Caption: Event wildcard Mikey Wright (AUS) showcases powerful surfing at Main Break to dispatch current World No. 6 Adrian Buchan (AUS) from the Margaret River Pro. 
Caption: © WSL /  Dunbar

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MARGARET RIVER, Western Australia/AUS (Sunday, April 15, 2018) - The Margaret River Pro, Stop No. 3 of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), completed men’s elimination Round 3 today in six-to-eight foot (1.8 - 2.4 metre) conditions at Main Break, the event’s primary location. 

Event wildcards Mikey Wright (AUS) and Kael Walsh (AUS) upset the early elimination round with their wins over top seeds Adrian Buchan (AUS) and Matt Wilkinson (AUS), respectively. The early wins by underdogs Wright and Walsh put them in a unique position to take down surfing’s biggest names as they advance to Round 3. In a rematch of their Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast heat, Wright will fight to again knock out reigning, two-time WSL Champion John John Florence (HAW). Walsh will be against current World No. 1 Julian Wilson (AUS) to make a run for a win in front of his home crowd. 

Wright eliminated an in-form Buchan in the third heat of the day. Wright perfectly matched the open-ocean power of Main Break with his trademark turns and sent a shot across to all competitors that, once again, he is one to watch out for.

“The waves are really fun out there this morning,” Wright said. “It’s been a great experience to have surfed two heats at two separate locations in such great waves. I had a couple of falls at the end of my waves in Round 1 so a big focus for me was to finish my waves and it seemed to pay off today.” 

Hometown hero, Walsh, showed he deserved his spot in the event by defeating World Title challenger Wilkinson in Heat 2 of Round 1. Walsh looked solid at Main Break, staying seemingly calm, while Wilkinson struggled to find a rhythm and was eliminated in Equal 25th place, his second early exit in 2018. 

“I know Matt Wilkinson is a really good competitor and it was always going to be a tough heat,” Walsh said. “I knew I’d have a good shot at matching it with the best so I wasn’t really intimidated. I’m comfortable in the waves around home and have got Jake Paterson in my corner, who has more knowledge than anyone over here, so knew I was in good hands.” 

Current Jeep Leader Italo Ferreira (BRA) was very lucky to overcome injury replacementMiguel Pupo (BRA) in their Round 2 matchup. Pupo was on fire early, posting the highest single wave score of the day, an 8.33 (out of a possible 10) in the opening exchange for a series of critical backhand snaps. Ferreira was on the ropes -- needing a 7.00 -- until the dying minutes of the heat where he found a set and was able to post a 7.50 to narrowly avoid elimination. 

“That was a really tough heat,” Ferreira said. “Miguel (Pupo) was surfing so well, and I was struggling to find any good waves. I knew on the last one I was going to have to give it my all and that the wave would have to be surfed really well. When they said the score I was so happy because I want to keep going and I want to hold onto this yellow jersey.” 

Michael February (ZAF) is officially a full-time CT competitor after taking three-time WSL Champion Mick Fanning’s (AUS) place, who retired after the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach. February has had two early losses so far on the elite Tour, but his win today over Frederico Morais (PRT) gives him the opportunity to earn a breakthrough result. 

“This is only the second heat I have won on the CT, so it feels really good,” February said. “My goal going into that heat was to catch more waves as I have had a few slow heats this year, and I didn’t want to lose another heat that way. Coming onto this tour takes a lot of adjusting and getting used to, but I just try and do my own thing.” 

Two of the most highly touted members of the 2018 rookie class, Griffin Colapinto (USA) andYago Dora (BRA), went head-to-head in Heat 7 of Round 2 and the performances did not disappoint. While Colapinto has already found his feet at the elite level, Dora has still been searching for a way out of Round 2 and his desperation showed at Main Break as he attacked the solid walls on his backhand to overcome Colapinto and escape a third-straight last-place finish. 

“It feels really good to finally get a heat win here on the Tour,” Dora said. “Griffin (Colapinto) is one of my favorite surfers on the CT, so I was really nervous to come up against him. I do like taking to the air, but this wave is more suited to power surfing, so I chose to stick to the face and do some big turns. It’s good to get some confidence from that win, especially against Griffin. I’ve taken a lot of inspiration from how he has surfed this year.” 

Another rookie who fared well in Round 2 was Michael Rodrigues (BRA), who came into his own against Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) to post one of the highest heat totals of Round 2, a 14.34 (out of a possible 20). Rodrigues mixed power and style to dominate the heat and progress into Round 3, where he will match-up with World No. 1 Ferreira. 

There were mixed results for the other CT freshman with Wade Carmichael (AUS) falling toJoan Duru (FRA), while Jesse Mendes (BRA) got the win over Tomas Hermes (BRA) in their all-rookie matchup. 

The first heat of the day saw Owen Wright (AUS) take a comfortable win over Drag Aware WA Trials winner Dave Delroy-Carr (AUS), who bowed out in Equal 25th in his first CT appearance. 

With an onshore breeze strengthening towards the end of the round, the Commissioner's Office decided to put the next rounds on standby until tomorrow morning when clean conditions are expected to return. 

Surfline, WSL forecast partner, is calling for:

Old/fading SW swell over the next couple days. Head-overhead sets still showing on Monday AM and with favorable winds. Then onshore winds Monday PM through Tuesday as the surf continues to decrease. A decent size pulse of new WSW swell moves in for Wed/Thurs (18th-19th); winds not favorable Wednesday, but looking ok for Thursday AM. High potential for a solid SW-WSW swell on the weekend (21st-22nd), but conditions are not looking good at this time.

Margaret River Men’s Pro Round 2 Results:
Heat 1: Owen Wright (AUS) 9.77 def. Dave Delroy-Carr (AUS) 5.43
Heat 2: Kael Walsh (AUS) 9.77 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 5.07 
Heat 3: Mikey Wright (AUS) 14.17 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 9.14
Heat 4: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 13.67 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 13.16
Heat 5: Michel Bourez (PYF) 14.16 def. Ian Gouveia (BRA) 9.10
Heat 6: Michael February (ZAF) 12.73 def. Frederico Morais (PRT) 9.17
Heat 7: Yago Dora (BRA) 13.76 def. Griffin Colapinto (USA) 11.93
Heat 8: Michael Rodrigues (BRA) 14.34 def. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 13.27
Heat 9: Conner Coffin (USA) 11.83 def. Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 9.57
Heat 10: Connor O’Leary (AUS) 13.50 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 12.50
Heat 11: Jesse Mendes (BRA) 9.37 def. Tomas Hermes (BRA) 9.10 
Heat 12: Joan Duru (FRA) 14.57 def. Wade Carmichael (AUS) 11.80

Margaret River Men’s Pro Round 3 Matchups:
Heat 1: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Keanu Asing (HAW)
Heat 2: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. Jesse Mendes (BRA)
Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Michael February (ZAF)
Heat 4: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Michael Rodrigues (BRA)
Heat 5: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Conner Coffin (USA)
Heat 6: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Kael Walsh (AUS)
Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Jack Robinson (AUS)
Heat 8: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Connor O’Leary (AUS)
Heat 9: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Willian Cardoso (BRA)
Heat 10: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Yago Dora (BRA)
Heat 11: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Joan Duru (FRA)
Heat 12: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Mikey Wright (AUS)

