What a delightful day of action at the Ballito Pro presented by Billabong. And a huge thanks to Billabong for putting this comp together for our enjoyment. The action has been scintillating. I think we’ve witnessed more dope airs these last couple of days than our entire lives combined. It’s also safe to say, that surfing, on a global sense, is on the right path. The kids are alright baby, the kids are O-K.
Here are five waves from day 5 that we thoroughly enjoyed. Stay tuned for finals day tomorrow.
Cover: AVG
Seth Moniz – 14.77
The Billabong Hawaii crew are all staying in a house with their team manager and coach. It was older brother Josh Moniz’ birthday the other night and all the boys hit the town, putting on their Sunday best and getting their wrists stamped for entry to a club that prides itself in violating your ear canals with horrendous music. The boys went big, but Seth didn’t go. He saved going big on the dance floor, for going big at the Ballito Pro today…
On Seth’s first wave of consequence, he found himself a stinker off the back rock at ‘Surfers’. The the wave sorta doubled up, he air-dropped into it, stalled the bottom turn and pulled into a stank pit. He stood tall through the middle of the pit, ducked for the exit and garnished the wave off with a meaty Hawaiian sized closeout bash – 7.67.
Seth then paddled back out, and found a wave on route to the takeoff zone, he swung round, pumped down the line and threw himself at a particularly juicy section, flicking the tail and rotating for an air reverse. Riding backwards in the foam, the Billabong team manager and coach held their breath as Seth hustled his way backwards through the foam, he swung it round, and rode clear. The Billabong coach Rainos Hayes, let out a sigh of relief and complimentary ear piercing whistle. Damn that whistle was loud! But it was well deserved – 7.10.
After Seth Moniz’ second scoring ride, his coach let out an ear piercing whistle to let him know he approved of the ride. Image: WSL / Cestari
Peterson Crisanto – 8.27
Here in the VIP area, yep, Zag hangs in the VIP area cause we lit like that, but I digress, we get to enjoy live action out front, complimented by a replay on the TV behind us where there are a whole bunch of fridges powered by Monster Energy drinks. Anyway, Peterson Crisanto’s one of those surfers who’ve hustled this QS tour for years, he knows this rodeo, but he never seems to make a lasting impression, his name somewhere in the back of our consciousness. But today Peterson surfed a wave that we etched into the forefront of our brains. And don’t give us that crap, oh the wave was small, because on the webcast displayed behind us above the Monster Energy powered fridges, the wave looked small, but out front the wave held a cheeky karate kick of power.
The wave hit the inside bank, where it threw extremely abruptly. Peterson, who didn’t anticipate the waves hurried climax, approached the lip terribly late, hitting it upside down, free falling straight into the pit, before lavishing the wave with a number of lip blitzes – 8.27.
Peterson Crisanto, rather late than never. Image: WSL / Cestari
Ricardo Christie – 7.00
We’ve thoroughly enjoyed the New Zealanders surfing throughout the Ballito Pro. He’s got a certain flare about him. A handsomeness. Ricardo’s a tall powerful man, he looks like a stylish man who lives off the land, perhaps he owns a couple thousand sheep back in NZ. Ricardo surfs the way he looks, with a handsome powerful rawness. He’s got a mean rail game which he stylises with 80’s Matt Archibald inspired hair flicks. We dig. If you don’t know Matty Arcihbald, do your homework grom! Ricardo spent one year on the WT and when he didn’t make the cut for the following season, us and all the homies in NZ were devastated. The tour suits Ricardo and Ricardo suits the tour. Ricardo’s done well at the Ballito Pro thus far, he’s into the Quarterfinals where he’ll face up against Jack Freestone. Here’s one of his waves that we digged:
Round 5 heat 3, Ricardo takes off on his first wave, bottom turns and goes straight into the air for a tweaked out grab rail reverse. The most stylish air-revo we’d seen all event long. It wreaked of the 90’s, a garage rock air-revo if we ever saw one. He then did a dirty hair flick to clear the blond mop from his face, and proceeded to man slap the closeout section – 7.00.
Ricardo Christie should bring out a fragrance. something that smells like a stylish man that works the land. And it should be called Gumboot or something like that. Image: WSL / Cestari
Krystian Kymerson – 10.00
Kymerson Airlines has been flying around this contest site all event long. The vaalies from the landlocked interior have even mistaken Krystian for a large drone circumventing the event capturing footage. It doesn’t take much convincing from the wave to get Krystian to take to the skies. As soon as that cross shore wind starts gusting, Kymerson Airlines licks its lips. The air traffic controller confirms a clear runway, and off Kymerson goes, pumping down the line with one thing on his mind.
In heat 5 of round 5, Yago and Krystian were surfing a pretty dull heat, a couple of average scores had been exchanged, and then without warning, Krystian found himself a ramp, and he sent it! The people on the beach all gasped in amazement, and he hung up there for so long, the gasp felt like an eternity, clocks stopped, the sun stood still, and the New York Stock Exchange had to reboot. Krystian hustled the landing from the depths of the foam ball and emerged with both arms raised high – 10.00.
Gallery: Alan Van Gysen
