The sickest event on the planet is done for 2008

Banging out one final blog on the morning after the event was certainly required. Things got going so quickly after the finals yesterday, that we didn't get a chance to get it done. Probably would have stole the thunder of all the press releases flying around too, so why not let them do their thing and then come back in the morning with the final pass through. So here it is. Finals day at Cloudbreak was simply amazing. Despite strong winds, event organizers made the right call to postpone running the Quarterfinals the previous afternoon, hoping for larger surf the following morning. Thanks to WaveWatch.com and their forecasting team, the call was spot on and solid 6 foot Cloudbreak was open for business, doling out high scoring rides from the get go. Taj and Bede had a good battle, each putting up nice combinations of turns and barrels, but TB did just a bit more to take the heat. Bobby and Kelly was looking like an upset in the making. Bobby dropped a 9.1 early in the heat, but never backed it up. A priority mistake late in the game gave Kelly the keys to the Semifinal as he dropped a very well surfed 8 point something to come back from the dead and move into the Semis. Semifinal #1 has been decided- TB vs SL8TR... Quarterfinal #3 with Mick Fanning and CJ Hobgood was all CJ. Mick was left needing a combination of scores in the end, as CJ put on a vicious display of very technical Cloudbreak surfing. QF #4 with Adriano de Souza and Joel Parkinson was the upset of the day, as Adriano got the score he needed in the final minute and snatched the heat from an inform Parko, despite one seriously long Parko barrel. Semifinal #2- CJ vs Adriano... The Taj and Kelly match up was looking really good on paper, and after the first exchange things appeared to be poised for greatness. But, as everyone knows, when things are going Kelly's way they just keep on going. Kelly was able to drop two 9 point rides and put the heat well out of Taj's reach. Taj put on a masterful display of backhand hacks and barrels, but KS was just on better waves and looking unstoppable. Kelly Slater into the finals... Semifinal #2 was looking really one sided on paper, in favor of CJ, but no one was underestimating Adriano's ability to put on a show at Cloudbreak. He'd been doing it all contest long, and didn't look like he had any intention of letting CJ off easily. The first half of the heat was fairly even. Both riding some good waves, but then CJ dropped the hammer with a 9.7 big barrel. At that point Adriano was comboed, although he had put in a pretty good performance. CJ and Kelly final match up, a rematch of the 2005 event final at Restaurants. This match up was as good as you could have hoped for, and both CJ and Kelly were ready to get it on. The strange thing was, the heat was almost finished in the first 30 seconds. CJ took the first wave of the first set, which wasn't a good one. Kelly was on the second wave, dropping an 8. But the third wave that CJ had to duck dive was a 12. The thing was so round and just roared down the reef empty, to the dismay of CJ and coach Gally. The next exchange was almost identical. CJ on the first one, that wasn't so good. Kelly on the second, that was better. But again, the third wave was the best and it went un-ridden again. Kelly dropped another 8, and CJ was deep in combo-land. He did begin to claw his way back in the second half of the heat with a well surfed 7.67, including a nice barrel and a big layback hack on the closeout. As the heat wound down, CJ was looking for a very achievable 9.1, but time ran out on him and again Kelly Slater was the Globe Pro Fiji Champion. Three event wins for KS this year. The only other event was won by a wildcard. The man is on a roll, and making it all look way too easy. There's a lot of surfing left on the schedule, and as CJ says, I'm only 3 wins behind Kelly. CJ jumped to 6th in the ratings. Taj jumped to 5th. Adriano is in 4th. Bede 3rd, Parko 2nd and Kelly is running well out in front of the pack a top the ratings. The hot tub is calling. Cloudbreak is empty. Lunch is being served. Things to do, and with this we're wrapping up the 2008 Globe Pro Fiji. Vinaka!