MITCHELL FACES MEXICAN MONSTER WHILE GILMORE CHASES AN OPENING
GOLD Coast waterman Jamie Mitchell will put his surfing skills to the ultimate test today when he takes part in the Puerto Escondido Challenge as part of the World Surf League’s Big Wave Tour.
With wave faces up to 8m predicted for today, competition has been called on for the Mexican event, starting at about 9pm Australian time.
Twenty-four of the world’s best big wave surfers will contest the event, which is being held for just the second time at Puerto Escondido, home to one of the biggest waves on earth – a world-renowned beach break that requires great technical precision as well as a big dose of bravery for riders to master.
South Africa’s Grant “Twiggy” Baker won the inaugural Big Wave Tour event here, while two-time BWT champion Greg Long and Hawaii’s Billy Kemper are also expected to dominate.
Mitchell will line up today in the fourth of the six-man heats, alongside former Championship Tour surfer Damien Hobgood and Mexicans Rogercain Ramirez and Oscar Moncado.
The conditions are unlikely to faze Mitchell, who won the inaugural Nazere Challenge in Portugal last December, in 10-13m waves.
A 10-time winner of the prestigious Molokai to Oahu paddleboard race, Mitchell is one of Australia’s best watermen and a serious chance of snaring the Puerto Escondido title.
While the big wave tour is scheduled to start tonight, Tweed’s Stephanie Gilmore could be back in the water early tomorrow morning, with the window for the next event on the women’s championship tour, the US Open, commencing.
Despite being a six-time world champion, Gilmore has never won at Huntington Beach but would love to reignite her challenge for a seventh title with a maiden victory.
“It’ll be great to be back in Huntington Beach,” Gilmore said.
“I am looking forward to the US Open. With a really nice forecast, I think we are set for a great event.
“It will be tough to beat the girls, especially Courtney (Conlogue) on her home turf, but I’ll do my best.”
Gilmore sits in third place on the title rankings behind Tyler Wright and Sally Fitzgibbons, with Conlogue in fourth place.
While she sits behind the three Australians, Conlogue is the only surfer to have won more than one event this season and heads into her home tournament on the back of a victory at the Fiji Pro.
“It was definitely great to finally win Fiji,” Conlogue said.
“The waves, of course, are very different, however it’s always a good feeling to have a good result and carry it into your hometown.”