Aussie surfers Robinson and Nichols salute at Bells
Jack Robinson and Isabella Nichols have made it a double triumph for Australia with thrilling victories in the Rip Curl Pro finals at Bells Beach.
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News.com.au
27-05-2025
- News.com.au
South African veteran Jordy Smith and new world No.1 Gabriela Bryan take Margaret River Pro titles as Aussie Isabella Nicholls wins new car
The final two events on the WTC Australian swing failed to deliver a local winner after South African veteran Jordy Smith and new world No.1 Gabriela Bryan took out the men's and women's events at Margaret River. But Bells Beach champ Isabella Nichols flew the Aussie flag after taking out the Aussie Treble, which was awarded to the best surfer over the three Australian events, including Bells and the Gold Coast Pro. Bryan proved a destroyer of local hopes on her way to her second title of the year, ending Sally Fitzgibbons' season on Monday before the 23-year-old Hawaiian defended the title she won last year by taking down reigning world champ Caitlin Simmers in a dominant final display. 'I'm honestly speechless, I don't know what to think,' Bryan said after her win. 'I've just been surfing how I want to surf and I just can't believe it.' Smith, in his 18th season on tour, then scorched enigmatic American star Griffin Colapinto to secure only his eighth tour win, but his second in 2025, after ending an eight-year drought in El Salvador. He'll take the No.1 ranking to the next event in California next month. There were no Aussies in either final in Western Australia, the first time in the three Australian events. Nichols and Jack Robinson won at Bells, while Fitzgibbons and comeback star Julian Wilson lost finals on the Gold Coast. The effort of Nichols to secure one title, while making quarter-finals on the Gold Coast and again at Margaret River, helped secure her fourth spot on the world rankings and the Aussie Treble, which came with a new car. Nichols, Molly Picklum and Tyler Wright were the only Australian women to make the mid-season cut and will contest the rest of the season in their bid for the world title. Ethan Ewing, Robinson and Joel Vaughan made the men's cut, with four more events before the finals in Fiji in August.
The Advertiser
23-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Surfers wait on Margs waves while Slater makes big call
With surfers fighting to stay on the Championship Tour, the Margaret River Pro will remain on hold for a second day in the hope of better conditions arriving. The men's field managed to complete their round of 16 on Wednesday, with local wildcard Jacob Willcox the sole Australian survivor following the shock exits of defending champion Jack Robinson and Queensland star Ethan Ewing. The Margaret River gun, who earlier eliminated top-ranked Italo Ferreira, backed it up by getting barrelled at The Box, en route to a win over another Brazilian in Joao Chianca. It's his first quarter-final appearance in seven starts in the West. Competition was moved later Wednesday back to Main Break, but the rising onshore wind and increasing swell quickly changed conditions, leading to a decision to delay the women's round of 16. The women haven't surfed since Tuesday, when Australian veteran Sally Fitzgibbons advanced through the elimination heats. Next in wait lies is current world No.1 and defending Margaret Pro champion Gabriela Bryan with Fitzgibbons needing at least a quarter-final appearance to avoid a third straight top- 10 mid-season cut. Holding down her No.14 ranking will at least ensure she keeps her place on the Championship Tour in 2026, with the women's field expanding. In a stacked Aussie field, Molly Picklum, Tyler Wright, Isabella Nichols, who are safe above the cut-line, and local wildcard Bronte Macaulay will also contest the round of 16 with the next call early Saturday morning. Meanwhile, the WSL announced 11-time world champion Kelly Slater will return as a wildcard in the next tour stop at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California. "I'm excited to surf Lowers after having a few months of downtime with family and watching the events online," Slater said in a statement. "Trestles has been an ongoing great memory for the past 35 years since I won my first event as a professional there ... it's a second home to me. "I'm looking forward to competing as a wildcard and surf against a top seed or two straight away." The 53-year-old Slater competed as a wildcard in the first event of the 2025 season, the Pipe Pro in Hawaii. Lower Trestles has been home to the WSL Finals since 2021, with Cloudbreak in Fiji given the honour of crowning the world champions this year. It was also recently announced surfing venue for the LA 2028 Olympics. With surfers fighting to stay on the Championship Tour, the Margaret River Pro will remain on hold for a second day in the hope of better conditions arriving. The men's field managed to complete their round of 16 on Wednesday, with local wildcard Jacob Willcox the sole Australian survivor following the shock exits of defending champion Jack Robinson and Queensland star Ethan Ewing. The Margaret River gun, who earlier eliminated top-ranked Italo Ferreira, backed it up by getting barrelled at The Box, en route to a win over another Brazilian in Joao Chianca. It's his first quarter-final appearance in seven starts in the West. Competition was moved later Wednesday back to Main Break, but the rising onshore wind and increasing swell quickly changed conditions, leading to a decision to delay the women's round of 16. The women haven't surfed since Tuesday, when Australian veteran Sally Fitzgibbons advanced through the elimination heats. Next in wait lies is current world No.1 and defending Margaret Pro champion Gabriela Bryan with Fitzgibbons needing at least a quarter-final appearance to avoid a third straight top- 10 mid-season cut. Holding down her No.14 ranking will at least ensure she keeps her place on the Championship Tour in 2026, with the women's field expanding. In a stacked Aussie field, Molly Picklum, Tyler Wright, Isabella Nichols, who are safe above the cut-line, and local wildcard Bronte Macaulay will also contest the round of 16 with the next call early Saturday morning. Meanwhile, the WSL announced 11-time world champion Kelly Slater will return as a wildcard