This women is amazing to watch on a point break. Photo: WSL
It seems like we’ve bee waiting years to hear these words: Jack Robinson wins his first Championship Tour event. Well, it finally happened this morning in Barra de la Cruz, Mexico as the young Australian took down David Silva in the final of the Corona Open Mexico. He sealed the deal with one of the most dynamic combos of the event: a deep tube ride into an air reverse. Robinson needed a strong finish to re-qualify for 2022. He brushed off the notion of the pressure of re-qualifying during a post heat interview earlier in the event. Well, he re-qualified and more with the win.
“We did it,” he said, letting out a huge whoop on camera. “It’s like the feeling I got when I first qualified. I’m still in that state, just processing it. I have a good team that’s been with me. When I’m in a certain zone, I don’t talk or say too much. Everyone else is surfing good and being able to rise above it….Super stoked with this event, the sponsors, all kept us safe. Gracias Mexico.”
The goofy-footed Silva used a precise backhand to advance his way through the tournament, a backhand Kelly Slater called the best on the Championship Tour. But in the end, the repetitiveness of the vertical attack at the right-hand point wasn’t enough to overtake Robinson’s firm grip on variety, which he showed in spades during the final.
With the win Robinson jumped up to number 12 while Silva finished the year at 14.
Jack Robinson looking better than ever. Photo: Todd Heff/WSL
Meanwhile, Steph Gilmore nabbed the 32nd win of her career, defeating Kauaian Malia Manuel in the final, who needed to win the event to stay on tour. Gilmore looked right at home on the right-hand point. She beat Carissa Moore in a semi-final matchup and everything about her game looked crisp, from the snappy top turns to her style-infused cutbacks.
Unbelievable,” Gilmore said. “Malia was my pick the whole event. She was on the right waves and surfing so beautifully. Every time she paddled past me she had the ‘AI Forever’ on her back so I knew it was gonna be a tough final. She had the mana. This is the best feeling ever, though, I haven’t won a contest in a while. I was hoping to climb up the rankings into the final at Trestles so I don’t have to surf as many heats.”
Gilmore was able to do that, ending up in fourth. Moore will hold the top spot at Trestles while Tatiana Weston-Webb is second, Sally Fitzgibbons will be seeded third and Johanne Defay will round out the top 5 for the September Final. On the men’s side Gabriel Medina leaves Mexico in the number one position, Italo Ferreira is at two followed by Filipe Toledo, Conner Coffin and Morgan Cibilic
The waves were just as much the star in Mexico. The World Surf League scored at Barra de la Cruz, running the contest straight through this week with beautiful, clean waves reeling off the point. The wind stayed down and there were just enough barrels to keep it interesting (we could have maybe used a few more of those). It’s hard not to see this event back on the Championship Tour at some point (it’s not on the 2022 schedule).
“Ever since that 2006 event (won by the late Andy Irons), I wanted to surf here,” Gilmore said. “Loosing snapper on the Tour, this is the next best thing.”
