- Next Call: Sunday, May 8, at 7:15 AM AWST
- Florence Withdraws From Remainder of Australian Leg Due to Injury
- More Available at WorldSurfLeague.com
The Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro pres. by Corona, the fourth stop on the 2021 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), is OFF for the day due to poor conditions on offer. Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow, Sunday, May 8, at 7:15 a.m. AWST to reassess the conditions and make the next call.
“Onshore winds are expected to pick up throughout the morning and disturb the conditions we have at the moment,” said WSL SVP of Tours and Head of Competition, Jessi Miley-Dyer. “We’re expecting the conditions to continue to deteriorate in the next hour or so. With that in mind, as well as a promising forecast for the remainder of the window and only nine heats left to surf, we’re going to call today off and come back tomorrow for another look.”
John John Florence (HAW) was set to compete in the opening heat of the men’s Quarterfinals but withdrew from the competition following a knee injury in his Round of 16 heat. The two-time WSL Champion and two-time event winner was a favorite to take out this event but will now return home to focus on his recovery.
“Unfortunately, I hurt my left knee on the end section of a wave during my round 16 heat two days ago,” said Florence. “I was able to surf the rest of my heat, just kind of feeling it out, but I knew something was off. It’s not the same knee I dealt with last year so that’s good, but with the Olympics coming up this summer I’m going to focus on healing up and getting strong. Thanks to everyone for the support and to Australia for having us. We’re very appreciative and had a great time.”
Heat 2 of the women’s Semifinals will see a clash of two of the greatest of the modern era as four-time WSL World Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) takes on seven-time WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS).
Watch LIVE
The Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro pres. by Corona runs through May 12. The event will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners.
For fans wishing to attend the event in person, event entry will be first-come, first-serve starting at 7:00 a.m. AWST on each ‘on’ day of competition. The venue capacity will be limited to a maximum of 2,500 people at one time, adhering closely to WA state government guidelines. There will be opportunities to enter throughout the day as spots will open when guests leave.
The Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro pres. by Corona is proudly supported by our partners Boost Mobile, Tourism Western Australia, Corona, Red Bull, Oakley, Hydro Flask, Rip Curl, Harvey Norman, Bonsoy, Dometic Outdoor, Bond University, Oakberry, Healthway and Shire of Augusta Margaret River.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro Men’s Quarterfinal Matchups:
HEAT 1: John John Florence (HAW) INJ vs. Griffin Colapinto (USA)
HEAT 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Ryan Callinan (AUS)
HEAT 3: Seth Moniz (HAW) vs. Matthew McGillivray (ZAF)
HEAT 4: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro Women’s Semifinal Matchups:
HEAT 1: Bronte Macaulay (AUS) vs. Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)
HEAT 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) vs. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
COVID-19 Updates
The WSL continues to work closely with the West Australian Government and WA Police Department to monitor the COVID-19 situation both in WA, where competitors and staff are currently located, and in New South Wales, where they have traveled from. The Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro is prepared to operate in a ‘bubble’ should it be required. As a result of the COVID-19 contingency plans, there is no option to run the event at a mobile location outside of the main event site of Main Break and The Box, such as North Point in Gracetown.
The WSL will implement a robust and thorough COVID-19 health and safety plan for each event during the Australian leg of the CT in accordance with federal and state guidance. The WSL’s health and safety plan includes enhanced high-touch cleaning at the event site, contact tracing procedures, sanitizer stations throughout the event site, and minimal personnel on-site. All traveling athletes and support staff completed the mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine and received medical clearance from public health officials before entering the general community.
Due to COVID-19, the Australian CT events will run based on state border closures, strictly adhering to federal and state government guidelines and restrictions. All tour stops and dates subject to change due to applicable COVID-19 related restrictions, including global travel restrictions.
About the WSL
Established in 1976, the World Surf League (WSL) is the home of the world’s best surfing.
A global sports, media and entertainment company, the WSL oversees international tours and competitions, a studios division creating over 500+ hours of live and on-demand content, and via affiliate WaveCo, the home of the world’s largest high performance, human-made wave. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, the WSL has regional offices in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.
The WSL annually crowns the men’s and women’s surfing World Champions. The global Tours and Competition division oversees and operates more than 180 global contests each year across the Championship Tour, the development tiers, including the Challenger, Qualifying and Junior Series, as well as longboard and big wave properties.
Launched in 2019, WSL Studios is an independent producer of unscripted television projects, including documentaries and series, which provide unprecedented access to athletes, events, and locations around the world. WSL events and content are distributed on linear television in over 743M+ homes worldwide and across digital and social media platforms around the world, including WorldSurfLeague.com.
WaveCo includes the Surf Ranch Lemoore facility and the utilizing and licensing of the Kelly Slater Wave System.
The WSL is dedicated to changing the world through the inspirational power of surfing by creating authentic events, experiences, and storytelling to inspire a growing, global community to live with purpose, originality, and stoke.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
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