Olympics-Surfing-Vaast excels for France as the surf pumps in Tahiti
Recasts and updates throughout
By Lincoln Feast
TEAHUPO'O, Tahiti, July 29 (Reuters) - Tahiti's Kauli Vaast, surfing for Paris Olympics home nation France, knocked American Griffin Colapinto out of surfing's third round on Monday in waves the local hero said were as good as they get at the perfect reef pass of Teahupo'o.
After two days of competition in waves that were mostly user-friendly, Teahupo'o really started to show its teeth.
Horrendous wipeouts, broken boards, lost camera equipment, jetski rescues and surfers being spat of 10 foot tubes engulfed in firehose blasts of spray - the first few heats showcased the spectacle of the world's best surfers in perfect conditions.
Brazil's Gabriel Medina got the wave of the event so far in his round five heat against Japan's Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Kanoa Igarashi, a 9.90 out of 10 that was if anything, underscored.
Taking off deep on a giant blue wall, Medina pumped through an enormous tube and signalled to the judges he thought it was a 10 before flying into the channel. Most of those on the flotilla of boats and jetskis watching metres away screamed in agreement.
Medina backed it up with a 7.5 for a 17.4 points total to cement him as a favourite to win gold.
'JUST INSANE'
Even Vaast, who has caught thousands of waves at Teahupo'o, was almost lost for words, describing conditions as 10 out of 10.
"It was just perfect ... I don't know how can I say. There are some 10 foot, perfect 10 foot (waves) coming up, offshore wind, two guys out, beautiful sunny days - just insane."
The action continues through the morning withJohn Florence of the United States taking on Australia's Jack Robinson - a heavyweight clash worthy of a final.
Robinson scored the highest single wave score of the day in smaller conditions on Sunday and knows the barrels of Teahupo'o well.
But larger conditions will also suit Florence, a renowned tube rider who grew up at Hawaii's famous Pipeline and who has been travelling the world to ride the heaviest waves since before he was a teen.
Women's round three is scheduled to follow the men's, but with the giant surf and forecasts for winds to pick upduring the day, schedules may change.
When the women do run, TeamFrance havea tough draw with local medal favourite Vahine Fierro up against countrywoman Johanne Defay, who recovered from a nasty wipeout to advance on Sunday.
Brazil's Tatiana Weston-Webb will take on America's Caitlin Simmers in another exciting match-up.
Weston-Webb rode what commentators described as the best wave ever in women's surfing competition at the Tahiti Pro in May, while 18-year-old Simmers, a winner at Pipeline this year, is at the forefront of a tectonic shift in women's surfing in heavy water in recent years.
Reporting by Lincoln Feast in Tahiti; editing by Pritha Sarkar and Ken Ferris
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