Stormy Surf on Day 2 of Soöruz Lacanau Pro

Stop No. 2 of five on the European Qualification Series (QS), the Soöruz Lacanau Pro, completed the third round of competition in wind-blown surf of four-to-five feet. Once again the European field of under-20 surfers, fresh off the Lacanau Pro Junior event, took out most of the day's qualifying spots for Round 4.

Charly Quivront (FRA), 18, and Tom Cloarec (FRA), 20, lit up the waves this afternoon with back-to-back dominant performances. The youngest, Quivront, was the only surfer to score two waves in the excellent range all day.

Quivront, all smiles and on to Round 4. - WSL / Laurent Masurel

“I was able to get two good waves with a clean, long wall despite the strong winds,” Quivront said. “There's a strong rip and the lineup is huge, so the help from my coach Yann Martin on the beach with signals was really beneficial.”

The current European Junior No. 9, Quivront stayed to compete against the mix of campaigners in Lacanau. At a young age and not focused on the QS rankings yet, he was able to surf stress-free and display the talent he's developed in the nearby province of Charentes.

“I was a little frustrated with my result in the Juniors, I feel like I made myself lose,” he continued. “So I just want to surf here and have fun, I have no goal whatsoever but to enjoy and try to make a few rounds.”

Well-known aerialist William Aliotti (FRA), 20, stuck to a more traditional rail-to-rail approach today to advance into the top-seeds round of the Soöruz Lacanau Pro.

Mitch Parkinson couldn't capitalize on his aerial game. - WSL / Laurent Masurel

“The waves were a little fat and very frothy today, so definitely not the best conditions for airs,” Aliotti reflected. “I'm doing more events this year, I want to build a ranking to do all the major events next year, so I'm taking it seriously here and I want to do a good job.”

Rafael Teixeira (BRA), 21, collected one of the highest combined totals in challenging stormy surf. His ability to pick up the best waves in a difficult lineup combined with a powerful surfing repertoire were rewarded by the judges.

“I'm stoked. These conditions were so hard,” Teixeira stated. “There's a lot of paddling involved, but I waited for two good waves and I'm happy to advance. I'm off to relax now and rest for tomorrow.”

A new face in the lineup, the Rio De Janeiro native is traveling through France for the first time and soaking in the European vibes.

“I love it so far. I hope the wind backs off in the next few days, but there are waves so it should be fun,” Teixeira added.

Gaspard Larsonneur (FRA), 20, managed to take the advantage in a tight back-and-forth battle against Vicente Romero (ESP) and Mitchell Parkinson (AUS).

“Its complicated out there," Larsonneur said. "It's bigger than early this morning and it's a bit of a mess at low tide. I'm a little tired after the Juniors, but now I have time to rest so I'll be back tomorrow in form.”

Showing maturity at an early age, Larsonneur surfed a smart heat and didn't let the pressure of time running out get to him. The talented surfer from Britanny sat patiently and secured the win in the last 30 seconds.

“I had an average first wave but sneaked into a little reform on my way back and got my best score,” Larsonneur explained. “Even though I wasn't leading cause of a poor backup, I took my time and waited for a good enough wave to be sure. It came very close to the end but thankfully it worked out.”

Adrien Toyon (FRA), 24, squeezed into the second qualifying spot in Heat 6. With a solid 7.67 on the board, Toyon was unable to find an equally high backup and could only take second place.

A few solid waves rolled through the lineup. - WSL / Laurent Masurel

“I knew I had an alright wave, but I had no idea of the situation. I couldn't hear anything out there,” Toyon said. “It's actually a good thing that I didn't get first, cause I would have had to surf against my good friend Joan Duru.”

Contest officials have set the next call at 9:00 a.m. local time Thursday, August 14, to decide wether conditions will allow for the start of Round 4.