Boxing Clever

Owen Wright (AUS) scores the wave of the day for a Perfect 10 at The Box.Photo WSL/Kelly Cestari

Smith comfortably won his opening heat against Jadson Andre (BRA) and Brett Simpson (USA) at the infamous West Australian break, which hosts the third stop on the Samsung Galaxy World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT). Simpson, who looked out of sorts in the heavy waves, bowed out of the event to Taj Burrows in Rd 2, but Andre redeemed a low scoring affair to oust Matt Banting (AUS) in the elimination round.

Solid waves reaching 15ft greeted the world’s best surfers, and the opening heats of Round 1 and the elimination Round 2 saw the world’s best tackling one of the world’s most challenging and infamous hollow waves.

Smith, fifth in the rankings coming into the event, was selective in his approach - it was the second heat of the day - pulling into a couple of tube rides in a low-scoring 30-minute match-up.

“You have the possibility of breaking your board and hurting yourself out there,” said Smith in his post-heat interview. “So if you feel like you might not make it, you’ve still got to go. But if you definitely won’t make it – then you don’t go.”

Rookie Ricardo Christie (NZL) secures his first CT win today at The Box. Photo WSL / Kelly Cestari

John John Florence (HAW), who won the Margaret River Qualifying Series event in 2012, opened the day’s competition with a 7.83 for his first wave. Florence threw himself over the ledge and demonstrated his skill and commitment to take a convincing Round 1 heat win. Despite some big wipe-outs Florence easily defeated Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) and Dusty Payne (HAW). Dantas and Payne were later knocked out in Round 2, with an inspiring heat by Owen Wright (AUS) sealing Payne's fate.

Wright posted the first big score on his backhand, an 8.50, and the Hawaiian came back with an 8.40, putting him back in contention. Wright stamped his authority on the heat with a Perfect 10 for the biggest wave of the day and a huge, deep barrel.

“I’ve never surfed out here before and this was my first time in the lineup,” said Wright. “The set came so I just went. After my ten I remember going, ‘give me more’. I just love it and I love waves like this," he said.

Kelly Slater (USA), the 11-time World Champion, won his heat comfortably by charging fearlessly on multiple waves. Despite relatively low scores, with just a 4.50 and a 3.70 (each out of a possible 10), Slater delivered some amazing surfing in waves of consequence, putting himself on the line. Slater defeated Kai Otton (AUS) and rookie Ricardo Christie (NZL), who both survived their elimination Round 2 heats, with Christie knocking out Filipe Toledo (BRA) in a sensational display.

“I feel like I’ve just won the competition,” said Christie. “It’s been a tough start to the year for me and it’s pretty sick to have an event out here in waves like this. It’s great to beat Filipe (Toledo) there’s been a lot going his way this year and it’s been going the opposite for me."

Wildcard Jay Davies (AUS) defeats WSL Champion Gabriel Medina.Photo WSL/Cestari

Three-time World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) took to the water wearing the yellow Jeep rankings leader’s jersey following his win last week at Bells Beach and survived a tough heat against dangerous local surfer and trials winner Jay Davies (AUS) and Matt Wilkinson (AUS). Fanning opened early with an excellent 8.63 to control the heat and Davies challenged with a 7.50.

“If you think its good you just have to take off and hold on,” Fanning said. “It was pretty wild and it’s big and ugly out there, it’s radical but fun. I took a wave that I thought was going to be a good one but it just crumbled and I hit a boil and creased the board so I changed it out.”

Left needing a 6.50 to take the lead Davies couldn’t find the score and had to face world champ Gabriel Medina (BRA) in a highly-anticipated Round 2 match-up. Again, another upset was on the cards, with an incredible win by Davies to knock Medina out of the event to cap his misery after losing his Round 1 heat to Freddy Patacchia Jr. (HAW). Fanning faces giant-killer Davies in Round 3.

After a morning of deep tube rides and terrifying wipe-outs, a switch in wind direction saw the competition moved to Margaret River's Main Break where the remaining heats of Round 1 were run in waves that featured triple-overhead faces.

The remaining five heats of Round 1 saw Miguel Pupo (BRA), Jeremy Flores (FRA), Joel Parkinson (AUS), Michel Bourez (PYF) and Julian Wilson (AUS) use longer surfboards in the giant surf to post wins and earn a pass directly to Round 3.

Parkinson looked in-form today in his heat against Adam Melling (AUS) and Kolohe Andino (USA). The 2012 World Champion locked in the day’s highest two-wave heat total, a 15.73 out of a possible 20, to secure the win and a place in Round 3.

Adriano de Souza.Photo WSL/Cestari

“I got out there and I was excited to see some size and some swell,” said Parkinson. “I felt happy and relaxed and when I feel like that I seem to do my best surfing. I hope we get to surf at The Box again, it will be amazing.”

