SURF FIRES FOR MASSIVE DAY OF ACTION AT KRUI PRO IN SUMATRA 
- 8 QUARTERFINALS REMAIN IN MEN'S DIVISION & 4 SEMIFINALISTS IN WOMEN'S
- FINALS SET TO RUN IN EPIC SURF TOMORROW
- MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT WORLDSURFLEAGUE.COM

Caption: Australia's Harley Ross tearing through waves and heats at the Krui Pro today.
Credit: © WSL / Tim Hain

WORLD CLASS LINE UP OF ATHLETES READY FOR PRO SANTA CRUZ PRES. BY OAKLEY
- STOP NO.6 OF EUROPEAN QUALIFYING SERIES
- FREDERICO MORAIS AND TIAGO PIRES LEAD A-LIST FIELD IN SANTA CRUZ
- MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT WORLDSURFLEAGUE.COM

Caption: World No. 14 Frederico Morais will fly the Portuguese flag on home turf.
Credit: © WSL / Poullenot

This year again, the event has attracted a flurry of international talent, with ten past or current Championship Tour (CT) competitors enrolled. Portuguese superstar and current World No. 14 Frederico Morais will lead the field in the fun beach breaks of the beautiful praia da fisica. 

The list of talented surfers joining the fun include Kanoa Igarashi (JPN), Joan Duru (FRA), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Jadson Andre(BRA), Ryan Callinan (AUS), long-time Championship Tour Portuguese ambassador Tiago Pires (PRT) and more.

With 3,000 qualifying points on offer for the winner, a victory in Santa Cruz could make a huge difference in the year-end tallies to decide the qualifiers for the Elite tour. That explains why most of the Qualifying Series’ top surfers will compete alongside some of the elite’s Top 34.

The pristine rugged coastline of Santa Cruz mixes clean white-sand beaches and abrupt cliffs overlooking the ocean, painting an incredible background for a week of high-performance professional surfing.

This event will also close the early Qualifying Series season on European soil, where five events took surfers from Israel, to the Canary Islands, Martinique, Portugal and Basque Country since January. QS athletes will go on to compete  in Indonesia, Japan, South Africa, the U.S.A and Chile among other destinations before returning to Europe this summer for the traditional leg of events starting in England in early August.

The event will be webcast LIVE at worldsurfleague.com and on the WSL app.

The Santa Cruz Pro 2018 pres. by Oakley is scheduled from April 24-29, 2018 at Praia da Fisica, Santa Cruz - Portugal. For all results, photos, video highlights and press releases, log on to worldsurfleague.com. 

The Santa Cruz Pro 2018 pres. by Oakley is produced by WSL, supported by the City Council of Torres Vedras , Tourism of Portugal, Meo, EDP, Hertz, Aguas Vimeiro, Hotel Golfe Mar and Noah Surf House, with media partner  Onfire, RTP, DN, and official forecaster MagicSeaWeed.com.

QUARTERFINALISTS DECIDED AT KRUI PRO WOMEN’S QS1,000 
- SURFERS FROM 6 COUNTRIES REMAIN IN CONTENTION
- MEN'S DIVISION SET TO RESUME TOMORROW
- MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT WORLDSURFLEAGUE.COM

Caption: Lucia Martino from Spain going to work on the long lefts on offer at the Krui Pro today.
Credit: © WSL / Tim Hain

Caption: The Margaret River Pro has been called off due to safety concerns. 
Caption: © WSL /  Cestari

MARGARET RIVER, Western Australia/AUS (Wednesday, April 18, 2018) - Early this morning, WSL CEO Sophie Goldschmidt sent a letter to surfers informing them of the cancellation of the remainder of the 2018 Margaret River Pro, Event No. 3 on the 2018 WSL Championship Tour, as a result of exceptional and unique circumstances surrounding this season’s event with regards to sharks and the safety of our surfers. 

“The WSL puts the highest premium on safety,” Goldschmidt wrote. “This cannot be just talk, and it cannot be compromised. Surfing is a sport that carries various forms of risk, and is unique in that wild animals inhabit our performance environment. Sharks are an occasional reality of WSL competitions, and of surfing in general. Everyone associated with our sport knows that. There have been incidents in the past - and it’s possible that there will be incidents in the future - which did not (and will not) result in the cancellation of an event. However, current circumstances are very unusual and troubling, and we have decided that the elevated risk during this season’s Margaret River Pro has crossed the threshold for what is acceptable.”

Following two separate incidents that occurred at nearby Gracetown on Monday, April 16, approximately 6 kms away from primary competition site at Main Break, the WSL actioned safety protocols and met with a variety of stakeholders for feedback over the past 48 hours before making the decision to cancel the event.

“Safety is our top priority and this is the right call given the circumstances,” Kieren Perrow, WSL Commissioner, said. “We’ve closely assessed the situation, spoke with the athletes, Water Safety, local authorities and reviewed as much information as possible. Margaret River is a fantastic part of the world, but the presence of actively aggressive sharks and beached whales this season have convinced us that this is the correct course of action.”

“It’s a really difficult decision as the surfers love coming here,” Sage Erickson, WSL CT Surfer and Women’s Representative, said. “It’s beautiful, the waves are amazing and the community is very supportive of professional surfing. That said, the situation this season is really challenging and a number of surfers don’t feel safe. I know it isn’t an easy decision, but we really appreciate the amount of information and discussion that went into it.”

“Sharks are something we will continually deal with every time we surf and we accept that risk,” Adrian Buchan, WSL CT Surfer and Men’s Representative, said. “Given the extenuating circumstances of dead whale carcasses, multiple attacks and increased sightings, I'm fully supportive of the WSL's stance to put Surfers safety before all else. South West WA is one of myfavourite places to visit and part of its allure is the raw beauty and feeling of being close to nature. I'm really feeling for the local community and look forward to to being back soon.”

The cancellation of the Margaret River Pro will see points distributed per the WSL rulebook, but organizers have not ruled out potentially completing the events elsewhere during the season.

KRUI PRO QS SET FOR START IN SUMATRA INDONESIA
- QS1500 MEN AND QS1000 WOMEN TO START IN PUMPING SURF EARLY TOMORROW
- EVENT WILL HAVE LIVE WEBCAST FOR FIRST TIME EVER
- MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT WORLDSURFLEAGUE.COM

Caption: WSL and Government Officials start the 2018 Krui Pro with a Press Conference.
Credit: © WSL / Tim Hain

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)

WSL HAWAII/TAHITI NUI TO WRAP 2017/’18 WINTER SURF SEASON AT PIPELINE
- KAUAI'S GABRIELA BRYAN HEADS INTO WAHINE PIPE PRO AS REGIONAL FRONTRUNNER
- PIPE PRO JUNIOR TO SEE TOP HAWAII ATHLETES COMPETE AGAINST SEVEN OTHER COUNTRIES

Caption: WSL Hawaii/Tahiti Nui Junior rankings leader Wyatt McHale (HAW) finished in the Semifinals at last year's Pipe Pro Junior.
Credit: © WSL / Freesurf / Heff

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Haleiwa, Oahu/HAWAII – (Tuesday, March 20, 2018 ) -- The World Surf League (WSL) Hawaii/Tahiti Nui region has just returned from French Polynesia, where it completed a series of five different competitive events, and now opens a new event window for the Pipe Pro Junior and Wahine Pipe Pro from April 27 – March 3. A Men’s Junior Qualifying Series (JQS) 1,000 and Women’s QS 1,000, the two divisions will count toward regional rankings for 2018 and see top placing surfers one step closer to a sought-after spot in the 2018 World Junior Championships.

Fresh off a win at the Papara Pro Vahine Open Tahiti and runner-up at the Papara Pro Junior, Gabriela Bryan (HAW) heads into the Wahine Pipe Pro as the top seed. The Kauai native also won the Sunset Pro Junior in January and now leads both the Women’s QS and Women’s Pro Junior rankings in the Hawaii/Tahiti Nui region.

“I had a list of goals this year and both of them got ticked off,” Bryan said following her Papara Pro Vahine Open win. “One of my goals was to win a Pro Junior, one of them was to win a QS. I’ve just been working really hard so it’s cool to finally have all the hard work pay off.”

Following the Wahine Pipe Pro, Bryan plans to compete in a few more QS events around the world to maintain momentum, then head into the Pro Junior at Turtle Bay this October with a focused desire to win.


Bryan's committed approach is what earned her a win at the Sunset Pro Junior and Papara Pro Open Vahine this year. Image: WSL/Freesurf/Heff

“Hopefully at the Turtle Bay Resort Pro Junior I can claim the regional title for the Junior division and go to Worlds, that would be really awesome,” Bryan said. “Heading into that final Pro Junior of the year, my goal is to obviously win and come out on top for the overall rankings.”

The Pipe Pro Junior will feature a 48-man field with athletes like Dwight Pastrana (PRI), 17, traveling from as far as Puerto Rico to compete. The other countries represented in the competition include French Polynesia, Australia, USA, Mexico, Costa Rica and Japan.

Leading the Men’s Pro Junior regional rankings is 16-year-old Wyatt McHale (HAW), who finaled at both the Sunset Pro Junior in January and the Papara Pro Junior last week.

“I’m pretty stoked to be consistent and hopefully get one more good result before the end of the year,” said McHale following his second-place finish at the Papara Pro Junior. “I definitely want to qualify for World Juniors and if I could win the region that would be awesome too, but main goal is World Juniors.”

Defending event winner and 2017 Regional Junior Champion Barron Mamiya (HAW) will return to Hawaii after a successful stint in Australia that saw him earn runner-up at the Burton Automotive Pro QS 6,000 and surf the Vissla Sydney Surf Pro. Currently in the No. 5 spot on the International QS rankings, Mamiya is the highest rated athlete from Hawaii for potential Championship Tour (CT) qualification in 2019.


Last year's Pipe Pro Junior winner, Mamiya returns to defend his title in his final year as a Junior. Image: WSL/Freesurf/Keoki

Also entered in the men’s draw is Finn McGill (HAW), 17, who earned a win at the first Pro Junior event of the Hawaii/Tahiti Nui season. He sits only 275 points below McHale on the regional rankings and will be a fierce contender at Pipeline, given his prowess at the world-famous break. A proven winner at Pipe, McGill won the 2016 Pipe Invitational against an incredibly stacked field of veterans to receive a spot into the Billabong Pipe Masters, the final WSL Men’s CT stop of the year.

The QS Women and Junior Men will have the opportunity to surf Pipeline with only a few other competitors in the lineup, a rare occasion considering the popularity of the perfect, barreling wave. The eight-day holding period will feature two full days of competition with a 48-man field for the Junior Men and a 16-man field for the Women's QS.

Fans can visit WorldSurfLeague.com for live scoring during the Wahine Pipe Pro and Pipe Pro Junior, or check out the event pages for highlights, images and more. The two events conclude the  WSL's competitive winter surf season on Oahu’s North Shore and athletes will reconvene in October for the Turtle Bay Resort Pro events to reactivate alongside the swells.