South Africans on Fire

BY A WHISKER: Jordy Smith sneaked into the round of 16 by a mere 0.3pts. Photo WSL / Dunbar

The Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro pres. by Corona, the 4th stop on the 2021 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), has been hit by a pumping 10ft swell, which saw non-stop action with the overlapping format for the men’s Round of 32, with the field narrowed to the top 16 men and top 16 women.

Yesterday, rookie McGillivray (ZAF) smashed his first three-man heat win at the elite level, posting the second-highest heat total of the day with a committed display of power surfing in the solid surf at Main Break. McGillivray’s affinity with waves of consequence was made clear with a commanding two-wave total of 17.33 against Wade Carmichael (9.60) and Conner Coffin (6.76).

“The surf has just been building all day and it’s absolutely pumping. I surfed a board that was made for competing in Hawaii and it worked really well out there. I’m just stoked to have such pumping surf in a heat and it looks like it’s going to keep coming so it should be a sick few days."

MIGHTY MATT: McGillivray put his experience in big J-Bay to the test in West Oz. Photo WSL / Miers

In the Round of 32, Smith kept his cool to sneak past Alex Ribeiro (BRA) with a 0.03 points margin. The heat total ended 12.67 vs 12.64 - a close shave but at least on the right side of the score for Smith, who has endured many results that have inched the other way. Despite leading the heat from ‘Smith only had two average scores and Ribeiro was closing in on him with every wave, but Smith managed to hold on until the end’the start, Smith only had two average scores and Ribeiro was closing in on him with every wave, but Smith managed to hold on until the end. He will face one of the local favourites in tour veteran Julian Wilson (AUS).

CT veteran Jeremy Flores (FRA) put on one of his best performances in recent history to overcome CT rookie and local favorite, Jack Robinson (AUS), in what was arguably the heat of the season so far. The pair went blow-for-blow, both finding rare Main Break tube rides to post solid scores throughout the matchup with Robinson leading the charge and leaving Flores needing an excellent score to take the lead. Then, with only a couple of minutes left in the heat, the Frenchman found a bomb and laid two massive frontside hacks to post a near-perfect 9.40 (out of a possible 10) to claim victory over Robinson.

John John Florence (HAW), two-time WSL Champion and two-time event winner, continues to excel at Main Break with a win over Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) in the Round of 32. Fioravanti opened the exchange with an excellent 8.67 (out of a possible 10) but failed to back up his first score against Florence’s 7.67 and 8.37 scores. Florence will now face Peterson Crisanto (BRA) in the Round of 16. Crisanto eliminated Australian Olympic qualifier Owen Wright (AUS) in the second heat of the Round of 32 with a 14.76 combined score (out of a possible 20) to Wright’s 12.60.

TUBE TIGER: Tour vet Jeremy Flores had one of his best ever performances. Photo WSL / Dunbar

Gabriel Medina (BRA), two-time WSL Champion and current World No. 1, shows no signs of slowing down and will advance to the Round of 16 after defeating Connor O’Leary (AUS) in Heat 9 of the Round of 32. Medina posted two seven-point rides for the win and will match up with Seth Moniz (HAW) next. Medina looks on track to equal or improve on his best result in WA after his performances so far.

Italo Ferreira (BRA), current World No. 2, will move into the next round with a win over CT veteran Adrian Buchan (AUS) in Heat 13 of the R/32. Ferreira locked in big scores for a 15.57 two-wave total, but he will now need to pull a win over top-performer Caio Ibelli (BRA) in the next round. Ibelli earned the third highest heat total of the day, an incredible 17.04, against Michel Bourez (FRA). Ibelli’s performance was reminiscent of that at this location in 2019 when he finished in equal third place at Main Break.

2015 WSL Champion Adriano de Souza (BRA) did not make the cut in his heat against Frederico Morais (PRT). De Souza will exit Margaret River in 17th place, which is a surprising result as the former event winner in 2015. Last year, De Souza announced his retirement from full-time competition and the next event will mark his last lap in Australia before retiring at the end of the season.

CAUGHT NE: Courtney Conlogue was edged by Keely Andrew in the last 32. Photo WSL / Miers

In the women's event, wildcard Willow Hardy (AUS) was eliminated by seven-time WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Malia Manuel (HAW) in the first women’s Elimination Round. Despite the elimination, the 14-year old showcased major commitment in the waves of consequence in her first CT appearance and let the world know that she will be one to watch in the future.

