Vahine Fierro’s superb run at Haleiwa came to an end in the semi-finals. His last wave might have brought him the points to advance to the final and access the CT. The Tahitian ends the season in 9th place in the Challenger Series, and two places from qualification. Hawaiian Bettylou Sakura Johnson, barely 16, won the final and will play in the big leagues next year.
The rain has not stopped falling on the North Shore. The Haleiwa spot is almost deserted and the wind got the better of the competition’s metal tower, which bent over in the night. The decor is apocalyptic for the last day of the last Challenger of the season.
The waves have once more decreased a little in size and especially in frequency. The stakes are still just as great. WSL spreadsheet under the eyes, which gives the situation in real time and all the simulations for the qualification, Fred Robin and Hira Teriinatoofa, the two federal technicians, know that Vahine Fierro must go to the final to reach the elite .
An unbearable quarter-final
His quarter-final is unbearable. Against time, she can’t find the waves and takes her first with only 12 minutes left. The score of 4.10 points is really not expensive paid for three effective turns. But she recovers. Until 30 seconds from the buzzer when she finally jumps on a short stretch which allows her to slip into second place just ahead of the Portuguese Yolanda Hopkins, and behind the American Alyssa Spencer.
90 minutes later, we find her for the first semi-final. Always with Spencer but also the two Hawaiians Carissa Moore and Gabriela Bryan. The level has gone a big notch above. After letting the first exchange slip away, a bad mania, Fierro gets into the rhythm with a 5 pts. But Moore and Bryan have already taken off. The Tahitian is fourth but can still claim with a 6.88 pts second place synonymous with final and qualification.
On the wave of the final and the qualifier
Less than two minutes from the final, she takes the decisive wave and sends a huge back roller. A slight front foot fault makes her lose half a second, the time she no longer has to relaunch in her bottom and pass the section which crashes in front of her… The potential 7 points turns into 5, 30. The curtain falls, end of the show.
Comforted by the small French clan, Pauline Ado came to support her young teammate in the France team, Vahiné Fierro thanks everyone and leaves the competition site fairly quickly.
She will not see the victory in the pouring rain of Bettylou Sakura Johnson who offers her first major success in front of the Olympic champion Carissa Moore. Nor the tears of joy of India Robinson and Luana Silva qualified in extremis. Ninth in the final ranking, she was 18th in 2019 before the end of the 2020 season, Vahine Fierro has come even closer to the CT. At only 22 years old, his time will surely come.
Only Johanne Defay
As since 2018, Johanne Defay will be the only Frenchwoman on the CT. Among the gentlemen, however, there will no longer be a tricolor on the main circuit of professional surfing. A first since 2005. At the retirement of Jérémy Florès, the only French qualified at the end of the 2021 season but who is retiring from pro surfing, is added the relegation to QS of Michel Bourez. Which might nevertheless make freelance on the CT 2022 because it is second substitute. That said, in the absence of the two pillars of national surfing for more than 12 years, no other Frenchman has qualified since Joan Duru (2017-2019). It is hoped that the work of each athlete, as well as that of the Federation to help them, will bear fruit for a return to the fore in 2023.
HALEIWA CHALLENGER
Results
Finale
1 – Bettylou Sakura Johnson (Hawaii) 13,17 pts
2 – Gabriela Bryan (Haw) 11,50 pts
3 – Carissa Moore (Haw) 9,76 pts
4 – India Robinson (Aus) 2 pts
Semi-finals
DF 1 : 1. Carissa Moore (Haw) 16,27 pts, Gabriela Bryan (Haw) 12,17 pts, 3. Alissa Spencer (USA 10,30 pts, 4. Vahine Fierro (France) 10.30 pts
DF 2 : 1st India Robinson (Aus) 11.43 pts, 2nd Bettylou Sakura Johnson (Hawaii) 11.20 pts, 3rd Lakey Peterson (USA) 10.23 pts, 4th Molly Picklum (Aus) pts
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION CHALLENGER SERIES 2021
1. Gabriela Bryan (Hawaii) 24,000 pts – Qualified
2. Brisa Hennessy (CRI) 21,500 pts – Qualified
3. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (Hawaii) 20,000 pts – Qualified
4. Catlin Simmers (USA) 18,700 pts – Qualified
5. India Robinson (Aus) 17,600 pts – Qualified
6. Carissa Moore (Hawaii) 16,500 pts – CT
7. Luana Silva (Hawaii) 14,900 pts – Qualified
———
8. Molly Picklum (Australia) 14,900 pts
9. Vahine Fierro (France) 13,900
…
13. Pauline Ado (France) 11,550 pts