Margaret River Women’s Pro Round 2 Matchups:
Heat 1: Sage Erickson (USA) vs. Coco Ho (HAW)
Heat 2: Silvana Lima (BRA) vs. Bronte Macaulay (AUS)
Heat 3: Lakey Peterson (USA) vs. Mikaela Greene (AUS)
Heat 4: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Paige Hareb (NZL) 
Heat 5: Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) vs. Macy Callaghan (AUS)
Heat 6: Keely Andrew (AUS) vs. Malia Manuel (HAW) 

Caption: Three-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) flies out of a North Point barrel to win her Round 1 heat at the Margaret River Pro. 
Caption: © WSL /  Dunbar

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MARGARET RIVER, Western Australia/AUS (Saturday, April 14, 2018) - Stop No. 3 on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour, the Margaret River Pro, continued today with the remaining heats of men’s Round 1 and women’s Round 1 in heavy four-to-six foot (1.2 - 1.8 metre) waves at North Point.

North Point, the backup site known for its intense, barreling waves, hosted the world’s best female CT surfers for the first time in history today. Despite the slower and more challenging conditions, the women dominated the day, including the highest single-wave scores of the event from Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) and Carissa Moore (HAW). 

With the Margaret River Pro relocated to Bronte Macaulay’s (AUS) backyard, the Gracetown local chased the bigger set waves offered by North Point. Despite her efforts, the Australian was unable to complete her rides, leaving room for three-time WSL Champion Moore and Sage Erickson (AUS) to make a move. Only low-scoring rides littered the lineup until Moore found herself a deep barrel for win and a solid 7.50 (out of a possible 10). 

“I was really excited to have the opportunity to surf a heat out here at North Point,” Moore said. “I was a little nervous as I’ve only had a couple of surfs out here, so I don’t know the lineup too well. Surfing new and challenging spots like this is so good for the women’s Tour and it really pushes our performance.” 

Six-time WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) looked relaxed and confident in Round 1 Heat 3 and vaulted into an early lead over event wildcard Mikaela Greene (AUS) and current World No. 5 Keely Andrew (AUS). The current Jeep Frontrunner is off to a strong start to hunt down her first victory in Margaret River. 

“It was nerve-racking and exciting getting a chance to surf at North Point,” Gilmore said. “It was cool being out there with only the two other girls out and knowing that the next set that comes is all yours. I was so pumped after watching all of the men’s action yesterday and then seeing that barrel that Carissa (Moore) got, but the wind went a bit funky in my heat, which made it difficult. It was definitely a cool experience though and a win is a win.”

2018 CT Rookie Caroline Marks (USA) continued her epic form today at North Point by taking down Paige Hareb (NZL) and compatriot Lakey Peterson (USA). 16-year-old Marks is quickly becoming recognized for her technical backhand surfing, which was in full flight in the powerful West Australian waves. 

“I’ve only surfed out here at North Point once before, and it was totally different,” said Marks.”This was a really new experience for me. It’s really exciting and new surfing these different spots, and I love to learn so I’m stoked. I’m glad we ran here today after a number of days off. It was nice to finally get the competition started, especially in challenging and powerful waves like this. I’ve spent a lot of time looking up to these girls and now to be here surfing with them and wanting to beat them is so cool. I’m really stoked with where I’m at.”

The event’s highest single-wave score went to Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW), who posted a near-perfect 9.00-point ride with two huge backhand turns. Weston-Webb’s commitment was rewarded by the Judges, and although she didn’t find a solid backup score, it was enough to overcome reigning two-time WSL Champion Tyler Wright (AUS) and injury replacement Macy Callaghan (AUS). 

“This was the first time I surfed North Point, so it’s nice to post such a solid score like that,” Weston-Webb said. “It is really difficult once you are out there to work out which ones to go for. My game plan definitely changed a lot. I eventually found one of the cleaner waves I had been looking for and those two turns felt really nice and thought it would be a good score. When they read out a 9.00, I was stoked.” 


Caption: Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) exits her heat with a win and a barrel at the Margaret River Pro. 
Caption: © WSL /  Dunbar

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), the CT veteran focused on defending her Margaret River Pro win, started her campaign with a win over Coco Ho (HAW) and Silvana Lima (BRA) in the opening heat of Round 1. Fitzgibbons delivered control over the bumpy conditions to jump straight into Round 3, despite discomfort from a recent toe injury. Ho and Lima will face potential elimination in Round 2. 

“It’s definitely cool to surf the first women’s heat ever at North Point,” Fitzgibbons said. “It’s a really unique and tough wave to surf, particularly at this size. There is a lot of good turn sections and then some solid 10-point barrel sets, so it just comes down to what you luck into. I’ve been carrying a bit of an injury in my foot since the Gold Coast, but it is all good. It is on my back foot so is a little tender while I surf but is getting better every day. I’m really fortunate that I can surf with it as an injury would keep you out of the water. I’m stoked to be able to keep doing what I do.” 

Heat 6 saw a dramatic end to the day with Malia Manuel’s (HAW) close encounter with the rocks at North Point and board replacement mid-heat heat. It was a tough setback for the Hawaiian, who was chasing an average score to take the lead from Johanne Defay (FRA). Manuel struggled to find the waves after the incident, leaving Defay to take the win. Manuel and Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) will now surf again in elimination Round 2 when competition resumes. 

“That was really scary at the end with Malia (Manuel) so close to the rocks,” said Defay. “ I wasn’t sure what had happened but when she re-appeared in the lineup, I knew she must have been okay. It is a powerful wave to surf and anything can happen out here but it was an awesome experience for the women to surf out here. I’m so happy to get the win and to get some waves at this place.” 

Earlier this morning, the men battled through difficult conditions in the remaining five heats of Round 1 to decide who will skip to Round 3 and who will be relegated to elimination Round 2. 

2015 WSL Champion Adriano de Souza (BRA) had a breakthrough at North Point with his first Round 1 heat win of the season. The former Margaret River Pro event winner found an early keeper in a slow heat for waves to overcome Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) and 2018 CT Rookie Yago Dora (BRA).

“It feels good to take a Round 1 win,” De Souza said. “Everyone seemed to be waiting for the set waves and they stopped coming, so I had to change my strategy and luckily got that early wave. It is slow, but they are still great when they come. It was cool to share a heat with Yago (Dora) -- he is like a brother to me on Tour. He is so talented but struggled to get going in that heat. This event is special for me and to come here and get to surf all of the waves on offer is awesome. We are really blessed.” 

Former Margaret River Pro event winner and North Point standout, Sebastian Zietz (HAW), took out his  Round 1 heat over current Jeep leader Italo Ferreira (BRA) and 2018 CT RookieMichael Rodrigues (BRA). It was clear Zietz was hunting for a Perfect 10 to replicate his performance at this location last year, but the limited options on offer forced Zietz to take the heat with a combination of rail turns and shorter barrels.

