Margaret River Pro: Day 1

Steve Shearer picture
Steve Shearer (freeride76)
Form Guide

Can you cast your mind back to the women's surfing at Pipe and Sunset? 

Feels like a lifetime ago now but we all remember it: the rookies were ascendant, and a wildcard who has never gone close to qualifying made the established order look like rank amateurs etc etc.

Have you been paying attention to the ratings since then? Be honest, you're amongst friends.

I sure haven't. For some reason I just assumed the rookie gals, high schoolers most of them, were still on top and all the former greats of the game were limping around on one leg about to be put out to pasture.

Yeah, but nah. We're headed for a rookie-pocalypse - the high schoolers are about to get sent back to the Challenger Series, or presumably, high school if they can't make heats there. Leaving aside the question of fast tracking kids into full blown pro sport, for now anyways, lets take a look at Day One of the Margaret River Pro, nee the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro.

Six heats of three, which makes up the Women's Round One were run today. Presumably, after the cut it will be four heats, which will fly by in a heartbeat. Already the Women's tour feels about the right numbers compared to the Men's, and sooner or later, in the interests of equality in sport the Women's tour being exactly half the size of the Men's tour, will become an indefensible position. It's mind boggling to me those questions aren't a live proposition now, in 2022.

This means either the Men's tour gets halved to equal the Women's or the Women's gets doubled. My money is on the Men getting halved. Hold that thought for another day.

Margs (Dunbar/WSL)

The surf was scrappy, with a northerly-biased wind coming across the bay, pushing hard ribs into the left and tricky lumps into the right.

We were told this type of surf would suit Bettylou Sakura Johnson but the flinty sense of Fuck You confidence we saw in Hawaii is now long gone. She looked lost and out of sorts, could barely scrap together a heat total above 5 and was sent to the Elimination Round while Brisa and Courtney banked scores on ill-tempered lefts.

Tyler's back baby. That annoys people because she is outspoken and not everything adds up right between what she says and what she does. The worst drug by far in Australia is booze. Not that I have a personal beef with it, but I make no claims to represent anyone's interests who is harmed by it. Tyler does. Her indigenous advocacy has been a major part of her activism, her brand, and it's completely uncontroversial to claim Indigenous communities are the worst affected by alcohol. Which makes Tyler's freshly inked deal with a pre-mixed Rum company a bit...whiffy. Of course it will be studiously ignored by both the WSL and the 'Make or Break' team. Some things are just too difficult to deal with when the main spokeperson for a cause goes off script in search of easy pay days.

Tyler (Hughes/WSL)

Money is great for easing moral wounds but maybe that twinge in her soul had a part to play in her admitting after the heat where she smashed the rights that she was suffering from “high anxiety” which made it “not fun”. No matter, she's surfing better than she ever has. The power is turned up, especially off the bottom, and the telegraphed layback snaps are now used as seasoning, instead of the being the main meal. The main meal is power gouges, speed floats, fins-free closeout hits. The whole damn repertoire is back.

Tyler's dominance brought to mind a recent article from Nick Carroll in which he claimed a huge disparity in performance on the Men's tour which wasn't reflected in the Women's because it was a “boy thing”. I'm paraphrasing but it made me wonder if we were watching the same sport. Moana Jones Wong dominance at Pipeline was the greatest disparity professional surfing has ever seen - in fact it might be one of the greatest in world sport.

The high school rookies were up and now they are down. The Women's tour this year with the new venues and new rookies has been nothing but disparity. It's taken until now, with the return of Bells and Margies, for anything like some sense of order to be restored. Shockingly, with one event left before the cut, only four women are safe from the cut: Tyler, Carissa, Brisa, and Lakey.

Carissa looked shakey in Heat 3 but did enough to get through her geat against Sally Fitz and Mia McCarthy. It will sound silly to say Sally Fitz is surfing better than she ever has, but to my eye she is. There's urgency and intent in every turn. Nothing is wasted, nothing is “given up on”. The style is still a little voguey and forced, but she nurses nothing. Easy win for Fitz.

Sal (Dunbar/WSL)

In the presser Fitz said, “I think my surfing is still relative”. It may be, but it's also still relevant, especially with G'Land next on the card. Wildcard Mia McCarthy did not find a wave over a low 3.

Molly Picklum is one of those rookies who I expected to see in the Top 5 and am dismayed to now see below the cut. If Bettylou looked dead-eyed and forlorn, Pickles surfed like a starving pickpocket let loose in lunchtime London.

The vertical closeout smash she put on was the turn of the day until Issy Nichols' final wave. Steph also looked very spicy through her exchanges with the tricky rights. The cut is definitely bringing out the best in her.

Pickles (Dunbar/WSL)

The Hawaiian rookies had shockers, the Aussie gals shredded. India Robinson consigned Luana Silva to elimination.

