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Above: Sage Erickon, victory is sweet. Photo WSL/Masurel The women’s final saw Sage Erickson (USA), 25, and Pauline Ado (FRA), 25, post under-average scores on single-maneuvres as the two surfers tried to navigate a tricky lineup battered by large sets closing out the bay. Ado grabbed hold of the final’s lead on the ten minute mark with another forehand hack on a closeout section. The French surfer continued to build her scoreboard as she found a slightly longer wave, allowing her two good turns for a 6.23. Both surfers started on a wave with only about a minute remaining, Ado on a long right with a soft face but able to belt four consecutive turns. Erickson had a quicker ride but started with a snap and completed the wave with a radical closeout hack. As time ran out, surfers paddled in, awaiting the judges panel’s decision. Ado was awarded an excellent 8.33 to further extend her lead but Erickson’s last wave came in as an 8.93 to reverse the situation and seal the deal on her second Pantin Classic Galicia Pro title. “It’s been an incredible final, a lot of big sets were coming in and it was a lot of work, I just had to have faith that the right wave would come and to keep an eye out and not get discouraged,” she reflected. “I can’t believe I got that last wave, I just came to shore and fell to my knees thanking god for sending me that. I came up the hill and all those people were cheering like nothing before and that feeling of support just made me cry. I’m so thankful for their support here and all my friends and family at home that watched online and have been texting me it’s truly amazing.” The current World N°9 built momentum through the rounds and culminated with the buzzer-beater win in the final. After winning this event in 2012, Erickson clinches a second title in Pantin and will rocket up eight spots on the Qualifying Series to sit in equal fourth with only a few events remaining this season. “Over the years I’ve stopped counting points coming into events, I found that knowing your place is alright but knowing other people’s doesn’t do any good for keeping the focus on yourself,” she continued. “The goal was to win here and it feels amazing to have done it and to move into the Top6. You want to be in a guaranteed spot for the World Tour next year and this gets me a little closer to the guarantee. Hopefully I won’t need this QS and one of the girls that have been surfing amazing will get a spot if I can qualify through the CT.” Another standout this week, Ado surfed a smart final and despite a slow start, the former Top17 resident was able to build a solid lead over Erickson. If it wasn’t for a last-minute effort from the Californian, Ado could have won her maiden major QS event in Pantin.
Above: Runner up Pauline Ado disappointed not to win at Pantin. Photo WSL/Masurel “To lose that final in the very last minute and for only a fraction of a point really hurts,” she confided. “Sage surfed really well and was one of the best surfers all-event so I knew this would be a tough one. It all comes down to small details but right now I’m feeling very disappointed.” Ado belts her best result since 2012 where she placed runner-up to Bianca Buitendag in Azores. She will now move on to this very destination for the upcoming Azores Airlines Pro, ranked ninth on the Qualifying Series, and hoping to add even more ranking points to her season tally before the final home stretch of 2016. “I have great memories of competing here in Pantin, I often get good results so it’s become a special place for me,” she continued. “There’s more points to clinch with that new QS6,000 in Australia and a couple of QS3,000 which are becoming very important events. I’m super motivated to keep battling until November to try and re-qualify.” Due to the delayed start of finals day and the uncertain time available before the fog showed up again, event officials resorted to change the event format from man-on-man heats back to four-man heats, leaving only seven match-ups instead of fifteen. As the tide came in and the swell faded, conditions groomed beautifully to give surfers in the final a perfect blank canvas of four-to-five foot right and left peelers.
Above: Paige Hareb from NZ. Photo WSL/Masurel
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