“When I was watching it I thought I knew exactly where to sit and that we were going to score, but then it was a totally different ball-game once you were out there,” Zietz said. “Although it wasn’t perfect, I’m stoked to get the win and skip Round 2. I’m really happy to be back in West Aus. I feel really comfortable here and it reminds me a lot of home with all of the powerful setups and heavy slabbing waves.”

2018 CT Rookie Willian Cardoso (BRA) had his first Round 1 win of the season overcoming CT veteran Adrian Buchan (AUS) and fellow rookie Griffin Colapinto (USA). Buchan and Colapinto struggled to find the quality waves, while Cardoso patiently picked off the sets to progress directly into Round 3 and skip the dreaded elimination Round 2. 

2012 WSL Champion Joel Parkinson (AUS) beat Michel Bourez (PYF) and Patrick Gudauskas (USA) to close out the men’s competition in Heat 12. Parkinson’s heat total of a 10.34 was the highest of the men's morning as conditions slowed over the low tide, showing experience pays at the elite level.

Surfline, WSL forecast partner, is calling for:

Fading, but still fairly solid, surf and favorable morning prevails Sunday, easing further on Monday. Mid size W swell looks possible Wed-Thu, although wind may trend back onshore. Another solid SW to WSW swell remains possible for the end of the event window around the 20th-22nd. 

Margaret River Men’s Pro Remaining Round 1 Results:
Heat 8: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 5.00, Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 3.74, Yago Dora (BRA) 1.60
Heat 9: Willian Cardoso (BRA) 7.53, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 5.93, Griffin Colapinto (USA) 3.83
Heat 10: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 5.40, Italo Ferreira (BRA) 2.90, Michael Rodrigues (BRA) 2.23
Heat 11: Kolohe Andino (USA) 8.20, Frederico Morais (PRT) 5.93, Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 6.54
Heat 12: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 10.34, Michel Bourez (PYF) 2.24,  Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 1.30

Margaret River Men’s Pro Round 2 Matchups:
Heat 1: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Dave Delroy-Carr (AUS)
Heat 2: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Kael Walsh (AUS)
Heat 3: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Mikey Wright (AUS)
Heat 4: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 5: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Ian Gouveia (BRA)
Heat 6: Frederico Morais (PRT) vs. Michael February (ZAF)
Heat 7: Griffin Colapinto (USA) vs. Yago Dora (BRA)
Heat 8: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) vs. Michael Rodrigues (BRA)
Heat 9: Conner Coffin (USA) vs. Ezekiel Lau (HAW)
Heat 10: Connor O’Leary (AUS) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 11: Tomas Hermes (BRA) vs. Jesse Mendes (BRA)
Heat 12: Wade Carmichael (AUS) vs. Joan Duru (FRA)

Margaret River Women’s Pro Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 11.00, Coco Ho (HAW) 8.84, Silvana Lima (BRA) 5.93
Heat 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) 13.33, Bronte Macaulay (AUS) 2.37, Sage Erickson (USA) 2.03
Heat 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 9.56, Mikaela Greene (AUS) 6.43, Keely Andrew (AUS) 4.63
Heat 4: Caroline Marks (USA) 7.90, Paige Hareb (NZL) 4.80, Lakey Peterson (USA) 4.24
Heat 5: Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) 12.17, Tyler Wright (AUS) 11.50, Macy Callaghan (AUS) 9.34
Heat 6: Johanne Defay (FRA) 11.37, Malia Manuel (HAW) 10.17, Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 5.13

Margaret River Women’s Pro Round 2 Matchups:
Heat 1: Sage Erickson (USA) vs. Coco Ho (HAW)
Heat 2: Silvana Lima (BRA) vs. Bronte Macaulay (AUS)
Heat 3: Lakey Peterson (USA) vs. Mikaela Greene (AUS)
Heat 4: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Paige Hareb (NZL) 
Heat 5: Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) vs. Macy Callaghan (AUS)
Heat 6: Keely Andrew (AUS) vs. Malia Manuel (HAW) 

Caption: Keanu Asing (HAW) opened the Margaret River Pro with a stunning performance to earn his first heat win of the 2018 season. 
Caption: © WSL /  Cestari

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MARGARET RIVER, Western Australia/AUS (Friday, April 13, 2018) - After back-to-back lay days, the opening of the Margaret River Pro did not disappoint today as the world’s best surfers took on heavy six-to-eight foot (1.8 - 2.7 metre) conditions at North Point. North Point, the backup event site known for some of the longest and most intense barrels in the world, challenged the surfers in the first seven heats of men’s Round 1 at Stop No. 3 on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour. 

Reigning, two-time WSL Champion John John Florence (HAW) found redemption in his opening heat, overcoming wildcard Mikey Wright (AUS), who famously eliminated him in last place at Stop No. 1 on the Gold Coast earlier this year. It was bound to be a monumental heat as the reigning Margaret River Pro event winner needed to regain his footing against Wright and 2018 CT Rookie Wade Carmichael (AUS). All three competitors found incredible waves, but it was Florence whose finesse and timing in the tube saw him take the win with a 14.60 heat total (out of a possible 20).  

“I didn’t really see that as a grudge match or anything,” Florence said. “I just went out and did my own thing, which was easy as the waves are firing right now. There are so many incredible waves coming through out there, but it is hard to know where to sit and which ones to go for. It’s nice to get a heat win in the first round and get a bit of a rhythm going. Wherever we’ll be for my next round, it doesn’t matter. All three locations here are so fun, so I’ll be stoked where ever we surf.” 

2014 WSL Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) had the unenviable task of taking on local trials runner-up Kael Walsh (AUS) and CT sophomore Joan Duru (FRA) in his opening round matchup. Walsh, who is renowned for his hard-charging approach, hunted for sets early but struggled to complete his waves. Medina, on the other hand, made backhand barrel riding look easy with one long tube for the heat win. 

“It’s really tricky out there and hard to find the good ones,” Medina said. “I was lucky to find that longer one and make the barrel. There were a lot of air sections out there, so I was trying to go big, which is fun but not good for scores unless you land them. I’ve been having fun warming up here in Western Australia. There are always fun waves around. I saw Kael (Walsh) go for some big ones and knew he was going for it, which is good to see and pushes everyone.” 

Jack Robinson (AUS), the replacement surfer for an injured Caio Ibelli (BRA), earned a big win in the opening round against current World No. 4 Owen Wright (AUS) and Miguel Pupo (BRA), the injury replacement for Kelly Slater (USA). Heat 3 saw the local wildcard weave his way out of a number of epic North Point barrels, even posting an excellent 8.27 to comfortably take down his more experienced counterparts. Earlier today, Robinson defeated Jerome Forrest (AUS) in a surf off to win Ibelli’s replacement position.

“It’s been a really crazy 24 hours for me,” Robinson said. “I was actually up in Perth when I got the call about the surf off and thought I’d better get back home. It was all so unexpected and a little bit overwhelming, to be honest. I feel so at home here at North Point, so I wasn’t really worried at all. I just went out there and did what I’d do any other time I surf here. It was really cool to see the waves come up throughout the day. I’d say the good ones are eight out of ten for North Point, which is really good and so good for a contest.” 

Current World No. 1 Julian Wilson (AUS) continued his solid form in 2018 today with an opening heat win over 2018 CT Rookie Jesse Mendes (BRA) and Drug Aware WA Trials winner Dave Delroy-Carr (AUS). Although his early round exit at Bells Beach hinged more on conditions than his surfing, Wilson was keen to show the world that he belongs in the Jeep Leader Jersey.

“That opening wave was nice,” Wilson said. “It was exactly how I wanted to start the heat and was the wave I was looking for. You can definitely roll the dice out there, but it is worth looking for that really good one. I don’t think Bells was shakey -- I just didn’t have much opportunity. My surfing was feeling good and I was feeling good in general. I feel like this is going to be a good year. I’m ready to square my shoulders up and not be timid and really get stuck in. This is one of my favorite places in the world. I spend a lot of time here and am really comfortable so to move around and surf all of the spots on offer is really cool, especially today as we waited and waited and eventually it paid off.” 

Keanu Asing (HAW) earned his first CT heat win in 2018 over Australians Matt Wilkinson andConnor O’Leary in the opening heat of the event. In what looked to be an impossible escape, Asing set the bar with a technical exit out a deep tube for an excellent 8.00 (out of a possible 10). The 24-year-old is back on the elite CT after falling off in 2017 and will use this momentum for a solid result in the third event of the year. 

“I’m so stoked to finally get a heat win this season -- especially in good waves,” Asing said. "It's tough out there. It's really windy. I was so deep, and I didn't think I was going to make it. I just went through that first section and held my ground. I was just so happy to finally get a good wave."

Jordy Smith (ZAF), 2017 World Title contender, continues his opening heat-winning streak with a third-straight Round 1 win in 2018. Smith overtook Brazilian chargers Ian Gouveia and Tomas Hermes in Heat 2 with a big barrel exit for a 7.67 and a 4.50. The South African skips to Round 3, while the Brazilians prepare for an elimination Round 2 showdown. 

“The waves are pumping out there right now,” Smith said. “It’s just turned on in the last hour, so it was such a good call to wait. Taking a Round 1 heat win is super important as I hate to lose and skipping Round 2 is a massive bonus. It was great to get barrels in a heat and to feel like I was on top of my strategy.” 

The final heat of the day, Heat 7, witnessed a tough go for the competitors as they each experienced massive wipeouts. California’s Conner Coffin (USA), in particular, faced his fair share of epic falls throughout the heat and ended just 0.27 points short of the heat win overFilipe Toledo (BRA). Coffin and Michael February (ZAF) will now need to battle out of elimination Round 2 when competition resumes. 

Event officials will regroup tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. AEWT to assess the conditions for a potential 7:30 a.m. start. 

Surfline, WSL forecast partner, is calling for:

The strong SW swell that filled in through the afternoon today will ease through the day on Saturday (strongest in the morning).  Fading, but still fairly solid, surf and favorable morning wind looks likely for Sun-Mon. Mid size W swell looks possible Wed-Thu, although wind may trend back onshore. Another solid SW to WSW swell remains possible for the end of the event window around the 20th-22nd. 

Margaret River Men’s Pro Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Keanu Asing (HAW) 10.70, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 5.33, Connor O’Leary (AUS) 4.64
Heat 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.17, Ian Gouveia (BRA) 10.67, Tomas Hermes (BRA) 2.54
Heat 3: Jack Robinson (AUS) 13.94, Owen Wright (AUS) 4.03, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 2.40
Heat 4: John John Florence (HAW) 14.60, Mikey Wright (AUS) 11.87, Wade Carmichael (AUS) 8.50
Heat 5: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 10.16, Kael Walsh (AUS) 8.96, Joan Duru (FRA) 1.97
Heat 6: Julian Wilson (AUS) 10.56, Jesse Mendes (BRA) 10.00, Dave Delroy-Carr (AUS) 3.40
Heat 7: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 6.14, Conner Coffin (USA) 5.87, Michael February (ZAF) 2.57

Margaret River Men’s Pro Remaining Round 1 Matchups:
Heat 8: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Kanoa Igarashi (JPN), Yago Dora (BRA) 
Heat 9: Adrian Buchan (AUS), Griffin Colapinto (USA), Willian Cardoso (BRA)
Heat 10: Italo Ferreira (BRA),  Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Michael Rodrigues (BRA)
Heat 11: Kolohe Andino (USA), Frederico Morais (PRT), Ezekiel Lau (HAW)
Heat 12: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Michel Bourez (PYF), Patrick Gudauskas (USA)

Margaret River Women’s Pro Round 1 Matchups:
Heat 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Silvana Lima (BRA), Coco Ho (HAW)
Heat 2: Carissa Moore (HAW), Sage Erickson (USA), Bronte Macaulay (AUS)
Heat 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Keely Andrew (AUS), Mikaela Greene (AUS) 
Heat 4: Lakey Peterson (USA), Caroline Marks (USA), Paige Hareb (NZL)
Heat 5: Tyler Wright (AUS), Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW), Macy Callaghan (AUS)
Heat 6: Johanne Defay (FRA), Nikki Van Dijk (AUS), Malia Manuel (HAW)

Caption: The first stop on the WSL Championship Tour, the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast, starts Sunday, March 11. 
Caption: © WSL 

LOS ANGELES, Calif./USA (Friday, March 9, 2018) -  The World Surf League (WSL) is excited to announce new innovations, partnerships, and distribution channels ahead of the 2018 Championship Tour (CT) season. Dedicated to showcasing the world’s best surfers on the world’s best waves, the WSL demonstrates this commitment through the progressive investments in this year’s Championship Tour and beyond. 

“Our team worked hard in the off-season with the common goal of continuing to build surfing's visibility,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, WSL CEO. “We are proud to welcome great partners to the WSL family and new viewers around the globe, and we are excited to capitalize on new innovations to bring the best fan experience possible to professional surfing.”

The League is excited to welcome new official partners to the WSL family in 2018, including Lifeproof in North America and Australia, Boost Mobile in Australia, and Michelob ULTRA as the Presenting Partner of the first-ever Founders' Cup of Surfing, with additional partnership announcements planned in the coming weeks. 

 Earlier this year, the WSL announced a groundbreaking partnership with Facebook as the exclusive digital home for the top live events in surfing in 2018 and 2019, including all elite men's and women's Championship Tour events, the Qualifying Series 10,000 and Big Wave Tour events, as well as the World Junior Championships.

As part of the Partnership, fans can expect enhanced Facebook LIVE broadcast graphics, interactivity with the WSL commentators via Facebook LIVE commentating, and WSL original programming on Facebook Watch. For the first time ever, fans will experience the broadcast in Spanish, along with English and Portuguese. 

