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COURTESY WORLD SURF LEAGUE
David Van Zyl went hard off the lip during his victory Wednesday.
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South Africa’s David Van Zyl surfed to victory in the Vans Pro on Wednesday at Sunset Beach.
In the final on waves with 15-foot faces, Van Zyl scored a two-wave total of 14.67, to beat Ezekiel Lau (14.17), Jack Robinson (13.27) and Barron Mamiya (12.70).
In addition, nine from Hawaii who were not already qualified for the first leg of the upcoming Triple Crown of Surfing series, the Hawaiian Pro, got locked in with their performances Wednesday — Kainehe Hunt, Eli Hanneman, Robert Grilho, Noa Mizuno, Shayden Pacarro, Billy Kemper, Anthony Walsh, Robert Patterson and Logan Bediamol.
After the Hawaiian Pro (Nov. 13-24) in Haleiwa, the next two Triple Crown events will follow — the Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach (Nov. 25-Dec. 7) and the Billabong Pipe Masters (Dec. 8-20).
Also on Wednesday, Hawaii’s Gavin Gillette clinched the year-long points battle for the World Surf League’s Hawaii/Tahiti Nui Region. At the post-event ceremony, a travel award of $5,000 was made to Gillette in honor of Sunny Garcia, the legendary Hawaii surfer who won six Triple Crowns and came out of a coma in September after reportedly attempting suicide attempt in April.
Lau, a native Hawaiian like Garcia, has not forgotten what Garcia has meant to the local surfing community.
“I want to bring that (Triple Crown) trophy home to him,” Lau said.