The best of the below the cut showings was put on by Issy Nichols, who seems a rookie but is struggling against a stiff sophomore headwind. Issy fell on or missed the crucial second turn and then had to put it all together in the final thirty seconds of her heat for a score. Sets bombed the line-up, and it looked like she was going to end the heat duckdiving Indian Ocean whitewater. She scratched out to the last wave of the set, whipped in late to a frothy boomer and went straight up at one of the trickiest lips to hit on tour. There was a momentary disconnect before Issy put the landing gear down and claimed the ride.

A fun way to end the day and a grappel hook thrown by Nichols to the safe ground above the cut.

Now, lets see these pampered pooches deal with some onshore juice.

//STEVE SHEARER

Comments

velocityjohnno's picture
velocityjohnno's picture
velocityjohnno Monday, 25 Apr 2022 at 7:52pm

A good write up, sometimes it's the ironies of life that make for colour. Tyler was surfing very well.

plops's picture
plops's picture
plops Monday, 25 Apr 2022 at 8:11pm

Chas Smith has made a career out of writing about pro surfing and can barley surf. You don’t need to be an expert when having an opinion on any topic in this world… Now where do I by a can of reeftip?

plops's picture
plops's picture
plops Monday, 25 Apr 2022 at 8:13pm

I forgot Derek Riley also

lost's picture
lost's picture
lost Monday, 25 Apr 2022 at 8:32pm

Nothing wrong with Riley’s surfing. It’s certainly way better than he would ever claim.

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Monday, 25 Apr 2022 at 9:29pm

Derek Riley rips actually. Chas is a full barney.

DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
DudeSweetDudeSweet's picture
DudeSweetDudeSweet Monday, 25 Apr 2022 at 8:24pm

The above photo of Picklum shows some pretty epic surfing. Didn’t catch the heat action but she looks perfectly centred and hitting it so sweetly.

Very nice.

frog's picture
frog's picture
frog Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 9:47am

Picklum carve. Possibly one of the best off the top still shots of a woman surfer I have ever seen - style, power, critical etc. Did she make it? If not, a pity, but still is a bit of a milestone in the progression on the sport.

bbbird's picture
bbbird's picture
bbbird Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 8:50pm

Made it with speed & control.
Rookie won the heat over WSL Champion, Stephanie Gilmore, and former Margaret River event winner, Lakey Peterson....

Remigogo's picture
Remigogo's picture
Remigogo Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 9:17pm

Wow... go you good thing Molly!

Yeeew

john.callahan's picture
john.callahan's picture
john.callahan Monday, 25 Apr 2022 at 8:30pm

Thanks, Steve - a good summary of why the Rookies have largely failed to make much of a dent in the established order on the Women's tour after a promising start.

As they say in football. "Strikers win you games, defenders win you trophies and titles"

Lanky Dean's picture
Lanky Dean's picture
Lanky Dean Saturday, 30 Apr 2022 at 2:18pm

i'm confused, football is a team sport.
surfing is an individual sport.
i'm not sure how you can reference football?

john.callahan's picture
john.callahan's picture
john.callahan Saturday, 30 Apr 2022 at 2:38pm

The analogy is - a goal from a rookie may win a game, but it is the consistent excellence from defenders that wins trophies and titles.

A WSL rookie will have to do more than place highly in a single event, they will have to emulate the consistent excellence of the defenders that win trophies and titles, to stay on tour.

Entender, amigo?

lost's picture
lost's picture
lost Monday, 25 Apr 2022 at 8:34pm

I’ve been banging on about the numbers disparity for a while (men v women tour). I can’t believe the WSL got away with all the equal pay ra ra ra without anyone raising it. Where is the petition on that to Eric ?

Jono's picture
Jono's picture
Jono Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 8:52am

Why would the surfers raise an issue with equal pay?

lost's picture
lost's picture
lost Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 7:22pm

Not pay but the fact there are so few spots for the females vs the males

bluediamond's picture
bluediamond's picture
bluediamond Monday, 25 Apr 2022 at 8:50pm

Great wrap FR. The only part that irked me was the perfect set up for Molly Picklum..." Pickles surfed like a starving pick(le)pocket(er) let loose in lunchtime London.". ;-)
Agreed on Sally too. She's adding spice to all her turns. Her board looks unreal. Wondering when the judges will judge Carissa for her surfing, and not her name. Seems too often they put a big score down for her just because she stays solid on her board. There's no doubt she has the capabilities too go big, but the judges seem to not be able to distinguish between committed, high risk surfing and just solid, stay on your feet and do a couple of taps. I wonder if they kept her score to what it should have been Mia McCarthy might have had a bit more confidence to make a charge.

bbbird's picture
bbbird's picture
bbbird Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 9:07pm

WSL judges in Hawaii awarded committed carves in this 2022 heat at wobbly Sunset.

bbbird's picture
bbbird's picture
bbbird Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 10:58pm
zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Monday, 25 Apr 2022 at 9:35pm

I'm guessing this was conceived around lunchtime- pickles, ribs, main-meal, seasoning, spicy, booze...