In addition to its Facebook partnership, WSL has renewed linear television agreements in its core markets of USA, Brazil, Australia, France, Portugal, and Japan. The League will have television distribution for the 2018 season in over 100 countries through new and existing broadcast partners. 

WSL PUTS FAN EXPERIENCE FIRST 

This year’s live WSL CT broadcast will introduce an array of new enhancements and innovations heading into the 2018 season. With the mission of bringing fans as close to the action as possible, the enhancements will look to provide unique and exclusive views into professional surfing. 

The 2018 season will highlight the athletes, legends, and unique characters first-hand through their feedback on the commentary panel. Viewers can expect to see surfers 'on set' with the commentary team or with a VIP headset at every event to give their perspectives on the competition. Fans will also hear from the judges with daily check-ins to provide more visibility and transparency. 

WSL will also feature ‘Course Maps’ through the partnership with Virtual Eye. The Course Maps feature will bring each of our tours stops to life via animated graphics to not only show the location of each stop on Tour, but also the dynamics that help it produce some of the best waves in the world. In addition to this update, fans will be able to experience GPS-driven graphics and data, measuring speed, air-height, and time in the barrel during the live event. The commentators will also continue to use the telestrator tool to provide deeper insights into the competitive action. 

With the goal to make surfing more accessible to the public, the WSL is about to deliver a season-long campaign to educate and demystify some of the more technical and complex elements of the sport, through all WSL channels, with ten initiatives. The athletes will lift the lid on what makes this extraordinary sport so special. 

NEW ON TOUR

The 2018 CT calendar will include new locations such as the Surf Ranch in Lemoore, Calif., and Keramas in Bali, Indonesia. The world's best women surfers will also join the men at Jeffreys Bay in South Africa. 

For the first time ever, Championship Tour surfing will be seen on a world-class, man-made wave. With the technology designed by Kelly Slater, stadium surfing will be enjoyed live and up-close by thousands of fans at Surf Ranch in Lemoore California. In another innovation, a team-versus-team specialty event, Founders' Cup of Surfing, will take place in May, and is perfect for global broadcast with further details to follow. 

Additional changes to the WSL Championship Tour include the elimination of Round 5 from men’s events and Round 4 from women’s events. The respective three-person rounds, which have been non-elimination up until this season, will now advance 1st and 2nd-place finishing surfers directly to the Quarterfinals with 3rd finishing 9th in the event.

The overlapping format, which allows for two heats to run simultaneously when conditions permit, has been extended to venues in Gold Coast and France to join Bells Beach, Jeffreys Bay and Pipeline where this format was already permitted. 

With the focus on improving the fan and competitive experience, these changes help us to condense the length of the events and ensure that the athletes compete in the best conditions possible. 

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS

With a new, region-based competitive format on display at the first-ever Founders' Cup of Surfing in May, WSL is poised to unite its fans in support of regional surf teams for the first time - with an eye toward building fervor for surfing's first-ever inclusion in the Olympics in 2020. 

Led by reigning two-time WSL Champions John John Florence (HAW) and Tyler Wright (AUS), the first event of the 2018 WSL Championship Tour will be the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast in Australia from March 11 - 22, 2018. Fans can experience all the enhanced broadcast features via WorldSurfLeague.com, Facebook LIVE, or on the WSL app. 

Caption: California's Griffin Colapinto (USA) will join the elite men's Championship Tour in 2018. 
Credit: © WSL / Cestari

LOS ANGELES, California/USA (Tuesday, December 19, 2017) - The 2017 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) season has come to a close, with John John Florence (HAW)and Tyler Wright (AUS) both defending their respective maiden world surfing crowns to become two-time WSL Champions.

The 2018 elite men’s Championship Tour (CT) will be contested by the WSL Top 34, made up of the top 22 finishers on the 2017 CT season, the top 10 finishers on the 2017 Qualifying Series (QS) and two WSL wildcards.

2017 Top 22 CT:
John John Florence (HAW)
Gabriel Medina (BRA)
Julian Wilson (AUS)
Jordy Smith (ZAF)
Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Owen Wright (AUS)
Kolohe Andino (USA)
Adriano de Souza (BRA)
Joel Parkinson (AUS)
Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Sebastian Zietz (HAW)
Mick Fanning (AUS)
Connor O’Leary (AUS)
Frederico Morais (PRT)
Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Kanoa Igarashi (USA)
Caio Ibelli (BRA)
Michel Bourez (PYF)
Conner Coffin (USA)
Joan Duru (FRA)
Italo Ferreira (BRA)

2017 Top 10 QS (minus double qualifiers from CT):
Griffin Colapinto (USA)
Jesse Mendes (BRA)
Wade Carmichael (AUS)
Tomas Hermes (BRA)
Yago Dora (BRA)
Willian Cardoso (BRA)
Keanu Asing (HAW)
Ezekiel Lau (HAW)
Michael Rodrigues (BRA)
Patrick Gudauskas (USA)

WSL Wildcards: Kelly Slater (USA) and Ian Gouveia (BRA)

CT Men’s Replacement Surfers:
Michael February (ZAF)
Bede Durbidge (AUS)
Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Wiggolly Dantas (BRA)

The 2018 elite women’s Championship Tour (CT) will be contested by the WSL Top 17, comprised of the top 10 finishers on the 2017 CT, the top six finishers on the 2017 QS and the WSL wildcard.

2017 Top 10 CT:
Tyler Wright (AUS)
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
Courtney Conlogue (USA)
Carissa Moore (HAW)
Lakey Peterson (USA)
Nikki Van Dijk (AUS)
Sage Erickson (USA)
Johanne Defay (FRA)
Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW)

2017 Top 6 QS (minus double qualifiers from the CT):
Silvana Lima (BRA)
Bronte Macaulay (AUS)
Coco Ho (HAW)
Caroline Marks (USA)
Keely Andrew (AUS)
Paige Hareb (NZL)

WSL Wildcard: Malia Manuel (HAW)

CT Women’s Replacement Surfers:
Macy Callaghan (AUS)
Pauline Ado (FRA)
Dimity Stoyle (AUS)
Bianca Buitendag (ZAF)

The 2018 WSL Championship Tour season will commence with the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast from March 11 - 22, 2018.

For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com. 

RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH OPENS WITH BIG PERFORMANCES FROM WORLD'S BEST SURFERS
- WRIGHT, MOORE, PETERSON & DEFAY THROUGH TO QUARTERFINALS
- MOORE SCORES STUNNING, NEAR-PERFECT 19.13
- MORE AVAILABLE AT WORLDSURFLEAGUE.COM

Caption: Three-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) lit up the opening day of the Rip Curl Women's Pro Bells Beach with incredible performances in her matchups. 
Credit: © WSL / Cestari

BELLS BEACH, Victoria/AUS (Wednesday, April 12, 2017) - The opening day of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, the third stop on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), saw incredible performances as the event ran through women’s Rounds 1, 2 and 3 in three-to-five foot (1 - 2 metre) conditions at Bells Beach.

