I have to admit that my memories of Mexico are few and far between. I’ve only ever been for seven days in Acapulco during my senior year of college. It seemed everywhere I turned was someone giving me a free
I have to admit that my memories of Mexico are few and far between. I’ve only ever been for seven days in Acapulco during my senior year of college. It seemed everywhere I turned was someone giving me a free tequila shot. It was a hot and hazy week. Very hazy.
Hopefully the athletes at the Los Cabos Open of Surf are remaining a bit more clear-headed this week as both the men’s and women’s 6-Star events have narrowed their fields to 24 surfers apiece. As action resumes today, one man and three women from Kauai remain in contention for the important Qualifying Series points available with a deep run. On the men’s side, Kaimana Jaquias continues to represent the Garden Isle and has outlasted 120 surfers, while Brianna Cope, Nage Melamed and Tatiana Weston-Webb look to keep charging through women’s bracket.
After picking up a second in his opening heat and then a win in his Round of 96 effort, Jaquias again made it through from his Round of 48 foursome on Wednesday. Though he caught just four waves in the heat, Jaquias made the most of his opportunities. His first two waves put him in solid position and he bettered himself on his final wave, receiving a 6.00 for his best score and an 11.33 total. That was enough to remain ahead of American Tim Reyes (10.10) and Brazil’s Messias Felix (9.07). Jaquias advanced along with Australian heat winner Dion Atkinson (12.46).
Round four will feature three-man heats on the men’s side, with the top two finishers advancing and third place eliminated. Jaquias has some less familiar names to contend with, though they have performed well so far and earned their standing. He paddles out with Australia’s Ryan Callinan and Reunion Island’s Medi Veminardi. Jaquias and Veminardi advanced together in their second-round heat with the Kauaian taking first place.
Some of the big names remaining in the men’s draw are Atkingson and fellow Aussies Josh Kerr, Matt Banting and Mitch Coleborn, Brazilians Wiggolly Dantas and Willian Cardoso and Americans Brett Simpson and Patrick and Tanner Gudauskas. The Gudauskas brothers will be going up against each other in their next three-man heat.
The women have cut their field of 60 down to 24 – six of them from Hawaii, three from Kauai. One of Kauai’s top wahine, Malia Manuel, elected not to compete in the event, as did fellow World Championship Tour competitor Bianca Buitendag and young American Frankie Harrer. Those three gave up three seeded positions, opening their spots for three wild cards, including Oahu’s Dax McGill.
So five Kauai women started in the event, with Cope having the most work to do. She was the only one starting in the Round of 60 with the others getting byes into the Round of 48. The South Shore surfer hasn’t let the potential workload slow her down as she won her opening heat and Thursday grabbed a second place to continue on. Her second heat featured CT rider Dimity Stoyle, who is having a strong rookie campaign on the world tour. The Australian cranked a pair of big scores, first earning an 8.90 and backing it up with a 7.43 for a 16.33 total and the heat win. But Cope earned an 8.17 on her final wave after a 6.77 on her previous effort to advance in second place with a 14.94.
She’ll be seeing a familiar face in the third round with Weston-Webb in the same heat. Tati was a winner in her opening heat, using a 6.80 on her final wave to pull into the lead. She and world tour Aussie Nikki Van Dijk each moved on.
Cope and Weston-Webb will have to be at their best to advance with American powerhouse Lakey Peterson and New Zealand prospect Sarah Mason in their upcoming fourth round heat.
There was also a familiar face for Melamed to see in her opening heat as she and Oahu’s Coco Ho both advanced. The longtime friends sped past their opponents with Melamed taking the top wave score (7.87) but Ho earning the narrow heat win (14.87 to 14.40). Melamed will next have to contend with Brazilian charger Silvana Lima, who sits atop the women’s QS rankings. They will paddle out with Australia’s Philippa Anderson and Spain’s Leticia Canales Bilbao.
Both Alana Blanchard and Leila Hurst came into the contest with high expectations. Blanchard was one of nine world tour regulars to enter and Hurst was eighth in the QS rankings coming into Mexico, but each was eliminated in the Round of 48.
Blanchard never got going in her heat, which was won by Lima and saw local favorite Asaya Brusa earn second place. As one of the world’s most well-known women surfers, Blanchard still has three 6-Star contests to try to earn re-qualification for 2015.
Hurst already has some keeper results on the year, so this won’t be much of a hit to her 2015 hopes. She was bested by Australia’s Ellie-Jean Coffey and Oahu’s Mahina Maeda.
Both Ho and fellow Oahu world tour competitor Alessa Quizon highlight the first heat of the women’s third round. Laura Enever, Pauline Ado and Paige Hareb, along with Stoyle, Van Dijk and Peterson comprise the rest of the favorites still in the mix.
