As usual Chopes turned on for the trials and it was local boy Tuamata Puhetini and Nathan Hedge who took the top spots, seeing them through into the main event. Its always good to have a local in the comp at Chopes, and whilst it won’t be an easy ride for Tumata, as he faces world number 1 Medina in his first heat, local wildcards have been known to cause major upsets in the past.

In other news Micheal Bourez’s brother Kevin took a nasty dive, cracking his head on the reef. Kevin suffered multiple skull fractures and lacerations and had to undergo 4 hours of surgery, however the doctors have now informed the event organisers that his condition is stable. Along with the rest of the surf world, we are wishing Kevin a speedy recovery!

The main event starts in 3 days, so probably best to start adjusting your sleep cycle now to make sure you don’t miss a minute.