Didn't watch a heat today but with the exception of Tyler and Sal, sounds like I didn't miss much.

How will the next day of competition fare?

(get it? get it? nyuk nyuk!)

Tooold2bakook's picture
Tooold2bakook's picture
Tooold2bakook Monday, 25 Apr 2022 at 10:09pm

Thanks for the write up Steve.

I think that dig at Tyler is totally unfair. First, I don't agree with your "alcohol is a problem is in some indigenous communities->Tyler has partnered with an alcohol producer -> Tyler cannot support indigenous causes". I think it's pretty clearly flawed.

I think Tyler is courageous for standing up for stuff. She gets basically no appreciation for that. I mean it's fine to criticize but it seems that every opportunity is taken to put her down. This article being a case in point

juegasiempre's picture
juegasiempre's picture
juegasiempre Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 7:31am

The logic checks out for me 100%

If you want to be a Jesus, don't act like Judas!

Yuri's picture
Yuri's picture
Yuri Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 8:10am

Mario Estevam Malschitzky's picture
Mario Estevam Malschitzky's picture
Mario Estevam M... Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 10:03am

Very good vid if u wanna get the whole vibe 'round there.

quokka's picture
quokka's picture
quokka Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 7:25pm

WTF...am I in a parallel universe?

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 9:07am

Italo, busted beak, but all good to compete:

lostdoggy's picture
lostdoggy's picture
lostdoggy Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 9:11am

After he disrespected his boards in the change room again, they’re fighting back.

Gillsy's picture
Gillsy's picture
Gillsy Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 12:27pm

Great article. One correction- durries are actually the biggest cause of preventable death and disease among all the drugs, legal or illegal.

lost's picture
lost's picture
lost Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 7:18pm

How so ? study - references ? Genuinely insteresred.

jetson.rover's picture
jetson.rover's picture
jetson.rover Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 7:48pm

Really?
Smoking and driving?
Smoking related violence?
If you just take into consideration the personal harm caused by it,perhaps.
But the wider social harm,i think not.

Gillsy's picture
Gillsy's picture
Gillsy Wednesday, 27 Apr 2022 at 6:41am

In Australia, tobacco smoking is the leading cause of premature death and disability. It kills more people in this country each year than alcohol, car accidents, murders, suicides or – in the past two years – Covid, points out Jon Berrick, an emeritus professor at Singapore’s Yale-NUS College, who now lives in Sydney

wally's picture
wally's picture
wally Wednesday, 27 Apr 2022 at 11:22pm

Some friends in the court system reckon by far the most guaranteed destructive addiction, personally and to families, is gambling (primarily the pokies, but also the whole sports punt thing).

Remigogo's picture
Remigogo's picture
Remigogo Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 9:36pm

Sure is a hell of a lot easier to smoke less durries when your not on the piss.

That 'study' may not have taken lifestyle into consideration.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Wednesday, 27 Apr 2022 at 8:47am

We've got that covered too:

Cheyne was so keen to endorse Gunston he even went switchfoot.

rj-davey's picture
rj-davey's picture
rj-davey Wednesday, 27 Apr 2022 at 8:57am

Interesting to ask the average ambo, copper, ER doc, social worker, counsellor or judge which vice causes the most harm

bluediamond's picture
bluediamond's picture
bluediamond Wednesday, 27 Apr 2022 at 2:42pm

Asked a police friend of mine the other day if 'ice' was taken off the streets, how much would crime drop (Perth suburban). She said easily over 50 percent. Mind blowing.

bbbird's picture
bbbird's picture
bbbird Tuesday, 26 Apr 2022 at 9:42pm

The Australian Burden of Disease Study 2018 shows that tobacco use (8.6%) and alcohol use (4.5%) collectively accounted for 13.1% of the total burden of disease in Australia in 2018. Declines were observed for most leading risk factors with the exception of illicit drug use for which the age-standardised DALY rate increased by 35% between 2003 and 2018 (AIHW 2021c).
Opioid use accounted for the largest proportion (31%) of the illicit drug use burden, followed by amphetamine use (24%), cocaine (10.9%) and cannabis (10.2%). In addition, 17.8% of the burden was from diseases contracted through unsafe injecting practices (Table S2.69) (AIHW 2021c).
Reference
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-tobacco-other-drugs-aust...

ODeals's picture
ODeals's picture
ODeals Wednesday, 27 Apr 2022 at 10:22pm

Enjoying the coverage Steve, thanks.

One to throw out there for the seagulls…

Sugar is the worst drug in Australia. Discuss.

Remigogo's picture
Remigogo's picture
Remigogo Wednesday, 27 Apr 2022 at 11:03pm

Sure is a hell of a lot easier to give up the durries after giving up sugars.

fairweatherhack's picture
fairweatherhack's picture
fairweatherhack Thursday, 28 Apr 2022 at 12:46pm