Wade Carmichael wins Hawaiian Pro to close in on qualification
Haleiwa Ali‘i Beach, North Shore, Oahu, HAWAII - (Saturday, November 21, 2015) – Australian Dark Horse Wade Carmichael powered from Round 1 to claim a win at the Hawaiian Pro today, and in so doing catapulted from 59th to 13th on the World Surf League Qualifying Series ratings.
This is clearly the biggest result of his career. Carmichael is now in a strong position to qualify for the 2016 WSL Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour and will be looking for a strong finish at next week’s Vans World Cup – the second leg of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. By virtue of today’s win, he is the early leader for the Vans Triple Crown title.
Employing brute force and classic power maneuvers, Carmichael, 23, was hard to match in the glassy, head-high waves on offer. The flamboyant aerials of Filipe Toledo fell short of reigning in Wade on his determined path to the podium, leaving the Brazilian in runner-up place. Ezekiel Lau was third, and the defending Hawaiian Pro champion Dusty Payne was fourth.
Carmichael’s performance during this event closely mirrored Payne’s triumph last year – both athletes were ranked low on the QS series and used the win at Haleiwa to propel them toward the top, and in Payne’s instance, a spot on the tour. It’s the kind of exciting turn of events that the Vans Triple Crown is most famous for.
“I don’t even know what to say,” said Carmichael of his win. “I was waiting around for 20 minutes out in the water and I thought everyone got scores in the end and I couldn't believe all the boys on the beach, I was just freaking out.”
The 35-minute Final heated up right off the start as all four surfers went wave for wave, each showing unique talent. Anxiety built when the ocean fell quiet at the halfway mark, but not even a final couple of rides by Payne and Toledo could turn the tables on the Australian.
“The year has been tough,” said Carmichael. “I started off well at Trestles with my third but I haven’t had much since then. I just got a little bit of a down stage with small waves and kept making a couple mistakes. But I feel like with this win here I’ll hopefully get a little roll at Sunset. I’m just stoked.”
Second place finisher Toledo was the odds on favorite in the competition, given the high-performance conditions he is known to master. The Brazilian posted a 9.50 in the final, the highest wave score of the day, with a full rotation spanning impressive distance. Unfortunately he couldn’t find a solid back-up.
“The last ten minutes was completely flat, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I just need one wave,’” said Toledo. “And that middle wave came, it wasn’t a set but it was a good wave and I couldn’t do anything better than a 5.30. But yeah, second place is not bad and I’m really stoked with a second. Just happy for all the boys, also Zeke and Dusty but of course for Wade.”
Lau (Honolulu) and Payne (Lahaina) went air for air to start the Final off strong. Payne’s backside tail whipping reverse garnered a 5.83 from the judges and Lau answered back with a 7.27 from a huge opening power turn, followed by an air to mix it up. Lau was eager to find waves from the onset as the swell dropped and the waves went quiet.
“Beginning of the heat had a lot of waves, so maybe I lost my cool a little bit and got a little too excited and went on some waves I shouldn’t have,” said Lau. “Wade got the better of the exchanges so things kind of went his way.”
Payne also had his best two waves in the start of the heat, a 5.83 and a 7.00. But it wasn’t enough to overtake his fellow Hawaiian, and Payne found himself in a fourth place finish.
“I had no expectations today,” said the former Haleiwa winner. “I’m a little bit more comfortable when it’s overhead at least. But I’m happy to make the final.”
The holding period for the Vans World Cup - stop two of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, commences Tuesday, November 24. It is the final QS10,000 of the 2015 WSL QS tour and will have major implications on next year’s Championship Tour lineup.
Hawaiian Pro Final Results
- 1st - Wade Carmichael AUS) 15.40pts - $40,000 and 10,000 ratings points
- 2nd - Filipe Toledo (BRA) 14.83pts - $20,000 and 8,000 points
- 3rd - Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 13.0 - $12,000 and 6,700 points
- 4th - Dusty Payne (HAW) 12.83pts - $10,000 and 6,300 points
Semi-Finals
- S1: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 17.66pts, Dusty Payne (HAW) 14.46pts, Michel Bourez (PYF) 13.13pts, Kai Otton 10.44pts
- S2: Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 16.17pts, Wade Carmichael (AUS) 15.44pts, Ryan Callinan (AUS) 11.20pts, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 7.87pts
Comments
Good to see the underdog get up.
Doesn't seem to be the most popular win though...surely not just because of his sponsors lack of prestige ?
Another strange thing - I'm pretty sure I read elsewhere that previous to the Hawaiin event, Mr Carmichael was rated 56th on the QS after only 7heat wins for the whole year ...WTF ?
PS - Surfing isn't skateboarding or snowboarding so I don't give a fuck what those numerically illiterate mongs think - if you hit the lip at a bearing of zero degrees and land clean with the nose of your stick pointed at zero degrees then you have just performed a 360 degree turn.
This fact remains constant whether the board is on the water or in the air.
Could someone please contact the ASP's dispenser of corporal punishment - pretty sure it's Mick Campbell - and have him deliver a punch to the jaw of Chris Cote if he ever has the hide to utter this erroneous " 540 air " drivel again.
Unless I'm allowed to claim my forced circa 1980 lip spins as 540's in future....
preach that shit! Couldn't agree more
yup it's no mctwist or 540 a 'gay spin' at best classic skate'n names Chris Cote dribble and they are talking indy airs FUCK its a lien air named after the blender himself albeit backwards
"Gay spin". Hahaha. That's definitely what it should be called I reckon! But not 'gay' as in gay, but 'gay' like happy gay... with connotations
Neil 'who', by the way? I am fascinated by this turn (of events, well, of grammar anyway)!
Neil Blender I'm pretty sure, an old head of the pool skating days. And the 'Gay spin' or 'twist' was the rote with a grab coined by Lance Mountain.... It actually is the name of the trick ('Gay' being because it was easier than the non grab variety)
Michelle Payne,Peter Senior and now Wade.What a month
I have no idea what you are talking about nochaser however I didn't understand the Yank as well and the 540 thing made no sense. Good to see some old school heavy surfing win over flips and spins (no surprise Flippy Toledo was in the mix with the waves small). Wade would give the spartan a run for his money. That guy really tears the wave apart he made the other surfers look really lame in that sense - even Dusty who is another carver.