A dramatic day of powerful surf at the Margaret River Pro has delivered major upsets, with seasoned professionals falling and young talent stepping into the spotlight.
Local hero and world champion Jack Robinson was eliminated in a surprise loss to Hawaii’s Imaikalani deVault. As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Robinson appeared composed, opting to pass on a wave that deVault turned into a winning 8.0 score — a move that ultimately cost Robinson his spot.
His exit added to a series of unexpected eliminations, with competitors battling some of the largest waves seen in the event’s history. After two days of delay due to flat conditions, the return brought swells exceeding three metres, testing even the most experienced surfers and snapping boards along the way.
Among the standout performances was 18-year-old local surfer Willow Hardy, who tackled one of the day’s biggest waves just seconds into her elimination round. Despite a wipeout and a tightly contested heat, Hardy finished with a respectable 7.97 total and won admiration from the global surfing community.
“I made the drop and was thinking about my turn when I just went headfirst like I was crayfish diving,” she joked. “It didn’t feel that big, but everyone said it was solid.”
Fellow local Jacob Willcox also made waves, toppling world number one Italo Ferreira shortly after advancing from the elimination round.
“It’s anyone’s game out there if you can pick the right waves,” Willcox said. “Being a local helps — you know where the good ones roll in.”
Australian veteran Sally Fitzgibbons added to the day’s emotional highs, scoring an 8.33 and securing second place in her heat — a critical result that kept her on tour.
“It’s such a rollercoaster,” she said. “Your board snaps with minutes to go, and you’re hearing others catching waves thinking it’s over. Then you come in and find out you made it — it’s intense.”
For Margaret River’s young locals, though, the powerful conditions were just another day at the beach. Fourteen-year-old Brody Mulik, already comfortable in the lineup, described the experience as exhilarating.
“I was nervous paddling out, but I settled in,” he said. “Your heart pounds when you come off a wave — it’s short but intense.”
Mulik highlighted the difficulty of the take-off zone, noting that precision is everything: “You’ve got to be exactly in the right spot — not too wide, not too deep.”
