<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I am really happy to get a second victory in a row,” <strong><em><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Riders/taumata-puhetini" target="_blank">Puhetini</a></em></strong> said. “It was mentally challenging. As the titleholder, I knew I was the man to beat. It was stressful, and you could tell it watching my firsts heats. I fell a lot, but progressively, heat by heat, I was gaining more confidence and the end I could express myself more and have fun.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Puhetini started strong in the Final bout with up-and-coming talent <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Riders/kauli-vaast" target="_blank">Vaast</a></strong></em>, posting a 16.67 (out of a possible 20) heat total at the middway mark. Vaast still had an opportunity until Puhetini’s incredible surfing earned him a 10 and comboed his fellow Tahitian, meaning Vaast needed two new scores to match Puhetini’s.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 31-year-old Papenoo native only stumbled once during his run toward the Final, earning runner-up behind <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Riders/ariihoe-tefaafana" target="_blank">Ariihoe Tefaafana (PYF)</a></strong></em> -- who made a heroic comeback after his clash with the Rangiroa reef just last week -- before finding his form in a two-man battle with yesterday’s standouts Shayden Pacarro (HAW) in the Quarterfinals and <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Riders/hira-teriinatoofa" target="_blank">Hira Teriinatoofa (PYF)</a></strong></em> in the Semifinals. Now, the heavy-wave charger prepares to take time from for his next competitive endeavor later this season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“When I started the final I was thinking ‘here we go, you just have to win now,” Puhetini added. “I don’t really know what comes next honest. I’m working and I have to deal with that part of life now. Next step for sure will be Teahupoo Tahiti Pro Trials. I already secured one-month vacation to focus.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vaast, 16, couldn’t have asked for a better run at this year’s Papara Pro Open Tahiti after winning the Pro Junior and then putting on a dominant display of surfing throughout finals day. The Vairoa, Tahiti, native posted the event’s top heat total, a near-perfect 18.60, in Round 3 before moving into Quarterfinal action against <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Riders/jocelyn-poulou" target="_blank">Jocelyn Poulou (PYF)</a></strong></em> to garner two more excellent scores. A win over <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Riders/teoro-tahutini" target="_blank">Teoro Tahutini (PYF)</a></strong></em> poised Vaast as the man to beat with another brilliant showing, but couldn’t replicate that performance in the Final.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I am a little disappointed because of course I want to win” Vaast said. “But I didn’t manage to find good waves. I tried to make some airs, but I couldn’t finish them. I did good ones in my heats before, but in the finals things changed and it was way more complicated. Congratulations to Taumata on defending his title like I did a few days ago. Hopefully we will make a third victory next year !”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Maui, Hawaii’s, <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Riders/eli-hanneman" target="_blank">Eli Hanneman</a></strong></em> matched Puhetini’s perfect 10 to start his finals day campaign but fell to Tahutini in Quarterfinal action.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This event concludes the Tahitian leg that crowned <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Riders/gabriela-bryan" target="_blank">Gabriela Bryan (HAW)</a></strong></em> the <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Events/womens-papara-pro-vahine-open-tahiti-2019" target="_blank">women’s Papara Pro Open Tahiti QS 1,000</a></strong></em> and <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Events/womens-papara-pro-junior-tahiti-2019" target="_blank">Pro Junior</a></strong></em> victor, as well as <strong><em><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Riders/kauli-vaast" target="_blank">Vaast</a></em></strong> the <strong><em><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Events/mens-papara-pro-junior-tahiti-2019" target="_blank">2019 Papara Pro Junior</a> </em></strong>winner.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Papara Pro Open Tahiti Final Results:</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 - <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Riders/taumata-puhetini" target="_blank">Taumata Puhetini (PYF)</a></strong></em> 18.50 1,000 points</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2 - <em><strong><a href="https://www.boardriding.com/Riders/kauli-vaast" target="_blank">Kauli Vaast (PYF)</a></strong></em> 15.24 750 points</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Papara Pro Open Tahiti Semifinal Results:</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">SF 1: Taumata Puhetini (PYF) 14.40 def. Hira Teriinatoofa (PYF) 13.83</div><div style="text-align: justify;">SF 2: Kauli Vaast (PYF) 17.20 def. Teoro Tahutini (PYF) 13.80</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Papara Pro Open Tahiti Quarterfinal Results:</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">QF 1: Taumata Puhetini (PYF) 15.50 def. Shayden Paccaro (HAW) 13.00</div><div style="text-align: justify;">QF 2: Hira Teriinatoofa (PYF) 15.87 def. Ariihoe Tefaafana (PYF) 15.04</div><div style="text-align: justify;">QF 3: Teoro Tahutini (PYF) 14.67 def. Eli Hanneman (HAW) 9.44</div><div style="text-align: justify;">QF 4: Kauli Vaast (PYF) 16.50 def. Jocelyn Poulou (PYF) 13,13</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Papara Pro Open Tahiti Round 3 Results:</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Heat 1: Shayden Paccaro (HAW) 15.10, Hira Teriinatoofa (PYF) 14.40, Tereva David (PYF) 10.70, Tony Nunez (HAW) 7.73</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Heat 2: Ariihoe Tefaafana (PYF) 15.50, Taumata Puhetini (PYF) 14.33, Lorenzo Avvenenti (PYF) 12.40, Anthony Walsh (HAW) 8.97</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Heat 3: Teoro Tahutini (PYF) 16.44, Jocelyn Poulou (PYF) 15,26, Mauiki Raioha (PYF) 13.44, Gavin Gillette (PYF) 13.00</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Heat 4: Kauli Vaast (PYF) 18.60, Eli Hanneman (HAW) 16.67, Robert Patterson (HAW) 11.30, Ulualoha Napeahi (HAW) 7.43</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Papara Pro Open Tahiti Round 2 Results (H5 - 8):</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Heat 5: Mauiki Raioha (PYF) 15.10 , Eli Hanneman (HAW) 14.90, Kainehe Hunt (9.90), Dylan Franzmann (HAW) 9.63</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Heat 6: Gavin Gillette (HAW) 11.80, Ulualoha Napeahi (HAW) 11.00, Jackson Brunch (HAW) 10.10, Ryder Guest (HAW) 6.13 </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Heat 7: Robert Patterson (HAW) 12.06, Teoro Tahutini (PYF) 11.80, Logan Bediamol (HAW) 10.93, Jackson Obando (NIC) 6.67</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Heat 8: Kauli Vaast (PYF) 14.90, Jocelyn Poulou (PYF) 13.54, Tyler Newton (HAW) 10.87, Cole Alves (HAW) 9.87</div>