Australia’s big guns Ethan Ewing and Jack Robinson have avoided the elimination round as surfing in the men’s competition at the Margaret River Pro gets underway.
Current world No.2 Ewing posted the highest score of the early heats on Monday, nailing a 9.5 en route to a total of 17.00 in his victory over American Kade Matson (15.00) and fellow Australian Reef Heazlewood (12.30), who goes into sudden-death.
Local hope Robinson, ranked world No.5, finished second in his heat after scoring 14.66, behind three-time world champion Gabriel Medina (15.00), with Brazil’s Deivid Silva (12.83) third.
Currently ranked world No.21, defending Margaret River Pro champion Medina needs to maintain his spot with the men’s field reduced to 22 in the mid-season cut following this competition.
Ewing and Robinson are already safe while fellow Aussies Liam O’Brien and Ryan Callinan are also inside the cut pending results from Western Australia.
Ewing felt he got lucky with the waves in his heat given the inconsistent conditions.
“My last heat at Bells was ridiculously slow so I was keen to get a quick start and build some rhythm,” the Queenslander said.
“There’s no rhyme or reason out here, it can turn off and on whenever but we had a really good heat.
“Some of those waves were really good, I haven’t seen those waves this trip so it was cool to get an opportunity to ride a couple of those.”
Among other early results, 52-year-old legend Kelly Slater will have to surf his way through the elimination round after finishing third in his heat.
It could be the last-ever Championship Tour event for the 11-time world champion, who needs victory at Margaret River to make the mid-season cut and has already flagged his retirement.
Australian wildcard George Pittar upset Hawaiian duo Ian Gentil, and two-time world champion John John Florence, who placed last.
The women’s elimination round will follow the 12 men’s heats with veteran Sally Fitzgibbons among the Australians in action, facing a do-or-die heat against fellow Australian Bronte Macaulay and current world No.2 Johanne Defay of France.
With the women’s field cut to just 10 surfers following the round five event – and only four spots still up for grabs – Fitzgibbons effectively needs to make the semi-finals to move up from 14th and guarantee a start in the Championship Tour’s remaining competitions.