With the world title still on the line during Round 4 of the 2015 Billabong Pipe Masters, all eyes were on the magic matchup of Mick Fanning, Kelly Slater and John John Florence. And the seesaw battle lived up to the hype.
Teahupo'o was the battlefield during an epic clash between Gabriel Medina and John John Florence during Round 3 of the Billabong Pro Tahiti. Heats like this one, where six waves were scored over 9.0, point to a rivalry of epic proportions taking shape.
If not for that 'other' J-Bay headline the one match everyone would still be talking about was the duel between World Champions Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning and Gabriel Medina in Round 4. With fifteen titles between them, there was plenty of pride on the line, and it's certainly worth another look.
Mick Fanning's shark encounter during the final of the J-Bay Open broke the internet, and became the biggest pro surfing story of all time. Yes, it was a reminder of the risks surfers face daily, but it also revealed the incredible bravery and brotherhood that exist on the CT.
One of the biggest surprise packages of the year was women's rookie Tatiana Weston-Webb. At the The Roxy Pro France she put an exclamation point on her arrival by earning a 10-point ride on her way to a runner-up finish.
While Silvana Lima struggled throughout 2015, the Brazilian legend's hefty air-reverse at Snapper became a measuring stick for the season. The judges rewarded her with a 10.
Fans erupted over Kelly Slater's botched air during the Hurley Pro at Trestles after it was awarded a small score. Despite the public outcry, the champ himself ultimately sided with the judges.
The final harrowing incident of the season came at Pipeline, where Bede Durbidge broke his pelvis after suffering a horrific wipeout in his heat. Bede, who's still recovering, said afterward he knew right away he'd broken something. Bede's injury came just days after Owen Wright suffered a concussion at Pipe during a warmup session.
Carissa Moore clinched the 2015 World Title during Round 4 of the Target Maui Pro. But with pristine conditions on tap at Honolua Bay, Moore wasn't done. She would celebrate her latest title by taking the win the event and earning a 10-point-ride in the Final.
Adriano de Souza's road to the top was anything but easy. Even entering the final event of the season, where six surfers had a mathematical shot at the title, he was viewed as a dark horse. But in retrospect, given his decade of blood, sweat, and tears, he shouldn't have been. De Souza's emotional win is a testament to the age old adage to never, ever, give up.
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Owen Wright made history during the 2015 Fiji Pro with not one, but two perfect heats (20.00 points total). His feat began when he tackled this cavernous wave in the first five minutes of his Round 5 heat. He wowed the channel, the commentators, and the judges, who were unanimous in scoring the performance a perfect 10. Click on the right to see the other three 10-point-rides.
- WSL / Stephen Robertson
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Just when it looked like Wright couldn't increase his score any further with an 8.93 and perfect 10, he did the unthinkable and added another perfect 10. Wright carved his name into history during Round 5.
- WSL / Kirstin
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Wright looked dangerous in the Final. With a 9.60 already locked in, the Aussie logged significant tube time for a perfect 10, his third of the event.
- WSL / Kirstin
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Wright then backed up his first 10 with a second, stamping his name into the surfing history books.
- WSL / Kirstin
Memorable Moments of 2015
Daniel Jenks
Tatiana Weston-Webb
Tatiana Weston-Webb controls her Quarterfinal matchup with Bettylou Sakura Johnson, as CT veteran heat knowledge shines through in the
Our two Pipe Pro victors Barron Mamiya and Caitlin Simmers will be rocking yellow heading into the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach. Catch up on the
The CT veteran Tatiana Weston-Webb unleashed her signature backhand bashes at Backdoor to lock in for the Round of 16
"Corona Lay Days" gives you an inside look at what Championship Tour star Tatiana Weston-Webb and her friends get up to when competition
"Corona Lay Days" gives you an inside look at what Championship Tour star Tatiana Weston-Webb and her friends get up to when competition
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