This winter has provided a constant barrage of huge swell through Hawaii. Rarely has a day or two gone by without crowded lineups at the most well-known spots and all the familiar faces at the lesser-known favorites. The next 24
This winter has provided a constant barrage of huge swell through Hawaii. Rarely has a day or two gone by without crowded lineups at the most well-known spots and all the familiar faces at the lesser-known favorites. The next 24 hours is again supposed to bring huge waves, though they will probably be more eye candy than surfable conditions.
But while we’re heading toward the home stretch of our surf season, the year-long schedule is only beginning. The first QS 6,000 contest of the 2016 season gets under way today in Newcastle, Australia, with the Maitland and Port Stephens Toyota Pro. Some of the lower-point value events have been checked off already, but the Qualifying Series is really about acquiring results at the 6,000- and 10,000-point contests.
Today marks the first chance for competitors to start putting together their resumes and build some momentum toward a Championship Tour berth.
Koa Smith will be riding some momentum of his own after a memorable performance at the Volcom Pipe Pro a few weeks back. Smith had the event’s second-best heat total, when he pulled into a pair of nine-point rides in round two for an 18.67 total. Only John John Florence, who has walked from his front door to the Pipeline lineup since he was a grom, compiled a better two-wave performance.
If Koa was one of the contest’s breakout stars, another was certainly Makai McNamara, who crashed a final heat that featured Kelly Slater, Bruce Irons and Jamie O’Brien. McNamara also had one of just three perfect 10 scores in the event.
Those two young stars will be featured in the same round one heat in Newcastle. Smith, McNamara, Aussie local Nathan Hedge and France’s Diego Mignot make up heat 17 in the 144-surfer field, which has some other heavy hitters amongst the favorites.
Sebastian Zietz will be back on the QS full-time this season and hoping to re-qualify for next year’s world tour. These are the types of contests he can use to accomplish that mission. Zietz gets to begin in round two, when he’ll enter his four-man heat with Aussie Brent Dorrington and a pair advancers from round one.
Other competitors of note in the field will be Matt Wilkinson, Kanoa Igarashi, Keanu Asing, Matt Banting, Adam Melling, Jack Freestone, Ezekiel Lau, Ricardo Christie and Ace Buchan.
Kalani David, Olamana Eleogram, Torrey Meister, Seth Moniz and Josh Moniz all made the trip from Hawaii.
The Australian season is in full force, with this contest leading right into the Australian Open, another QS 6,000 event starting on Feb. 29.
The Championship Tour follows with the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast (March 10), Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach (March 24) and the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro (April 8).
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David Simon can be reached at dsimon@thegardenisland.com.
