Kauai’s Zietz breaks through at Haleiwa

It was a dream day for Kauai’s Sebastian Zietz, who won the Reef Hawaiian Pro on Saturday in Haleiwa.

The 24-year-old Zietz was on fire, destroying the 4- to 6-foot surf for his first world qualifying series victory.

“Coming into the event, I just wanted to qualify, and I never would have imagined I would be in the running for the Triple Crown,” Zietz said. “It’s my dream come true.”

Zietz picked two good waves in the final before the other surfers caught a single decent wave. He scored a 6.33 for a big 360-degree air maneuver, and an 8.33 for two critical turns.

“I took it heat by heat, wave by wave and gave it my all,” Zietz said. “I noticed everybody was battling each other too deep and I just sat wide and acted like I was waiting to catch little ones.”

There was a flurry of waves near the end of the heat, with every surfer posting high scores. John John Florence received a 9.20 on his best wave and had the best chance to catch Zietz. But with a little more than two minutes left in the final, Zietz caught a set wave and threw in three big turns for a 9.43 that sealed his victory.

Zeitz, known to his friends as “Seabass,” headed into the competition ranked 35th and on the verge of qualifying for the world tour. His win puts him firmly in a qualifying position at No. 21.

Florence, the defending Triple Crown champion, came in second. His semifinal score of 18 points was the highest of the event.

“I am still stoked to get second,” Florence said. “I am stoked for Seabass. I am looking forward to see him on tour next year; it will be fun.”

Haleiwa’s Fred Patacchia finished third, and Brazil’s Alejo Muniz was fourth.

“It’s really nice to do well at Haleiwa. It’s always kind of been my Achilles’ heel and I have always wanted to do good here because it’s where I grew up surfing,” Patacchia said.

The waiting period for the Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach runs today through Dec. 6.