 Media Credit: Colin Mcgillivray A lifeguard at Ke Iki Beach Park surveys the conditions and keeps a sharp eye out for trouble.
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 Media Credit: Colin Mcgillivray Chris Olayon takes one of the heavier waves of the day, free falling into shallow water at Ke Iki's.
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 Media Credit: Colin Mcgillivray After finishing his session, Chris Olayon looks on as fellow bodyboarder Kory duck dives a monster in waist-deep water.
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 Media Credit: Colin Mcgillivray The first real swell of the season filled in this past weekend with wave heights up to 10 feet at stand-out spots.
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The first act of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing finished up in big, burly surf at the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa last week Friday. The day was filled with a lot of disregard for personal safety as surfers lunged themselves into unfriendly barrels and carved off the top of triple overhead waves.
After the long battle through the unruly 6-10-foot surf, it was Roy Powers from Kaua‘i who earned first place in front of World Championship Tour (WCT) giants Bede Durbridge and Joel Parkinson, and underdog Sean Moody who entered the event as a wildcard. The day brought a double dose of good news for Powers, as the win also secured him a spot on the WCT next year, so Bede and Parko haven't seen the last of Powers.
As if fighting through the treacherous conditions wasn't enough of a challenge, Powers had to work his way through multiple stacked heats and caused upsets throughout the competition. Along his path to victory, Powers notably dismissed wiz kid Dane Reynolds, three-time world champ Andy Irons and the recently crowned world champ Mick Fanning. He certainly earned his spot on the podium.
Powers, now the top contender for the Crown, hopes to maintain his winning momentum into the next competition, the O'neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach. The contest was set to run on Nov. 25, pending conditions, and may still be likely to dish out some mean wipeouts and more spectacular surfing. So, stay tuned as the circus has just begun.
2008 Woodie Awards
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