THE Rip Curl Rottnest Search, the fifth stop on the 2021 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) and the final event of the Australian leg, completed the men's and women's seeding rounds in clean three-to-four foot waves at Strickland Bay on Sunday - with all four South Coast products progressing.
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The opening rounds saw the world's best surfers get acquainted with the new location in the Rip Curl Search's return to the CT.
The opening heat of the day saw Culburra Beach brothers Mikey and Owen Wright do battle in a three-man heat with Californian Griffin Colapinto.
This marked the first time the brothers have met in a CT heat.
Although Owen posted the highest single wave of the heat with an excellent 8.00 point ride (out of a possible 10), it was younger brother Mikey who took the victory with a two-wave combination of 10.97 (out of a possible 20).
"I've had a few first-round heat losses lately," Mikey Wright said.
"I've been thinking I just need to kick it in the guts and get it moving, so I'm frothing to finally get one. It was an interesting heat at the start.
"I kept going right and couldn't score over a two and Owen was going left and not getting over a two, so I was confused about what to do.
"Towards the end, I just waited for one with a long wall so I could just go to town on it and get a few turns in.
"I could have gone a bit harder but in the end, but I just did what I needed to do."
The pair's sister and two-time world champion Tyler also progressed to round three, after finishing second in heat six.
The former St Johns student's score of 11.56 saw her finish behind France's Johanne Defay (12.10) but in front of Phillip Island's Nikki Van Dijk (9.16).
South Coast counterpart Sally Fitzgibbons (Gerroa) also ended up in second spot during her opening round heat.
In heat five, United States' Sage Erickson (14.60) claimed first, ahead of Fitzgibbons (14.07) and Sunshine Coast's Isabella Nichols (12.84).
All four South Coast talent's opponents in the third round will be determined following the competition's elimination round action.
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Courtney Ward
Sports Journalist for South Coast Register and Milton-Ulladulla Times, who loves all things sport and travel. All views are my own.
Sports Journalist for South Coast Register and Milton-Ulladulla Times, who loves all things sport and travel. All views are my own.
