Not to lure you away from watching the opening day of the Margaret River Pro, but things got off to a fairly average start yesterday during the women’s first round of competition for stop No. 5 of the Championship Tour.
For the commencement of the final event before the dreaded mid-year cut, the women’s Top 17 were greeted lazily with a two-to-four-foot southwest swell. The waves, on the whole, were a bit inconsistent, small, and a far cry from the classically powerful fare viewers like to see from Main Break.
Nevertheless, it’s worth a watch (or at the the highlights are, below)–mainly to keep tabs on which names are on the chopping block, now that we’re at the mid-season cull.
Top seeds like Caity Simmers–the yellow-jersey-wearing radical from Oceanside, California–and world No. 3 Molly Picklum escaped the elimination round. Others weren’t so lucky.
Sally Fitz, ‘CT vet and former event champ, was relegated to the elimination round and will vie against current world No. 2 2 Johanne Defay for the chance to stay on Tour for the remainder of the season. If she doesn’t win the heat, it’s back to Challenger Series for the longtime competitor. India Robinson’s in a similar must-win situation. Sitting at 16th place on the rankings, she’s gotta overcome Brisa Hennessey and Luana Silva to finish out the 2024 ‘CT season.
You’ll have to wait to catch the unfolding of the mid-year drama, as competition was called off today. Be sure to head back for more once the games continue.
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