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Australian Macy Callaghan Scores First-Ever Perfect 10 on Women's

Snapper Rocks Fires and Competitors Find Excellence Ahead of Tomorrow's Finals Day; Fisher and Friends Freesurf Wows Crowds on the Gold Coast; Quarterfinalists Decided at Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro

13/Mai/2024 - WSL

SNAPPER ROCKS, Queensland, Australia (Friday, May 3, 2024) - Snapper Rocks has turned on world-class conditions on Day 5 of competition at the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro presented by GWM, Stop No. 1 of the 2024 World Surf League (WSL) Challenger Series (CS). Competitors from the men’s and women’s Round of 16 were treated to pumping surf in the three-to-five foot range with multiple tube rides and excellent scores being posted to set up the Quarterfinals. An amazing day was capped off with the Fisher and Friends Freesurf, where DJ Fisher shared the lineup with seven WSL legends and put on a show for thousands of fans at Snapper Rocks.

Macy Callaghan Finds Perfection at Snapper Rocks

Former CT competitor Macy Callaghan (AUS) has put on the performance of her career, posting a Perfect 10-point ride in the Round of 16 at Snapper Rocks. The Gold Coast transplant made her intentions clear from the beginning of her matchup with reigning event winner India Robinson (AUS), taking off late and pulling into multiple barrels early. After posting a few solid scores, Callaghan eventually found her perfect down-the-line tube, pulling in late and coming out after the spit to end up with an 18.67 two-wave total (out of a possible 20). Callaghan set the standard for the day and will now shift her focus to the Quarterfinals, where she will take on compatriot Isabella Nichols (AUS).

“I’m pretty speechless, to be honest,” Callaghan said. “That was probably the best heat of my life. Apparently, we weren’t getting behind the rock enough, so that was for all the boys out there. I want to give it one last crack and make it back on the CT next year. I’m just waiting to get some good waves. This is my first comp of the year, and I’m pretty happy with how it’s going so far. I’m so used to picking off the scraps out here, so I’m stoked to have had some space out there. My coach was just like, ‘You have to sit behind the rock. You’ve got 30 minutes, jet-ski assist, you’re sitting behind the rock, and you’re going to give it a go,’ and I’m glad I did. That was fun. I don’t know if it was luck or what, but I’m just so stoked.”

Heat 5 of the men’s Round of 16 was an exciting matchup between two recently relegated surfers Samuel Pupo (BRA) and Jacob Willcox (AUS) bound to bring fireworks. Reigning event winner Pupo got things started early with a blistering display of rail surfing to earn a 9.17 (out of a possible 10). He then backed it up with a 9.53 for a late drop into a tube ride, followed by a series of turns and another tube ride. Willcox, known for his incredible backside tube riding, was unable to find an exit on a number of barrel rides. Pupo’s 18.70 two-wave total is the highest of the event so far and was too much for Willcox to chase down.

“Man that was fun,” Pupo said. “It’s hard to get too far ahead of myself and think about going back-to-back because there are still so many good surfers in the draw. This wave also brings out such crazy performances from everyone, the waves are amazing. Jacob is such a good surfer but I feel like I got the good rhythm in that one. Let’s hope I can keep it going.”

The last heat of the women’s Round of 16 saw veteran Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) find some shade of her own, posting a 9.33 for a deep tube ride and series of massive frontside turns. Fitzgibbons's performance was too much for Tessa Thyssen (FRA), who was unable to overcome the recently relegated CT competitor.

Similarly to Fitzgibbons, recently relegated surfer Nichols combined tubes with turns to post an 8.17 on her way to overcoming fellow Aussie Nikki Van Dijk (AUS).

Local hopeful Kobie Enright (AUS) was unable to overcome an on-fire Bronte Macualay (AUS) in Heat 6 of the Round of 16. Macaulay’s backhand attack was the only surfing that saw her turns produce excellent scores, with the West Australian earning a 9.23 (out of a possible 10) on her way to the Quarterfinals.

George Pittar (AUS) continued his dream run in 2024, overcoming Gold Coast standout Oscar Berry (AUS) in Heat 7 of the Round of 16. Pittars’ surgeon-like front-side approach was on full display as Pittar joined the excellent score club with a 15.13 combined score to win the heat and progress into the Quarterfinals.

