After a week of epic swell, tricky northerly conditions greeted competitors for day one of the Usher Cup World Club Challenge.
San Clemente’s Kirra Pinkerton dominated heat one of the 2024 women’s contest her 14.67 score seeing her finish 4.07 clear of wildcard Raya Campbell with Padma’s Jasmine Michelle Suder third with 6.93 and North Ends Lucy Littlechild 4thwith 6.27.
Returning for a second year Maui’s Nora Liotta was the standout in a talent packed heat 2, her heat score of 13.66 seeing the Hawaiian finish 2.03 points clear of Le-Ba’s Nixie Ryan with big wave surfer Laura Enever finishing in third position and Point Lookouts Stacey Holt 4th with 6.66.
Mia Huppatz was the standout in a tightly contested third heat, the Burleigh heads competitors 10.94 seeing her edge out Windansea’s Savannah Riley 9.40 and Huntington beach star Sara Freyer n8.27 and Florida’s Daya McCart 7.80
Inaugural Usher Cup champion Macy Callaghan 13.84 scored a 2.84-point win over defending Champion Dimity Stoyle 11.00 in heat four with Torquay’s Emily McGetting 8.40 third and San Diego’s Kaydn Persidok 4th 7.20
MNM star Ellie J Brooks 13.47 edged out Noosa’s Gia Lorentson 11.66 in heat five, Santa Cruz surfer Autum Hays third on 10.46 with Kawana’s Jahly Stokes fourth with a score of 9.90.
Snapper Rocks star Kobie Enright absolutely blitzed her rivals in heat six her score of 15.83 the highest heat score of the day. Coffs Harbours Rosie Smart 11.27 advanced in second place with Byron Bay surfer Leihani Zoric third with a score of 10.54 while New Zealand’s Elin Tawharu found the going a little tough finishing in fourth place with a score of 6.57.
Japan’s Olympic medallist Amuro Tsuzuki 12.93 edged out Duranbah’s Freya Prumm 11.26 in heat seven with Scarborough’s Zahlia Short 9.80 third and Newport’s Meah Collins fourth with 8.60
Kauai Manuel 12.13 continued the strong start to the morning’s session for Hawaiian teams, the Kauai representative finishing 0.67 clear of NASA’s Bodhi Leigh-Jones 11.46 with Merewether’s Phillipa Anderson third with 10.84 and the Juraki’s Jalan Slabb fourth with 4.66
QUARTER FINALS
Pinkerton 15.76 took her opening heat form into the quarter finals, the San Clemente rider comfortably claiming the contests first final with Raya Campbell again finishing in second with a score of 12.00 with Le-Ba boardriders representative Nixie Ryan third in 10.43, Maui’s Nora Liotta eliminated with a score of 8.50.
Macy Callaghan 12.27 squeezed through with a 1.53-point buffer over Mia Huppatz, while defending champion Dimity Stoyle’s campaign came to a premature end, the North Shore surfer 10.57 finishing in third, ahead of Windansea’s Savannah Riley 8.23
Kobie Enright 12.10 continued her great form in the quarters, the Snapper Rocks star beating Noosa’s Gia Lorentson 9.77 with Coffs Harbour Boardrider Rosie Smart 6.83 third and MNM star Ellie J Brooks fourth 6.00
The final quarterfinal of the day say Kauai Boardrider Malia Manuel 13.50 again dominate in the competitive surf; the Hawaiian finishing 4.13 points clear of Japan’s Amuro Tsuzuki 9.37 with NASA surfer Bodhi Leigh-Jones 8.40 finishing in third place with Freya Prumm fourth with 3.10
Tomorrow’s Semi Finals look like this.
Semi Final #1
- Kirra Pinkerton, San Clemente
- Macy Callaghan, North Shelley
- Raya Campbell, Wild Card
- Mia Huppatz, Burleigh Heads
Semi Final #2
- Malia Manuel, Kauai Boardriders
- Kobie Enright, Snapper Rocks
- Gia Lorentson, Noosa
- Amuro Tsuzuki, Japan