It has reached the peak of the pro surfing season as Cronulla's world tour star Connor O'Leary got his race to be rookie of the year back on track after advancing to round four of the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal.
After two consecutive 25th places and the loss of his tour rookie lead it was all on the line for O’Leary in his ‘do or die’ second round.
Frederico Morais (Portugal) and O’Leary then both made it out of round three to keep the rookie of the year race increasingly close. Going into Pipeline there is only one place between them.
“It’s been a good year from me. I had a little slump in the last two events but I have to keep reminding myself that I’m a rookie and I have a lot to learn,” O’Leary said.
“I’m stoked to get a few results earlier this year so I don’t have to worry too much about the QS.”
While O’Leary has just returned home for a break before Hawaii, Elouera clubmate Shane Campbell is at Sunset Beach, Oahu at the Vans QS 3000, waiting to surf in round three in big surf.
Rated 72nd in the WQS rankings, Campbell needs to crack the 50 mark for a start in the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.
Meanwhile, on day two of the Phillip Island Pro at Cape Woolamai, Jared Hickel was one of the standouts and made it to round four where solid surf also greeted the competitors-and where Western Australian surfer Jacob Willcox claimed the first ever Phillip Island Pro Men’s QS1,000 title.
The Southerly has been blowing for three days and is now pushing an increase of windswell our way-Swellnet forecasted three days of solid south swell and then a fun E/NE swell for Friday and the weekend.
I took these pics yesterday at the Alley when the wind was blowing,the swell was still small but the cream was still rising to the top.
This morning the swell finally arrived after the dawn session was still small- we have a lumpy solid 4/5 ft Southerly swell with clean morning offshore winds but tending South.
On Thursday conditions will clean up as winds swing light offshore, and the swell, eases during the day,leaving Friday with a mix of easing Southerly and increasing E/NE swell with light winds.
The weekend will be smaller but the East swell will still linger with freshening S/SW winds, getting better with light winds on Sunday.
If you like BIG waves,Hawaiian’s Paige Alms and Ian Walsh have won the World Surf League Big Wave Tour Pe'ahi Challenge in towering 30-to-40 foot-plus conditions at the world famous Pe‘ahi in Haiku, Maui, Hawaii.
The second event of the 2017/2018 BWT season tested the top big wave chargers as a solid swell delivered massive surf over two days at Pe’ahi. Event officials have rated this year’s Pe’ahi Challenge a Gold coefficient, the highest possible BWT rating, which will allocate 15,625 points to first place.
Walsh earned his career-first BWT victory after dominating his Round 1 heat and the Final series. The 34-year-old, who was invited to compete as an event wildcard, capitalized on his opportunity to earn first place at his home break in Haiku and vault up to third place on the BWT rankings.
“This is a really big honor and I'm stoked that I can follow Billy (Kemper) and keep this thing on Maui,” said Walsh. “It was an incredible couple days of surfing, some challenging lulls but everyone here surfed really, really well and it was a pleasure to be in the water with them. It was fun to watch each heat almost, our sport progress as the waves got bigger and better. It feels just like those big free surf days, so I'm really honored and stoked."
After Medina’s victory in Portugal the WSL Title race will head to the final stop on the 2017 Championship Tour at the Billabong Pipe Masters on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Four surfers remain in contention heading into the final event: Florence who leads the rankings, Jordy Smith (ZAF), Medina and Wilson. Florence will win his second WSL Title if he makes the final at Pipeline.
-World Title Scenarios going into the Billabong Pipe Masters-
If Florence gets 1st or 2nd at Pipe he will clinch the World Title- If Florence gets a 3rd, Medina will need a 1st at Pipe to win the World Title- If Florence gets a 5th, Medina will need a 1st at Pipe to win the World Title- If Florence gets a 9th, Medina will need a 2nd, Smith a 1st- If Florence, gets a 13th or 25th, Medina will need a 5th, Smith a 2nd and Wilson a 1st .
Clear as mud ,so bring it on!
