Jack Freestone Sets the Pace at Reef Hawaiian Pro

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Tuesday, 22 November 2011 08:00

Australian Jack Freestone, 19, the reigning ASP World Junior Champion, set a high-flying pace at the Reef Hawaiian Pro today.

The event finally got underway in head-high surf after nine days of waiting and Freestone wasted no time in posting the day’s highest score – 15.66 out of 20. The Reef Hawaiian Pro is the first stop of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink, at Haleiwa on Oahu’s North Shore.

Freestone opted to sit on the fickle break known as ‘Peaks’ – an inconsistent but high-performance right-hander to the north of the main Haleiwa break. With heats reduced from 30 minutes to 20 to ensure the event can finish by Wednesday – the final day of the waiting period, Freestone gambled on separating himself from the 4-man pack. It paid off; the young Australian found several long rights that allowed him to take flight with some of the best aerials of the day. His top two wave scores were 8.83 and 6.83.

“I sat on the little rights at Peaks and it sort of went my way, no-one came over to hassle me,” Freestone said. “I’ve been doing a little bit of training with (6-time Vans Triple Crown champion) Sunny Garcia and he’s sorta giving me the insight to all the places, so big thanks to him. It’s been amazing.

“Every event there’s going to be aerials, it’s more exciting, it’s progressive and I guess that’s what the judges want to see.”

With the Hawaiian Air Show award offering 250,000 Hawaiian Miles to the best aerial of the Vans Triple Crown, airs were at the top of every surfer’s list today.

Basque surfer Hodei Collazo posted a major upset when he eliminated Haleiwa local and 2009 Reef Hawaiian Pro champion Joel Centeio (Hawaii) in the round of 96. Collazo got super busy in the lineup, determined to get the best waves on offer in the heat.

“I got lucky in the beginning,” said Collazo. “I got a 7.33 on my first wave, so after that I was more relaxed. I knew the other guys needed more big scores. It’s good to have good results in Hawaii. It’s one of those places where normally you’re surfing bigger boards. These contests are more special than the others on the tour.”

Santa Cruz’s Nat Young, 20, was another stand-out today. The Reef Hawaiian Pro, and the Vans World Cup at Sunset Beach are critical events for the Californian who is hoping to qualify for the ASP World Tour’s elite ranks next year.

“(The Vans Triple Crown) is pretty much the biggest surf contest in the world,” said Young. “Everybody’s here doing it, so to do good here is a real confidence boost. It’s a really important contest. As of now this could count for qualifying halfway through next year, so that’s real big and it would be awesome to get a good result here.”

Kauai’s Roy Powers, the 2007 Reef Hawaiian Pro champion, posted a convincing win in his opening heat today but will be the center of attention for a different reason tomorrow: He has drawn female wildcard and ASP women’s world champion Carissa Moore. Also drawn in that heat are Cory Lopez (Florida) and Maui teenager Ian Gentil.