Kelly Slater (USA), eleven-time WSL Champion, was knocked out of the event by 18-year-old injury replacement Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA). Fioravanti upset the competition as he eliminated the CT superstar in Round 2 Heat 3. Fioravanti charged throughout the heat, first solidifying a 7.93 and then backing that up with an 8.67. Slater, with a 13.43, was not able to close the 3.17 point gap to defeat the injury replacement. Slater has struggled on the 2016 CT and has not yet advanced past Round 3 this season.
“Surfing a heat against Kelly has always been a dream of mine,” Fioravanti said. “To actually beat him in a heat is unbelieveable, I am still in shock. These guys are the best surfers in the world so you have to surf one-hundred percent. It is a special opportunity and you do not get these opportunities that much, so I am having so much fun.”
“I did not start out real great,” Slater said. “I had a quick start, but at the end of my wave I could not see because I was in the foam trying to recover, and when I jumped I went straight onto my tailbone right onto a rock. I think what is going on is that when you get a guy like Leonardo who has nothing to lose and gets into the event as an injury replacement, he knows he has to go out there and have fun and be smart. He had a game plan to be on the best waves and it worked out for him.”
Heat 1 saw John John Florence (HAW) face Adrian Buchan (AUS) and injury replacement Sebastian Zietz (HAW) in an intense match-up. All three competitors posted solid rides throughout the heat, including a huge 9.77 by Zietz and a 9.87 by Florence. Florence put together an 18.87 two-wave combined score, leaving Buchan into a combination situation and Zietz to chase a 9.11. Florence ran away with the win and will advance to Round 3.
“I’ve been surfing out here a lot this time around, where in the past couple of years I would come here on freesurf trips before the event and surf everywhere but here,” Florence said. “This year I have really focused on just surfing here. I have been here a bunch of times and surfed this wave quite a bit. I like this wave a lot.”
Although Buchan lost in Round 1 against Florence, he fought hard through Round 2 to defeat injury replacement and former CT charger Dusty Payne (HAW). The two went blow for blow, each exchanging 8 and 9 point rides. Despite Payne earning the highest ride of the heat, a 9.20, he fell only 0.07 points short of advancing to the next round.
“Dusty is a great surfer out here and he has won the event here before,” Buchan said. “He beat me in the Semis that year. As I was getting ready for the heat, I saw the heat draw and knew it was going to be a good heat. We both put down some great scores and I am sure it was one of those ones where it could have gone either way. I am stoked with how I surfed. I feel like I am doing some great surfing and competing really well and enjoying myself.”
The opening heat of the day saw Kolohe Andino (USA) fly through Round 1 to advance to Round 3 after defeating eleven-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater (USA) and Miguel Pupo (BRA). Andino stayed selective throughout the heat to post a 15.70 two-wave combined score. Slater was not able to find the 8.87 point ride to take the lead away from Andino.
“You have to react really quickly with picking a wave and picking a maneuver,” Andino said. “I wasn’t sure if Kelly was going to go on that first one and then he ended up going. I was stoked he did because it was not that good, but if I would have taken off, I would have gotten an interference, which is not a cool thing to start the heat with.”
After missing the first two events of the 2016 CT due to injury, Alejo Muniz (BRA) is back in action with a win over Kai Otton (AUS) in Heat 8 Round 2. Muniz narrowly pushed ahead of Otton with a 12.23 two-wave combined score. Otton only needed a 6.67 to win the heat, but fell short by only 1.66 points.
“I know that victory was really important to myself, but the real thing was to be here again,” Muniz said. “I missed everyone and I missed wearing the jersey. It has been a personal battle for five months already. I came back to surf two weeks ago and just that feeling to be back in the water was amazing. To be able to be here is such a special moment for me.”
Round 2 saw the 2016 WSL rookie class battle against each other with Caio Ibelli (BRA) against Alex Ribeiro (BRA) in Heat 7, and Kanoa Igarashi (USA) against Ryan Callinan (AUS) in Heat 10. Ibelli and Igarashi will advance to Round 3 after taking out Ribeiro and Callinan, respectively.
Highlights from the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro will be webcast LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com.
