Latest news with #MargaretPro
The Advertiser
26-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Fan favourite suffers double blow at Margaret River
Sally Fitzgibbons has suffered more heartbreak at Margaret River, with the veteran enduring a cruel loss to world No.1 Gabriela Bryan that has also wrecked her start to next season. With surfing resuming at the West Australian break on Monday after a three-day wait, Fitzgibbons was one of five Australian women in the round of 16. Molly Picklum, Isabella Nichols and local wildcard Bronte Macaulay all won their match-ups, while Tyler Wright went down. Fitzgibbons needed to beat Bryan, the defending Margaret Pro champion, to avoid the top-10 mid-season cut for the third successive year. A victory in the heat would also secure 14th-ranked Fitzgibbons a place on the 2026 Championship Tour after the WSL announced a larger women's field next year. If Wright had beaten Lakey Peterson, Fitzgibbons would have requalified, but instead the Californian veteran took the final spot, sending the Australian back to the Challenger Series. Fitzgibbons opened their heat by attacking a wave to earn a 6.83, and with Bryan uncharacteristically falling off a few waves, the 34-year-old NSW surfer looked in control. She bettered her back-up score with a nervous 4.33, leaving Bryan requiring a 7.33 score to reach the quarter-finals. But with 90 seconds remaining the Hawaiian launched on to a wave and showed off her power moves in a two-turn combination, wowing the judges to score a 9.00 to take out the heat. An emotional Fitzgibbons stayed out in the water, devastated to have let the win - and the opportunities it secured - slip away. "I think for the first, like, 98 per cent of that heat it was all going against me, I could not get it together," Bryan said. "I'm like, I just need to do two big turns, and I hit the first one as hard as I could and then I was like, OK, just finish this thing, and it all worked out. So I was so stoked that wave came." World No.3 Picklum and 31-year-old wildcard Macaulay met in the quarter-finals with the Margaret River surfer prevailing in an upset, 15.00 to 12.54. Chasing the title her dad Dave won in 1989, Macaulay, who announced her retirement late last year to pursue a teaching career, will next face American Caitlin Simmers. Former champions Nichols and Peterson then squared off, with the latter continuing her impressive form to advance 16.34 to 14.33. Peterson - who will take on Bryan in the semis - also cemented a spot above the mid-season cut line. In the men's quarter-finals local qualifier Jacob Willcox, who was the sole Australian remaining, was outclassed by a hungry Crosby Colapinto 15.66 to 11.10. He will next meet South African veteran Jordy Smith, who took over the rankings lead with his win over Hawaiian Imaikalani deVault. Older brother Griffin Colapinto posted a perfect 10 for a soaring, spinning aerial as he booked a semi-final berth against another Hawaiian Barron Mamiya, with the title to be decided Tuesday. Sally Fitzgibbons has suffered more heartbreak at Margaret River, with the veteran enduring a cruel loss to world No.1 Gabriela Bryan that has also wrecked her start to next season. With surfing resuming at the West Australian break on Monday after a three-day wait, Fitzgibbons was one of five Australian women in the round of 16. Molly Picklum, Isabella Nichols and local wildcard Bronte Macaulay all won their match-ups, while Tyler Wright went down. Fitzgibbons needed to beat Bryan, the defending Margaret Pro champion, to avoid the top-10 mid-season cut for the third successive year. A victory in the heat would also secure 14th-ranked Fitzgibbons a place on the 2026 Championship Tour after the WSL announced a larger women's field next year. If Wright had beaten Lakey Peterson, Fitzgibbons would have requalified, but instead the Californian veteran took the final spot, sending the Australian back to the Challenger Series. Fitzgibbons opened their heat by attacking a wave to earn a 6.83, and with Bryan uncharacteristically falling off a few waves, the 34-year-old NSW surfer looked in control. She bettered her back-up score with a nervous 4.33, leaving Bryan requiring a 7.33 score to reach the quarter-finals. But with 90 seconds remaining the Hawaiian launched on to a wave and showed off her power moves in a two-turn combination, wowing the judges to score a 9.00 to take out the heat. An emotional Fitzgibbons stayed out in the water, devastated to have let the win - and the opportunities it secured - slip away. "I think for the first, like, 98 per cent of that heat it was all going against me, I could not get it together," Bryan said. "I'm like, I just need to do two big turns, and I hit the first one as hard as I could and then I was like, OK, just finish this thing, and it all worked out. So I was so stoked that wave came." World No.3 Picklum and 31-year-old wildcard Macaulay met in the quarter-finals with the Margaret River surfer prevailing in an upset, 15.00 to 12.54. Chasing the title her dad Dave won in 1989, Macaulay, who announced her retirement late last year to pursue a teaching career, will next face American Caitlin Simmers. Former champions Nichols and Peterson then squared off, with the latter continuing her impressive form to advance 16.34 to 14.33. Peterson - who will take on Bryan in the semis - also cemented a spot above the mid-season cut line. In the men's quarter-finals local qualifier Jacob Willcox, who was the sole Australian remaining, was outclassed by a hungry Crosby Colapinto 15.66 to 11.10. He will next meet South African veteran Jordy Smith, who took over the rankings lead with