The wonderful thing about pro sports is that sometimes, the hometown underdog takes the win. Such was the case when CT rookie Morgan Cibilic beat John John Florence at the Rip Curl Newcastle Cup.
Cibilic, who burst onto the scene when he secured a spot on the CT at pumping Sunset, hails from Newcastle, so it’s likely he had more than a few fans rooting for him at the event. When he came up against world number one and two-time World Champion John John Florence, however, chances are good a lot of them thought their hopes might be dashed. Cibilic, though, powered through the heat and even put down the highest heat total of the event so far.
Florence is now eliminated, a position he likely didn’t expect to find himself in. The season is a long one, though, and he has plenty of time to redeem himself. Cibilic, meanwhile, can bask in the fact that he managed to take down the man who many consider to be the best surfer in the world… and he did it in front of a hometown crowd.
Watch the event live on Worldsurfleague.com.
