HALEIWA, HAWAII - DECEMBER 10: Ricardo Christie of New Zealand competes the elimination round during the 2019 Billabong Pipe Masters on December 10, 2019 in Haleiwa, Hawaii. (Photo by Koji Hirano/Gett
Kiwi Ricardo Christie has achieved a major upset win in the final round of the World Surf League Championship Series in Hawaii.
Christie has knocked world number four Filipe Toledo out of the title race in the round of 32, scoring a combined 11.04 points compared to the Brazilian's sum
of 9.84 at the Pipe Masters.
It is Christie's best finish of the season, and the second best of his career having achieved a fifth placing in Rio in the 2015 series.
But he remained reserved over the result.
"I'm just stoked to get another opportunity to surf waves like that with just a couple of dudes. I kind of leave it to the locals when I'm here to be honest, I don't even really surf it," he said.