his win over Hawaiian Imaikalani deVault. Older brother Griffin Colapinto posted a perfect 10 for a soaring, spinning aerial as he booked a semi-final berth against another Hawaiian Barron Mamiya, with the title to be decided Tuesday. Sally Fitzgibbons has suffered more heartbreak at Margaret River, with the veteran enduring a cruel loss to world No.1 Gabriela Bryan that has also wrecked her start to next season. With surfing resuming at the West Australian break on Monday after a three-day wait, Fitzgibbons was one of five Australian women in the round of 16. Molly Picklum, Isabella Nichols and local wildcard Bronte Macaulay all won their match-ups, while Tyler Wright went down. Fitzgibbons needed to beat Bryan, the defending Margaret Pro champion, to avoid the top-10 mid-season cut for the third successive year. A victory in the heat would also secure 14th-ranked Fitzgibbons a place on the 2026 Championship Tour after the WSL announced a larger women's field next year. If Wright had beaten Lakey Peterson, Fitzgibbons would have requalified, but instead the Californian veteran took the final spot, sending the Australian back to the Challenger Series. Fitzgibbons opened their heat by attacking a wave to earn a 6.83, and with Bryan uncharacteristically falling off a few waves, the 34-year-old NSW surfer looked in control. She bettered her back-up score with a nervous 4.33, leaving Bryan requiring a 7.33 score to reach the quarter-finals. But with 90 seconds remaining the Hawaiian launched on to a wave and showed off her power moves in a two-turn combination, wowing the judges to score a 9.00 to take out the heat. An emotional Fitzgibbons stayed out in the water, devastated to have let the win - and the opportunities it secured - slip away. "I think for the first, like, 98 per cent of that heat it was all going against me, I could not get it together," Bryan said. "I'm like, I just need to do two big turns, and I hit the first one as hard as I could and then I was like, OK, just finish this thing, and it all worked out. So I was so stoked that wave came." World No.3 Picklum and 31-year-old wildcard Macaulay met in the quarter-finals with the Margaret River surfer prevailing in an upset, 15.00 to 12.54. Chasing the title her dad Dave won in 1989, Macaulay, who announced her retirement late last year to pursue a teaching career, will next face American Caitlin Simmers. Former champions Nichols and Peterson then squared off, with the latter continuing her impressive form to advance 16.34 to 14.33. Peterson - who will take on Bryan in the semis - also cemented a spot above the mid-season cut line. In the men's quarter-finals local qualifier Jacob Willcox, who was the sole Australian remaining, was outclassed by a hungry Crosby Colapinto 15.66 to 11.10. He will next meet South African veteran Jordy Smith, who took over the rankings lead with his win over Hawaiian Imaikalani deVault. Older brother Griffin Colapinto posted a perfect 10 for a soaring, spinning aerial as he booked a semi-final berth against another Hawaiian Barron Mamiya, with the title to be decided Tuesday.
7NEWS
26-05-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Aussie fan favourite Sally Fitzgibbons left devastated in shattering scenes at Margaret River
Sally Fitzgibbons has suffered more heartbreak at Margaret River, the veteran enduring a cruel loss to world No.1 Gabriela Bryan that also wrecked her 2026 season start. With surfing resuming at the West Australian break on Monday after a three-day break, Fitzgibbons was one of five Australian women in the round of 16. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Fitzgibbons devastated after last-second loss. Molly Picklum, Isabella Nichols and local wildcard Bronte Macaulay all won their match-ups, while Tyler Wright went down. Fitzgibbons needed to beat Bryan, the defending Margaret Pro champion, to avoid the top-10 mid-season cut for the third successive year. A victory in the heat would also secure 14th-ranked Fitzgibbons a place on the 2026 Championship Tour after the WSL announced a larger women's field next year. If Wright had beaten Lakey Peterson, Fitzgibbons would have requalified, but instead the Californian veteran took the final spot, sending the Australian back to the Challenger Series. Fitzgibbons opened their heat by attacking a wave to earn a 6.83, and with Bryan uncharacteristically falling off a few waves the 34-year-old NSW surfer looked in control. She bettered her back-up score with a nervous 4.33, leaving Bryan requiring a 7.33 score to reach the quarter-finals. But with 90 seconds remaining the Hawaiian launched on to a wave and showed off her power moves in a two-turn combination, wowing the judges to score a 9.00 to take out the heat. An emotional Fitzgibbons stayed out in the water, devastated to have let the win — and the opportunities it secured — slip away. 'I think for the first, like, 98 per cent of that heat it was all going against me, I could not get it together,' Bryan said. 'I'm like, I just need to do two big turns, and I hit the first one as hard as I could and then I was like, OK, just finish this thing, and it all worked out, so I was so stoked that wave came.' Picklum, who would have taken over the yellow rankings leader jersey if Bryan had bowed out, downed American teen Bella Kenworthy, while Macaulay secured a late wave to eliminate 2023 world champion and Olympic gold medallist Caroline Marks. The pair will meet in the quarter-finals, while the in-form Nichols, who beat France's Vahine Fierro, faces Peterson. The men's quarter-finals are next into the water, with local qualifier Jacob Willcox the sole Australian.