For more information, log onto WorldSurfLeague.com
Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Men’s Remaining Round 1 Results:
Heat 10: Kolohe Andino (USA) 15.70, Kelly Slater (USA) 12.16, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 5.10
Heat 11: Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.93, Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 14.50, Jay Davis (AUS) 9.50
Heat 12: John John Florence (HAW) 18.87, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 15.27, Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 13.20
Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Men’s Round 2 Results:
Heat 1: Jeremy Flores (13.00) 14.80 def. Jay Davies (AUS) 14.60
Heat 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15.94 def. Jacob Willcox (AUS) 13.73
Heat 3: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 16.60 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 13.43
Heat 4: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 18.06 def. Jack Robinson (AUS) 14.37
Heat 5: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 18.00 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 17.93
Heat 6: Adam Melling (AUS) 13.84 def. Conner Coffin (USA) 12.63
Heat 7: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 14.74 def. Alex Ribeiro (BRA) 12.83
Heat 8: Alejo Muniz (BRA)12.23 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 10.57
Heat 9: Matt Banting (AUS) 14.90 def. Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 13.30
Heat 10: Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 14.23 def. Ryan Callinan (AUS) 13.64
Heat 11: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 14.50 def. Davey Cathels (AUS) 13.33
Heat 12: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 15.40 def. Keanu Asing (HAW) 13.00
Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Men’s Round 3 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Matt Banting (AUS)
Heat 2: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Michel Bourez (PYF)
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 4: Nat Young (USA) vs. Taj Burrow (AUS)
Heat 5: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
Heat 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 8: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA)
Heat 9: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Kanoa Igarashi (USA)
Heat 10: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Sebastian Zietz (HAW)
Heat 11: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Caio Ibelli (BRA)
Heat 12: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Women’s Round 2 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Malia Manuel (HAW) vs. Keely Andrew (AUS)
Heat 2: Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) vs. Chelsea Tuach (BRB)
Heat 3: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Felicity Palmateer (AUS)
Heat 4: Johanne Defay (FRA) vs. Laura Enever (AUS)
Heat 5: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Coco Ho (HAW)
Heat 6: Sage Erickson (USA) vs. Alessa Quizon (HAW)
Taj has announced he is to retire after 18 years on tour. Taj, 37, won his heat last night but said he had been struggling to keep fitness and focus and felt now was the time to leave the tour.
“I was driving down this morning with a good playlist on and a coffee and I felt so happy and relieved to be making this announcement,” he said.
“The sport has given me so much,” Burrow said. “Years of incredible waves, experiences and friendships that I’ll never forget. The WSL officials and competitors have not only pushed me to be a better surfer but have also become family to me.”
“I just didn’t have my heart in it and when I was losing I was getting just as upset as ever. It just wasn’t adding up, so I thought there’s not a better time to give my spot to someone more hungrier.”
“I felt like I had too much going on. With the birth of my baby there’s been a lot of sleepless nights and I don’t have [former trainer] Johnny Gannon in my corner cracking the whip and I just haven’t been able to keep up,” he said.
“Everything’s been going too fast and I’ve been going into events not prepared. It’s no fun going into events half-assed and not giving it my all, it’s been making me upset and stressed.”
Taj’s last event will by the Fiji Pro
Taj’s first year on tour was 1998.
Taj actually qualified for the tour a year earlier but declined preferring to train.
Taj has 12 world tour titles and is a Pipe Master
He has been a Top 10 finisher 15 years, Runner-Up 1999 and 2007.
Taj was one of the worlds most influential surfers sections in Sabotaj, Montaj, Fair Bits, Hit and Run, Stranger Than Fiction, Trilogy, Still Filthy, showcasing his high performance approach in the air, trade mark tweaks and carves and highly accomplished tube riding.
The Drug Aware Margaret River Pro, the third stop on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour, kicked off this morning with Women’s Round 1 followed by Men’s Round 1 in 4 feet + (1.5 metre) clean waves at Main Break in Western Australia.
Matt Wilkinson (AUS), current Jeep Rankings Leader, continues to dominate on the 2016 CT as he defeat injury replacement Stuart Kennedy (AUS) and Dusty Payne (HAW) to advance to Round 3. Wilkinson came out the gates strong with a 7.17 point ride, and continued to better his two-wave score with a solid 5 point ride. Kennedy and Payne were not able to find big enough second scores to combat Wilkinson.
“This 6’1” board is feeling really awesome, but I just buckled it on my last ride, which is a bummer, but I am stoked to win that heat,” Wilkinson said. “I’ve got some other boards so I should be okay. Hopefully the lefts turn on a bit and I can find some barrels and do some big open face carves.”
