Granger Larsen was trying to follow in the footsteps of fellow Hawaii surfer after Carissa Moore of Honolulu won the womens title and $50,000 at the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, California. The last one of the bunch still in after stellar early round action gave hope to Hawaii heading into the quarter finals.
And then there was Kelly Slater. The 9 time ASP world champion that Granger Larsen of Lahaina Maui would have to face in the 3rd heat of the quarters. In small surf, 2 – 4 feet, but consistent throughout the week, Slater proved to be just too much for the young Larsen. Slater just got more waves and was in position more times to capitalize on the small surf. Larsens 7.43 wasn’t enough against Slater’s 13.94.
The quarter finals saw big heats and scores out of most competitors as aerials, huge cutbacks, and technical maneuvers kept the crowd amped on a day that might otherwise disappoint. Also scoring was Jordy Smith, the current world number one, who in the first heat scored a 17.66 against Brazilian Miguel Pupo with a 16.10. Mick Fanning also edged out Jadson Andre to move into the semis with Brett Simpson rounding out the bunch.
Tags: ASP, Brett Simpson, Granger Larsen, Jordy Smith, Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning, US Open of Surfing
