LIVETICKER DAY 8 (GMT+4)

Current discipline: Kite-Surf
Judging Criteria: Pure wave – 20 minute heats / best 2 waves count from 15 possible waves
Wind: Sideshore 18 – 25 knots
Wave conditions: Clean head high

Note: This liveticker automatically updates every couple of minutes if ticker is online!
Note: Scroll down on this page for the live heat score and heat ladder (scroll right on the heat ladder widget below to see the double elimination heats) 
You can also find the individual wave scores here. 

Report: Jim Gaunt

Friday 13th – unlucky for some – but not for Brazilian Sebastian Ribeiro who has fought back through seven heats to find himself in the semi-finals to face James Carew tomorrow! 

17.40 – One more scalp to Ribeiro = 7 wins today for the Brazilian!
Round 8: Heat 33
Oswald Smith V Sebastian Ribeiro
The sets looked strong at the start of the heat and Ozzie was the first to strike, a quick one-two combo on an uneven face; big punches from the South African. Watching from out back Sebastian let a wave pick him up for a better view as he watched Ozzie’s form, eventually turning back to the horizon and letting the big wall roll on. 

Sebastian took the next but it soon turned into a freak, breaking towards him from both sides. He aborted and just managed to drive backwards through the wave’s peak before it caught him.

A moment later he was dropping in again, once more flowing rhythmically up and down, showing the judges a super vertical combination, so extreme in his head down backside body position when pivoting round his top turn – fins free almost every time.

Ozzie found a peak that pinched up oddly into a sharp triangle. He tried to pull under, had to abort out front as it collapsed flatly.

Sebastian’s two good scores of 7.27 and 6.47 gave him a solid 13.74 / 7.37 lead. This fight for the podium still had eight minutes left.

Ozzie wasn’t having any luck finding the longer more shapely rides, but remember Sebastian’s been out there since the morning. He’s seen all states of tide and seemingly knew when to chance a run to the inside and when not to.

7 waves each with 7 minutes to go.

Ozzie, frontside, bailed on two waves in a row that just didn’t steepen up, he popped over the back and looked left to see Sebastian absolutely steaming in on a bomb, maximum pace – but would the peak throw over? No, he had to straight line it as it closed out behind him.

Yet against he found a good one, floated beautifully along a large stretch of white water, took a big drop and immediately banked hard, effortlessly smooth leaving him to glide almost mechanically around yet another top turn two metres over the reef. He may only get two turns, but it’s his approach, speed control and timing that are making these waves perhaps look more useful than they are.

Friday the 13th is his. He raced along one more wave near the end of the heat and pulled in beneath a lip that started pitching (is he wearing special glasses with barrel vision??). For a second we thought he’d somehow exit the white water like a hero again.

Ozzie had a real good go on a couple at the end, but pushing super hard came off a brutal lip too hard and couldn’t stay on the board.

Putting the sword in at the end with the man down, Sebastian found the cleanest face of the entire heat and cruised through a few lazy turns. He knew he’d done it. Looking over to the rapidly dropping, golden sun, his legs must have been burning, too. He’s gonna need help to walk tonight and just said that he had to massage his leg while going back upwind because it had stopped working! Warrior. 

Ribeiro wins – 13.74 to 7.37 and will face James Carew next in the semi final. 

17.09 – Thoughts on Sebastian Ribeiro – it’s now 17.09 and the light really starts to fade quite quickly. What’s he thinking? We can’t ask him because he’s staying out on the water and resting on a boat close by between his heats. Is he hoping to call it a day soon so he can rest? Or does he want to push on while he’s in the zone against Ozzie, James and Airton who have no experience in riding this reef today? 

17.00 – Round 7: Heat 32
Jan Marcos Riveras V Sebastian Ribeiro
Whoa, suddenly the ocean awoke mid way through this heat!
Sebastian and Jan Marcos both marched in on waves simultaneously. Big old curling walls; the boys going mach 10 trying to hold position for when the face became workable. Jan Marcos managed a couple of turns once the wave slowed down, but perhaps missed the opportunity to hold back a little bit. Easy to say from here behind the computer! Sebastian popped over the back of his and opted for a short tack.
Sebastian took longer to get rolling in this heat – he must be starting to tire, posting 6.43 on his eighth wave and then 7.83 on his 11th.
It’s a good job he gets a break next with a woman’s double elimination heat, he’s ridden six x 18 minute heats today, with just one heat break in between each of his last three heats.
In the zone and now riding like a well oiled machine, he’s pulling in to strange looking sections and making it out. The waves are so variable and not always massive, but he’s reading the shape so much better than anyone else. It’s no wonder, he’s spend the most time out there today (this is his sixth heat today) – and that could help him against the upcoming top guys… unless he gets too tired.
Ribeiro wins – 15.1 to 11.1. Up next Ribeiro will face 3rd places singles finisher, Oswald Smith. After that, James Carew awaits and the Airton Cozzolino! 

