AUSTRALIAN surfing star Owen Wright has made a dream start to his professional swan song, beating reigning winner Brazil’s Filipe Toledo at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.<\/p>\n
Wright won his round 1 heat today (Thursday, April 6) as the event started after a two-day delay.<\/p>\n
The event moved from Bells Beach to the neighbouring Winkipop break because of below-par conditions, making the most of a two- to three-foot swell.<\/p>\n
Eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater was the biggest name forced into the round 1 elimination round after he finished third in his heat, won by Australian world No.1 Jack Robinson.<\/p>\n
Wright beat reigning world champion Toledo, who won the event last year for the first time.<\/p>\n
They will avoid the round 1 elimination round because Toledo was second in their three-man heat, meaning he also advances to the round of 32.<\/p>\n
Wright had a combined score of 12.84 to Toledo’s 11.24, with Hawaiian Ian Gentil risking elimination after his 10.36.<\/p>\n
Wright is in the event as a wildcard, and this will be his only event of the year before he retires.<\/p>\n
The Olympic bronze medallist is leaving competition because of ongoing concerns about his health, following a horrific 2015 wipeout in Hawaii that left him with a traumatic brain injury.<\/p>\n
Slater scored 9.60 to finish last in his heat, with Robinson posting 12.56 and fellow Australian Xavier Huxtable second on 11.50<\/p>\n
Australian Callum Robson, who made the semi-finals of the previous round in Portugal, was another prominent name who risks elimination.
\nConnor O’Leary and Liam O’Brien are the other Australians in the elimination round.<\/p>\n
But Hawaiian star John John Florence starred with the highest wave score of 8.43 in his heat win, while Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi had the best combined total of 16.40.<\/p>\n
Organisers worked through the women’s opening round this afternoon after the 12 men’s heats.<\/p>\n
Conditions are predicted to tail off tomorrow (Friday April 7), meaning there might be no competition over the Easter long weekend.<\/p>\n
The last non-elimination heat of the day saw eight-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore and veteran American Courtney Conlogue advance and Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy relegated to the elimination round.<\/p>\n
Gilmore, the reigning women’s champion, and Conlogue are in danger of missing the mid-season cut.<\/p>\n
Australian Molly Picklum is the women’s No.1 seed after three rounds of the world tour, while compatriot Tyler Wright – Owen’s sister – is the defending women’s Rip Curl Pro champion.<\/p>\n