikki Van Dijk had been quietly keeping pace and used a small wave on a last ditch effort, seeking a 6.11. She accomplished three maneuvers–a carve into a floater into a clean closeout hit–but ultimately fell short of first place.
The final heat of the day would see a rematch of the 2012 Finals featuring Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) and Coco Ho (HAW) along with alternate Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW). Ho commanded the first half of the heat, combining her light and fast attack in the pocket of both lefts and rights. Fitzgibbons fought back, surpassing the Hawaiian with a solid 7.33 for the lead.
With just two minutes remaining, Ho belted a turn on her opening ride, but failed to land her last maneuver, falling shy of the score needed to surpass Fitzgibbons.
