Gisborne/Mahia surfer Ricardo Christie warmed up for his Championship Tour return with a solid showing at the Sydney Pro.
He was eliminated in Round 5 of the Qualifying Series 6000-point contest at Manly Beach.
Christie, 30, was narrowly beaten by Jadson Andre. The Brazilian scored 13.97 for his two bestwaves, seizing the opportunity for a 7.77 ride on his 10th and final wave.
Christie was leading the heat up to that point with 13.30 (6.67, 6.63).
Andre went on to make the final, losing to Australian Jordan Lawler 13.57 to 11.43.
Earlier in the contest, Christie won his Round 3 heat with an 11.97 total, then was second in his Round 4 heat with 15.16 — Australian Liam O’Brien winning with 15.23.
The first of 11 Championship Tour contests this year is the Gold Coast Pro, scheduled to start on April 3.