“That was definitely one for the memories,” said Hardy. “I am never going to forget this day. I just love getting out there in the pumping waves and trying to send it. The girls were really encouraging and it was so nice to surf with the people I look up to most. Thank you to everyone for all the support, it has really been amazing.”

Sage Erickson (USA) has been in the Elimination Round three times this season and needed to advance to avoid a second early elimination on the Australian leg. Erickson posted a strong ride on her opening ‘I came down last night just to really get a grasp of how big it was and it was huge and the whole bay was closing out’wave, a 6.83 for the lead, and a 5.67 to hold control of the heat. Keely Andrew (AUS) was close behind with a 6.17 and 5.80, putting Courtney Conlogue (USA) under pressure. Despite earning a solid 7.27 and a 4.17, Conlogue missed the requirement on her last wave to advance to the Round of 16.

“I came down last night just to really get a grasp of how big it was and it was huge and the whole bay was closing out,” said Erickson. “But today I was nervous again when I saw that we were on. I had a chat with Jessi and Renato about what the forecast was looking like and what to expect, and they really want to elevate and push the women in bigger surf. Being a part of that generation, I can do my part. So today I was like I am going to have fun and Tom was like, ‘Just smile, you’re so happy and you’ll have a great time,’ so it’s good.”

The event, which runs until May 12, will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app. For more information, please visit www.WorldSurfLeague.com

TUCKED UP TAKEOFF: Carissa Moore will face Macy Callaghan in the last 16. Photo WSL / Miers

Round of 16 Matchups
HEAT 1: Caroline Marks (USA) vs. Bronte Macaulay (AUS)
HEAT 2: Johanne Defay (FRA) vs. Amuro Tsuzuki (JPN)
HEAT 3: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) vs. Sage Erickson (USA)
HEAT 4: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Brisa Hennessy (CRI)
HEAT 5: Carissa Moore (HAW) vs. Macy Callaghan (AUS)
HEAT 6: Isabella Nichols (AUS) vs. Keely Andrew (AUS)
HEAT 7: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Nikki Van Dijk (AUS)
HEAT 8: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) vs. Malia Manuel (HAW)

Round of 32
HEAT 1: John John Florence (HAW) 16.04 DEF. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 11.00
HEAT 2: Peterson Crisanto (BRA) 14.76 DEF. Owen Wright (AUS) 12.60
HEAT 3: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 15.67 DEF. Deivid Silva (BRA) 10.40
HEAT 4: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 17.00 DEF. Jack Robinson (AUS) 16.50
HEAT 5: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.67 DEF. Alex Ribeiro (BRA) 12.64
HEAT 6: Julian Wilson (AUS) 12.67 DEF. Wade Carmichael (AUS) 10.46
HEAT 7: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 15.00 DEF. Ethan Ewing (AUS) 8.80
HEAT 8: Frederico Morais (PRT) 14.50 DEF. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.30
HEAT 9: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.97 DEF. Connor O'Leary (AUS) 11.57
HEAT 10: Seth Moniz (HAW) 15.03 DEF. Morgan Cibilic (AUS) 14.84
HEAT 11: Matthew McGillivray (ZAF) 14.06 DEF. Conner Coffin (USA) 11.83
HEAT 12: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 14.76 DEF. Jacob Willcox (AUS) 14.33
HEAT 13: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 15.57 DEF. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 10.50
HEAT 14: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 17.04 DEF. Michel Bourez (FRA) 13.24
HEAT 15: Jadson Andre (BRA) 10.90 DEF. Yago Dora (BRA) 10.64
HEAT 16: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 15.50 DEF. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 11.33

Round of 16 Matchups
HEAT 1: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Peterson Crisanto (BRA)
HEAT 2: Griffin Colapinto (USA) vs. Jeremy Flores (FRA)
HEAT 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Julian Wilson (AUS)
HEAT 4: Ryan Callinan (AUS) vs. Frederico Morais (PRT)
HEAT 5: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Seth Moniz (HAW)
HEAT 6: Matthew McGillivray (ZAF) vs. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
HEAT 7: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Caio Ibelli (BRA)
HEAT 8: Jadson Andre (BRA) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA)