Another day of competition just wrapped up at the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal and the race to event victory is slowly inching toward finals day. Today concluded with the quarterfinals decided on the women’s side of draw, and the Round of 16 has been finalized for the men. Take a peek at the day’s highlights below and continue reading the WSL’s presser for a more detailed recap:
From the WSL desk:
Competition got up and running early to take advantage of the tide and good morning conditions. A quieter day on the beach saw dedicated fans fight the elements at dawn to support their favorite surfers in the world. After a long hold through the lower part of the tide, the last two heats of the Men’s Round of 32 that weren’t completed yesterday, eventually took to the lineup late this afternoon.
Local Hero Hopkins Takes Out Moore, Picklum Guaranteed Rankings Lead
In the biggest upset of the day, 5X World Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) lost the yellow jersey after failing to advance to the Quarterfinals at the hands of the Portuguese wildcard, Yolanda Hopkins. The current European Qualifying Series (QS) leader put Moore under pressure from the start, opening with a 5.67 (out of a possible 10) for two committed turns. Moore changed boards halfway through the heat to try and shift the momentum but couldn’t find a rhythm. Hopkins closed out the heat with a massive vertical hit into a thick lip for a 6.10 from the judges.“I’m super stoked, I’ve always looked up to Carissa, she’s a role model surfer,” Hopkins said. “It’s amazing to show my surf in these hard conditions, I saw a lot of girls struggling. I was looking for a closeout section to get one big turn in that I knew the judges would appreciate. Go big or go home!”With Moore eliminated, Molly Picklum (AUS) now holds a solo lead at the top of the rankings after overcoming Isabella Nichols (AUS) to earn a spot in the Quarterfinals. She opened with a quick barrel ride and kept building her score, finding a good runner on her backhand for a vertical hook into the lip and carving her way to the inside for a 6.50. Nichols had a visibly frustrating heat after suffering a broken board and leash at the start. Thrown off her game, Nichols found herself out of position and out of the competition. “It was crazy out there, we were cowboy riding the skis,” said Picklum. “It was tricky with such a quick turnaround this morning. It was an early start and I just looked at the ocean and thought it’s victory out at sea, so I’m going to try and catch as many waves as I can and hopefully one of them will pan out. Honestly, it was hard out there. Portugal has been funny, I haven’t felt like I got a bunch of momentum at the start, but now I’m feeling good, things are changing and I want to keep putting my time in here because I really want to get to the finals.”
Rookie Sensation Simmers Puts on a Show
17 year-old Caitlin Simmers (USA) put on a spectacular performance against former No.2 in the world Caroline Marks (USA), and secured a second consecutive Quarterfinal appearance. Simmers opened the encounter on her backhand with two big straight hits in the pocket for a 7.33, but Marks found a wave under priority for a 6.17 and the energy shifted. With a quick back-up score, Marks was in the lead and Simmers found herself under pressure. The young Californian scoured the lineup and locked into a good lefthander, unleashing two strong vertical turns for a 7.83, taking her first win over Marks.“This is the kind of waves I surf every day at Oceanside,” Simmers said. “It’s not great, but it’s a lot similar to what I usually surf. I gave Caroline a wave and put her in rhythm and I was pretty bummed. She found another clean one and I was like, oh no what have I done. I just kept looking for another wave. You just have to remind yourself that you can do it. I’m stoked that I finally beat Caroline!”The only other rookie in the field, Australia’s Sophie McCulloch, continued to impress in her maiden CT event after sitting out the first two of the season due to injury. Coming from behind, she put on a clutch performance to snatch the win from Final 5 competitor Brisa Hennessy (CRC) for her first Quarterfinal appearance. After a big wipeout and a broken board, McCulloch recollected herself to lock in a wave for a 5.83 to get the required score and take the win.
Reigning Event Winner Weston-Webb Keeps Defending Campaign Alive
Local star Teresa Bonvalot (POR) and defending event winner Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) went toe-to-toe with powerful surfing in critical sections. Bonvalot got off to a quick start to post two scores on the board, but Weston-Webb came back with a few big hits of her own to take the win and move into the Quarters. With the looming threat of the Mid-season Cut, it was a tough loss for Bonvalot at home.“The conditions were really tough but the girls had their competitive hats on and they were ready,” Weston-Webb said. “It’s more like you against the sea rather than your competitor. Honestly, I didn’t surf the way I wanted to, I just looked for some open faces to fit in a few turns and I guess it worked!”Fighting their way back up the rankings with important wins today included Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), who dispatched 8X World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), and Courtney Conlogue (USA) who defeated Gabriela Bryan (HAW).
Medina, Colapinto Join the Rest of the Field into Men’s Round of 16
After a long hold, the two remaining Men’s Round of 32 heats wrapped up the day in an entertaining fashion. Gabriel Medina (BRA) was in sync with Supertubos and stayed busy in the shifty lineup. The 3X World Champion kept building on his score, finding waves under Seth Moniz’s (HAW) priority that afforded him the perfect sections to go to the air. “The conditions were better than this morning, so it was a good call,” Medina said. “I tried to make the most of my waves, looking for the sections to do a big punt. It’s good when you land airs, because it keeps you motivated to just go bigger. The fans mean a lot to me. The tour is long, so the support from local crowds means so much. I appreciate it and I love Portugal, I’m happy to be here.”Defending event winner Griffin Colapinto (USA) and Jackson Baker (AUS) shared an electrifying exchange of waves, pushing each other to go bigger and better on every ride. Baker grabbed an early lead, but it only fired up Colapinto even more who started to put on a show. Colapinto put extra flair in his turns and boosted a full rotation air to score a 7.83. He then backed it up with a 6.60 for a single maneuver, throwing everything he had into a menacing section.“I like that you just need to read the ocean here, because you’ll never know where or when a wave is going to pop up,” Colapinto said. “When a wave does come, you get all excited and you just need to make it happen. My mantra is just to have fun. Everyone in the contest is just so good, Jackson is such a good surfer and you have to bring your best in every heat. You can’t wait to peak in the final, you need to be ready to pull out every trick you have.”The next call will be on Tuesday, March 14, 6:50 a.m GMT at Supertubos.