No Room For Error At The Billabong Pro Tahiti

A quiet SSW swell didn't do many favors for competitors during the second day of competition of the Billabong Pro Tahiti, and it's likely Teahupoo won't roar to the kind of life we've seen in years past. But Day Two did include snug tube rides, a thrilling buzzer beater, and -- as always -- the clearest blue water in the Pacific. Here, Wiggolly Dantas tucks under a wrinkle-free sheet during a morning freesurf. Photos: Thouard

Points-leader Matt Wilkinson survived another Second Round exit, this time against Hira Teriinatoofa. The two were nearly tied for most of the heat, but Wilko summoned a late 8 to put him through to Round Three. Photo: Thouard

Wilkinson attempts to hit the breaks on his frontside, no easy task at Teahupoo. Photo: Thouard

Wilko and Teriinatoofa, scratching for the next set. Photo: Thouard

Brazilian rookie Alex Ribeiro gained the upper hand in a low-scoring heat to beat last year's World Champ, Adriano de Souza. Photo: Thouard

Still looking for that breakout finish on Tour, Ryan Callinan took on Julian Wilson. Callinan pushed for more than double the number of waves that Julian did, but even the 8.17 tunnel that the rookie pocketed wasn't enough to advance to the next round. Photo: Thouard

Callinan, gritting and gunning for the exit. Photo: Thouard

Next up for Wilson in Round Three: A rematch against Jeremy Flores, last year's event champ. Photo: Thouard

Julian Wilson escapes the eye of the storm for a clean finner. Photo: Thouard

Matt Banting decelerates for a blasted lip against fellow rookie Caio Ibelli. Photo: Thouard

Caio Ibelli tries to generate something, anything, in sub-par Teahupoo surf. He'll need to wait for the Hurley Pro at Lower Trestles for his chance to break into the Top 10. Photo: Thouard

Uncooperative conditions aside, the view of the misty Tahitian rainforests is a sight for sore eyes. Photo: Thouard

No tube is too tight for Filipe Toledo, who lost out to Jadson Andre. Photo: Thouard

He wasn't able to stand as tall as he did in his Round One tubes, but Jadson Andre still had a nice bounce in the knees inside this barrel as he advanced to the next round, where he'll face SeaBass. Photo: Thouard

Wiggolly Dantas tries to generate something, anything, and dials up a frontside wrap. There were plenty of frustrated punches to the water after a day of frustrating conditions. Wiggolly's heat against Alejo Muniz: three waves in total, two of them a 1.0 or lower. Photo: Thouard

Joel Parkison, timing a rail-grab shooter just right. Talks resurfaced last week after Occy's podcast that retirement could come sooner rather than later for Parko. But his ability to drop calm rides and smooth scores like he did against Jack Freestone still shows that he's a threat for the Tour's Top-10. Photo: Thouard

Jack Freestone finds his footing. Freestone hit a wall of similar frustrations as Dantas did, with only three waves for a score total of 2.03. Photo: Thouard

Stu Kennedy hung on as long as he could against Josh Kerr, but Kerr, the do-everything veteran, still rode away into Round Three. Photo: Thouard

Early-season success has turned into a late-season drought for Santa Cruz's Nat Young. He's through to the next round after a frontside victory against Davey Cathels, though his job doesn't get any easier today, when he'll face Kelly Slater. Photo: Thouard

No need for sunscreen for Davey Cathels. He has all the shade he needs, and then some. Photo: Thouard

Any score at all -- literally, any score -- was in Dusty Payne's favor after flat surf in Round One left him, bizarrely, with zero waves and a big goose egg. The tide thankfully turned in his matchup with Conner Coffin. Not only did he catch the win, but the heat turned into the most exciting of the day as he and Coffin traded high scores until the final horn. Photo: Thouard

Payne, hanging on by his fingernails. Photo: Thouard

Coffin thought he had his heat in the bag after a solid 8.17 score, making his last-second loss to Payne all the more heartbreaking. Photo: Thouard

A tad different than Huntington Beach, but Kanoa Igarashi didn't look bothered. A third-place finish at the U.S. Open has Kanoa into a groove for the second half of the season. He'll face Parko in Round Three. Photo: Thouard