The Box will be Square

MARKING HER MARK: She's the youngest on the tour and she absolutely rips. Photo WSL / Dunbar

At least Jordy Smith made it direct to Round three, and will surf the next time Stop 4 on the WSL) Championship Tour runs. Today, 11 surfers were cut from the comp as they completed the women’s and men’s Round 2 elimination, and the first five heats of the Round of 16 in 3-5ft surf at Margaret River Main Break.

Tomorrow’s competition has a high probability of relocating to The Box, the famed right-hand slab known for producing fast, square tubes. If conditions continue to align, the event will likely commence at 7:40 a.m. AWST (01h40 ZA time) with the men’s Round of 32 at The Box.

World #2 Caroline Marks (USA) showed that she means business here in Margaret River with the highest two-wave total of the entire event so far, an excellent 17.60 (out of a possible 20). The 17-year-old utilized her powerful surfing against the Main Break’s heavy walls, attacking the lip on her backhand to progress into the Quarterfinals where she will take on 2017 Margaret River Pro winner Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS).

SECOND WIND: The old man is shredding better than ever. Incredible stuff. Photo WSL / Cestari

In his most impressive performance of 2019, 11-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater (USA) posted an excellent two-wave combination of 16.50 to eliminate Australian Adrian Buchan, despite Buchan having his own excellent 8.13 (out of a possible 10). Slater will take massive confidence from this win as his heat total is not only the highest of the men’s event so far, but it was the first time this season that he posted a wave score in the excellent range.

Slater progresses into the Round of 32 with opponent Caio Ibelli (BRA), who finished runner-up in the three man matchup.

“That heat came down to mindset and strategy,” Slater said. “I’ve got a board that I feel I can really push through my turns in these waves and let me put all my power into it. I really didn’t want to rush it out there. I feel like in my first heat I was all antsy and rushed, so I didn’t want to do that again. I just wanted to have fun.

“I just don’t think I can do this anymore if I’m not having fun, so I really need to set myself before I surf and go out there for the enjoyment of it. When I started on Tour, I didn’t think I’d be competing with guys who are my age now, but I feel like when I go into overdrive I can beat anyone."

FREE STYLING: Jack Freestone was on fire at Margaret River Main Break. Photo WSL / Cestari

In his most impressive performance of 2019, 11-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater (USA) posted an excellent two-wave combination of 16.50 to eliminate Australian Adrian Buchan, despite Buchan having his own excellent 8.13 (out of a possible 10). Slater will take massive confidence from this win as his heat total is not only the highest of the men’s event so far, but it was the first time this season that he posted a wave score in the excellent range. Slater progresses into the Round of 32 with opponent Caio Ibelli (BRA), who finished runner-up in the three man matchup.

“That heat came down to mindset and strategy,” Slater said. “I’ve got a board that I feel I can really push through my turns in these waves and let me put all my power into it. I really didn’t want to rush it out there. I feel like in my first heat I was all antsy and rushed, so I didn’t want to do that again. I just wanted to have fun. I just don’t think I can do this anymore if I’m not having fun, so I really need to set myself before I surf and go out there for the enjoyment of it. When I started on Tour, I didn’t think I’d be competing with guys who are my age now, but I feel like when I go into overdrive I can beat anyone."

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Former event winners Fitzgibbons and Conlogue thrived in the Round of 16. Fitzgibbons eliminated Johanne Defay (FRA), winner of the 2019 Uluwatu CT, in the Heat 6 of the R/16. Fitzgibbons earned a 6.83 (out of a possible 10) and a 7.27 to leave Defay searching for excellent rides to boost her 9.20 two-wave total (out of a possible 20). Defay now leaves in Equal 9th place for the third time in 2019.

Courtney Conlogue (USA), current World No. 3, dispatched Silvana Lima (BRA), current World No. 15, in the opening R/16 heat. Lima got to an early lead, but Conlogue closed the door on the Brasilian with an increase to her scoreline (an 11.44 heat total to Lima’s 6.33 heat total) in final five minutes of the matchup. After a sidelining injury last season, Lima returned to the surfing’s elite stage earlier this month at the Corona Bali Protected and earned a 5th place result. Unfortunately, Lima was unable to take down the former Margaret River Pro winner and exits in 9th place.

For more information, please visit www.worldSurfLeague.com.

Margaret River Pro Women’s Round of 16 (Round 3) Results
Heat 1: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 11.44 DEF. Silvana Lima (BRA) 6.33
Heat 2: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 12.50 DEF. Coco Ho (HAW) 6.30
Heat 3: Caroline Marks (USA) 17.60 DEF. Paige Hareb (NZL) 11.10
Heat 4: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.10 DEF. Johanne Defay (FRA) 9.20
Heat 5: Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.34 DEF. Keely Andrew (AUS) 8.17

Margaret River Pro Remaining Women’s Round of 16 (Round 3) Matchups
Margaret River Pro Remaining Women’s Round of 16 (Round 3) Matchups

Margaret River Pro Men’s Elimination Round (Round 2)
Heat 1: Jack Robinson (AUS) 12.60 DEF. Jack Freestone (AUS) 10.83, Wade Carmichael (AUS) 10.67
Heat 2: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 15.34 DEF. Michel Bourez (FRA) 13.00, Jacob Willcox (AUS) 11.23
Heat 3: Yago Dora (BRA) 14.66 DEF. Willian Cardoso (BRA) 13.77, Frederico Morais (PRT) 13.46
Heat 4: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.50 DEF. Caio Ibelli (BRA) 14.40, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 13.93

Margaret River Pro Men’s Round of 32 (Round 3) Matchups
Heat 1: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Soli Bailey (AUS)
Heat 2: Michel Bourez (FRA) vs. Yago Dora (BRA)
Heat 3: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS)
Heat 4: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Sebastian Zietz (HAW)
Heat 5: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Caio Ibelli (BRA)
Heat 6: Willian Cardoso (BRA) vs. Kelly Slater (USA)
Heat 7: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
Heat 8: Conner Coffin (USA) vs. Jesse Mendes (BRA)
Heat 9: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Jack Robinson (AUS)
Heat 10: Michael Rodrigues (BRA) vs. Seth Moniz (HAW)
Heat 11: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Ezekiel Lau (HAW)
Heat 12: Kolohe Andino (USA) vs. Griffin Colapinto (USA)
Heat 13: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 14: Peterson Crisanto (BRA) vs. Joan Duru (FRA)
Heat 15: Ryan Callinan (AUS) vs. Deivid Silva (BRA)
Heat 16: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) vs. Ricardo Christie (NZL)