16.25 – Round 6: Heat 31
Pedro Matos V Sebastian Ribeiro
Ribeiro constantly starting his heats well, posting a high score to start with. By today’s standards a 7.37 is really high. Five waves in to the heat and he rode a wave from almost one side of the competition zone to the other, getting covered up  by a massive cavern along the way, scoring 9.63… on a day when riders are struggling to find waves of more than a few turns! Stellar poaching.
He backed that up moments later with an 8.33. Ribeiro holding so much speed and flow.
Matos is holding is own with an 8, a very high score, and later rocked a 7 points score on his last wave.
Ribeiro’s through, Matos out. 17.96 to 15.

ROUND FIVE WRAP 02:
At this round four stage in the doubles (just two heats in it) things start to get interesting. After this round, it’s man on man, winner stays on the water til you reach Airton Cozzolino in the final.

15.50 – Heat 30B last heat of ROUND FIVE:
Sebastian Ribeiro V Willow River Tonkin
Excitement at the end of round 5 30B between Willow River and Sebastian Ribeiro when it looked like Willow had another barrel, but it was just a straight line charge and didn’t cover up, so a low score to compete a heat of hard work to search good waves for other riders. Sebastian nabbed two 6 point waves to Willow’s five point range. Sad to see the blonde barrel hunting floss machine go out, but Brazilian Ribeiro continues his super consistent charge today, with his 3rd win of the day and 4th win already in this double elimination. He’s looking good at the moment and faces his team mate and Brazilian countryman, Matos next – after one early round of the women’s doubles.
Ribeiro wins 12.64 to 11.13 

15.24 Heat 30 first of two heats in ROUND FOUR 
Mitu Monteiro V Pedro Matos
After scratching around, Mitu gets a head dip and then continued to work the remaining small wave, bam bam bam. On his backhand, gets a 6.73 putting him in front. 12.23 to 11.84
Halfway through the heat and with four wave each, already it looked like this heat score would be one of the highest of the day, but then things got messy for a while.
Obvious looking at the scores, both riders managed to maximise the only two decent waves they found in the heat; Mitu just fractionally more so and was winning by just 12.23 to 12.01 with 30 seconds to go… but no! Matos suddenly locked into a winner – bagging a 6.07 ride… and ousted Monteiro! 
Matos wins 12.61 to 12.23. Whoa. He’s through, Mitu (2nd in the championship is out – music to Cozzolino’s ears) 

15.12 – MEN’S ROUND THREE WRAP-UPS BELOW.

Heat 29B
Jeremy Chan V Sebastian Ribeiro 
No more heroics for local Jeremy Chan today, who faced a fiercely competitive Sebastian Ribeiro who is still kicking himself for having to do so many heats today through the doubles after his early exit to Pedro Matos in the singles on day five. 6.27 and 5.37 weren’t massive scores, but consistent with the other riders today, once again proving that every way must be taken as it comes out here, because they’re all shaping up differently.
Sebastian advances 11.64 to 9.4

Heat 29A
Willow River Tonkin V Francesco Cappuzzo
An entertaining heat with plenty of walls of water, but again not too many sections that it was possible to get more than two turns in. Will was again pulling into everything while Francesco was in all-out turn and hit mode.
Close in the end.
Willow advances 10.97 to 9.63

Heat 28B
Charly Martin V Mitu Monteiro
Mitu has a lot of respect for Charly having seen him up close in the singles. The Reunion rider rode hard again, but in very challenging to read conditions, and a heat littered with low scoring closeouts, Mitu managed to pic out a 5.6 and 3.9 to give him a modest victory.
Mitu Monteiro wins 9.5 to 7.93

14.12 – Round 3 Heat 28A
Arsenio Dias V Pedro Matos
Dias back for another bite of the biscuit for the second time today. Fast and busy, the young Cape Verdean looks to be well capable in these conditions.
Some of the steep drops off the top today are savage. Matos held on to a few good ones and rode them out.
Tight with 5 mins left, 11.97 to 11.4 in Matos’ favour.
In the end Matos punched in one of the highest wave scores of the day near the end of the heat! An 8.8, meaning he’s through.
Matos wins 14.8 to 11.4 and advances.

