Local wild card Vahine Fierro on Wednesday won the Shisheido Tahiti Pro in pumping surf at her home break of Teahupo’o, establishing herself as a favorite for gold when the Paris Olympics start at the same venue in two months.
Fierro, who is not on the top-tier world championship tour but has qualified to represent France at the Olympics, was unstoppable in the heaving tubes as waves reached heights of 4m to 5m.
“My body is so sore, I gave it my all, I ate it so many times,” an elated Fierro said after her win. “It’s just insane, thank you Teahupo’o.”
Photo: AFP
Fierro easily won a lopsided quarter-final against Australian charger Molly Picklum and then squeaked through one of the heats of the year against Brazilian Olympian Tatitana Weston-Webb.
The lead changed several times as both women threw themselves over the ledge on the powerful waves, scoring deep barrels in between some heavy wipeouts.
Weston-Webb looked to have done enough with a perfect 10-point ride late in the heat for a late takeoff and huge tube described by broadcast commentators as the best wave ever caught in women’s surfing competition.
However, with seconds remaining, Fierro took off on another giant wall and got a long tube to secure the win.
“It’s really scary out there, but I just was so grateful to have the opportunity. Like, how often do we get these conditions? Especially for females,” Weston-Webb said.
“And obviously, we have the Olympics coming up, and it’s a really big goal of mine to do pretty well there. Vahine is amazing out here, and she inspires me,” she added.
In the final against Costa Rican Olympic surfer and world No. 1 Brisa Hennessy, Fierro again caught the biggest and best waves, finishing with a 15.17 total out of 20 to claim the title.
On the men’s side of the draw, fellow Tahitian wild card Mihimana Braye took heart from Fierro’s win and knocked out world No. 1 riffin Colapinto in the first elimination round.
Reigning men’s Tahiti Pro champion Australian Jack Robinson was another surprise early exit, going down to Brazil’s Yago Dora.
Californian rookies Crosby Colapinto and Cole Houshmand put on the two biggest two-wave heat scores of the day, both topping 17 points out of a possible 20 to win their respective heats.
“That was definitely the best wave of my life and probably the biggest barrel of my life,” Houshmand said of his 9.57 point ride against Italian Olympian Leonardo Fioravanti.
“That’s what I’ve dreamt of. I was scared I wasn’t going to make it, so I was stoked when I did,” he added.
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