Reigning WSL Champion Tyler Wright (AUS) put on a clinic today at Bells Beach with a phenomenal performance in both Round 1 and Round 3. Wright posted an outstanding 17.00 two-wave combined score in Round 1 and continued to showcase her flair with an 18.47 in Round 3. Wright’s wins today earn her a place in the Quarterfinals and moves her one step closer to ringing the coveted Bell for the first time. Sage Erickson (USA) and local favorite Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) were not able to challenge Wright in Round 3 and will be sent to elimination Round 4 for one final opportunity to make the final series.

“It’s been a really good day today -- scoring consistent Bells -- it’s great,” Wright said. “You still have to be relatively selective with the waves that we take, but because it is consistent, you can afford to try a few different things in a heat, which is nice. I haven’t won this event before so it’s definitely a goal, but at the moment I’m focussing on smaller goals and will deal with bigger ones when I arrive at them. I’ve had a lot of real-life pressure situations recently, so I feel a lot less pressure when surfing heats. It definitely helps and has given me perspective.”

Earlier this morning, three-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) was relegated to elimination Round 2 by Van Dijk. Despite the early loss, Moore made an emphatic comeback in her elimination Round 2 heat with an amazing 19.13 combined score, the highest score of the day, against trials winner Ella Williams (NZL). Moore exhibited why she is a three-time winner at Bells with powerful turns and aggressive snaps.

Moore continued to charge through in the opening heat of Round 3 against 2016 event winner Courtney Conlogue (USA) and compatriot Coco Ho (HAW). In a close battle, Moore locked in a 7.17 and excellent 8.33, while Conlogue turned up the heat with an 8.00 and 7.03. Conlogue was not unable to post the required 7.51 on her last maneuver, giving Moore her third Quarterfinal berth of the season.

“The waves are pumping out there, just so many sets,” Moore said. “I’m so exhausted. It was a lot of work out there and we have surfed so many heats today, so winning that and skipping into the Quarterfinals is such a bonus. Now I can relax for a bit. The waves were so different in each heat so we really had to adapt quickly. I’m feeling good and am stoked to have bounced back from my first heat. It’s just great to be back at Bells.”

Six-time WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) continued her incredible form from the Gold Coast and Margaret River into Round 1, but was not able to take out her Round 3 heat. Non-elimination Round 3 Heat 3 saw current World No. 1 Gilmore struggle to find the waves to combat current World No. 7 Lakey Peterson (USA) and World No. 12 Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW). Peterson unleashed an excellent 8.57 and strong 6.33 to earn her place in the Quarterfinals.

Tied with Gilmore for World No.1 is Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), was not able to win her Round 3 and will surf again in elimination Round 4. The final heat of the day saw 2017 World Title contender Johanne Defay (FRA) take the win. With only limited scoring opportunities on offer, Defay capitalized on two waves for a 9.33 combined score over Fitzgibbons and Silvana Lima (BRA).

“That was a really tricky heat,” Defay said. “The wind was increasing and conditions changing so it was hard to know what waves to go for. My scores were pretty low and so were my opponents but it’s always better to win a heat with a high total. I’ll always take a win into the Quarterfinals though. It was a real shame to come in at the end and see that Sally [Fitzgibbons] had hurt herself. I really do hope she is okay and recovers quickly.”

Needing a score on her last wave, Fitzgibbons took off on a set as a last-ditch effort to take the heat. Her first attempt at a turn was a big one, but she fell awkwardly and cut her foot on her fin. The medical team is taking care of Fitzgibbons now. The extent of her injuries are unknown. More information will be available on Fitzgibbons’ condition in the coming days.

“Sally Fitzgibbons is in a fair-bit of pain,” said WSL Deputy Commissioner Jessi Miley-Dyer. “I think she has a pretty big gash at the top of her foot. I do not know the much about how deep or anything but there is a fair amount of blood. The medics are taking care of her now.”

In her first heat win of the 2017 CT season, Lima took down Laura Enever (AUS) in Round 2 Heat 6. Enever, who withdrew from the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro due to injury, was not able to survive her first elimination heat back and will see an early exit from the event.

Pauline Ado (FRA), 2017 CT Rookie Bronte Macaulay (AUS), injury replacement Isabella Nichols (AUS), and 2016 WSL Rookie of the Year Keely Andrew (AUS) were not able to make it out of their Round 2 matchups and will exit in Equal 13th place.

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 6:45 a.m. local time to reassess the conditions and make the next call.

Surfline, official forecast for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, are calling for:

The first half of the waiting period has several potential swells: medium size SW swell on Wednesday, fades Thursday. Back-to-back SW swells are possible from Friday afternoon through Sun/Mon that, at this point, look roughly similar in size. There is potential for a larger and possibly solid SW/SSW swell for Tue-Thur the 18th-20th.

The event will be broadcast LIVE via WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL app and on Facebook LIVE via the WSL's Facebook page. Also check the local listings for coverage on CBS Sports Network in the U.S., Fox Sports in Australia, ESPN in Brazil, Sky NZ in New Zealand, SFR Sports in France and Portugal and as part of the EDGEsport Network.

For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com.

Rip Curl Women’s Pro Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Sage Erickson (USA) 14.00, Courtney Conlogue (USA) 13.74,  Coco Ho (HAW) 11.03
Heat 2: Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 12.67, Carissa Moore (HAW) 11.67, Bronte Macaulay (AUS) 9.16
Heat 3: Tyler Wright (AUS) 17.00, Ella Williams (NZL) 6.53, Laura Enever (AUS) 6.50
Heat 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 14.94, Isabella Nichols (AUS) 10.16, Keely Andrew (AUS) 9.56
Heat 5: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.13, Lakey Peterson (USA) 13.60, Pauline Ado (FRA) 7.44
Heat 6: Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) 13.34, Silvana Lima (BRA) 12.16, Johanne Defay (FRA) 8.74

Rip Curl Women’s Pro Round 2 Results:
Heat 1: Coco Ho (HAW) 12.14 def. Keely Andrew (AUS) 12.00
Heat 2: Lakey Peterson (USA) 13.70 def. Bronte Macaulay (AUS) 12.44
Heat 3: Carissa Moore (HAW) 19.13 def. Ella Williams (NZL) 6.37
Heat 4: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 16.44 def. Isabella Nichols (AUS) 12.56
Heat 5: Johanne Defay (FRA) 15.43 def. Pauline Ado (FRA) 9.43
Heat 6: Silvana Lima (BRA) 14.50 def. Laura Enever (AUS) 4.13

Rip Curl Women’s Pro Round 3 Results:
Heat 1: Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.50, Courtney Conlogue (USA) 15.03, Coco Ho (HAW) 10.60
Heat 2: Tyler Wright (AUS) 18.47, Sage Erickson (USA) 15.73, Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 8.76
Heat 3:  Lakey Peterson (USA) 14.90, Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) 12.84, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 12.00
Heat 4: Johanne Defay (FRA) 9.33, Silvana Lima (BRA) 4.80, Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 1.73

