True Blue Surf & Island Travel likes : Moore at Margaret
Reigning two-time ASP Women’s World Champion Moore won the Drug Aware Margaret River Women’s Pro, defending her event title in an electric day of competition. Moore battled against 2013 ASP Women’s Runner-Up Tyler Wright (AUS) in what proved to be a thrilling Final for the second stop on the 2014 Samsung Galaxy ASP Women’s World Championship Tour.
The Final saw a rematch of 2013 and a seesaw battle at Main Break. It was Wright who struck first, logging a mid-range score but the Hawaiian answered back, belting a series of forehand turns for a 7.50, overtaking Wright for the lead. Following a lull, Wright delivered an explosive two-turn combination, netting an 8.00 to regain the lead at the halfway mark in the Heat. Moore took the lead once again following an additional exchange, netting a 6.87 to Wright’s 6.10 and immediately extended her lead with the highest score of the heat, an 8.23 for a powerful two-turn combination, securing her second consecutive Drug Aware Margaret River Pro victory.
“Tyler Wright looked awesome today and she’s a tough competitor,” said Carissa Moore. “I think any time any of us are in a Final we really want to win it and take it home. I was really excited and told myself ‘come on, it’s time’. It’s a very challenging wave here at Margaret River and I’m constantly learning so I’m thankful to be able to win here again. I love this place and I love Western Australia. It feels good to be up there at the top of the rankings with Stephanie (Gilmore) and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the events unfold.”
“I’m actually pretty happy with how that all went. I was pleased with how I surfed and how I ran everything. There was one wave that I made a mistake on and I think it could have gone either way if I finished it,” said Tyler Wright. “Carissa just nailed it, she’s so strong and she’s the coolest human.”
Five-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore was eliminated in her Semifinal by Moore. The pair have previously matched up 14 times in WCT history with the Australian taking eight wins to Moore’s six. But it was Moore who was victorious today, belting a 7.50 and 8.33 on back-to-back rides with an array of progressive forehand surfing, pushing Gilmore into a combination situation. The Australian did manage to break the combo, but Moore took the win. Gilmore leaves the competition in equal third place.
“Today I think I might have ridden the wrong board and things just didn’t really fall into place,” said Stephanie Gilmore. “Carissa was definitely pushing things and I was trying to be a little more safe, which didn’t work out in the end. It’s a long year ahead and we’ve got the most events we’ve ever had on Tour (10). Carissa and I have a good rivalry going and I’m looking forward to some more podium finished.”
Sally Fitzgibbons was knocked out of the competition in an all-Australian affair against compatriot and event runner up Tyler Wright. Fitzgibbons bolted out to an early lead and dissected the wild and wooly righthanders with impressive precision. However, it was Wright who ultimately answered back with unmatched power and strength, taking on the sections with reckless abandon and finished in second place.
DRUG AWARE MARGARET RIVER WOMEN’S PRO FINAL RESULTS
Final: Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.73 def. Tyler Wright (AUS) 14.10
DRUG AWARE MARGARET RIVER WOMEN’S PRO SEMIFINAL RESULTS
Semifinal 1: Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.83 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 12.67
Semifinal 2: Tyler Wright (AUS) 15.83 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 12.67
DRUG AWARE MARGARET RIVER WOMEN’S PRO QUARTERFINAL RESULTS
Quarterfinal 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 14.60 def. Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.57
Quarterfinal 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) 16.50 def. Malia Manuel (HAW) 9.60
Quarterfinal 3: Tyler Wright (AUS) 13.34 def. Laura Enever (AUS) 9.50
Quarterfinal 4: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 16.83 def. Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 12.63
UPSETS FOR MEN
After a thrilling showdown in the Women’s Final earlier in the day, Men’s Round 3 saw 12 surfers leave the competition. There were major upsets with a re-surf of Heat 1 and the elimination of top seeds Taj Burrow, Mick Fanning and Julian Wilson, as well as standout performances from Yadin Nicol and Gabriel Medina.
Following an unfortunate incident where Taj Burrow (AUS) became entangled in Bede Durbidge’s (AUS) leash while paddling with priority for a potentially heat-changing wave, event officials organized a re-surf of Round 3 Heat 1. The re-surf saw Burrow come out of the gates firing in an attempt to secure his place in Round 4, detonating a 7.33 and 7.60 with his signature forehand flare. Durbidge had a 6.60 in his scoreline, and was in need of an excellent score in the final minutes of the affair to ensure victory. Durbidge delivered, detonating an incredible 8.60 for a series of powerful forehang gouges, surpassing Burrow for the lead and taking his place in Round 4 where will face Josh Kerr and Jordy Smith.
