Women's Rip Curl Pro Bells Round 1 Recap

Round 1 of the Women’s Rip Curl Pro got underway at Bells Beach yesterday and we saw some early upsets before things settled down into predictability. Here are the Round 1 results:

Heat 1 - Bianca Buitendag defeats Stephanie Gilmore and Chelsea Tuach: Bianca got busy early, but when Gilmore put up an 8.00 about halfway through the heat I thought the three-time Bells champ had this locked up. However, Buitendag looked good on her backhand, as she always does, and she scored big toward the end of the heat to pull the upset. Tuach’s lack of experience at tricky Bells was evident, but she’ll only get better at wave selection with more time.

Heat 2 – Malia Manuel defeats Sally Fitzgibbons and Alessa Quizon: Another upset early in this event. The waves were really tricky in this heat, and Sally only got two legitimate waves. Malia backed up a good wave with a solid one, and that’s all she needed. Sally is yet to win a heat this season. I never thought I would be typing that here. She needs a Round 2 victory.

Heat 3 – Carissa Moore defeats Keely Andrew and Brisa Hennessy: The chalk prevails here. Carissa was solid yet unspectacular, but the waves were not conducive to the sharpest surfing in the world. Moore remains the favorite in this event.

Carissa Moore will look to ring the bell again.
Courtesy of chde.eu

Heat 4 – Courtney Conlogue defeats Laura Enever and Nikki Van Dijk: Courtney dominated and dropped a 9.17 late in the heat despite Nikki interfering on the wave. She looked strong and powerful in some solid Bells surf.

Heat 5 – Tyler Wright defeats Sage Erickson and Coco Ho: Ho looked to be in control of this heat pretty late, but Tyler pulled out an 8.60 and that was all she wrote. I keep beating this drum, but Tyler’s power is a major advantage over many of the Women’s CT competitors. Bells is the perfect place for her to showcase it as long as there is significant swell on offer.

Heat 6 – Johanne Defay defeats Tatiana Weston-Webb and Bronte Macauley:  Defay looked smooth and stylish at Bells, which was not a common theme of this first round. Weston-Webb also surfed well and we know she’s comfortable in powerful waves.  

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Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Women's Preview

The Roxy Pro Gold Coast kicked off the season recently and saw Tyler Wright dominate from start to finish. The Women’s CT now heads to Bell Beach for the Rip Curl Pro, and it should be an awesome event. Wright looks more focused than ever, and she seems to have a much more strategic approach to the 2016 season. She’s one-for-one under the tutelage of new coach Glenn “Micro” Hall, and Tyler definitely has the kind of power game that can thrive in big Bells walls. However, the Women’s CT is more competitive than ever, and earning back-to-back CT victories is certainly a tall task.

Reigning World Champ Carissa Moore fell to Wright in the semis at Snapper, and she’s surely going to be motivated to win at Bells. She’s won the last three years at the Rip Curl Pro, so betting against her seems like a risky decision. Still, there is so much talent on the CT right now that any heat can become an upset quickly. Carissa has to be the favorite at Bells, though.

Carissa Moore has won the last three years at Bells.
Courtesy of chde.eu

It will be interesting to see how Sally Fitzgibbons rebounds from her first-ever Round 2 exit, which she suffered on the Gold Coast. That was a shocker, but a bounce-back performance from the Aussie would not be. She’s made the semis at Bells the last two years, and I would expect her to return again in 2016.

Don’t sleep on Stephanie Gilmore and Courtney Conlogue, as either of them could win at Bells. Steph made the final last year, while Courtney reached the semis. These two are elite surfers capable of winning the World Title this season. Bells should be a great show, and I must admit that I’m tempted to pick Tyler to win it all thanks to her rail game. However, as I said earlier, betting against Carissa is risky, too risky for my taste. I’ll take the reigning Bells champ here.

Follow Morgan, founder of Go Left, on Twitter @GoLeftSurf

Roxy Pro Day 1 Recap

We got to see the Roxy Pro Gold Coast get underway yesterday, and the waves got progressively better as the afternoon went on. Here are some takeaways from the first three rounds of competition:

Sally Fitzgibbons went down in Round 2 for the first time in her career. It actually looked like Sally had her Round 1 heat locked up, but a late charge from Malia Manuel forced her into the second round. Fitzgibbons surfed well in Round 2 as well, but Bronte Macaulay maxed out a pair of waves and pulled the major upset. I’m guessing this will serve as further motivation for Sally this season.

Round 2 was surprisingly filled with top surfers, as Sally, Courtney Conlogue and Stephanie Gilmore were all forced to that round after Round 1 losses. Courtney and Steph really turned it on in that second round, though, suddenly looking like the two strongest surfers at Snapper Rocks, partially thanks to improving conditions. Gilmore would suffer another loss in Round 3 to a red-hot Tyler Wright, and it looks like she’s taking the scenic route in this event.

