At 8 a.m. on Sunday April 1, 2012 the surfing action resumed at the Vans Pier Classic in Huntington Beach, California. I made it a point to tune into the webcast. The waves were non-stop and beefy. Of course the surfers rose to the challenge of the increasing swell. Here's a quick look at some of the results:
Quarterfinal Heat Results
In Heat 1 of the men's quarterfinals Hank Gaskell and Nathan Yeomans started out hot. Gaskell nailed 15.50 points and Yeomans was close behind him with 15.10 points. The action continued in Heat 2 with Aussie Mitch Crews and American Chris Ward battling it out for 1st place. In the end, the heat belonged to Ward, who finished with 13.34 points to Crews 12.04 points. Chase Wilson claimed victory in Heat 3 and Conner Coffin won Heat 4.
In the juniors' quarterfinals the best heat, in my opinion, was Heat 1. Hawaiians Ian Gentil and Keanu Asig really scored heavily as did Peruvian Cristobal De Col. Gentil ended up winning the heat with 12.10 points to Asing's 11.16 points. Conner Coffin also did really well in Heat 3 by unloading a barrage of power moves. He was on fire and scored 12.53 points.
Semifinal Heat Results
In the men's juniors' semifinal, one of my favorite moments came in Heat 2 when American Conner Coffin landed a bodacious 10-point ride. It was a true eye-popper, especially given the rambunctious surf he was up against. I couldn't help but cheer him on. I estimate that some of the waves were 8 to 12 feet tall. Talk about epic swell! Coffin won the heat with a total of 14 points. American Andrew Doheny trailed in behind him with 12.07 points.
If Coffin's 10-pointer wasn't enough, Nathan Yeomans nailed a gorgeous 9-point ride of his own in Heat 1 of the men's semifinals. These guys were kicking it hard. Yeomans unleashed a lot of power moves, vertical snaps and duck dives. I couldn't believe how fast he racked up the points. He was up against Chris Ward, Hank Gaskell and Mitch Crews. Yeomans finished the heat with a total of 15.93 points. Chris Ward tried to catch up by hitting as many waves as he could. Unfortunately for him, he finished in 2nd place with 9.83 points.
In Heat 2 of the men's semifinals, Gabe Kling went up against Chase Wilson, Nat Young and Conner Coffin. Chase Wilson got a nice 6-point ride. I was impressed with the way Wilson handled the monstrous waves. Unfortunately, Coffin's intensity dropped a bit during the heat. It was sad to see it happen but it was understandable given his earlier momentum. Wilson ultimately won Heat 2.
Surfers Headed to the Finals
The men's juniors final is scheduled to take place later this afternoon. Hawaiians Keanu Asing and Ian Gentil are slated to go up against American's Conner Coffin and Andrew Doheny. In the men's pro final it will be American Nathan Yeomans facing off against his fellow countrymen Chris Ward, Chase Wilson and Nat Young.
Killeen Gonzalez enjoys water sports with her family and has a history of interviewing pro surfers.
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