Tahitian surfer Vahine Fierro on Saturday showed what a threat she would be at the Olympics with a commanding first-round performance at the Games venue of Teahupo’o, at the start of the professional tour’s Shisheido Tahiti Pro.
The 23-year-old wildcard, who qualified to represent France at Paris, threaded two glorious tubes at her home break, including a 9.33 out of a possible 10 to send world tour leader and fellow Olympian Caitlin Simmers of the US packing. Fierro’s heat total of 16.13 out of 20 was the highest of the day.
“Today, it’s the first time in this event that I ever get that good of a wave,” a beaming Fierro said. “The waves are kind of slow, but when they come, [such] good waves.”
Photo: AFP
Hawaii’s John John Florence, who is to represent the US at the Olympics in two months, was a standout on the men’s draw, but was looking ahead to even bigger, better waves forecast for a few days’ time.
“I love coming back here and being able to surf this amazing wave,” he said after dominating his first-round matchup with Indonesia’s Rio Waida and Brazil’s Yago Dora. “It looks like we have a lot of good swell coming, so I’m super excited for that. Hopefully, it’s like it was a few years back when it was 10 foot [3m], nonstop.”
Kelly Slater, the 11-time world champion who was granted a wildcard after missing the mid-year cut, was another standout. The 52-year-old sent reigning Tahiti Pro champion Jack Robinson and Morocco’s Ramzi Boukhiam to the elimination round with the men’s second-highest heat score of the day.
A potent mix of beauty and brutality, Teahupo’o has long been a favored stop on the professional world tour with Slater claiming a record five wins at what is also known as “the end of the road.”
However, the powerful waves and shallow reef have taken lives and injured top surfers including Australia’s Ethan Ewing, who fractured two vertebrae in a warm up for the Tahiti Pro last year.
Olympics governing body the International Surfing Association this week recommended that surfers wear protective headwear when competing at Teahupo’o during the Games.
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