Adriano De Souza (BRA), reigning WSL Champion, defeat Trails winner Jacob Willcox (AUS) and Keanu Asing (HAW) in Heat 7 of today’s competition. De Souza held the lead with two 6 point rides. Willcox fought hard to out surf De Souza, but was unable to find the 6.37 score required to beat the defending event Champion. De Souza will advance to Round 3, while Willcox and Asing will battle to avoid elimination in Round 2.
“I am so happy to make this heat especially because Willcox surfed so well and Keanu is a dangerous threat in any kind of conditions,” De Souza said. “I am happy to get these nerves out of my system and come back to the place that gave me a lot of happiness in the past. Now I am trying to find my rhythm and see if I can go far through this contest.”
Italo Ferreira (BRA), 2015 Rookie of the Year faced 2016 WSL rookie Kanoa Igarashi (USA) and event Wildcard Jack Robinson (AUS) in Round 1 Heat 4. Igarashi held control for a majority of the heat, but it was Ferreira who surged ahead of Igarashi by only 1.22 points in the last five minutes. Ferreira landed a massive air-rotation on his last wave, reminding the field of the innovative maneuvers in his arsenal.
“I am so happy that I got those last two waves,” said Ferreira after his heat. “In the first ten minutes I did not catch any good waves where Kanoa got two good waves. In the last few minutes I got two good waves and did a couple of turns and airs. It was ninja and then I was scared when I saw the rocks, but it was so fun.”
CT veteran Joel Parkinson (AUS) faced 2016 WSL rookies Conner Coffin (USA) and Ryan Callinan (AUS) in Heat 9. Coffin held control for most of the heat, but it was Parkinson who came back with a huge air that awarded him a 7.17 to win the heat and advance to Round 3. The rookies will compete in Round 2 to avoid elimination from the event.
“That was a really cool heat to surf against two rookies,” Parkinson said. “They are real eager and I was feeding off of their hunger. It was good to have two guys who are frothing on their first time on tour. I had about five different game plans going through my head and everything I tried to do I did the opposite. It’s one of those places where you have to adapt and surf to the conditions whatever way you can.”
Presumed 2016 Title contenders Julian Wilson (AUS), Gabriel Medina (BRA) and Nat Young (USA) also won their Round 1 match-ups and will compete in Round 3.
Courtney Conlogue (USA), the current Jeep Ratings Leader, will advance straight to Round 3 after sending Alessa Quizon (HAW) and Trials winner Felicity Palmateer (AUS) to Round 2. Conlogue was able to find two solid waves to rack up a 13.40 two-wave combined score, earning her a 3.03 lead over Quizon.
“I have learned so much about my surfing and how to improve it at this wave,” Conlogue said. “I love how this venue is always changing. You never know what to expect coming here. You either get swell and amazing offshores or you get this wild, woolly condition. Everytime I come here is an adventure and you wake up and see what the day brings.”
Carissa Moore (HAW), three-time WSL Champion and last year’s event runner-up, charged through her heat, showcasing power, variety and speed against Sage Erickson (USA) andLaura Enever (AUS). Enever tried to combat Moore’s 15.77 two-wave combined score, but was not able to challenge with her pair of 6 point rides. Moore will advance to Round 3, while Enever and Erickson battle in elimination Round 2.
“I am happy where I am at right now, but of course I would have liked to have gotten a few spots better in the first two contests,” Moore said. “I like coming from behind and having something to chase. Seeing that target is exciting. I am happy to be here at Margaret River, the waves are fun.”
Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) is off to a strong start in Western Australia, as she defeat Tyler Wright (AUS), current World No. 2, and Coco Ho (HAW) in Round 1. Van Dijk demonstrated strong performances in the last two events and continued the trend today by earning two 7 point rides. A dramatic finish left Wright under both Van Dijk and Ho’s priority. Needing a second solid score to defeat Van Dijk, Wright was tempted by a wave out the back. Van Dijk played defense and used her priority to also take off on the wave, leaving Wright with an interference call.
“That was the ultimate seal dive, I don’t even know what that was and want to go watch the replay,” Van Dijk said. “But other than that, I am happy to make the next round and I feel good out there. Margarets is definitely a really challenging wave, you never really know what it is going to do or what conditions you’ll get. I love that element, but I would love to win here and I will take it heat by heat.”
Local favorite Bronte Macaulay (AUS) defeat six-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Johanne Defay (FRA) in the last heat of Round 1. Macaulay, who gained entry into the event as an injury replacement, charged Main Break to wrack up a 14.60 two-wave combined score, leaving Gilmore and Defay in a combination situation. Macaulay will advance to Round 3, while Gilmore and Defay will battle to avoid an early elimination.
