Bali Pro Down to Quarters

Hell of a day yesterday for Rounds 4 and 5 of the Oakley Bali Pro, as Keramas went off with some incredible barrels, and the boys went hunting for deep tubes (highlights below). The performance of the day undoubtedly came from reigning World Title champion Joel Parkinson, who put up a perfect heat in Round 5 against John John Florence's 19.20 in the best head-to-head performance of the competition thus far. Just going into that heat and knowing that one of those guys was going to be eliminated didn't feel quite right, but afterward it really seemed like they both deserved to advance. A vet-on-vet upset occurred in Round 5 when C.J. Hobgood ousted current number one Kelly Slater, and another stunner came one heat later when Nat Young bounced Adriano De Souza from the contest.

Here is a look at the quarters matchups:

Taj Burrow vs. Joel Parkinson
-What a heat this will be. Both guys looked seriously on their game yesterday, and it might come down to wave selection, which is why I'd give Parko the nod here. The champ hasn't won a contest yet this year, and it's really starting to feel like that streak is going to end.

Josh Kerr vs. C.J. Hobgood
Kerr had a fantastic Round 4 heat where to took down both Kelly and John John, so he's on a roll. His tube-riding has been better than I expected, as he's proving that he's much more than just an aerial guy. Will C.J.'s veteran savvy be enough here?

Julian Wilson vs. Nat Young
Julian is probably my favorite surfer on tour, though I felt he coasted a little yesterday and didn't love that. He'll need to compete harder to take down Young, one of the hottest surfers over the past few events. This is a great matchup of young guns and it's fun to know one of them will end up in the semis.

Michel Bourez vs. Mick Fanning
Normally I'd almost assume Mick is going to win this one, but Michel's game has looked tighter this week than I've ever seen it. He's becoming one of the more impressive power surfers on tour, and he's had a patient approach to this event that has netted him some of the best waves in the lineup. If pressed for a pick, I'd still take Mick, but I think it's much closer than you'd think at first glance.