Last surfers standing. Photo: Matt Dunbar/World Surf League
Of the five men’s and women’s events thus far in this season’s altered championship tour, can Rottnest already be deemed as the favorite for online spectators? Both competitions have gleaned the type of energy surf fans aren’t ordinarily used to seeing. We’ve been taken on an excursion outside of the usually crowded competitors’ area, devoid of the maddening crowd, and less a camera or twelve, allowing us to witness the brilliance of Gabriel Medina and the consistent fight in Sally Fitzgibbons unadulterated. Both are now champions of the Rip Curl Rottnest Search.
Watching from afar meant witnessing discovery and vulnerability entwined by all those who came to compete at Strickland Bay. From their ferry landing and a traditional welcome by Whadjuk Noongar to learning the ancient and modern history of this beautiful space — Wadjemup. Rottnest is undeniably a conflicted and, at the same time a striking place by anyone’s standard. The recognition given to the first nations people of this land and their adept involvement in the competition was not only respectful but also vital.
Traditional turns, not airs, made the day for Medina. Photo: Matt Dunbar/World Surf League
In the water, Gabriel Medina was, well, Gabriel Medina: ruthless in his dominance, able to create what he wanted when he wanted it. There was talk in the telecast of him going to the air in the final, which he did only on several throwaways under priority. But he mostly just used his keen wave selection (it was the biggest day yet at Strickos) and a rail game anchored by a strength that has seemingly grown exponentially each of his ten seasons on tour. The man is a beast out there.
Morgan Cibilic gave Medina a run in the final, closing the gap early with a three turn left that judges couldn’t quite agree on whether he finished or not. Still, the score (in the sevens) brought him to within a point of Medina before the Brazilian would extend his lead on the biggest wave of the heat – one in which he rolled into before knocking off three powerful rail maneuvers – standard by today’s scoring but nonetheless, effective. Morgan was patient, only catching three waves in the heat, but it was Medina’s second win in Australia, putting him well atop the leaderboard.
It was a remarkable run for the starry-eyed and stoked Cibilic, who was all smiles when it came to receiving his runner-up trophy. “This feels unbelievable, to be honest,” Cibilic said. “I’ve come into theses last couple of events with a lot of confidence, and a final hasn’t felt too out of reach, but I guess if you asked me last year if I’d get a quarter-final, a semi-final, and a final finish from the four Australian events, I would have told you that you were tripping.” Under the influence or not, this youngster has stepped up to the plate with unwavering conviction on Rottnest Island, which now has him sitting in fifth after jumping six places. Should he keep this up, we can expect to see the rookie at the WSL Final in San Clemente in early September.
Cibilic going vert on his backhand. This kid’s for real. Photo: Matt Dunbar/World Surf League
Strickland Bay did offer up a tasting plate of barrels. Not a banquet, but enough to dilate pupils. The most notable, and the overall winner of the Rip Curl Search Best Barrel Award, was Michel Bourez with his first-round heat disappearing act. Was there a little signature back-foot stalling action going down? It’s hard to say. His surfing was looking strong, and it was a shame to see The Spartan knocked out in the round of 16.
With undeniable shades of Mark Richards about him, Liam O’Brien just had the most extraordinary two weeks of his life and gave us the best wildcard performance of the season so far. A shaky start saw the youngster turn it on and surf out of his skin. And in doing so, he knocked out an in-form Miguel Pupo and Margaret River winner Filipe Toledo. His flowing style and above-average height made for some noteworthy backhand surfing with flair and style. A tactician as well, ask Jeremy Flores for his take: the disgruntled Reunion Islander will likely remember his name for some time to come.
Cibilic’s and O’Brien’s coach and Burleigh Heads local, Jay “Bottle” Thompson — an ex-tour surfer himself — had the awkward joy of watching both of his surfers duel it out in the semi-finals from the beach. Although he never reached a semi-final, he can now say he has — as a coach.
Sally Fitzgibbons looked completely spent after her final with a completely in-form Johanne Defay. Sally’s strong backhand, which she rarely has an opportunity to use, was on full display for the surfing world to witness and it served her well, as she backed Defay into a corner during a final that was never really close.
Sally Fitzgibbons finally got to show off that backhand. Photo: Matt Dunbar/World Surf League
“I’m just exhausted. I gave it everything,” Fitzgibbons said after. “That’s what surfing is all about, just playing the game and enjoying whatever happens in the heat. It feels so good to be back in that winners’ circle.” That win propelled Sally into the number two spot behind Carissa Moore, who was also feeling it during the Australian leg.
Sadly, it almost looked like Carissa just ran out of steam in her semi-final clash with Defay. She struggled to find the waves that served her best and therefore allowed the French surfer to display her trademark consistency — the type which has resulted in her reaching the quarters for every event on the Australian leg (Defay is currently tied with Stephanie Gilmore in fifth). Were you surprised to see Moore bow out? I know I was. Her surfing was layered with prowess and speed early on. When Tatianna Weston-Webb was eliminated, all chips were firmly on her. It will be interesting to see the current world Number One coming out of the gate at the Surf Ranch. Least to say, we can expect to see sparks fly.
Johanne Defay had a remarkable run in Australia. Photo: Matt Dunbar/World Surf League
Weston-Webb and Caroline Marks were the obvious big upsets early on. Both failed to gel with the challenging conditions at Strickland Bay. Even though both were expected to make the quarters at least, their demise was namely down to strong performances from those they surfed against: a resolute Nikki van Dijk and a poised Malia Manuel — both of whom were stopped from good runs in the quarter-finals. Even after a decent result, both van Dijk and Manuel (not to mention, Marks) are outside the top ten and still have work to do if they fancy being a part of the season finale at Trestles.
Tyler Wright gave a convincing account of herself as usual in and out of the water, offering up some candid insights and great reflection with WSL presenter Stace Galbraith on how strenuous she and fellow competitors have found the Australian leg. Her run ended abruptly against the eventual winner Fitzgibbons, in a semi-final that saw both surfers take some big falls and Tyler finding herself in combination early on. Still in fourth overall — and knowing what we do about the two-time world champion — her competitive nature is still as strong as ever. She could easily move further up the table.
As the middle point for the season, Rottnest Island was crucial. Those who were lurking around the tenth-place mark and eager to find themselves with a shot at an invite to the Rip Curl WSL Finals needed to get busy. Cibilic and Fitzgibbons have both propelled themselves up the rankings while others like Italo Ferreira and Moore have secured their places. Americans Caroline Marks and Griffin Colapinto did themselves no favors with below-par finishes at Strickland Bay, meaning they have both (momentarily?) slipped beyond the cut-off point. Still, with another four events lined up, the year is far from over.
Editor’s Note: Alex Mitcheson is a Gold Coast-based writer.
