Latest news with #MargaretRiverPro
West Australian
08-08-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
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.
Perth Now
08-08-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Perfect 10 fells Hardy in gripping 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. 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.
Time Out
20-06-2025
- Time Out
We knew it! Australia is officially home to the best surfing spots in the entire world
You won't find Wallace or Gromit in Australia, but you will find plenty of groms and grommets. Our sun-kissed island is full of sandy-toed, salty-haired surf rats who can catch a pretty gnarly wave. And it's not just the locals – tourists from around the world come Down Under to ride our legendary swells or to learn to surf for the very first time, with our coastline serving up the best surfing breaks on the planet. To mark International Surfing Day (June 21), the travel pros at Travelbag conducted a study to identify the world's top ten surfing hotspots. Their study looked at everything from surf ratings and water cleanliness to social media popularity and global search volume – all in the name of finding the ultimate wave. Australia absolutely dominated the rankings, claiming more top ten spots than any other country – including four of the top five alone. The number one spot went to Queensland's Burleigh Heads, which led the pack with a five-star surf rating, a water cleanliness score of 71.48, and more than 135,000 global annual searches. As the northernmost breakpoint on the Gold Coast, the exposed waters of this World Surfing Reserve catch strong offshore winds, serving up some of the best right-hand barrels in the country. Experienced surfers will love the adrenaline rush, but the shallower waves also make it a hotspot for beginners. The Gold Coast had a strong showing in the top five, with Snapper Rocks landing as the fourth-best surf spot in the world. Perched on the southern tip of Rainbow Bay, this rocky outcrop is famous for its long, hollow waves and multiple barrel sections that attract pros and thrill-seekers alike. Another standout Aussie spot to make the list was Victoria's legendary Bells Beach, which came third overall. It had the highest water cleanliness score in the country of 72.22, and also earned a five-star surf rating. Tucked between the rugged cliffs off the Great Ocean Road, Bells is known for its huge waves, tough conditions and a kind of explosively powerful break that takes a lot of your strength to ride – but if you do, you'll have the time of your life. Over on Australia's west coast, Margaret River ranked as the world's fifth-best surfing location. This iconic surf spot roughly matched Burleigh Heads' global searches of 135,000, also scoring five stars for its surf and being the most popular on Instagram with almost a million hashtags. However, its water cleanliness score came in lower than the other Aussie beaches at 62.5. Even if you're not a surfer, you can head here to watch the annual Margaret River Pro – one of only two Australian events on the prestigious World Surf League Championship Tour Here are the world's 10 best surfing spots Burleigh Heads, Australia Malibu, USA Bells Beach, Australia Snapper Rocks, Australia Margaret River, Australia Pipeline, USA Mentawai Islands, Indonesia Tamarindo, Costa Rica Tamarin Bay, Mauritius Black Rocks, Mauritius 🏄 🧗🏾♀️ 🏀
West Australian
19-06-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Karri Karrak Aboriginal Corporation defends costs to Surfing WA for sacred site row
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Don Punch has declined to comment directly on reports the region's newly-formed Indigenous corporation sought restitution from Surfing WA in the wake of complaints about alleged misuse of heritage sites. The news follows a media storm stoked by the Karri Karrak Aboriginal Corporation during last month's Margaret River Pro after the representative group said the State Government ignored its objections to the use of three sites for parking during the event window. Although the Times reported none of those sites, approved by WA's Department of Planning, Heritage and Lands, were actually used during the Pro out of respect to the region's Wadandi people, the corporation said it reserved the right to demand a judicial review. The corporation did not respond this week to requests for comment on whether it would push ahead with that demand or any other action after last month's complaint. A similar complaint during the 2024 Pro led to Surfing WA paying Karri Karrak $9000. Surfing WA chief executive Mark Lane previously apologised for using the overflow parking site in 2024, despite years of what sources called 'a handshake agreement' with Wadandi elders permitting the land to be used. Mr Lane initially declined to comment on the $9000 payment to Karri Karrak, though this week said it was payment 'for a heritage assessment/site visit to monitor potential damages to site'. The minister as well as Karri Karrak hosed down reports the money was a fine levied against the State's top surfing group, with the minister noting the corporation lacked the legislative clout to enforce that. 'The Noongar Regional Corporations do not provide statutory approvals nor issue fines and penalties under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972,' he said. 'We will continue to work with Karri Karrak and encourage proponent engagement with the corporation in protecting Noongar cultural heritage. 'The Noongar Regional Corporations are important partners of the WA Government.' A Karri Karrak spokesperson also said the payment was not a penalty. 'Surfing WA was invoiced for a site inspection, traditional custodian consultation, a formal archaeological and environmental report, and specialist advice to assess potential damages to a site, following its unlawful use for the 2024 event,' the spokesperson said. The report 'found that these heritage places have suffered from significant erosion, specifically from their use for overflow parking during the Margaret River Pro event'. While Surfing WA apologised for not having formal permission last year to use the corner of Wallcliffe and Surfers Point roads, registered as an Indigenous burial place at the Wooditj Dunes, the minister said this year's approvals for the World Surf League were all in place.
West Australian
11-06-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Margaret River firebrand Jacob Willcox claims Challenger Series win at Newcastle
Margaret River surfing mainstay Jacob Willcox has earnt his first win on the Challenger Series to top the World Surf League rankings. Sunday's contest at Newcastle's Surfest followed Willcox's impressive run as a local qualifier all the way to the quarterfinals at last month's Margaret River Pro. Willcox and women's competitor Francisca Veselko from Portugal overcame a massive crowd of contestants all eager to use the series as a launch pad back to the top-rated Championship Tour. 'This has been a long time coming,' Willcox said. 'I've had a lot of losses to get this win and it feels incredible to finally get it. It's taken a lot of hard work to get here, and that was the best moment of my life on the beach just then. 'Coming in and having my crew tell me that I probably had it and share that moment with them was so special.' In the final, Willcox traded mid-range scores with Tahiti's Kauli Vaast, taking a small lead, before the ocean began to slow. Both were left waiting for more than 10 minutes for a wave until a quick flurry in the dying seconds gave Vaast one more chance. But he couldn't convert, leaving Willcox to take the win with a two-wave total of 12.30 to Vaast's 11.56. 'The final was pretty slow in the end, but I was just telling myself that sometimes the ocean just gets on your side and gives you some luck, and you find some rhythm, and I feel like this week I found some rhythm and some luck,' Willcox said. 'That's the thing with our sport, you just never know when you're going to get your moment. My moment was today, so I was stoked.' Willcox was a championship tour rookie in 2024 after years of near-misses in qualification, but he lasted only a few months before missing the mid-season cut and failing to re-qualify for 2025. The goofy-footer has been pegged as a title threat since his junior years, beating Kelly Slater as a teenage wildcard in Portugal, but has struggled to make a huge impact in the competitive arena.