13.50 – Round 3 Heat 27B
Sebastian Ribeiro V Charlie Wise
Conditions really picking up now and some incredible waves coming through. Charlie Wise already in his second heat of the day against a re-charged backside Brazilian who looked pretty devastated to go out so early in the singles.
Bosh! Sebastian is really managing this swell nicely, pivoting hard at the top in the difficult white section. Two scores over 8 did the damage, back to back on waves six and seven for the Brazilian.
Sebastian wins 16.77 to 8.3 and advances 

13.30 – Round 3 heat 27A
Willow River Tonkin V Reece Myerscough
Backside hack up from Willow and Reece as we approach high tide on the push and the waves really jacking up now.
Willow picking the big ones and in between superbly powerful turns also managed to pull just slightly under another lip (not like his epic yesterday) but lost control and took a huge pile driving face plant. Would have shaken his brain that one.
More control and confidence in the conditions and in backside approach from Willow here – he’s going to be on a charge up the table today – his local stars seems aligned and he’s on a high. Occasionally the sections closed out and riders would to speed ball it a long way downwind to get round the section before being pushed too shallow.
Willow wins 10.6 to 7 and advances.

13.13 – Start of Round 3 heat 26B
Camille Delannoy V Charly Martin 
Mitu Monteiro mentioned that young Charly Martin (French living on Reunion Island) rode well and was unlucky to go out against the Cape Verdean legend in the first heat of the singles. He was back against Camille Delannoy and justified Mitu’s praise.
A 5.6 on his third wave was really well worked and technically well rounded in his approach, showing turns, hits and great wave reading and timing.
Charlie’s banking bottom turns then snap into really aggressive and tight top turns. Beautifully fluid surfing. He links turns incredibly well and stays right in the pocket, touching distance of the peeling white water upwind of him. Comfortable win in the end for the islander against tour regular Camille – who has made more of a name for himself in strapless freestyle – finishing runner-up in Brazil last year. He’s no slouch for sure. Big scalp for Charly.
11.56 to 7.79 – Charly Martin goes through.

13.00 – Men’s double remaining round two wrap up:
Heat 25B
19 year old Australian Charlie Wise came through heat 25b to knock out local Bart Labonne, with really aggressive powered turns and looks hungry and very capable.
13.44 to 6.01 – Charlie Wise wins and advances

Heat 26A
Arsenio Dias V Simon Joosten a super energetic heat in great conditions. Fast, whippy turns and impressive cutbacks back towards the white water throughout this frontside battle. Two riders who are fully committed to the tour this year, in both wave and strapless freestyle and both progressing really well. Sad to lose one.
9.67 virus 8.16 in the end, but Cape Verdean Dias was more aggressive and precise.

12.15 – Finally after a long delay, heat 25 B between Charlie Wise and Bart Labonne, the last heat of the second round of the men’s doubles, re-starts in decent waves and 10 – 12m winds. Bags of potential now to crank through the afternoon. Keep abreast of the proceedings by scrolling down to the live scores and then further down the heat ladder widget – which you’ll need to click and scroll right on to find the double elimination. 

10.30 – Heat 25A resumed and Sebastian Ribeiro progressed. 

09.45 – Competition on hold near the end of the first heat of the day, 25A  

09.00 – Good morning once again from the Heritage Resort lagoon in Bel Ombre where the men’s double elimination re-started with round 2 heat 25A between Sebastian Ribeiro and Alessandro D’Ambrossio. The men’s double elimination will continue until heat 30B – after which the contest ladder narrows into a charge for the riders to take on the top five riders down, one by one, until they reach single elimination winner Airton Cozzolino who is already in the final. 

After heat 30B we will switch into the women’s double elimination and then alternate men’s  / women’s to give the heat winner a break before they go up against the next rider. 

Scroll down on this page for the live heat score and heat ladder (scroll right on the heat ladder widget below to see the double elimination heats) 

Find the liveticker head reports of the Kite-Surf action and yesterday’s Freestyle heats here:
Day 1 (Friday / Kite-Surf): Here
Day 2 (Saturday / Kite-Surf): Here
Day 3 (Sunday / Freestyle): Here
Day 4 (Monday / Freestyle): Here
Day 5 (Tuesday / Kite-Surf): Here
Day 6 (Wednesday / Kite-Surf): Here
Day 7 (Thursday / Kite-Surf): Here

 

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