Rip Curl Women’s Pro Round 4 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Courtney Conlogue (USA) vs. Nikki Van Dijk (AUS)
Heat 2: Sage Erickson (USA) vs. Coco Ho (HAW)
Heat 3: Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) vs. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
Heat 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Round 1 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Mick Fanning (AUS), Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 2: Owen Wright (AUS), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Ezekiel Lau (HAW)
Heat 3: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Stuart Kennedy (AUS), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
Heat 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Kanoa Igarashi (USA), Nat Young (USA)
Heat 5: Kolohe Andino (USA), Jack Freestone (AUS), Samuel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 6: John John Florence (HAW), Jeremy Flores (FRA), Glyndyn Ringrose (AUS)
Heat 7: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Caio Ibelli (BRA), Joan Duru (FRA)
Heat 8: Kelly Slater (USA), Josh Kerr (AUS), Ian Gouveia (BRA)
Heat 9: Michel Bourez (PYF), Connor O’Leary (AUS), Ethan Ewing (AUS)
Heat 10: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Frederico Morais (PRT)
Heat 11: Filipe Toledo (BRA), Conner Coffin (USA), Bede Durbidge (AUS)
Heat 12: Julian Wilson (AUS), Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA)

Caption: 2016 WSL Champion John John Florence (HAW) claimed victory today at the 2017 Drug Aware Margaret River Pro. 
Credit: © WSL / Dunbar

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO NEWS FEEDS: https://wdrv.it/06007dce5
 

MARGARET RIVER, Western Australia/AUS (Sunday, April 9, 2017) - Reigning WSL Champion John John Florence (HAW) claimed victory today at the second stop of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro, after defeating Kolohe Andino (USA) in the Final.

Florence lit up Western Australia and dominated the event with near-perfect scores in almost every heat. The reigning WSL Champion continued his form throughout the Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Final today in solid six-to-eight foot (2 - 2.5 metre) waves at Margaret River’s Main Break.

Florence’s success marks his first victory on the CT Australian leg and best ever start to the elite Championship season. The win pushes Florence up to first on the Jeep Leaderboard and he will sport the coveted Jeep Leader Jersey heading into Bells Beach.

“This is one of my favourite places to come to in the world,” said Florence. “There is such an abundance of different and amazing waves. The crowd we get for the event is awesome and it’s just such a special event. Thank you to my mom and family. My mom would take me and my brothers to all of our surfing events when we were kids and was always supportive. I wish she was here to celebrate, but I know they are watching at home. My support crew here has been really great and fun to surf and just hang out with, so thank you to those guys.”

The Final saw a dramatic finish as Florence charged through Main Break with massive laybacks and powerful rail-carves. Andino fought back with a big air reverse and clean snaps for a 13.60 two-wave score. Despite Andino’s technical maneuvers, Florence kept on pace with his previous performances to earn a phenomenal 19.03 combined score to close out the day.

“I was really excited to get out there and just stay focused on my own surfing at this event,” continued Florence. “I feel like I learned a ton last year. I have been working closely on my equipment and my boards feel incredible right now. Surfing against Kolohe [Andino] in the Final was really cool. He used to always beat me in the national events when we were kids, so it was nice to get one back on him.”

Caption: Reigning WSL Champion John John Florence (HAW) charged through the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro to earn the event win and the top spot on the Jeep Leaderboard. 
Credit: © WSL / Sloane

Andino’s runner-up finish is his best result in Margaret River and will move him up to 3rd place on the Jeep Leaderboard. Andino has yet to solidify an event win on the elite Championship Tour, but will now look to Bells to improve his 2017 World Title campaign.

“I’m really stoked with this event,” Andino said. “The waves today -- and the entire event for that matter -- have been awesome. You can’t ask for much more than big swell and offshore winds. I know I work as hard as anyone else on tour and my surfing is there, but I just need to work on competing right. This event was really John’s [Florence] to lose. I am glad I was on the other side of the draw as he was ripping so hard all event. I’ve been competing against John since as long as I can remember and he has always pushed me a lot, so it was cool to share a CT Final with him.”

Caption: 2017 World Title contender Kolohe Andino (USA) put on incredible performances today at the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro en route to his runner-up finish. 
Credit: © WSL / Dunbar

Semifinal 1 saw Florence take down Australian threat Jack Freestone (AUS). Despite this being Freestone’s second year on the CT, the young charger made his mark at this event with big wins over top seeds. Unfortunately, Freestone met his match in the Semifinals and was not able to hold on against eventual winner Florence. Freestone’s 3rd place finish will give him a boost up to 8th on the Jeep Leaderboard.

Freestone opened up the day a huge upset as he eliminated Owen Wright (AUS) in the Quarterfinals. Wright looked in great form, but an equipment malfunction during a set wave caused him to fall on his bottom turn. Wright was unable to find the 5.51 required to combat Freestone. Wright came into this event ranked No. 1, but will now move to 2nd on the Jeep Leaderboard with his 5th place finish.

“I kind of liked that the start was a bit slow because then it would come down to what wave you were going to choose and what tactics you were going to play,” said Wright. “But that did not go to plan at all. Jack [Freestone] took off on a wave that had a lesser-score, but then a perfect one came through for me and a fin popped out on my bottom turn. Brand new board, brand new fins, and the fin box was tight, but the fin just popped out on the bottom turn. I just skidded out and fell on my back. It was such a good wave. All the best to Jack. I am just a bit bummed that that went that way for me.”

Filipe Toledo (BRA) fell to Andino in a close Semifinal match-up by only 0.63-points. The two went blow for blow but it was Andino who took the win. The heat was briefly put on a precautionary hold halfway through the heat due to fear of a shark presence in the lineup. Event organizers fully assessed the area before resuming the event.

Toledo, who was absent at last year’s event due to an injury, put on a stunning performance throughout the day to earn a 3rd place result. Toledo will also climb from 25th to 8th place on the Jeep Leaderboard. Toledo previously ousted 2015 WSL Champion and former event winner, Adriano de Souza (BRA), in the all-Brazilian Quarterfinal matchup.

“That was a really strange heat,” Toledo said. “Stopping half way through then resuming, it was hard to stay focussed out there. I’m really happy with my result here. This is a place where I feel I don’t get much attention so to show everyone that I can perform in conditions like this is really good for me. I can deal with big open face waves and powerful surf. I just want to make sure I can take this form with me to Bells and keep it going.”

Florence also eliminated former event winner Michel Bourez (PYF) in the Quarterfinals.

Earlier today, Jordy Smith (ZAF) was dispatched by Andino in the Quarterfinals. Smith put up a solid battle with two excellent 8-point rides, but it was not enough to overcome Andino’s incredible, near-perfect 18.77 combined score. Smith will walk away with an Equal 5th place finish and 4th ranking heading in the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.

Highlights from the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro are available at WorldSurfLeague.com.

