The Margaret River Pro is only the second surf contest in recent memory to be canceled on account of shark. And it’s the first to be canceled despite no athlete having a serious pelagic encounter. Maybe the World Surf League didn’t want a Fanning/J-Bay redux, but, then again, that singular moment arguably reverberated through the mainstream with more velocity than any other surf event in the last few decades.
Since the decision to cancel, fans and athletes alike have taken to the internet to air their support or disgust. “Does Sophie G even surf?” ask the detractors. Lucky for all of us, the internet has a short attention span and will soon move on from the 2018 Margaret River Pro that will forever remain unfinished. Still, some may be pining for answers – “Who would’ve won? Who would’ve eliminated whom?”
Between shark attacks, Jordy Smith paddled out undeterred and against the advice of the League and caught a few waves that serve to only further that line of questioning. There are a few bangers in that short 1-minute clip above that could (in our humble opinion) have easily been in the excellent range, maybe even 10s. But, alas, they were never scored because – sharks.