“I am feeling more and more comfortable with every heat I surf,” Macaulay said. “Being a local here, I do not feel any pressure at all. I appreciate the support and when you walk down the beach and see all these familiar faces, it means a lot to me that they are taking time out of their day to come and watch, so I just want to put a good performance out in the water.”
Event organizers will convene tomorrow at 6:30am local time for a possible 7am start.
The Drug Aware Margaret River Pro will be webcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com as well as the WSL app.
The event is also being carried by our LIVE broadcast partners Fox Sports Australia, CBS Sports in the United States, ESPN Brasil, Globosat, Edgesport, Sky NZ, Sport TV, Canal + Deportes, Channel Nine, MCS, Starhub, and Oceanic Time Warner Cable 250 & 1250 in Hawaii.
Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Women’s Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) 13.60, Keely Andrew (AUS) 13.43, Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 8.63 Heat 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 15.57, Malia Manuel (HAW) 13.67, Chelsea Tuach (BRB) 10.60 Heat 3: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 13.40, Alessa Quizon (HAW) 10.37, Felicity Palmateer (AUS) 9.43 Heat 4: Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.77, Laura Enever (AUS) 12.83, Sage Erickson (USA) 10.57 Heat 5: Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 14.80, Coco Ho (HAW) 12.16, Tyler Wright (AUS) 8.77 Heat 6: Bronte Macaulay (AUS) 14.60, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 7.77, Johanne Defay (FRA) 7.00
Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Women’s Round 2 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Malia Manuel (HAW) vs. Keely Andrew (AUS) Heat 2: Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) vs. Chelsea Tuach (BRB) Heat 3: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Felicity Palmateer (AUS) Heat 4: Johanne Defay (FRA) vs. Laura Enever (AUS) Heat 5: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Coco Ho (HAW) Heat 6: Sage Erickson (USA) vs. Alessa Quizon (HAW)
Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Men’s Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.34, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 16.10, Alex Ribeiro (BRA) 5.43 Heat 2: Julian Wilson (AUS) 17.10, Adam Melling (AUS) 15.47, Kai Otton (AUS) 12.06 Heat 3: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 12.67, Stuart Kennedy (AUS) 9.17, Dusty Payne (HAW) 7.60 Heat 4: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 15.67, Kanoa Igarashi (USA) 14.54, Jack Robinson (AUS) 9.70 Heat 5: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.70, Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 12.27, Davey Cathels (AUS) 10.16 Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.10, Jacob Willcox (AUS) 12.40, Keanu Asing (HAW) 10.64 Heat 7: Michel Bourez (PYF) 14.14, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.04, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.13 Heat 8: Nat Young (USA) 15.93, Matt Banting (AUS) 15.53, Caio Ibelli (BRA) 14.60 Heat 9: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 12.84, Conner Coffin (USA) 11.26, Ryan Callinan (AUS) 10.50
Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Men’s Remaining Round 1 Match-Ups:
Heat 10: Kelly Slater (USA), Kolohe Andino (USA), Miguel Pupo (BRA) Heat 11: John John Florence (HAW), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Sebastian Zietz (HAW) Heat 12: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), Josh Kerr (AUS), Jadson Andre (BRA)
El Nino was kind to Peru, big swells means opportunity to explore corners that are normally flat. Alvaro Malpartida and Cristobal de Col scored for their effort…
If you were to stand on the shoreline of Reunion Island’s ‘Boucan Canot’ beach today, it would be hard to imagine the crowded beach completely empty, however this was a reality only a few short months ago. 18 shark attacks over a five year period dramatically affected the Indian Ocean paradise both emotionally and economically.
“Reunion Island was an amazing place to grow up. It is where I caught my first waves and learnt to surf.” remembers Top 10 World Tour Surfer Jeremy Flores. “It’s paradise. But it’s also where I have lost some of my closest friends. When you look at the stats for shark attacks worldwide, what has happened in Reunion Island in the last 5 years is really heavy.”
These tragedies motivated Jeremy’s family to return to their homeland and embark on a campaign to protect the beaches that have given them so much. By winning a chair in the local council, Jeremy’s father Patrick Flores has been able to initiate a program of shark netting and surveillance that has helped Reunion’s beach lovers get back into the water.
The campaign’s success has been noticed by shark affected communities worldwide including the recently tragedystruck Ballina on Australia’s east coast.
