Latest news with #WillowHardy
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.
ABC News
20-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
WA surfer Willow Hardy has no regrets despite Margaret River Pro elimination
Day two of the Margaret River Pro is underway in Western Australia's south-west and competitors are wrestling some of the biggest waves in the event's history. After the event was placed on hold for two days due to a lack of swell, surging waves over 3 metres have challenged world champions and broken boards. Undaunted, Margaret River teenager Willow Hardy claimed one of the biggest waves of the day, jumping on it less than one minute into her elimination heat. An untimely wipeout, followed by a tight heat, resulted in the 18-year-old just missing out with a total score of 7.97, but she lost no respect as the global surfing community watched on in awe. "I made the drop so I was starting to think about doing a turn and then I just went headfirst, crayfish diving," she said. "I don't really know what happened, I want to see it back. It didn't feel that big, but everyone said it was solid." Also making Margaret River proud was Jacob Willcox, coming out on top in a head-to-head heat against world number one Italo Ferreira just hours after surviving the elimination round. "It's almost anyone's game out there you just need to be able to pick the good waves," he said. Australian surfing icon Sally Fitzgibbons posted 8.33, nabbing a crucial second place in the heat to avoid dropping out of the tour altogether. She said it was an emotional day in the water. "I don't really mind it being big and chunky, it's just the whole scenario and riding the highs and lows of it," she said. "Your board snaps and there's like three minutes to go and you hear other people getting waves and you're like, 'I think that's it for me'. "So it's a bit of an emotional rollercoaster and then you come in and then they say you made it and you live to see another day." While the swell put world champions to the test and broke boards, it was business as usual for Margaret River's locals. Brody Mulik, 14, has already mastered the break. "I definitely was a little bit nervous when I was first paddling out but I kind of got used to it," he said. "You can just like feel your heart pounding when you come off the wave. It's really short but really intense." Mulik said the main challenge was the take-off point which was "really tight", meaning making the most of priority position would be key for competitors. "You can't be a little bit wide, you cant be a little bit deep. You have to be in the right spot," he said.
