World tour surfers soar on Day 3 of Florida Pro

Staff reports

Melbourne Beach's Caroline Marks scored an 8-point ride and won her Round 3 heat in the Ron Jon Florida Pro presented by Sunshine State Florida Lager at Sebastian Inlet on Saturday.

She's back in Brevard for the inaugural Florida Pro Surf competition that will be held at Sebastian Inlet. 15 year old Caroline Marks of Melbourne Beach is the youngest female to compete in a World Surf League Championship.

She scored a 13.67 total to defeat Australia's India Robinson (11.17). Both advanced to Round 4 from their four-surfer heat.

Hawaii's Tatiana Weston-Webb is the top seed. She won her heat Saturday at Sebastian Inlet.

“This is amazing to finally see this event come to life and have all these girls come here instead of seeing them in Australia or Europe -- I’m really excited now that it’s actually happening,” Marks said.

More:Surfing heats up in Florida Pro, Day 2 at Sebastian

Marks, at 15, the youngest to ever qualify for the world tour, was joined by fellow World Surf League members, Hawaii's Tatiana Weston-Webb (10.37) and Coco Ho (13.90), and Brazil's Silvana Lima (13.33) as heat winners Saturday. They were joined by Aussies Bronte Macaulay and Keely Andrew, who also won their heats.

Marks next faces Ho and Brisa Hennessy, also of Hawaii.

More:Caroline Marks returns home to Sebastian Inlet to surf Florida Pro, prepare for world tour

Japan's Minori Kawai scored a pair of 8-point rides to win her heat with a 16.00 total, the highest of the round.

"My ultimate goal is to qualify for the CT so this is an important event to get a result at to start the season,” Kawai said. “The waves are pretty tricky and not too much like my homebreak. It’s been so cold here which I didn’t expect, but I’m super happy to make it through that first heat.”

On the men's side of the Florida Pro, Jacksonville Beach veteran Asher Nolan cruised to a 12.67 two-wave total in his Round 2 heat to defeat Floridana Beach's Chauncey Robinson (9.33) but both advanced from their four-man heat.

More:Florida Pro surf contest opens a new era

Vero Beach's Tommy Coleman advanced on the men's side of the Florida Pro.

Brazil's Gabriel Farias scored a near-perfect 9.50 ride and heat total of 16.83 to advance.

Farias spent time with fellow countryman, and 2014 world champion, Gabriel Medina before Medina headed for Hawaii

Vero Beach's Tommy Coleman also won his heat with a 14.50 total to defeat Daniel Glenn (10.96).

“The waves were really fun when you found them out there," said Coleman. "I was nervous before that heat just seeing some constant closeouts, but I was stoked to get those two scores right away. I’m just trying to have a lot of fun and not rush into anything with the QS. Hopefully, the waves get a little better with the north wind dying down and the swell turning more east. Even if it’s smaller, it’ll be more fun.”

Melbourne Beach's Blake Speir advanced by finishing second in his heat with an 8.46 total.

Action is expected to continue Sunday at 8 a.m. with organizers first assessing the conditions at 7:30 a.m. The events run through Wednesday.

Go to www.worldsurfleague.com for live feeds.

Florida Pro Women’s QS6,000 Round Three Results:
Heat 1: Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) 10.37, Samantha Sibley (USA) 9.84, Zoe Benedetto (USA) 7.93, Carol Henrique (PRT) 6.47
Heat 2: Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 9.74, Sophia Fulton (AUS) 8.76, Holly Wawn (AUS) 7.70, Chelsea Roett (BRB) 7.43
Heat 3: Minori Kawai (JPN) 16.00, Paige Hareb (NZL) 11.97, Summer Macedo (HAW) 11.90, Meah Collins (USA) 8.24
Heat 4: Caroline Marks (USA) 13.67, India Robinson (AUS) 11.17, Alessa Quizon (HAW) 10.00, Kirra Pinkerton (USA) 9.70
Heat 5: Coco Ho (HAW) 13.90, Mikaela Greene (AUS) 10.93, Chelsea Tuach (BRB) 8.80, Havanna Cabrero (PRI) 4.20
Heat 6: Sophie McCullough (AUS) 12.16, Brisa Hennessy (HAW) 10.37, Josefine Ane (ARG) 9.60, Dimity Stoyle (AUS) 8.30
Heat 7: Philippa Anderson (AUS) 12.50, Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 8.67, Felicity Palmateer (AUS) 8.30, Melanie Giunta (PER) 4.96
Heat 8: Silvana Lima (BRA) 13.33Frankier Harrer (DEU) 9.00, Vahine Fierro (PYF) 7.96, Marion Philippe (PYF) 7.10
Heat 9: Bronte Macaulay (AUS) 11.97, Isabella Nichols (AUS) 11.83, Lorena Fica (PER) 5.63, Garazi Sanchez-Ortun (ESP) 4.17
Heat 10: Zoe McDougall (HAW) 11.76, Macy Callaghan (AUS) 11.06, Tia Blanco (USA) 7.83, Ren Hashimoto (JPN) 7.06
Heat 11: Pauline Ado (FRA) 11.50, Dominic Barona (ECU) 10.43, Hinako Kurokawa (JPN) 7.80, Neis Lartigue (FRA) 5.60
Heat 12: Keely Andrew (AUS) 13.33, Teresa Bonvalot (PRT) 7.90, Nao Omura (JPN) 8.07, Rachel Presti (USA) 7.23

Upcoming Ron Jon Florida Pro Women’s QS6,000 Round Four Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW), Sophia Fulton (AUS), Paige Hareb (NZL)
Heat 2: Claire Bevilacqua (AUS), Samantha Sibley (USA), Minori Kawai (JPN)
Heat 3: Caroline Marks (USA), Brisa Hennessy (HAW), Coco Ho (HAW)
Heat 4: Sophie McCulloch (AUS), India Robinson (AUS), Mikaela Greene (AUS)
Heat 5: Philippa Anderson (AUS), Frankie Harrer (DEU), Isabella Nichols (AUS)
Heat 6: Silvana Lima (BRA), Bianca Buitendag (ZAF), Bronte Macaulay (AUS)
Heat 7: Zoe McDougall (HAW), Nao Omura (JPN), Pauline Ado (FRA)
Heat 8: Keely Andrew (AUS), Macy Callaghan (AUS), Dominic Barona (ECU)

Florida Pro Men’s QS1,500 Round Two Results:
Heat 9: Cam Richards (USA) 11.77, Lucas Vicente (BRA) 11.06, Micha Cantor (USA) 7.40, Phillippe Chagas (BRA) 6.80
Heat 10: Asher Nolan (USA) 12.67, Chauncey Robinson (USA) 9.33, Evan Brownell (USA) 5.80, Tomas Lopez Moreno (ARG) 4.94
Heat 11: Elijah Fox (HAW) 11.67, Lucas Mesinas (PER) 10.50, Stevie Pittman (USA) 7.83, Sam Duggan (USA) 2.67
Heat 12: Jake Marshall (USA) 14.90, Luke Gordon (USA) 7.14, Dwight Pastrana (PRI) 6.73, Blake Spier (USA) 6.66
Heat 13: Tomas Tudela (PER) 12.40, David Economos (USA) 8.40, Leo Calvo (USA) 7.54, Luke Marks (USA) 6.60
Heat 14: Tommy Coleman (USA) 14.50, Daniel Glenn (USA) 10.96, Ryland Rubens (USA) 7.15, Brandon Todd (USA) 6.14
Heat 15: Michael Dunphy (USA) 7.46, Austin Neumann (USA) 7.50, Jeremy Carter (USA) 6.26, Paul Pugliesi (USA) 5.64
Heat 16: Gabriel Farias (BRA) 16.83, Roberto Araki (CHL) 9.50, Collin Shinn (USA) 6.04, Logan Landry (CAN) 3.83

Upcoming Florida Pro Men’s QS1,500 Round Three Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Evan Geiselman (USA), Momoto Tsuzuki (JPN), Kevin Schulz (USA), Logan Hayes (USA)
Heat 2: Jackson Butler (USA), Tyler Gunter (USA), Josh Burke (BRB), Manuel Selman (CHL)
Heat 3: Gabe Kling (USA), Giorgio Gomez (USA), Derek Gomes (VEN), Colt Ward (USA)
Heat 4: Ryan Huckabee (USA), Nolan Rapoza (USA), Tomas King (CRI), Cory Arrambide (USA)
Heat 5: Cam Richards (USA), Asher Nolan (USA), Lucca Mesinas (PER), Blake Speir (USA)
Heat 6: Lucas Vicente (BRA), Chauncey Robinson (USA), Elijah Fox (HAW), Jake Marshall (USA)
Heat 7: Tomas Tudela (PER), Tommy Coleman (USA), Michael Dunphy (USA), Roberto Araki (CHL)
Heat 8: David Economos (USA), Daniel Glenn (USA), Austin Neumann (USA), Gabriel Farias (BRA)