Australian rising surf star Willow Hardy edged out by perfect 10 in Rip Curl Cup final
Amongst picterueque conditions, which provided consistent swells of more than 1.5m, Hardy pushed local hope Jasmine Studer in an epic final.
Hardy pumped in impressive scores of 9.00 and 8.33 to see herself and Studer well clear of the rest of the field.
However, a perfect 10 on Studer's fourth wave ultimately proved too much to overcome, with Hardy unable to pick up the 9.18 required on her final wave.
Despite missing out on the title, it represented a strong comeback for Hardy, who in June required surgery after tearing three ligaments in a syndesmosis injury suffered in a free surf in Newcastle.
The 18-year-old goofy-footed Margaret River local has been knocking on the door of the Pro Surf League World Tour and earned wildcard entry to this year's Margaret River Pro after dominating the WA Trials event.
Against championship contenders for the first time, Hardy was no pushover but was edged out by legend Sally Fitzgibbons in the elimination round.
She has competed in two Women's Challenger Series this year, where she sits 42nd, having missed out on her third event in California due to injury.
Attention will now turn to the Ericeira Pro in Portugal in September, where she will hope to get back on track in her quest to go Pro.
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Australian rising surf star Willow Hardy edged out by perfect 10 in Rip Curl Cup final
Local surfing prodigy Willow Hardy has fallen just short at the Rip Curl Cup in Bali, but only enhanced her reputation after tackling some huge swells at Bali's Bukit Peninsula. Amongst picterueque conditions, which provided consistent swells of more than 1.5m, Hardy pushed local hope Jasmine Studer in an epic final. Hardy pumped in impressive scores of 9.00 and 8.33 to see herself and Studer well clear of the rest of the field. However, a perfect 10 on Studer's fourth wave ultimately proved too much to overcome, with Hardy unable to pick up the 9.18 required on her final wave. Despite missing out on the title, it represented a strong comeback for Hardy, who in June required surgery after tearing three ligaments in a syndesmosis injury suffered in a free surf in Newcastle. The 18-year-old goofy-footed Margaret River local has been knocking on the door of the Pro Surf League World Tour and earned wildcard entry to this year's Margaret River Pro after dominating the WA Trials event. Against championship contenders for the first time, Hardy was no pushover but was edged out by legend Sally Fitzgibbons in the elimination round. She has competed in two Women's Challenger Series this year, where she sits 42nd, having missed out on her third event in California due to injury. Attention will now turn to the Ericeira Pro in Portugal in September, where she will hope to get back on track in her quest to go Pro.
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Local surfing prodigy Willow Hardy has fallen just short at the Rip Curl Cup in Bali, but only enhanced her reputation after tackling some huge swells at Bali's Bukit Peninsula. Amongst picterueque conditions, which provided consistent swells of more than 1.5m, Hardy pushed local hope Jasmine Studer in an epic final. Hardy pumped in impressive scores of 9.00 and 8.33 to see herself and Studer well clear of the rest of the field. However, a perfect 10 on Studer's fourth wave ultimately proved too much to overcome, with Hardy unable to pick up the 9.18 required on her final wave. Despite missing out on the title, it represented a strong comeback for Hardy, who in June required surgery after tearing three ligaments in a syndesmosis injury suffered in a free surf in Newcastle. The 18-year-old goofy-footed Margaret River local has been knocking on the door of the Pro Surf League World Tour and earned wildcard entry to this year's Margaret River Pro after dominating the WA Trials event. Against championship contenders for the first time, Hardy was no pushover but was edged out by legend Sally Fitzgibbons in the elimination round. Willow Hardy at the Rip Curl Cup Credit: Sam Thwaites She has competed in two Women's Challenger Series this year, where she sits 42nd, having missed out on her third event in California due to injury. Attention will now turn to the Ericeira Pro in Portugal in September, where she will hope to get back on track in her quest to go Pro.
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