To the Nines: Top Score Replays from Tahiti

Owen Wright (AUS) needed a big score to battle back into his Quarterfinal matchup against rookie Italo Ferreira (BRA) when he dropped into huge tube for a 9.43 and the heat win.

C.J. Hobgood (USA) went for broke in Round 3 at the Billabong Pro Tahiti and earned this perfect 10. His secret? "Angels on two fluffy pillows," he told Rosy Hodge afterward.

Jeremy Flores' (FRA) first wave of his Round 3 heat at the Billabong Pro Tahiti and it impressed: This deep tube earned him a 9.10 out of the gate.

Jeremy Flores (FRA) sneaks under the lip and manages to make it out with the spit in Round 3 at the Billabong Pro Tahiti. He earned a 9.77 and solidified his win over Aussie Joel Parkinson.

Bruno Santos came out firing against his fellow Brazilians in Round 4 earning a 9.00 for a harrowing drop and deep tube at the Billabong Pro Tahiti.

Gabriel Medina (BRA) answered Bruno Santos' excellent ride in Round 4 with a near perfect 9.97 of his own at the Billabong Pro Tahiti.

Kelly Slater (USA) battled back in tricky conditions to earn a 9.77 in the final two minutes of his Round 4 heat.

Gabriel Medina (BRA) dropped into a big barrel for a 9.07 in Round 3 at the Billabong Pro Tahiti, the first of three nines in his blockbuster matchup against Hawaiian phenom John John Florence.

John John Florence (HAW) finds a steep drop and deep tube for a 9.57 to battle back into his heat against Gabriel Medina (BRA) in Round 3 of the Billabong Pro Tahiti.

Just after scoring a 9.57 in his Round 3 Billabong Pro Tahiti superheat against Gabriel Medina (BRA), John John Florence (HAW) found this barrel for a 9.07. He would go on to earn yet another nine-point-range score in the faceoff at Teahupo'o.

Hawaiian John John Florence finds a third excellent range ride for a 9.27 during his Round 3 battle with reigning World Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA). Florence, however, was unable to top Medina's 19.00 two-wave total.

Reigning World Champion Gabriel Medina goes for broke on a late drop and earns a 9.73, enough to turn around his Round 3 heat against John John Florence (HAW) at the Billabong Pro Tahiti.

Owen Wright (AUS) started Round 3 with a clean tube and exit to notch a 9.13 at the Billabong Pro Tahiti, his first nine-point ride of the event.

Owen Wright (AUS) -- who scored two perfect, 20-point heats in Fiji last June -- reminds the judges and fans that he's among the world's best experts in the barrel. The goofyfooter showed off his comfort in Round 3 of the Billabong Pro Tahiti when he earned a backup ride in the nine-point range -- a 9.10 -- for this throaty tube.

Reigning event and World Champ Gabriel Medina (BRA) managed to find more than a few barrels in Round 2 including this diamond in the rough in tricky conditions.

Brett Simpson (USA), who grew up on close-out waves and tubes of Southern California, earned a 9.17 for this huge tube during his Round 2 heat at the Billabong Pro Tahiti.

Tour veteran C.J. Hobgood (USA) found a steep drop and throaty barrel at Teahupo'o during his Round 2 heat at the Billabong Pro Tahiti. The performance earned him a near-perfect 9.80, and solidified his heat win over Nat Young (USA).

During his Round 1 heat at the Billabong Pro Tahiti, Hawaii's golden child John John Florence earned the second nine-point ride of the event. His incredibly late takeoff with a technical drop earned him a 9.03.