South Africans Matt McGillivray and Benji Brand posted impressive results in Australia and Hawaii respectively to move into the Top 30 on the latest World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) rankings, while Sarah Baum opened her 2017 season by reaching the last 16 down under.
McGillivray battled his way through three rounds of overhead waves in the 160-man field for QS1,000 Kommunity Project Great Lakes Pro at Boomerang Beach in New South Wales. The 19 year-old from Jeffreys Bay was eliminated in the quarter-finals by defending event winner and eventual 2017 runner-up Wade Carmichael of Australia.
McGillivray pocketed R5,000 and 420 points for his season best fifth place finish, which saw him retain 29th spot in the latest QS rankings.
Bevan Willis (Umdloti) was a Round 1 casualty, while Shane Sykes (Salt Rock) and Dylan Lightfoot (Jeffreys Bay) each advanced through one round to finish 33rd and 25th respectively. Jordy Maree (Cape Town) progressed through two rounds for a 17th place result.
The event was won by former WSL Championship Tour (CT) campaigner Keanu Asing (Hawaii), who recorded an outstanding heat tally of 18.73 out of 20 when defeating Carmichael in the final.
Brand again showed the benefit of spending plenty of time in Hawaiian waves when he racked up three successive heat wins against a world-class list of contenders in the QS3,000 Volcom Pipe Pro held in chunky 2-3 metre waves at Pipeline.
The Capetonian, who turned 21 last Monday, was ousted when he placed third behind 2015 WSL champion Adriano de Souza (BRA) and Hawaiian standout Makai McNamara in their Round of 32 encounter, finishing 17th overall in the event.
Brand’s haul of R13,500 and 600 points saw him jump 25 places to join McGillivray in equal 29th spot on the QS rankings.
Outsider Soli Bailey (Australia) clinched a surprise victory at Pipeline, defeating reigning WSL champion, top seed and event favourite John John Florence (Hawaii) in the quarters before finishing ahead of de Souza, Griffin Colapinto (USA) and Hawaiian legend Bruce Irons who finished in that order in the final.
Baum, who grew up in Athlone Park in KZN, but is now living in Wollongong, Australia, started her 2017 season by advancing through two rounds of the QS1,000 Kommunity Project Great Lakes Women’s Pro.
The former multiple SA champion, who ended 2011 ranked No11 on the Women’s QS, only competes in selected events these days and bowed out of the women’s event in equal ninth place.
Teal Hogg (uMhlanga) was runner-up in her opening heat before being sidelined in Round 2, finishing equal 17th, while Nicole Pallet (La Lucia) ended equal 49th.
Australian prodigy Macy Callaghan, 16, winner of the World Women’s Junior (U18) title in January, has reached the final of six events in 2017. Callaghan recorded her fifth event victory of the year by outscoring former Port Elizabeth surfer Philippa Anderson (AUS) in the final at Boomerang Beach.
Picture of McGillivray courtesy of WSL/Bennett and that of Brand, WSL/Heff
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