Conditions continued to fire for the world’s best surfers this afternoon with five-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore putting on a clinic at Snapper Rocks during the opening heat of Round 3.
Facing an on-fire Courtney Conlogue (who secured an epic 9.5 barrel in Round 2) and Kiwi Paige Hareb, Gilmore blended power turns and barrels as the Californian applied her own brand of dynamic surfing.
Heat 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) 19.50, Malia Manuel (HAW) 14.34, Pauline Ado (FRA) 10.64
Reigning two-time ASP Women’s World Champ Carissa Moore would put on an absolutely stunning display in Round 3, decimating the pristine pointbreak conditions with an incredible array of powerful rail turns and assertive tail slides.
Moore would collect the day’s high single wave score of a near-perfect 9.90 for a three turn combo while putting together a 19.50 heat total, throwing away another 9.57 in the process. The unbelievable display would see the prodigy easily advance directly to the Quarterfinals over fellow Hawaiian Malia Manuel and French surfer Pauline Ado.
Both Manuel and Ado would each have standout moments of their own during the heat, but Moore’s immaculate effort would leave her fellow competitors in a combo.
Snapper Rocks continued to deliver this afternoon as defending event champ Tyler Wright, South African powerhouse Bianca Buitendag and rookie Dimity Stoyle took to the lineup.
While quality remained high in the conditions, all three girls struggled to find a rhythm before Wright collected a solid barrel to open the heat up and capitalizing with some some waves in the dying moments.
Buitendag and Stoyle collected mid-range scores, but will have to do battle in Round 4.
Pulsing conditions continued as Sally Fitzgibbons, Lakey Peterson and Alessa Quizon delivering a series of exciting exchanges throughout the entirety of the 30 minute affair.
Peterson would post the heat’s best score of 7.87 for a series of powerful carves, while Quizon would go to town on her backhand, but Fitzgibbons’ consistency and impressive rail game would see the Aussie advance directly to the Quarterfinals, relegating Peterson and Quizon to Round 4.