in the next tour stop at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California. "I'm excited to surf Lowers after having a few months of downtime with family and watching the events online," Slater said in a statement. "Trestles has been an ongoing great memory for the past 35 years since I won my first event as a professional there ... it's a second home to me. "I'm looking forward to competing as a wildcard and surf against a top seed or two straight away." The 53-year-old Slater competed as a wildcard in the first event of the 2025 season, the Pipe Pro in Hawaii. Lower Trestles has been home to the WSL Finals since 2021, with Cloudbreak in Fiji given the honour of crowning the world champions this year. It was also recently announced surfing venue for the LA 2028 Olympics. With surfers fighting to stay on the Championship Tour, the Margaret River Pro will remain on hold for a second day in the hope of better conditions arriving. The men's field managed to complete their round of 16 on Wednesday, with local wildcard Jacob Willcox the sole Australian survivor following the shock exits of defending champion Jack Robinson and Queensland star Ethan Ewing. The Margaret River gun, who earlier eliminated top-ranked Italo Ferreira, backed it up by getting barrelled at The Box, en route to a win over another Brazilian in Joao Chianca. It's his first quarter-final appearance in seven starts in the West. Competition was moved later Wednesday back to Main Break, but the rising onshore wind and increasing swell quickly changed conditions, leading to a decision to delay the women's round of 16. The women haven't surfed since Tuesday, when Australian veteran Sally Fitzgibbons advanced through the elimination heats. Next in wait lies is current world No.1 and defending Margaret Pro champion Gabriela Bryan with Fitzgibbons needing at least a quarter-final appearance to avoid a third straight top- 10 mid-season cut. Holding down her No.14 ranking will at least ensure she keeps her place on the Championship Tour in 2026, with the women's field expanding. In a stacked Aussie field, Molly Picklum, Tyler Wright, Isabella Nichols, who are safe above the cut-line, and local wildcard Bronte Macaulay will also contest the round of 16 with the next call early Saturday morning. Meanwhile, the WSL announced 11-time world champion Kelly Slater will return as a wildcard in the next tour stop at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California. "I'm excited to surf Lowers after having a few months of downtime with family and watching the events online," Slater said in a statement. "Trestles has been an ongoing great memory for the past 35 years since I won my first event as a professional there ... it's a second home to me. "I'm looking forward to competing as a wildcard and surf against a top seed or two straight away." The 53-year-old Slater competed as a wildcard in the first event of the 2025 season, the Pipe Pro in Hawaii. Lower Trestles has been home to the WSL Finals since 2021, with Cloudbreak in Fiji given the honour of crowning the world champions this year. It was also recently announced surfing venue for the LA 2028 Olympics.
Perth Now
21-05-2025
- Perth Now
Is it worth heading to Margs to watch the pro surfers?
Once a year the world's best surfers descend on Margaret River to battle it out for the prestigious WSL Championship Tour title, but is it worth watching it in person? The competition period is 17-28 May and every contest day is free to attend with hundreds of people gathering on the hill above Surfers Point to view the lineup. The entire car park at Surfers Point is filled with food trucks, music and expert commentary, a bar overlooking the surf, merchandise stores and huge screens which relay the scores and close ups of the action. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. After the surfers have completed their heats, they make their way along the barriers to sign autographs and take pictures with fans, so there's also the chance to get up close and personal with your favourite surfers. Perth band Pretty Uglys playing on the stage where the winners will be crowned. Credit: Stone and Wood / Instagram After the completion of finals day, when the men's and women's Margaret River Pro champions are chaired up the beach and crowned in the awards ceremony, there is likely to be speeches, interviews and live music. This is followed by a celebratory night of partying from the pro surfers and fans in Margaret River. The competition is already underway with the opening rounds completed earlier this week and it's ramping up to be an exciting finals day, which is likely to take place over the next few days. Every morning, usually around 7.15am, the WSL Commissioner decides whether to run the contest based on conditions; this ensures that surfers compete on the best possible waves. The quickest way to find out if the Margaret River Pro is 'On', 'Off', or 'On Hold' is to check on the WSL website or via their Instagram. If you're considering heading down to watch, it's worth noting that no dogs are allowed at the event, and while there are lots of food and drink options, there's little seating and nearly no shelter. So, with a wet and windy forecast for the next few days, it's worth bringing warm waterproof clothing and a camping chair. Last year's winner on the women's side, Gabriella Bryan, surfing in the final, sharing the waves with dolphins. Credit: WSL / Instagram / Instagram As the car park is fully occupied with the event infrastructure, no parking is available at Surfers Point, but you can park close by at McLeods Paddock or Wallcliffe Road opposite the Margaret River Golf Course. On the weekends of the event, the shuttle bus will run on a continuous loop from Surfers Point to McLeods parking area. After a heartbreaking early exit from the competition from WA local Jack Robinson, the men to watch as finals day approaches are WA wildcard Jacob Wilcox and South African veteran Jordy Smith. On the women's side, Gabriella Bryan will be trying to go back to back and repeat her win from last year and Aussie surfer Molly Picklum will be trying to get her first event win of the year. The Margaret River Pro is a high stakes event, with only the top 10 women and top 22 men progressing for the rest of the year so competition between the surfers will be fierce in the final days.
