Robb Rises Up to Reach Fourth Round

When Kalani Robb heard the bullhorn halfway through his heat Friday, all he could do was close his eyes and grit his teeth.

“With the way things have been going for me all year, all I could think of was, ‘Not again,’ ” said Robb, who along with Australian Luke Egan was called in from the third-round heat because of lack of waves at the Op Pro in Huntington Beach.

According to Assn. of Surfing Professionals rules if there are no contestable waves during the first-half of a heat, competition is put on hold until wave conditions improve.

It was the third time this season Robb has had to leave the water during his heat because of poor waves, but this time he went back out and won.

“I’ve had a hard time focusing on my heats,” Robb said. “So when something like this happens, where you have to come in, then go back out, I was really happy that I was able to go back out there and focus and get my rhythm back.”

Robb, 21, joined the World Championship Tour when he was 17, and has been touted as the next superstar.

In 1996, his best season, the Hawaiian surfer finished ranked seventh in the world. However, in the last two years, Robb has struggled and is ranked 26th.

Robb was happy with Friday’s performance, which moved him into today’s fourth round.

“This is by far my worst year on the tour,” he said. “It’s been very frustrating and confusing and there’s been a lot of pressure on me. But there’s no way I’m going to sign this year off. I’ve been working really hard with my dad. I have some really good boards and I’m feeling great. But there’s still things I need to learn, like how to deal with pressure.”

Robb’s father, Richard, said he has noticed a difference in his son’s performances since they started working together.

“There’s never been a question about Kalani’s surfing,” Richard said. “There’s no doubt that he can keep up with any of these guys on the tour. But he needs someone to keep him focused. To help keep him on track and not get sidetracked. Because there’s a lot of distractions on the tour.”

Robb said his dad is helping him with the basics in addition to the mental aspects of the sport.

“My dad’s a great coach,” Robb said. “It’s great to do all the airs and tricks on your board, but you also need to show you can surf the traditional moves. And that’s where my dad has been a big help.”.

Robb will meet Shane Beschen of San Clemente in the fourth round. Beschen had little trouble with former world champion Derek Ho of Hawaii, winning 20.40 to 14.25.

Australia’s Danny Wills, ranked first on the WCT, was a little nervous when he paddled out for his heat Friday. Wills was not fearful of poor wave conditions. History was giving him the jitters.

“It was unbelievable. Here I was surfing against Tom Curren,” Wills said. “He’s a legend.”

Although Wills was in awe, he pulled off a 9.0-wave score in the last two minutes of the heat to overtake Curren, a three-time world champion who lives in Laguna Niguel. Wills will meet Kaipo Jaquias of Hawaii, who beat fellow Hawaiian Ross Williams.

“It’s different when you’re surfing man-on-man heats,” Wills said. “It’s more personal. And Tom wouldn’t make eye contact with me. He’s hard to surf against because he’s so unpredictable. And he’s Tom Curren.”

Curren smiled when he heard that Wills was nervous.

“He was nervous? I was nervous,” Curren said. “Danny is a very good surfer. It’s no fluke that he’s ranked first on the tour.”

Another sentimental favorite, Mark Occhilupo, also went down as Hawaiian Andy Irons, the winner of last week’s U.S. Open, proved too much for the 32-year-old Australian.

In the most exciting heat of the day, Occhilupo and Irons traded the lead as both scored some of the day’s highest scores. In the end, Irons was able to hold off Occhilupo, ranked third on the WCT, 24.50 to 21.75.

Pat O’Connell of Laguna Beach pulled off a tough victory over Rob Machado of Cardiff.

With two minutes left, O’Connell needed a wave score of 6.91 or better to overtake Machado. However, conditions became flat, and it appeared O’Connell would lose. But then, a wave came through and O’Connell caught it and scored an 8.40 to take the lead. All Machado could do was sit and wait for a wave that never came.

“When Rob caught his last wave that scored a 8.5, I thought there was no way I would be able to catch him,” O’Connell said. “But I knew what I needed, and I waited for the wave. . . . and thank God it came.”

O’Connell will surf against Tim Curran of Oxnard today.

The Lopez brothers of San Clemente took another step toward a sibling matchup as Cory Lopez defeated Shane Bevan of Australia and Shea Lopez beat Beau Emerton, also of Australia. They could meet in the semifinals Sunday. They have met twice as professional surfers with Shea winning both.

In the women’s quarterfinals, Rochelle Ballard of Hawaii had the best heat score of the day, defeating Prue Jeffries of Australia, 21.75 to 14.00. Ballard, ranked fourth on the WCT, will face Melanie Redman of Australia, who took Lisa Andersen’s spot after she pulled out because of a back injury. Redman defeated countrywoman Lynette MacKenzie.

Pam Burridge of Australia defeated Nerida Falconer, also of Australia, 19.75 to 18.35.

Burridge, ranked 10th on the tour, will surf against top-ranked Layne Beachley of Australia today in the semifinals. Beachley beat Tita Tavares of Brazil.

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Surfing Contest

* What: Op Pro

* When: Today-Sunday

* Where: South side of the Huntington Beach Pier, Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street

* Today’s schedule: 9 a.m.-12:20 p.m.--men’s surfing Round 4, heats 1-8; 12:20-1:10--women’s surfing semifinals, heats 1-2; 1:10-1:35--tandem exhibition; 2:25-2:55--women’s surfing final; 3:15--awards.

* Admission: Free

* Parking: Paid parking in lots by the pier and in the downtown area.

* Information: (888) 672-6737, Ext. 224

* Web site: https://www.surflink.com