The next stop on the 2017 WSL Championship Tour is the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia from April 12 - April 24. The event will be broadcast LIVE via WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL app and on Facebook LIVE via the WSL’s Facebook page. Also check the local listings for coverage on CBS Sports Network in the U.S., Fox Sports in Australia, ESPN in Brazil, Sky NZ in New Zealand, SFR Sports in France and Portugal and as part of the EDGEsport Network.

For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com.

Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Men’s Final Results:
1 - John John Florence (HAW) 19.03
2 - Kolohe Andino (USA) 13.60

Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Men’s Semifinal Results:
SF 1: John John Florence (HAW) 19.27 def. Jack Freestone (AUS) 10.57
SF 2: Kolohe Andino (USA) 15.63 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 15.00

Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Men’s Quarterfinal Results:
QF 1: Jack Freestone (AUS) 10.50 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 5.50
QF 2: John John Florence (HAW) 18.04 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 15.77
QF 3: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 12.83 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 10.33
QF 4: Kolohe Andino (USA) 18.77 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.86

2017 WSL Men’s Jeep Leaderboard (After Drug Aware Margaret River Pro):
1 - John John Florence (HAW) 16,500 pts
2 - Owen Wright (AUS) 15,200 pts
3 - Kolohe Andino (USA) 12,000 pts
4 - Jordy Smith (ZAF) 9,200 pts
4 - Adriano de Souza (BRA) 9,200 pts

Caption: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) took down WSL Champions Tyler Wright (AUS) and Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) today en route to her victory at the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro. 
Credit: © WSL / Sloane

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO NEWS FEEDS: https://wdrv.it/4595d3c0e

MARGARET RIVER, Western Australia/AUS (Saturday, April 8, 2017) - Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) has won the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro today after taking down 2016 WSL Champion Tyler Wright (AUS) in the Final. The Final Day of the women’s event witnessed the remaining four competitors compete in three-to-five foot (1 - 1.5 metre) conditions at Main Break in Western Australia.

The second stop of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro, saw Fitzgibbons claim her first ever win in Margaret River, marking her 10th CT victory. Fitzgibbons’ success today now ties her for World No. 1 on the Jeep Leaderboard with six-time WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS).

“I’m so over the moon to be holding this trophy,” Fitzgibbons said. “When I heard my name being called out as the champion, I really felt a sense of belonging and calm. It’s been an amazing couple of weeks here in the West and to finish it off with a win is the best feeling. I love coming to Margaret River. I feel like it’s a place that I am super comfortable and familiar with, so it’s a special event win for me.”

The Final saw the heated all-Australian battle unfold between Fitzgibbons and Wright at Main Break. Fitzgibbons kicked off the Final with an authoritative 7.83 on her opening ride. Wright fired back on multiple attempts, but was only able to lock in mid-range scores. Fitzgibbons continued to better her position with a strong 7.07, forcing Wright to chase an excellent 8.30. On her last attempt, Wright was not able to challenge Fitzgibbons’ 14.90 combined score.

“The town of Gerroa is so small and it was well represented today in the final with Tyler [Wright] and myself, which is really cool,” continued Fitzgibbons. “Holding equal first on the rankings is a special feeling for me. It’s a long year, so I just need to keep focused and keep to my goals and hopefully hold on to the top spot.”

Caption: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) charged through her Final and Semifinal matchups to earn her 10th CT event win. 
Credit: © WSL / Dunbar

Defending event winner Wright had a dominating run on her way to the Final at the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro, posting a number of the event’s highest heat totals along the way. Wright’s focus and determination was evident throughout the event and she will exit with a runner-up finish.

“I was actually pretty happy with the way I ran the heat,” said Wright. “Just the waves, I thought, were a little bit trickier towards the end there and I just didn’t get a clean line, but I am stoked for Sally [Fitzgibbons] to come away with the win. I’ve known Sally since I was 9-years-old,  we live in the same town now, and we are both from the South Coast. I am stoked that both of us were in the Final.”

Wright’s result will improve her ranking from 5th to 3rd on the Jeep Leaderboard. Although the 2016 WSL Champion was not able to defend her event win in WA, Wright will look to best last year’s 5th place finish at Bells to close out the Australian leg.


Caption: Reigning WSL Champion and defending event winner Tyler Wright (AUS) earned a runner-up finish today and will move up to 3rd on the Jeep Leaderboard. 
Credit: © WSL / Dunbar

Fitzgibbons had the mammoth task of overcoming six-time WSL Champion Gilmore in Semifinal 2. Gilmore played a patient game waiting for the sets, but was not able to post required scores, leaving her only 0.50-points short of the heat win. Gilmore was frustrated by her performance, but will remain atop the Jeep Leaderboard.

“That really didn’t go to plan,” Gilmore said. “Before the heat, my plan was to stay really active and then once I was out there, it didn’t really work out that way. I couldn’t really find a decent wave that would offer an excellent score. In conditions like this you can’t expect to find those waves that easily, so you need to keep busy, and I didn’t do that. Third is definitely a keeper. It would be nice to win them all, that’s what we are here for, but third is definitely nice.”

Caption: Six-time WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) will exit with a 3rd place result at the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro. 
Credit: © WSL / Dunbar

On her way to the final, Wright came up against Californian Sage Erickson (USA) who had been on a tear all event. Erickson was put in a combination early, but put up a great fight to come back into contention in the second half of the heat. Erickson’s 3rd place finish matches her best result on the elite CT level and stamps her best ever finish at the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro. Erickson now moves to 10th place on the Jeep Rankings.

“It was pretty tricky out there, but there were definitely opportunities, which Tyler [Wright] took advantage of,” Erickson said. “I feel like where I fell down was letting her take good waves and not choosing the better ones myself. I never really felt in-tune with the conditions and she definitely was. This event has been a really great learning experience for me.”

With the men’s final series still remaining, event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 6:45 a.m. local time to make the next call.

Surfline, official forecast for the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro, are calling for:  

The best surf of the remaining period will occur on Sunday with strong swell and favorable wind.  Saturday will see smaller, but still good size, surf in the morning along with some possible leftover lump and bump (although early morning wind should be light).       

The event will be broadcast LIVE via WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL app and on Facebook LIVE via the WSL’s Facebook page. Also check the local listings for coverage on CBS Sports Network in the U.S., Fox Sports in Australia, ESPN in Brazil, Sky NZ in New Zealand, SFR Sports in France and Portugal and as part of the EDGEsport Network.

For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com.

Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Women’s Final Results:
1 - Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.90
2 - Tyler Wright (AUS) 12.53

Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Women’s Semifinal Results:
SF 1: Tyler Wright (AUS) 16.00 def. Sage Erickson (USA) 12.17
SF 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 11.43 def.  Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 10.93

2017 WSL Women’s Jeep Leaderboard (After Drug Aware Margaret River Pro):
1 - Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16,500 pts
1 - Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 16,500 pts
3 - Tyler Wright (AUS) 13,200 pts
4 - Carissa Moore (HAW) 10,400 pts
4 - Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 10,400 pts

Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Men’s Quarterfinal Match-Ups:
QF 1: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS)
QF 2: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
QF 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA)
QF 4: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)