In a truly bittersweet moment -- with both his father Tommy and coach John Shimooka painfully watching on -- Keanu Asing's run on the Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour came to a close when Kanoa Igarashi scored a six-point ride in the final moments of their Round Two heat. "It's hard to digest, but I can't blame anyone but myself," Asing said. "It's a lot of mixed emotions."
His task at the beginning of the day was simple: beat Igarashi and hope Nat Young, ranked one spot higher in the CT rankings at No. 22, lost his battle against Jadson Andre. But it wasn't to be for the young Hawaiian, who now holds claim to a remarkable piece of WSL trivia -- the only CT surfer to win an event (Quiksilver Pro France) and not re-qualify for the following season. "It's not the last of me, I'll carry on and I'll just look forward to next year," Asing told the WSL.