The final day of the Billabong Rio Pro was a dramatic cap to an otherwise uneventful contest plagued by lay days and overshadowed by a massive Teahupoo swell. Passions were running high on the final day with three of the eight quarterfinalists claiming home-field advantage (Adriano de Souza, Gabriel Medina, and Filipe Toledo). That passion came to a boiling point in the semi-finals when de Souza squared off against Medina in a heat that quickly became a microcosm of youth versus experience, flair versus strategy. A last second backside air reverse by Medina had everyone wondering who won well after the buzzer sounded. Ultimately, Medina’s wave came up just .14 points shy of the 7.94 that he needed to win.