It was a bit of a chess match as waves were inconsistent and broke in two places: the Slot, and Middle Peak. There was about 50 yards separating these two tak-off spots.
Matt Gallegher was on a clean lined-up medium- sized wave as the horn sounded to begin the heat. He ripped top turns, smacked the lip, and connected four manuevers with clean carves. He surgically dissected about four waves in the heat each better than the previous. He surfed brillantly.
Gavin Coleman caught a set wave dropping late nailing the bottom turn then blasting the lip nearly going upside down but fell on the landing. Baden Smith caught the next wave of that set, a real bomb. He ripped big bottom turns, smacked the lip, and rebounded big off the foam; showing all why he's the defending Champ.
Gavin caught two more set waves pulling a single insane lipper on one and the next wave doing it twice. These were the only manuevers he completed and they were HUGE. He sat the entire time at Middle Peak.
AH, but what of Barry Baker? Barry caught several smaller rights, a rippable medium left moving between the Slot and Middle Peak. He was staying loose while stalking that set wave. It arrived late in the heat and Barry went BIG pulling an extreme lipper off the initial bottom turn and again after landing it only going bigger! The home crowd errupted into a collective cheer. That wave looked like it would close-out, the only way to make it was up and he pulled it; a clutch wave.
Meanwhile, Baden, seemed unconcerned like a stone faced card gambler. He patiently waited outside for that second bomb. His srategy seemed sound but tension mounted as the minutes passed. I watched as he sat 25 minutes wondering even if it comes now, he'll be too stiff to ride it. The wave did come 30 seconds after the horn. He ripped that wave defiantly, an obvious heat winner.
I honestly thought Matt had a chance to take it, but in the end the judges awarded extreme manuevers on larger waves over more manuevers cleanly strung together. All the finalists surfed superbly.
Congrats to my countryman and friend, Barry. I'm so glad that wave came your way and you had your chance to go big. Also to Gav: this was a long time coming and you surfed like a man fulfilling that destiny. That was class dedicating your win to OUR sport, GOOD ON YA, Gav
Wayne, Out!
