WATCH: Scene set for epic final at Ballito Pro

A packed Willard Beach erupted as Krystian Kymerson (BRA) was awarded the highest score by all five judges on the panel with an outrageous aerial at the fifth day of the Ballito Pro pres. by Billabong yesterday.

The Brazilian is one of the world’s best exponents of boosting and became the first competitor on the Qualifying Series (QS) this year to be awarded the perfect 10 out of 10 by what surfers called a ‘tweaked-out, full-rotation backhand aerial’ which he landed perfectly and emerged from under the spray with his arms held aloft in triumph.

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The score changed the situation in his heat against fellow Brazilian and equally famous aerialist Yago Dora who was the star of yesterday’s airborne attack on the waves.

Kymerson took the lead and then added a 7.17 for some committed rail surfing that saw Dora become one of the four elite Championship Tour (CT) surfers to be eliminated on the day.

Only two CT surfers are still in the draw,  Wade Carmichael (AUS), whose full bore power surfing has carried him through his heats against the ‘fly-boys’, and rookie sensation Griffin Colapinto (USA), who has the full package of aerials and rail surfing along with uncanny tube-riding skills for a 19-year-old.

They will come against each other in the first of quarterfinals on Saturday.

The second quarter will be a duel between two of the taller surfers on tour in Ricardo Christie (NZL) and Jack Freestone (AUS), both of whom have had a taste of competing on the elite Dream Tour with its exotic venues, great waves and huge audiences, but failed to re-qualify at end of their respective rookie year.

By contrast quarterfinal three features Kymerson and Seth Moniz (HAW), both slightly built but with lightening fast reflexes and repertoires filled with sharp changes of direction.

The Brazilian is favoured by many of the pundits thanks to his already well documented aerial skills.

WATCH: The Courier live at Willard beach this morning.

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And the final duo battling for a spot in the semifinals will be an all-Brazilian clash between former prodigy Peterson Crisanto who, like Colapinto, has the complete package of contest manoeuvres and his compatriot Thiago Camarao, a 10 year veteran of the QS whose confidence is sky-high after winning some tricky match-ups earlier this week.

Full results since the opening day, along with news, images, video clips and more are available at www.worldsurfleague.com

Motorbike antics

In addition to the surfing action today, you can also catch the Le Riche brothers in action in the retail area above the beach at midday.

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WATCH: Live interview with the Le Riche brothers.

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