?PATIENCE and power were key as Gisborne-Mahia surfer Ricardo Christie advanced to round 3 of the Hawaiian Pro Qualifying Series contest this morning.
Christie, on a mission to return to surfing’s elite Championship Tour, selected and rode his waves superbly in lumpy conditions at the Oahu break.
He wonthe round 2 heat with a score of 15.96 for his two best waves, with Argentine Santiago Muniz second on 12.03 and joining Christie in round 3. Spain’s Aritz Aranburu (11.33) and Frenchman Maxime Huscenot (8.10) were eliminated.
Christie’s first wave nearly seven minutes into the heat proved the best of all four competitors, a powerful 8.93 ride, which he backed up with 4.50 to regain the lead after Aranburu went ahead.
Christie’s third effort — 7.03 —increased his advantage and he counted down the clock to an excellent start to his campaign.
Christie went into the first of two 10,000 QS contests in Hawaii sitting 14th on the QS rankings. The top 10 qualify for the 2019 CT although various permutations mean a higher finish could be enough.
