The last heat in the Round of 96 was definitely a stacked affair. Mick Fanning, Rob Machado, Brent Reilly and Owen Wright in the same heat and only two guys can move on. When all was said and done, it was Mick Fanning who took first and Rob Machado who slid into second. But based on everything I saw in the Round of 96, Mick Fanning definitely impressed me the most. At this point, if he keeps surfing with the speed, vigor and verve he did this morning, he is my pick to win the US Open this year. Seriously, he scored a 17. The next highest score in the whole of the Round of 96 was in the 15s. The 17 came from two 8+ waves with a 7 to spare. He’s surfing fast, he’s surfing big.
Watch the action live! They have the video feed up now too.