Billy Kemper of Kuau scored a perfect-10 wave and advanced to the fourth round of the Vans World Cup of Surfing on Monday at Sunset Beach on Oahu's North Shore, while the four other Maui competitors who had remained in the second event of the Triple Crown were eliminated.
Competing in waves of 6-8 feet, Kemper finished second in his heat with a score of 15.77 - 2.03 behind Oahu's John John Florence, the defending Triple Crown champion. Fredrick Patacchia of Oahu was third, and Nathan Florence, John's younger brother, was fourth.
Kemper, who reached the second round of last year's World Cup, has two of the top eight single-wave scores in this year's event, and two of the top nine heat scores.
Article Photos
Billy Kemper rides a wave Monday en route to advancing to the fourth round of the Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach on Oahu’s North Shore.
Association of Surfing Professionals / Kelly Cestari photo
In the round of 32, Kemper will be grouped with three members of the Association of Surfing Professionals world tour - Florida's C.J. Hobgood, California's Brett Simpson and South Africa's Jordy Smith.
Dusty Payne, an ASP tour member from Lahaina, was eliminated, as were Haiku's Ian Walsh, Paia's Ian Gentil and Napili's Granger Larsen. All took fourth place in their heats.
The original field of 128 surfers included 11 from Maui.