“It was definitely not the way I saw today going,” said Bede Durbidge. “It was really hard on me and hard on Taj (Burrow). It was a very unfortunate thing that happened. I just had to dig deep because I didn’t want to surf or go back out there. I put my head down, dusted myself off and got back to surfing. It was pretty draining and I’m going to sleep well tonight. I wasn’t going to lose that Heat, I felt that I deserved to get through and I didn’t do anything wrong this morning. I wanted to be in Round 4 and I’m glad I’m there.”
Yadin Nicol (AUS) delivered a mind-blowing performance in Round 3 Heat 6, upsetting reigning three-time ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS). Nicol posted the day’s high scores by launching a huge, full rotation aerial on his first maneuver followed by a series of frontside bashes for a near-perfect 9.77. The score left Fanning in search of a combination of scores and was unable to deliver. Nicol sails through to Round 4 where he will face Miguel Pupo and Gabriel Medina.
“I was scared the whole Heat and I’m really happy to win,” said Yadin Nicol. “Mick (Fanning) and I had a good battle at Pipe and and he’s such a good competitor. I feel less pressure now and I can surf a little freer. I grew up here and I feel so comfortable at Margaret River. I know which waves to go for and that helps.”
“I surf here at Margaret River lot and I’ve been here many times,” said Mick Fanning. “I know it’s a tricky wave and I just got beaten here on the day. It will be good to go home for a while before Bells Beach. The next stop is always a good event for me and it’s like a second home so I’m looking forward to it. I hope we get some good waves and all the best to Yadin (Nicol) for the rest of the event.”
Heat 9 was battle between progressive regular footers Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Julian Wilson (AUS) with one standout wave from each competitor combined with a series of small backups. Wilson was first to strike, delivering a series of precise forehand blows, establishing a lead via a 7.17. The young Brazilian was able to answer, however, unloading a massive forehand gouge followed by a full rotation air for an 8.00, overtaking Wilson for the Heat win and a place in Round 4.
“I woke up in the morning and my shoulder was hurting really badly,” said Filipe Toledo. “I didn’t surf for two days. I’m feeling a lot of pain but I tried to do some airs and it worked so I’m pleased. I was really confident for this contest and this is a good start for me. I’m really excited to be here with all the Brazilians.”
A next-generation battle unfolded in Heat 5, with current ASP WCT No. 1 Gabriel Medina (BRA) up against prodigious Hawaiian John John Florence on the rights at Main Break. Medina gave one of the standout performances of the day and was first to strike in the Heat with a series of backhand blasts for a 7.67. He quickly found a 5-point backup ride to solidify an early lead. Florence answered with a series of turns and big forehand air for an 8.50 but Medina was able to reclaim his lead with a backhand snap to air-reverse combo for an 8.77. Medina secured victory over Florence and a place Round 4.
“I was nervous when I found out I was going to surf against John John (Florence),” said Gabriel Medina. “It’s always hard to face him because he’s an amazing surfing. We’ve had a lot of matchups against each other and we’re really competitive. I just try and focus on my own game and do the best I can. It’s great to surf against someone like John John because we push each other and it’s always exciting”.
11-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) also moves through to Round 4 after a relatively low-scoring affair against Jadson Andre (BRA). Slater was first to score with his venomous forehand attack, locking in a 5 and 6. Andre answered back with a five of his own and found a wave in the dying seconds but fell shy of the 7 he needed to win. Slater will face Michel Bourez and Filipe Toledo in the next Round while Andre leaves in equal 13th place.
“I felt like I surfed okay on what I had but the sections weren’t coming together on the right angles for me,” said Kelly Slater. “This wave is so tricky, it’s really difficult. I keep coming too hard off the bottom and you really can’t do a deep bottom turn because there’s no lip up there. You really have to wait for those steep sections. I cna see it from the beach but being out there is a different story”.
DRUG AWARE MARGARET RIVER PRO ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1 Re-Surf: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 15.20 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.90
Heat 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.23 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 6.23
Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 13.10 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 9.67
Heat 4: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 11.34 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 9.67
Heat 5: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.44 def. John John Florence (HAW) 13.00
Heat 6 : Yadin Nicol (AUS) 16.94 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 9.83
Heat 7: Kelly Slater (USA) 12.56 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 10.47
Heat 8: Michel Bourez (PYF) 12.87 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 9.70
Heat 9: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 12.57 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 12.00
Heat 10: Nat Young (USA) 12.26 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 11.03
Heat 11: Adriano De Souza (BRA) 12.50 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 11.40
Heat 12: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 14.50 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 5.23
DRUG AWARE MARGARET RIVER PRO ROUND 4 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Josh Kerr (AUS), Jordy Smith (ZAF)
Heat 2: Miguel Pupo (BRA), Gabriel Medina (BRA), Yadin Nicol (AUS)
Heat 3: Kelly Slater (USA), Michel Bourez (PYF), Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Heat 4: Nat Young (USA), Adriano De Souza (BRA), Joel Parkinson (AUS)
