Elegance and poise were on full display once more in the deserts of UAE as the intensity in the water elevated with Finals Day spots on the line. Women debuted in phenomenal form led by three-time WSL Champion Honolua Blomfield, 2015 WSL Longboard Champ Rachael Tilly, perennial World Title threats Sophia Culhane, Alice Lemoigne, and more heading into Quarterfinal action. All-important men's Quarterfinals unraveled with Kaniela Stewart and Steven Sawyer delivering world-class performances, both posting 17-point heat totals in their respective heats. Stewart's 9.33 held as the event's best wave of the event so far as John Michael Van Hohenstein and Kai Sallas also moved into the Semifinals. Now, the Top 8 spots narrow with the women's field still awaits its final contenders and the men now battle for seeding placement on Finals Day with only one spot in flux.