West Australian
26-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Fan favourite suffers double blow at Margaret River
Sally Fitzgibbons has suffered more heartbreak at Margaret River, the veteran enduring a cruel loss to world No.1 Gabriela Bryan that also wrecked her 2026 season start. With surfing resuming at the West Australian break on Monday after a three-day break, Fitzgibbons was one of five Australian women in the round of 16. Molly Picklum, Isabella Nichols and local wildcard Bronte Macaulay all won their match-ups, while Tyler Wright went down. Fitzgibbons needed to beat Bryan, the defending Margaret Pro champion, to avoid the top-10 mid-season cut for the third successive year. A victory in the heat would also secure 14th-ranked Fitzgibbons a place on the 2026 Championship Tour after the WSL announced a larger women's field next year. If Wright had beaten Lakey Peterson, Fitzgibbons would have requalified, but instead the Californian veteran took the final spot, sending the Australian back to the Challenger Series. Fitzgibbons opened their heat by attacking a wave to earn a 6.83, and with Bryan uncharacteristically falling off a few waves the 34-year-old NSW surfer looked in control. She bettered her back-up score with a nervous 4.33, leaving Bryan requiring a 7.33 score to reach the quarter-finals. But with 90 seconds remaining the Hawaiian launched on to a wave and showed off her power moves in a two-turn combination, wowing the judges to score a 9.00 to take out the heat. An emotional Fitzgibbons stayed out in the water, devastated to have let the win - and the opportunities it secured - slip away. "I think for the first, like, 98 per cent of that heat it was all going against me, I could not get it together," Bryan said. "I'm like, I just need to do two big turns, and I hit the first one as hard as I could and then I was like, OK, just finish this thing, and it all worked out, so I was so stoked that wave came." Picklum, who would have taken over the yellow rankings leader jersey if Bryan had bowed out, downed American teen Bella Kenworthy, while Macaulay secured a late wave to eliminate 2023 world champion and Olympic gold medallist Caroline Marks. The pair will meet in the quarter-finals, while the in-form Nichols, who beat France's Vahine Fierro, faces Peterson. The men's quarter-finals are next into the water, with local qualifier Jacob Willcox the sole Australian.
Perth Now
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Fan favourite suffers double blow at Margaret River
Sally Fitzgibbons has suffered more heartbreak at Margaret River, the veteran enduring a cruel loss to world No.1 Gabriela Bryan that also wrecked her 2026 season start. With surfing resuming at the West Australian break on Monday after a three-day break, Fitzgibbons was one of five Australian women in the round of 16. Molly Picklum, Isabella Nichols and local wildcard Bronte Macaulay all won their match-ups, while Tyler Wright went down. Fitzgibbons needed to beat Bryan, the defending Margaret Pro champion, to avoid the top-10 mid-season cut for the third successive year. A victory in the heat would also secure 14th-ranked Fitzgibbons a place on the 2026 Championship Tour after the WSL announced a larger women's field next year. If Wright had beaten Lakey Peterson, Fitzgibbons would have requalified, but instead the Californian veteran took the final spot, sending the Australian back to the Challenger Series. Fitzgibbons opened their heat by attacking a wave to earn a 6.83, and with Bryan uncharacteristically falling off a few waves the 34-year-old NSW surfer looked in control. She bettered her back-up score with a nervous 4.33, leaving Bryan requiring a 7.33 score to reach the quarter-finals. But with 90 seconds remaining the Hawaiian launched on to a wave and showed off her power moves in a two-turn combination, wowing the judges to score a 9.00 to take out the heat. An emotional Fitzgibbons stayed out in the water, devastated to have let the win - and the opportunities it secured - slip away. "I think for the first, like, 98 per cent of that heat it was all going against me, I could not get it together," Bryan said. "I'm like, I just need to do two big turns, and I hit the first one as hard as I could and then I was like, OK, just finish this thing, and it all worked out, so I was so stoked that wave came." Picklum, who would have taken over the yellow rankings leader jersey if Bryan had bowed out, downed American teen Bella Kenworthy, while Macaulay secured a late wave to eliminate 2023 world champion and Olympic gold medallist Caroline Marks. The pair will meet in the quarter-finals, while the in-form Nichols, who beat France's Vahine Fierro, faces Peterson. The men's quarter-finals are next into the water, with local qualifier Jacob Willcox the sole Australian.
The Advertiser
23-05-2025
- Sport
- 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.
