- WSL / Tim Hain

Day 1 of the Krui Pro World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) 5000 and Pro Junior Events saw a move to the backup venue of Krui Left as the forecast swell rendered the primary location of Ujung Bocur uncontestable, with massive non-stop sets breaking far out to the horizon. Competitors in the Pro Junior event were treated to perfect waves in the three-to-four foot range as a solid day of competition saw the Semifinalists decided in both the men's and women's divisions.

Riki Sato Riki Sato - WSL / Tim Hain

Coming off a knee injury and subsequent rehabilitation, Bronson Meydi (INA) looks to have recovered completely, as evidenced by his performance today, posting not one, but two excellent scores in Heat 3 of the Round of 32 for a two-wave total of 16.17 (out of a possible 20). He then pulled into a long barrel ride during his Quarterfinal heat to score a 7.83 and jumped from third place into the lead to win his spot in the Semifinals.

"At the beginning of the heat, it was pretty hard, I kept falling, but eventually, I got one good one," Meydi said. "Then I saw that last one coming and knew it was a good one, so as soon as I got it, I stalled right away. Then it got pretty small at the end, but I came flying out. Stoked I made it out."

Bronson Meydi Bronson Meydi. - WSL / Tim Hain

When asked about his rehab, he explained, "I was doing a lot of rehab in Bali, then eventually Dana White hooked us up to go to Vegas and train at the UFC, so now my knee is back to 100%, better than ever."

Also posting an excellent score in the Men's Round of 32 was Shohei Kato (JPN) with an 8.17, and Westen Hirst (INA) with a near excellent 7.83 (out of a possible 10).

The women's Round of 24 saw newcomer Yiyao Wang (CHN) earn the highest single wave score of 7.33 in Heat 3 with some impressive backhand surfing, adding a 5.50 to come in with a heat win and the highest combined heat score of 12.83. Wang went on to earn a spot in the Semifinals with a win in Quarterfinal 2.

"This is my first WSL contest, and I love this wave," said Wang. "Usually, the waves in China are not very big and powerful, so I really enjoy being able to surf here at Krui. It was so great, and I'm happy to get good waves and keep going in the competition."

Posting the top score of the Quarterfinals was Mirai Ikeda (JPN) in Quarterfinal 3; with an aggressive backhand attack, she blasted multiple turns to earn a 7.17 from the judges and book a spot in the Semifinals, along with Hinata Shimizu (JPN), Kana Nakashio (JPN), Sumomo Sato (JPN), Cocona Kawase (JPN), Hinano Shimizu (JPN) and Lidia Kato (IDN).

Mirai Ikeda Mirai Ikeda - WSL / Tim Hain

Before the Pro Juniors took to the water this morning, a local trial with three heats was run to fill the 6 remaining spots in the QS 5000 Men's draw. Mohamed Sobari, Rizky Putra, Dafa, Harafi Rivaldo, Jeni, and Agung all made it through and will compete in the Round of 144 of the men when Qualifying Series action commences later in the week.

As is tradition with events in the Asia region, an Opening Ceremony was held at Ujung Bocur this morning to officially open the Krui Pro 2024. Speeches by the Regent of Pasisir Barat and the Governor of the Lampung Province, local dancers, and a special attendance and speech by the Minister of Youth and Sports highlighted the ceremony.

The swell is forecast to be massive again tomorrow, so it's anticipated that action will resume back at the protected Krui Left with the Pro Junior semifinals, then move into the Qualifying Series Opening Rounds.

The 2024 Krui Pro QS 5000 and Pro Junior events will run at Ujung Bocur, South Sumatra, from May 28 to June 4.

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