Defending event winner Bourez also won through his Round 1 bout, claiming his first heat win of the year, narrowly defeating Nat Young (USA), who had to surf again in Round 2 as did rookie Italo Ferriera (BRA). The latter sneaked past compatriot Dantas, while Young killed young Keanu Asing (HAW) who could only muster a 2.43 against his 8.5 total heat score. Scores were low all round in the challenging conditions.

The big wave conditions look set to continue and Surfline, official forecaster for the WSL, is predicting:

Very solid SW groundswell will continue on Thursday, easing through Friday. Another exceptionally strong SSW groundswell is on track for Saturday, and could be even larger than the surf for Wed/Thur. Sunday will see dropping surf, with a further drop in surf on Monday. Morning wind conditions look favourable for the next few days, with some periods of side or onshore flow in the afternoons. Going further out, another strong SW swell looks possible around Wednesday the 22nd.

The Drug Aware Margaret River Pro will be held from April 15 – 26, 2015. Watch the unparalleled adventure, competitive drama and athleticism of professional surfing live at WorldSurfLeague.com.

Filipe Toledo. Photo WSL/Cestari

Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Men’s Round 2 Results:
Heat 1: Jay Davies (AUS) 15.17 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 7.67
Heat 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.90 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 11.33
Heat 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) 9.33 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 4.83
Heat 4: Ricardo Christie (NZL) 13.26 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 13.07
Heat 5: Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.67 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 7.17
Heat 6: Owen Wright (AUS) 18.50 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 10.90
Heat 7: Nat Young (USA) 11.50 def. Keanu Asing (HAW) 2.43
Heat 8: Glenn Hall (IRL) 5.44 vs. Kolohe Andino (USA) 4.90
Heat 9: Adam Melling (AUS) 7.53 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 5.47
Heat 10: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 12.26 vs. Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 11.66
Heat 11: Jadson Andre (BRA) 10.83 def. Matt Banting (AUS) 7.17
Heat 12: Kai Otton (AUS) 16.83 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 13.07
 
Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Men’s Round 3 Match-ups:
Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Heat 2: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 3: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Sebastian Zietz (HAW)
Heat 5: Nat Young (USA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 6: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Jay Davies (AUS)
Heat 7: Adriano de Souza (BRA) va. Ricardo Christie (NZL)
Heat 8: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Heat 9: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Freddy Patacchia Jr. (HAW)
Heat 10: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Italo Ferreira (BRA)
Heat 11: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 12: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Glenn Hall (IRL)

Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Men’s Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: John John Florence (HAW) 13.00, Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 4.46, Dusty Payne (HAW) 2.60
Heat 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 7.73, Jadson Andre (BRA) 3.40, Brett Simpson (USA) 0.50
Heat 3: Kelly Slater (USA) 8.20, Kai Otton (AUS) 3.33, Ricardo Christie (NZL) 3.27
Heat 4: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 15.23, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.50, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 4.40
Heat 5: Freddy Patacchia Jr. (HAW) 4.30, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 3.96, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 3.27
Heat 6: Mick Fanning (AUS) 14.00, Jay Davies (AUS) 10.27, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 3.34
Heat 7: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 13.74, Josh Kerr (AUS) 8.73, Keanu Asing (HAW) 3.33
Heat 8: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 12.43, Glenn Hall (IRL) 10.50, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 8.36
Heat 9: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 15.00, Taj Burrow (AUS) 11.53, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 8.33
Heat 10: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.73, Adam Melling (AUS) 8.24, Kolohe Andino (USA) 5.00
Heat 11: Michel Bourez (PYF) 14.76, Nat Young (USA) 14.70, Italo Ferreira (BRA) 9.93
Heat 12: Julian Wilson (AUS) 14.60, Matt Banting (AUS) 8.30, Owen Wright (AUS) 6.80

Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Men’s Round 2 Match-ups:
Heat 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Jay Davies (AUS)
Heat 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. C.J. Hobgood (USA)
Heat 4: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Ricardo Christie (NZL)
Heat 5: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 6: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 7: Nat Young (USA) vs. Keanu Asing (HAW)
Heat 8: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. Glenn Hall (IRL)
Heat 9: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 10: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) vs. Italo Ferreira (BRA)
Heat 11: Jadson Andre (BRA) vs. Matt Banting (AUS)
Heat 12: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
 
Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Women’s Round 1 Match-ups:
Heat 1: Lakey Peterson (USA), Johanne Defay (FRA), Nikki Van Dijk (AUS)
Heat 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW), Alessa Quizon (HAW)
Heat 3: Carissa Moore (HAW), Coco Ho (HAW), Claire Bevilacqua (AUS)
Heat 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Bianca Buitendag (ZAF), Sage Erickson (USA)
Heat 5: Tyler Wright (AUS), Silvana Lima (BRA), Laura Enever (AUS)
Heat 6: Courtney Conlogue (USA), Malia Manuel (HAW), Dimity Stoyle (AUS)