Australia über alles.
The sun rose on Sunset and revealed almost perfect surf. Biggish and clean groomed by offshore winds. There were sixteen surfers left in the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach, eight men, eight women and they got right after it, women first as is polite.
Molly Picklum started things and chewed through Lakey Peterson and Brissa Hennessy on her way to the final.
Kanoa Igarashi, as it happens, kicked it off for the men and ate Seth Moniz and Jordan Michael Smith on his way to the final.
Molly Picklum met local girl done good BettyLou Sakura Johnson and took her down, without stress, in order to become a back-to-back Sunset winner alongside Layne Beachley and others. The highlight of the day, maybe the event, though happened the heat earlier when the New South Welshwoman smacked the lip so critically that the famed Hawaiian Water Patrol was forced to treat multiple aneurysms in the World Surf League booth.
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Igarashi was not so lucky, coming up against a “cat-like” Jack Robinson, who had been surfing “loosey-goosey” all day.
Jesse Mendes said it best: “When you prove your ground here in Hawaii it is where people start most respect you.”
Jack Robinson had Igarashi in a soft combination at the halfway mark though the Japanese star broke it by surfing on point.
No overcooking.
A magic recipe.
It didn’t even begin to matter. Jack Robinson’s very next wave was a double barrel with monster hacks thrown in.
Joe Turpel said, “The ocean is part of Jack Robinson’s body. He feeds on mana,” while the Hawaiian Water Patrol cleaned its aneurysm equipment and rushed back to the booth.
As the World Surf League had run out of Yeti coolers, Jack Robinson was rewarded a 9.87 and not a 10.00. The two judges who awarded him a perfect score likely receiving harsh tongue lashing from the accounting dept.
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Igarashi entered a hard combination.
And stayed there.
Australia over Japan-adjacent in the Pacific Theater.
Complete, and proper, recap tomorrow.