“We just wanted to help the island, we did it for the community. If you look now the beaches are packed, the restaurants are packed and the surf schools are about to reopen…It has affected so much more than the surfers. On a recent trip home, Jeremy hosted the first surf competition in 5 years at the newly protected ‘Roche Noire’ beach. The day finished a huge success seeing generations of Reunion Island locals come together to celebrate change, progress, and most importantly the lives of those that will forever be missed.
“This event was a big success. The ambiance and vibe was better than I expected. Everyone came together, from the youngest surfers to the oldest generation, all sharing waves…Surfing is so much more than a sport. It’s a way of living. A way of being close to nature and living with a passion. The adrenaline that surfing gives us, there is nothing like it. I don’t know what I would do without surfing. It’s the highest high.”
Getting itchy feet for an Indo mission this season? Let Jean da Silva’s epic scores from last year inspire you. Just in case you are heading eastbound here’s a few pointers:
Fear The Walking Chafe
If you are a boy in Indo then you’ll be prone to a certain chafing in the nether regions. No one’s sure how, when or why it happens. It just creeps up on you. One day you’re fine. Next day it feels like someone crept in during the night and cattle branded your inner thighs. Right in that intimate, soft, tickly bit adjacent to the crown jewels. Which now basically feel like they’re on fire. From this point on regular ambulatory motion, otherwise known as walking, is not possible. Unless using an exaggerated wide cowboy gait. Like good ole’ John Wayne. Hence sufferers being pointed and laughed at with expressions like, ‘Oof! Look at matey he’s proper John Wayning.’
It’s savagely painful and quite distressing. Stings a tad when you get back in the brine also. Women. You don’t know how lucky you are*
Got The Horn?
In Indo the MOT consists of one test. It takes less than 10-seconds for the whole thing to be conducted. You drive your wagon into the drive thru test bay, the inspector reaches in, honks your horn once, just a quick beep, then gives it a long, aggressive five second blast. As long as it makes a noise and doesn’t sound like you are running over a dog’s chew toy then you pass. Good to go. Head back out in to the insane traffic. This is the only mandatory requirement for a vehicle in Indo. It can be a rusty death trap with no floor, that’s partially on fire, but that’s no matter. If your horn works you’re good to go. Equally being a paid taxi/bemo driver it seems the only thing you need to know is where the horn is (that and how to do the steering wheel mime and say ‘transport?’ to every tourist). All driving is based around it. This is why -with the exception of Portugal- Indo is the most terrifying place in the world to be in a vehicle. But it is arguably safer to get driven than try and drive; that is just crazy talk. As for mopeds. Unless you’re on the outer islands or have Carl Fogarty motorbike skills forget about it. Unless you don’t like your legs of course.
Boat Safety?
Boat trips are great huh? Before you hit the Mentawai motherlode for the dream trip of dream trips how about a warm up? The classic Bali-Lombok-Sumbawa run, way cheaper, less crowded and some super cool waves like Deserts, Shippies, Scars and Supersuck to check out. Of course the boats are smaller, cheaper and more, errr, local. Wooden outriggers with one cabin that houses your bunks, kitchen and shitter are the norm. But they are a equal steps down in cost as they are in luxury from a Mentals charter. Proportionally they have less than a quarter (that’s a generous assessment) of the safety equipment as well. Life raft? Nope. Life jackets? Negative. Radio? Nah, well unless the car stereo jerry rigged to the electrics with exposed wires counts. First aid kit? What’s is thing you speak of? Any accident is fate and karma and just life innit?
In essence: way more fun. This is life on the edge of disaster. Anything goes wrong and you’re paddling your board away from the flaming, sinking wreckage of your own personal Titanic with a hell of a tale to tell, if, and when, you get home. Don’t smirk. It happens, a lot more often than you think.
Sea Ulcers Suck
Surfing in the tropics means one thing: pus dribbling wounds. If John Wayning wasn’t bad enough… The noble sea ulcer forms from any cut, nick or hint of a rub you have. Progressively getting worse until you really have to stay out the sea. There is actually an Indo based solution -a little bottle of purple juice you can only get in Indo chemists- called Gentian Violet. Makes ‘em heal, keeps them dry and is all round amazing. Only downside is you get permanent purple stains on your board, bed sheets, clothes, partner. This is no matter. You can still surf without them deepening and weeping until they touch bone.
*Prob best not to slather Gentian all over your nethers if you do have a savage case of the John Wayne’s. Nobody is going to believe your purple junk was a medical necessity.
