It's always nerve wracking being in the first heat of a Big Wave Tour event. It's even more so when that event is held on the first solid swell of the year. Billy Kemper didn't seem to be bothered by it though. The two-time Pe'ahi Challenge winner opened up his 2017 campaign with a solid barrel that earned him a precious heat win and a return to the Semifinals. Meanwhile, Cristian Merello and Mark Healey got some bombs of their own to move through. Merello found some room to move on the lefts, while Healey had the crowd hooting with an incredible backhand barrel.