Tyler, Courtney and Carissa Moore all booked trips to the Quarterfinals, and they were the standout performers on Day 1. They, along with Gilmore, look like the favorites to win this first event of the season. I also want to note how impressed I was by a pair of young surfers, Macauley and Isabella Nichols. They both looked extremely poised for their lack of CT experience.

Carissa Moore, reigning World Champion, won both of her heats on Day 1.
Courtesy of chde.eu

Round 4 has some really interesting matchups on the docket:

Heat 1 – Stephanie Gilmore vs. Nikki Van Dijk: Gilmore has looked really good, so it’s surprising to see her in Round 4. Van Dijk has been solid, as she always is, but I would be surprised to see her bounce the former World Champion here.

Heat 2 – Malia Manuel vs. Bronte Macauley: This is an intriguing heat. Manuel has to be considered the favorite, but what I saw from Bronte yesterday makes me think she definitely has a chance. She’s got great style, as Ross Williams noted, and her backhand was excellent on pumping surf on Day 1.

Heat 3 – Sage Erickson vs. Keely Andrew: Both of these surfers pulled significant upsets in Round 1. Sage took down Conlogue, while Keely beat Steph Gilmore. They both stumbled in Round 3, but someone is headed for the quarters.

Heat 4 – Bianca Buitendag vs. Johanne Defay: Both of these women are very good surfers, probably just outside of the top tier group of the CT right now. Johanne put up a heat score of more than 16 in Round 2, so she’s definitely capable of putting up big scores.

Here are the highlights:

Follow Morgan, founder of Go Left, on Twitter @GoLeftSurf

Women's CT Season Preview

The World Surf League’s Women’s World Championship Tour is as strong as it’s ever been, and the talent pool seems to get deeper on an annual basis.  A couple of years ago, the Women’s CT was extremely top-heavy, with really just a few surfers that had a legitimate shot of winning an event. Things are becoming more balanced now, which is great for the tour. Let’s take a look at the Top 5 surfers in the 2016 Go Left Projected Rankings for the Women’s CT:

1. Carissa Moore, Hawaii

We currently have the pleasure of watching perhaps the best competitive female surfer in history in Carissa Moore. Just 23 years of age, Moore has already won three World Titles in five years on tour, and I think picking her over the field to win it all in 2016 is the smart move. Carissa is the best surfer of them all right now, and I can’t see that changing any time soon. She’s won nearly ¾ of her career heats, a staggering number, and she simply looks the part in the water every time she paddles out. Her consistency, ability to surf well in all conditions and competitive drive make her a no-brainer for the top spot on this list. Oh, and there’s the fact that she won the World Title in 2015.

Carissa Moore is the best surfer on the Women's CT.
Courtesy of chde.eu

2. Tyler Wright, Australia

This may be mostly a gut call, but I think 2016 is going to be Tyler Wright’s best season yet. I am a big fan of her surfing, as she is the most powerful shredder on the Women’s CT. She won in France last year while consistently making quarterfinals throughout much of the season. She’s not flashy, but when she gets the chance to really rip off some big turns there is nobody that can match her raw aggression and power on open faces. If she can take advantage of that in events like Bells, Margaret River and Maui she could be in the running for the World Title. I don’t see anyone beating Carissa, but I like Tyler a lot this year.

3. Courtney Conlogue, USA

Courtney Conlogue seemed to be on the verge of putting it all together for a couple of years, and in 2015 it all happened. She won three events and finished second on tour after having a shot at the World Title going into the Target Pro. Interestingly, she didn’t make a final in any contest aside from the three she won, but there is little doubt that she’s an elite surfer. I dropped her to third in the Go Left rankings only because I expect such big things from Tyler Wright this season.

4. Stephanie Gilmore, Australia

The only real question relating to Steph Gilmore is her health, but it’s a big question. She missed most of last season due to injury, and she is the elder stateswoman (yet still just 28) in the elite group of the Women’s CT. However, she remains the only other surfer aside from Carissa Moore to win a World Title since the young Hawaiian joined the ranks. It was difficult to figure out where to rank Gilmore coming off last season, but this feels like the right spot. She’s won an amazing six World Titles; can she make it a seventh? I wouldn’t rule out the possibility if she can stay healthy and locked in all season long, but her injury history drops her to fourth in the rankings.

Is Steph Gilmore set for a bounce-back 2016 season?
Courtesy of surfglassy

5. Sally Fitzgibbons

I like Sally Fitzgibbons a lot, but I just couldn’t rank her any higher. Carissa, Courtney and Steph have more style, and Tyler has more power. That kind of leaves Sally in no-man’s land, and while being ranked fifth is nothing to be ashamed of it’s clear that Fitzgibbons craves a World Title. She’s a notoriously hard worker, and I’d love to see it pay off and win her the crown. It’s going to be quite the challenge, though.

Follow Morgan, founder of Go Left, on Twitter @GoLeftSurf