Quarterfinalists Decided at Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro

Charly Quivront (FRA) and Dakoda Walters (AUS) have been turning heads all week as two fresh faces on the Challenger Series who have been posting solid scores and charging toward Finals Day. The pair matched up in the Round of 16 and it was the young Aussie Walters who got the win, finding multiple tube rides to earn a Quarterfinal matchup with Mikey McDonagh (AUS) in his first Challenger Series event.

“I’m stoked to be into the Quarterfinals,” Walters said. “I qualified so long ago and feel like I’ve been waiting for this event. Charly and I were chatting out there about how good it was and just trading off barrels. I’ve always liked competing and although I’ve focussed on free surfing a lot, I think you can do both. Competing is so much fun. I feel like the best surfing that is being done is in a jersey in competition.”

Luana Silva (BRA) continued her bounce back from CT relegation, booking a spot in the Quarterfinals with an impressive win over Vahine Fierro (FRA). Silva coupled precision carves and snaps with a few tube rides to earn a solid heat total of 14.40, which included an excellent 8.07.

“I feel like I made a few mistakes in that heat, but I was able to post an eight, which was good,” Silva said. “I feel like my wave selection has been good, but it’s pretty easy to pick a good wave when it’s this perfect. Once you have the wave, you have to perform, which can be difficult with all of the nerves, so I’m stoked about my performance, and I want to keep elevating.”

The opening heat of the day witnessed former Gold Coast Pro event winner Lakey Peterson (USA) go down to Nadia Erostarbe (EUK) in a tight finish. Peterson looked sharp on her equipment, posting a couple of mid-range scores early. Erostarbe, opting to sit down the line a bit, fell on a couple of waves early but was able to regroup and execute on back-to-back sets. On a day where tube-riding would be hard to beat, the goofy-footer made her opportunities count, smashing multiple major maneuvers to move into the Quarterfinals and guarantee a career-best result at Stop 1 of the 2024 Challenger Series.

“When we got here and saw how good it was, I couldn’t believe it,” Erostarbe said. “We knew it was going to be good, but I had no idea it would be like this. Out there in the heat with so many perfect waves, I had to calm myself and just go for the best waves. I knew against Lakey, I’d need to be on the best waves, and fortunately, I got some good ones. Behind the rock, there are some amazing barrelling waves, but my backhand barrel riding isn’t the best, so I knew I needed to focus on turns.”

Josh Burke (BRB), Alejo Muniz (BRA) Erin Brooks (CAN), and Alyssa Spencer (USA) were all able to find heat wins in the Round of 16 and will now compete on Finals Day tomorrow at Snapper Rocks.

Fisher and Friends Freesurf Wows Crowds on the Gold Coast

The last heat of the day was an hour-long free surf with world-famous Australian Music Producer and former pro surfer Paul Fisher taking over the Snapper Rocks lineup with seven WSL legends including Coolangatta locals Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Chelsea Hedges (AUS), Mick Fanning (AUS), Dean Morrison (AUS), Joel Parkinson (AUS) and Mark Occhilupo (AUS), and 11-time World Champions Kelly Slater (USA).

The only surfer in the lineup without a World Title or Snapper Event Final or Win to their name was Fisher, but he was the star of the show as he prepares to play to 30,000 fans on Coolangatta Beach tomorrow night as part of the ‘Out to Lunch’ festival.

Tomorrow, Saturday, May 4, will be Finals Day, which could start as early as 7:35 a.m. AEST.

Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM Men's Round of 16 Results:

HEAT 1: Josh Burke (BRB) 9.34 DEF. Deivid Silva (BRA) 7.44

HEAT 2: Joao Chianca (BRA) 12.67 DEF. Tiago Carrique (FRA) 6.06

HEAT 3: Dakoda Walters (AUS) 13.74 DEF. Charly Quivront (FRA) 11.20

HEAT 4: Mikey McDonagh (AUS) 14.83 DEF. Hiroto Ohhara (JPN) 10.40

HEAT 5: Samuel Pupo (BRA) 18.70 DEF. Jacob Willcox (AUS) 11.30

HEAT 6: Ian Gouveia (BRA) 11.04 DEF. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 10.57

HEAT 7: George Pittar (AUS) 15.13 DEF. Oscar Berry (AUS) 11.84

HEAT 8: Michael Rodrigues (BRA) 16.74 DEF. Dylan Moffat (AUS) 11.00

Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM Men's Quarterfinal Matchups:

HEAT 1: Josh Burke (BRB) vs. Joao Chianca (BRA)