Isabella Nichols and Jack Robinson deliver for home fans at Margaret River Pro
A good day down under as Aussies triumph, while mid-season cut decides the fate of world's best surfers in second half of WSL tour.
Surfing
Double delight for Australia as Isabella Nichols and Jack Robinson win on home soil.
The duo are the two new Margaret River Pro surfing champions having triumphed in pumping Western Australia waves on Wednesday. (4 May)
For 24-year-old Nichols, the victory was not only her first WSL Championship Tour win, but it helped her survive the mid-season cut, saving her spot on tour for the second half of the year.
Local star Robinson was already safe above the cut, having locked in spot at the previous event, but has the added pressure of wanting to deliver in his hometown.
The 24-year-old made history becoming the first Western Australian to take out the Margaret River event since Dave Macaulay in 1989.
Nichols delivers
The stakes couldn't have been higher for Isabella Nichols going into the final against Gabriela Bryan.
She was sitting 12th in the world rankings coming into the event, and a win would bring her above the mid-season cut line.
But Nichols coped well with the pressure and the offshore wind posting scores of 6.17 and 6.77 - which was enough to come out on top.
"I don't feel like this moment is real. I've dreamt about this my whole life and for this to be happening right now. I feel like i'm still in bed at home asleep. It's going to take me a while to digest," she said.
The Australian is now fourth in the world rankings.
Her next goal is to stay in the top 5 and make the WSL finals.
Nichols added, "There is no better feeling than this in the whole world. I just came to this event, and as corny as it sounds, I just had fun. It was just yesterday I was thinking about falling off Tour, and now, it’s all about the WSL Final 5, the goals have changed."
Runner-up Gabriella Ryan also made the cut. An impressive feat in her rookie year.
READ: Gabriela Bryan: The surfing rookie making waves on the WSL Championship Tour
Hometown hero
Jack Robinson's performance in the final was one for the ages.
Not only did he deliver for all his local fans on his hometown beach, but he also overcame the event favourite, two-time world champion John John Florence.
"So many hours, so much time. When you win like this, it's really special." Robinson said after the win.
The Australian, who is only in his second year on the tour, trailed Florence mid-heat, but pulled out an impressive 16.24 score thanks to a two-wave combination and aerial surfing.
This marks his second victory on tour, following his triumph in Mexico last year. He now sits third in the rankings.
It's also the first time in over 30 years that a Western Australian surfer has won the event.
"This is amazing. I've had so many rounds so close, even last year I was against Jeremy (Flores) we had that heat and he got the wave in the last minute and just so many things to come together. So grateful and thank you everybody for the support."
Disappointment for Wright and Fitzgibbons
Olympic bronze medallist Owen Wright is the latest big name to have been cut. The Australian veteran has been relegated to the Challenger series where he will now have to battle his way back to the tour.
“For me, I don’t want to be having any long-term thoughts just yet. I’ll try and be kind to myself over the next few days,” Wright said after learning his fate.
After 14 years on the world's most competitive surfing circuit, Sally Fitzgibbons also failed to earn enough points to make the cut.
Along with the other athletes who did not survive the cut, they will need to compete on the 2022 Challenger Series to try qualify for the 2023 CT.
The mid-season cut - who's in and who's out
With the fifth event of the season done and dusted, we are now halfway through the 2022 Championship Tour season.
The new mid-season cut now comes into effect.
The men's field has been reduced from 36 athletes to 24 while the 18-strong women's field becomes 12.
Surfers who have made the cut have also secured their place on the Championship Tour for 2023.
For the surfers still on the CT, the next stop is the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro G-Land, in Indonesia from May 28.
A men’s and women’s season wildcard, as well as men’s and women’s wildcard per event, will be added in the second half of this season.
Three-time world champion Gabriel Medina has already been awarded the men’s season wildcard. The women’s season wildcard will be announced in the coming days,.
Women’s Championship Tour surfers who made the cut
- Carissa Moore (HAW/USA)
- Brisa Hennessy (CRI)
- Tyler Wright (AUS)
- Lakey Peterson (USA)
- Johanne Defay (FRA)
- Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
- Courtney Conlogue (USA)
- Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)
- Gabriela Bryan (HAW/USA)
- Isabella Nichols (AUS)
Men’s Championship Tour surfers who made the cut
- Filipe Toledo (BRA)
- Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
- John John Florence (HAW/USA)
- Kelly Slater (USA)
- Barron Mamiya (HAW/USA)
- Italo Ferreira (BRA)
- Caio Ibelli (BRA)
- Ethan Ewing (AUS)
- Miguel Pupo (BRA)
- Seth Moniz (HAW/USA)
- Callum Robson (AUS)
- Griffin Colapinto (USA)
- Jack Robinson (AUS)
- Kolohe Andino (USA)
- Samuel Pupo (BRA)
- Jordy Smith (RSA)
- Nat Young (USA)
- Connor O’Leary (AUS)
- Jake Marshall (USA)
- Jackson Baker (AUS)
- Jadson Andre (BRA)
- Matthew McGillivray (RSA)