Going BIG in Rio
Ricardo Christie takes on world surf championship
NEW ZEALAND surfer Ricardo Christie is riding the crest of his wave, having beaten the world’s best to secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the Rio Pro – his best result on the World Surf League tour.
Christie, who appears in the new Air New Zealand safety video alongside fellow Kiwi surfer Paige Hareb, knocked off world No 1 Adriano de Souza in the third round of the event in Brazil after defeating leading title contender Jordy Smith, of South Africa, in the second round.
The Mahia surfer progressed to the quarterfinal after winning his fifth-round repechage against Australian Matt Banting. Christie had two impressive waves early and held off Banting to win by a score of 13.50 to 13.27. He will face world No 3 and local hero Filipe Toledo in the quarterfinals.
It was the second straight event where Christie has taken out a highly seeded championship contender early in a big contest. Last month, he toppled Toledo in the second round at the Margaret River Pro in Western Australia.
Christie struggled in his first two events on the cut-throat World Surf League tour, bowing out in the second round in the Billabong Pro on the Gold Coast and at Bells Beach in Victoria at the Rip Curl Pro.
He looked to be struggling with the levels required on the elite championship circuit before suddenly kicking his competition game into gear at Margaret River where he stunned the crowd with his defeat of Toledo.
Christie said on Saturday (NZ time) he was ‘‘stoked’’ with his start in the repechage against Banting.
‘‘Conditions are tricky out there and you don’t want to be needing scores at the end of the heat. Banting’s air was mental so I am lucky he didn’t have a back-up wave.’’
His felt like his performances were starting to click.
‘‘It feels like a switch has been flipped for me and now I can surf heats. I am looking forward to the next round. Filipe might come out and do two back-flips but I am not worrying about him. I have to go out there and do my own thing.’’