Kolohe Andino was not thrilled about losing his non-elimination Round Four match with John John Florence and Connor O'Leary. The Californian had the lead for most of it after sticking a handful of big aerials along the way, only to be undone by Florence in the closing moments.
He fired back with a strong win in Round Five over Leonardo Fioravanti, earning a rematch with Florence during Wednesday's Quarterfinals. Knowing full well he could send the World Title race to Hawaii with a win, Andino looked as pumped up as ever, and he put that energy to good use with a dominant performance. While Florence struggled to find opportunities, Andino made the most of his, nabbing a nice little tube and landing a couple more airs.
The impact was immediate. Gabriel Medina and Julian Wilson were both watching closely from the beach, realizing they were still very much in the hunt.