Note sponsored by Volcom. All photos: WSL/Heff/Keoki

Peruvian Miguel Tudela confirmed that he is back after an injury that kept him out of the water for months by finishing seventh in the Volcom Pipe Pro that concluded today with good tubes of four to six feet, which was the best result of his career on the wave.

When the semi-finals arrived, the Peruvian started with everything, he did not hesitate when the biggest wave of the event came, a foamy one of three solid meters, he got into the tube but did not get out. By a thousandth of a second he did not get out and by that thousandth he did not get into the final.

The result marked the fourth consecutive year in which a Hispanic has reached this stage: Malpartida in 2018, Usuna in 2017 and Giorgi in 2016. Since 2006, a Hispanic has not managed to reach the final (as Gabriel Villarán did) and since 2000, the event has not been won by a Hispanic (Carlos Cabrero).

Jack Robinson, one of the most talented surfers on the planet, did some justice with his surfing and eventually won the championship. It was key that he started aggressively, finding a 7-point bomb at Backdoor and then another 7,87.

Neither Barron Mamiya (second), nor Reef Hazelwood (third) nor Balaram Stack (fourth) found their chance to get close in the final minutes of what was a relatively slow series.

“This is a dream come true. It’s the beginning, I haven’t even started yet. I’m still young. I’m very happy,” Robinson said, his voice breaking as he emerged from the water, carried by Jamie O’Brien.

Then, on the podium, she commented: “It's also a matter of the waves having to come to you, the ocean having to be present and things having to go your way.”

“I feel on top of the world, this gives me a lot of confidence to start the year. In my head I always knew I could do it but it is different to being able to do it and today I can say that I did it,” he said.

Robinson added 3000 and moved into the top 10 of the QS rankings.

Kalani David, meanwhile, was awarded the highly prestigious Todd Chesser Award, the prize for the most dedicated and bossy player at the event. The young Hawaiian was eliminated in the quarterfinals, but he started his campaign in round 1 and never looked back. "This award is better than winning the event," he said at the ceremony.

Final result
1st Jack Robinson
2nd Barron Mamiya
3rd Hazelwood Reef
4th Balaram Stack

7: Miguel Tudela
9: Aritz Aranburu
25: Christopher Columbus
33: Joaquin del Castil and Carlos Muñoz
49: Thomas Lopez Moreno

Semis
SF 1: 1 Reef Heazlewood, 2 Balaram ack, 3 Brodi Sale, 4 Miguel Tudela
SF 2: 1 Jack Robinson, 2 Barron Mamiya, 3 Cody Young, 4 Sebaian Zeitz

Rooms:
CF 1: 1 Miguel Tudela, 2 Reef Heazlewood, 3 Joshua Moniz, 4 Torrey Meister
CF 2: 1 Balaram ack, 2 Brodi Sale, 3 Aritz Aranburu, 4 Keanu Asing
CF 3: 1 Jack Robinson, 2 Sebaian Zeitz, 3 Skip McCulloch, 4 Soli Bailey
CF 4: 1 Barron Mamiya, 2 Cody Young, 3 Gatien Delahaye, 4 Kalani David