TOFINO SURFER CONTINUES TO IMPRESS

Canadian surfer Peter Devries has advanced to Round 5 of the Association of Surfing Professionals  World Qualifying Series 6-Star O’Neill Cold Water Classic Canada in Tofino.

Devries, who is now among the final 16 surfers, has been impressing onlookers with aerial moves and finished second in his heat behind Irish surfer Glenn Hall.

Others to make it into the round of 16 included Dusty Payne, Cory Lopez and Mark Mathews.

Hall’s lightning-quick surfing saw earned him two heat victories while grabbing the day’s highest heat total of a 16.67 out of 20 in the Round of 24.

His heat victories were no easy task however, as his win came over Devries who has been on fire throughout the event’s entirety.

“It’s impressive to see him (Pete Devries) and all of us surfers are talking about him,” Hall told Transworldsurf.com.

“There’s always that odd local that gets through, but doesn’t really impress everyone, but Pete’s surfing is as proper as anyone. One of the waves he caught in his last heat was one of the best I’ve seen and he deserves every bit of it.”

Devries has posted some of the classic’s top scores in front of his home crowd, using his local knowledge in all types of conditions.

“It’s been interesting,” Devries said. “These are conditions that I’m totally used to.  I had those little right wedges with no power earlier and I’ve just been trying to get speed on my board and it’s just going so fast and so good and I’m feeling really comfortable.”

The O’Neill Cold Water Classic is part of the ASP’s World Qualifying Series, and has attracted more than 120 of the world’s best up-and-coming surfers who are vying for a chance to advance into the ASP’s World Tour – international surfing’s highest tier of competition.