SE on Da North Shore Day Ten. 21h55, The downstairs en suite, The Surf Dog Mansion.

They were calling it the biggest surf ever contested in the 27 year history of the Triple Crown tonight. Photo: ASP/Kirstin

Dusty Payne leap-frogs (pardon the pun) Joan Duru (paddling) in the WQS ratings after advancing from their heat along with Pancho. Photo: ASP/Cestari

DREAMS WERE MADE AND SHATTERED today at the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset. In what the propaganda sites are calling ’20-25ft, biggest ever waves contested for the Triple Crown’ surf, the race for a spot in the WQS 15 became secondary to actually surviving. Despite the day’s outrageously heavy water, aside from a Shane Beschen snapped leash and Davo’s crease, the affair was contested largely without physical casualty.

On days like these, size matters. Equipment varied hugely, from Beschen’s 6’3′ (!!!) quad (which he returned to the beach without) right up to Sunny’s 8’4″ rhino chaser. Photo: David Bailey

The big talking point for the Euros was Joan Duru’s heat, in which he finished third, which according to our calculations leaves him in 16th place overnight. Although Joan improved his overall points total by getting 3rd in the Rd of 32 (which he did over Neco by 0.1pt), with Tanner G, Dusty Payne and Glenn Hall all advancing, it could be close but no cigar for Joan, we’ll see. There were some frantic tabulations being performed, so we’ll wait until official comfirmation before getting too excited. Pancho was great value though and deserved the heat win, Joan had a couple of bombs and attacked throughout in ballsy performance, but never really got one of those blue opened faced bowls to do the damage. As Aritz summed it up, “He did all he could with what he had. He couldn’t do any more than that.”

(L-R) Aritz, Joan, Alain Riou, Belly, Miky, Maxime Huscenot and Marc Lacomare try to tabulate Joan’s fate. Photo: Liebovitz

A few heats earlier, Glenn ‘Micro’ Hall advanced to keep his hopes alive. Micro has been surfing for Ireland a couple of years now and if he can make the Semis will surely become The Emerald Isle’s first ever WCT-er.

Micro wields his trusty 6’10” around a deceptively pleasant looking Sunset Inside Bowl. Photo: ASP/Cestari

‘Did I make it?’ Hall, relief beyond belief. Still a bit left to do, but. Photo: Mario Testino

Elsewhere both Mick and Joel advanced. After his heat Mick reckoned “I got absolutely flogged out there, I was just doin the porpoise.” Joel looked smooth as silk going over massive sections. You know it’s serious when the world’s best are asking where to sit and putting their leashes on still in the competitor’s tent. As testiment to the heavy conditions, Sunny Garcia, who advanced into the Quarters admitted, “I was hoping it would be big all waiting period, and now it’s case of careful what you wish for. My focus was trying to avoid the bigger ones and just catching  two waves. It’s heavy out there.”

Parko seeks a bit of last-minute local knowledge from Rainos Hayes before his heat. It worked.

Today’s winners:

World no. 1 n’ 2’s heavy water reps, Dusty Payne, Glenn Hall, Tanner Gudang, cuzzybru cooking da cheesburgers, King Neptune.

Today’s not-so winners:

Joan Duru, Bernado Pigmeu, Austin Ware, Beschen’s leash, the sand from the top of the beach and several people’s belongings.

The reason they ran today is that it’s supposed to be even bigger from tomorrow…. stay tuned.

– Gordon Devonshire

Today’s video: