To the Nines: Top Score Replays from Tahiti

Owen Wright (AUS) needed a big score to battle back into his Quarterfinal matchup against rookie Italo Ferreira (BRA) when he dropped into huge tube for a 9.43 and the heat win.

C.J. Hobgood (USA) went for broke in Round 3 at the Billabong Pro Tahiti and earned this perfect 10. His secret? "Angels on two fluffy pillows," he told Rosy Hodge afterward.

Jeremy Flores (FRA) sneaks under the lip and manages to make it out with the spit in Round 3 at the Billabong Pro Tahiti. He earned a 9.77 and solidified his win over Aussie Joel Parkinson.

Bruno Santos came out firing against his fellow Brazilians in Round 4 earning a 9.00 for a harrowing drop and deep tube at the Billabong Pro Tahiti.

Gabriel Medina (BRA) answered Bruno Santos' excellent ride in Round 4 with a near perfect 9.97 of his own at the Billabong Pro Tahiti.

Kelly Slater (USA) battled back in tricky conditions to earn a 9.77 in the final two minutes of his Round 4 heat.

Gabriel Medina (BRA) dropped into a big barrel for a 9.07 in Round 3 at the Billabong Pro Tahiti, the first of three nines in his blockbuster matchup against Hawaiian phenom John John Florence.

John John Florence (HAW) finds a steep drop and deep tube for a 9.57 to battle back into his heat against Gabriel Medina (BRA) in Round 3 of the Billabong Pro Tahiti.

Just after scoring a 9.57 in his Round 3 Billabong Pro Tahiti superheat against Gabriel Medina (BRA), John John Florence (HAW) found this barrel for a 9.07. He would go on to earn yet another nine-point-range score in the faceoff at Teahupo'o.

Up against the formidable John John Florence (HAW) in Round 3, Gabriel Medina (BRA) scrapped into another hollow barrel for a 9.27.

Hawaiian John John Florence finds a third excellent range ride for a 9.27 during his Round 3 battle with reigning World Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA). Florence, however, was unable to top Medina's 19.00 two-wave total.

Reigning World Champion Gabriel Medina goes for broke on a late drop and earns a 9.73, enough to turn around his Round 3 heat against John John Florence (HAW) at the Billabong Pro Tahiti.

Owen Wright (AUS) started Round 3 with a clean tube and exit to notch a 9.13 at the Billabong Pro Tahiti, his first nine-point ride of the event.

Owen Wright (AUS) -- who scored two perfect, 20-point heats in Fiji last June -- reminds the judges and fans that he's among the world's best experts in the barrel. The goofyfooter showed off his comfort in Round 3 of the Billabong Pro Tahiti when he earned a backup ride in the nine-point range -- a 9.10 -- for this throaty tube.

Reigning event and World Champ Gabriel Medina (BRA) managed to find more than a few barrels in Round 2 including this diamond in the rough in tricky conditions.

Brett Simpson (USA), who grew up on close-out waves and tubes of Southern California, earned a 9.17 for this huge tube during his Round 2 heat at the Billabong Pro Tahiti.

Tour veteran C.J. Hobgood (USA) found a steep drop and throaty barrel at Teahupo'o during his Round 2 heat at the Billabong Pro Tahiti. The performance earned him a near-perfect 9.80, and solidified his heat win over Nat Young (USA).

During his Round 1 heat at the Billabong Pro Tahiti, Hawaii's golden child John John Florence earned the second nine-point ride of the event. His incredibly late takeoff with a technical drop earned him a 9.03.