For the first few heats of finals day at the Hawaiian Pro, everything seemed like it was business as usual. Top seeds John John Florence and Kelly Slater ruled during their Round Four wins. But few could've predicted the upsets that would ensue, as a handful of Qualifying Series dark horses also stepped up their games, and successfully turned the QS leaderboard upside down.
European powerhouses Frederico Morais, Joan Duru and Marc Lacomare all made big moves in the QS ranks with strong performances. Lacomare's lethal backhand approach earned a Quarterfinal win over Kelly Slater, as well as earned him a solid third-place finish. Another Frenchman, Joan Duru, reinforced his Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour dreams with a Semifinal result. And Portuguese dark horse Frederico Morais cleaned up, rocketing 19 spots up the QS ranks to No. 9, thanks to his runner-up finish.
At the end of the day, though, it was all John John Florence.