Australia’s Jack Robinson tore into Sunset Beach’s juicy 6- to 8-foot waves Monday to sew up a career-highlight victory.
Robinson topped the four-man final in the Vans World Cup of Surfing and he did it at the expense of Hawaii’s Ezekiel Lau, the defending champion who was going for a third career win in the contest.
With scores of 9.40 and 9.67 for a two-wave total of 19.07, Robinson was on fire in the World Cup, the second leg of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing and the World Surf League’s last feeder tour event of 2019.
The performance vaulted Robinson into fifth in the WSL’s qualifying series standings, enough to qualify for next year’s world championship tour. The 19.07 is the best total in a competitive event at Sunset since the venue began hosting contests more than 40 years ago, according to the WSL.
“I was on point,” Robinson said. “I’ve surfed a lot of finals and heats out here with Zeke, so I knew I couldn’t count him out. I’ve gotten two 9s in the last four minutes out here before. It’s never over until it’s done. I just peaked at the right time.”
Asked where he puts this victory in career perspective, Robinson said, “It’s probably right there at the top. I started the year (with a win) at Volcom (Pipe Pro in February) and got this at the end of the year. This is good. One by one, I guess. There’s so many things that go into it. It’s constantly what you think about every day.”
Lau, who won the World Cup contest in 2013 and 2018, finished in second place with a two-wave total of 12.06. Australia’s Ethan Ewing (11.10) finished third, followed by Maui’s Cody Young (8.70).
“Almost,” Lau said. “I mean, I was kind of out of rhythm. Actually, me and Jack collided and I thought it would have been a pretty good score (if they hadn’t collided). But that’s just how it goes. Jack was on. You can tell. When a guy gets two 9s in the final, it’s just his day. There’s nothing you can do about it. For Jack, it’s been a long time coming. He’s a really good surfer at Sunset and he’s going to be on tour next year. He’s going to be a good addition.”
Ewing, who finished fourth in the Hawaiian Pro, the first leg of the Triple Crown, at Haleiwa’s Alii Beach, leads the overall Triple Crown standings. Portugal’s Frederico Morais, who won the Hawaiian Pro, is right behind in second place, followed by Robinson. The Triple Crown champion will be determined in the series’ and the world championship tour’s finale, the Billabong Pipe Masters, Dec. 8-20 at Pipeline.
The Pipe Masters is also the place where two other hotly contested races will go down — the men’s world championship and a spot on the U.S. Olympic team for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
The world championship hunt is going down to five chasers — No. 1 Italo Ferreira, No. 2 Gabriel Medina and No. 4 Filipe Toledo of Brazil, No. 3 Jordy Smith of South Africa, and No. 5 Kolohe Andino of San Clemente, Calif.
The U.S. Olympic spot will go to either No. 8 John John Florence of Haleiwa, who is a two-time world champion and a two-time Triple Crown champion, or No. 10 Kelly Slater, an 11-time world champion and a two-time Triple Crown champion. They’re fighting to be the among the top two Americans at season’s end. Andino is already guaranteed a spot.
TRIPLE CROWN OF SURFING
>> Hawaiian Pro (Portugal’s Frederico Morais, champion)
>> Vans World Cup of Surfing (Australia’s Jack Robinson, champion)
>> Billabong Pipe Masters (Dec. 8-20, at Pipeline, Ehukai Beach)
Triple Crown standings
Through two events
>> 1. Ethan Ewing (Australia), 13,000 points
>> 2. (tie) Frederico Morais (Portugal), 11,100
>> 2. (tie) Jack Robinson (Australia), 11,100
>> 4. Matthew McGillivray (South Africa), 10,500
>> 5. Ezekiel Lau (Hawaii), 10,300
