The fourth round of the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic is a wrap
The fourth round of the Commonwealth Bank Beachley Classic went down on Tuesday, May 3rd at Dee Why Point in New South Wales, Australia.
In contrast to the first day, the tide turned out to be considerably low on the second day, however, it still did not hamper the smooth running of the contest. The day featured four exciting heats between eight surfers looking to stay in the competition
and progressing to the quarter-finals.
The first heat of the day featured Peru’s Sofia Mulanovich going against the surfer from Hawaii, Coco Ho. Both the surfers seemed equally matched as they battled each other for the coveted win. In the end, Mulanovich managed to bring Ho’s competition to
a premature end, scoring 13.50 against her rival’s 12.03.
Talking to a reporter after her heat, Mulanovich said, “Coco is such an amazing surfer so I knew it was going to be a hard heat and I knew I was going to have to surf good. The girls have been pulling out nines every heat and the level is just amazing. I'm
just stoked to get through to the next round.”
The second heat of the fourth round pitted Australia’s 16-year-old Nikki Van Dijk, a wild card entry in the event, against America’s Courtney Conlogue. The young-gun managed to overcome Conlogue with an outstanding performance, scoring 14.50 against the
American’s 12.90. The Australian had clearly shown her potential on the first day of the event when she beat Australia’s in-form surfer Sally Fitzgibbons in the first round. Her latest success gave her all the confidence that she needed before she faces her
next opponent in the quarter-final.
In the third heat, Hawaii’s Melanie Bartel and New Zealand’s Paige Hareb faced off in a low scoring heat. Even under the difficult conditions, the Hawaiian surfer managed to outshine her rival with a score of 11.90 against 9.87. The victory confirmed her
place in the quarter-final while marking the end of the road for Hareb.
“It was really tough, we didn't know whether to surf on the point or on the beach break,” Bartels said while talking to a reporter. “You're sitting right on top of each other on the point whereas at the beach you can go left or right.”
Final heat of the fourth round featured the ASP rookie from Australia, Tyler Wright, and her compatriot and 2005 ASP Women’s World Champion, Chelsea Hedges, in an intense showdown. Both the surfers landed impressive manoeuvres, but it was Wright who managed
to triumph over Hedges after earning a score of 15.50 against her competitors’ 13.56.
The winners of the fourth round completed the quarter-final field, where the winners of the third round were already waiting for them. With the in-form surfers separated from those struggling to find their form, the next stage of the event is expected to
be a real exciting showdown.
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