The Hurley Pro Sunset Beach: Day 3

There's no doubt the impact of the Pipe Finals day was monumental for women's surfing. It's been all over the mainstream press. Some have even speculated it was part of the reason for Toledo's sabbatical, a reasoning I find highly dubious.

In practical terms, the major impact seems to have been on the rest of the women’s field. The psychological impact from Pickles, Caity, and Bettylou's showing seems profound and is lingering into Sunset, possibly extending right through to Finals Day.

Bettylou knifing through a perfect inside Sunset barrel (WSL/Bielmann)

If you looked at swagger, confidence, maturity, performance, and dominance as key indicators you would assume Molly Picklum was the current World Champion and Caz Marks was a mid-career journeywoman. There's no comparison.

All of a sudden, last year's Final 5, including the current World Champion and the year before, seems completely irrelevant. Imagine now a World Champion who can't ride a backside tube? After that day at Pipe it's now fundamentally inconceivable. Tyler Wright, after two 9ths, is in mortal danger of not making the cut. 2021 Runner-up Tatiana Weston-Webb looks way off the pace, as does 2022 Final 5'er Johanne Defay. Defay only progressed against Tati today in their Round of 16 heat on the strength of riding the most beautiful Sunset wave that came through all day and not falling.

Molly taking cues from Jack and John (WSL/Heff)

Women's surfing is progressing, but at wildly varying rates and the gaps in performance that are opening up are huge. Sally Fitz clearly caught the better waves in her Round of 16 heat against Bettylou but was soundly beaten by a superior performance. Like Tyler, consecutive 9ths puts Sally below the cut with the wildcard lucky dip bag surely now empty.

21-year old Molly Picklum's maturity seems almost surreal until put into historical context. Steph came on tour at 18, won her first title at 19, and had three by the time she was 21. Carissa won her first at 18 and had two by the age of 20. There has been an evolution on the women’s tour, analagous to the men's if not as extensive, whereby careers are extended past their former use-by dates as a result of the application of knowledge about diet, recovery, mindset etc etc. Not to mention the increased financial backing available to women surfers. Nothing kills a career faster than having to get a day job. Maternal instincts have largely bypassed women tour surfers with a few exceptions (Chelsea Hedges, Lisa Anderson) but there's no doubt family formation very much favours male tour surfers as far as continuing on with a career goes.

We lost ten surfers today. Wildcard Zoe McDougall could not make a meaningful mark in her two heats and replacement for Carissa Moore, Sophie McCulloch, likewise couldn't produce a decent score with two go outs in improving Sunset surf. They were the two sent home in the Elimination Round. By the time the Round of 16 kicked off it was dreamy, almost as good as Sunset gets for the size. Bluewater, sunshine, groomed by light trades, and bombing sets which by degrees became more frequent as the swell filled in.

For my mind, the best surfer of the day failed to progress. While Pipe showed women’s progression in the tube, Gabby Bryan at Sunset today showed the progression on the rail. Some of the turns were vicious. Fully committed. We now have a distinction between what is half-done and finished with release - or on the fins as Tyler Wright’s laybacks tend to be - and what is a fully committed gouge. If you missed them, go watch Gabbys scoring waves. My favourite ride of the day was her 6.33 for a single-turn ride against Brisa Hennessy in a losing heat. A brutal turn that called to mind Trent Munro with his similar low centre of gravity attack.

Three gaffs and a lip hit. Despite not progressing, Gabrielle Bryan showed the most commitment to the rail (WSL/Bielmann, Heff)

Still, like Tyler and Sally, Gabby is now sitting on two 9ths and will need big results from here to avoid the cut. She should be a Final 5'er if she can manage that.

Brisa's turns weren't as savage or committed but she caught better waves and, unlike a lot of the field, was prepared to immediately turn hard up into the bowl, instead of waiting. That gave her two or three turns rides all day long and judges were forced to pay them. As they did when she won the comp in '22. A repeat performance on Glenn Pang boards which look perfect for her is not out of the question.

The rookies looked wobbly. Alyssa Spencer got sent packing by Caz Marks in a lacklustre affair. Spencer looks a little undercooked in her rookie year and will likely be sent back to the Challenger Series with three more ultra challenging venues ahead.

As the trades lay down and surface turned to butter, Caity Simmers put more trust in her rail (WSL/Heff)

Sawyer Lindblad looks more fully formed as a CT surfer but was sent home by Caity Simmers after a bizarre day where she ended up on the wrong side of the Priority Judge twice. In her Round 1 heat the best wave of the day came through and Johanne Defay caught it with the booth believing Sawyer still had priority. Minutes later we found out she had lost P for a very tepid look at the wave which didn't look like much to me or Coach Jake Patto. “That's pretty heavy,” he said. “Jeez, that wasn't even a paddle. It wasn't a committed paddle.” It cost her the heat.

Sent to the Elimination Round she fell foul of the rules (and etiquette) a second time, paddling back out in a lazy fashion and straight into the path of Gabby Bryan who had to avoid her and thus missed the chance to pull into an inside drainer. The subsequent paddling interference meant she lost half of her lowest scoring ride. That was still enough for her to get past Sophie McCulloch.

Unfortunate to face an on-point Pickles, India Robinson approached Sunset in a manner befitting a professional: deep bottom turns exchanged for committed top turns, keeping speed all the way (WSL/Heff)

Dark horse for the event has to be Isabella Nichols after a brave lip hit on one of the biggest sections of the day to get past Tyler Wright - see the opening photo. She's got a tough draw against Bettylou SJ.

All eyes on former champs Pickles and Brisa, with Caz Marks having the easiest draw.

Given what is expected tomorrow and who is left in the draw, it looks like another epic Finals Day in the offing.

// STEVE SHEARER