Thursday was a big day for Kanoa Igarashi. First he had the daunting task of beating Mick Fanning -- again -- at Trestles. After beating him in their Round Three heat a day prior, Igarashi's win was nullified hours later due to a technical priority infraction that led to a re-surf.
Kanoa Igarashi - WSL / Kenneth Morris
That was a tough pill for Igarashi to swallow. After all, Fanning has won the Hurley Pro at Trestles twice, and has racked up more heat wins at Lower Trestles than anyone except for Kelly Slater. Igarashi, meanwhile, has only won two of four Championship Tour heats at Trestles coming into the event this year. But Kanoa didn't blink. He got straight to work, and earned a commanding win over the 3x World Champion.
He wasn't done yet.
In the very next round the California kid (who spent many a day surfing Trestles while growing up) cranked up the volume during a strong win over Julian Wilson, earning himself a trip to the Quarterfinals for the first time this season. It couldn't come at a better time. Igarashi entered the Hurley Pro ranked No. 28 on the Jeep Leaderboard, well below the qualification cutoff. Regardless of what happens during his next heat with Filipe Toledo, he'll be in a much better spot to secure his job for 2018.