Aussie stars stun in double Hawaiian wins
It was double-delight in Hawaii as Australian surf stars Molly Picklum and Jack Robinson (right) delivered mind-blowing rides to secure titles at the Hurley Pro at Sunset Beach.
Picklum defended the title she won last year and also assumed the world No.1 ranking after the 21-year-old from the NSW central coast, who was runner-up at the opening event on the North Shore, put on a jaw-dropping display in her semi-final.
She recorded a 9.67 wave, the highest score of the entire event until Robinson bettered it in the men’s final, after making a turn which left those on the beach stunned and one Picklum was thankful she “made it out” of knowing what a risky manoeuvre it was.
“I threw everything at it and I kind of fell out of the sky and I was either dead or in the final,” she said of the epic effort. “That’s Sunset, you’ve gotta commit. Lucky I made it.” Picklum then took that momentum into the final against local gun Betty Sakura Johnson, which went down to the final minute with the Aussie holding a slender lead. But the waves evaporated for Hawaiian Johnson and Picklum raised her arms in triumph. “Defending a title is so hard in our sport because the ocean is in charge. The ocean played its part for me and I’m really, really, really happy,” she said. Robinson, who jumped from 17 to second on the live rankings, had to overcome red-hot countryman Rory Callinan in their all-Aussie semi-final before dominating Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi in the final.
The West Australian knocked the wind out of his opponent with a doubletube ride which scored him the 9.87 having already racked up an 8.17 for an unassailable lead which secured his sixth World Surf League win.
“That was a cool wave, I’ve never been tubed twice on the inside,” Robinson said of high-scoring ride.
“Far out, it’s been a crazy last few months, had a baby and everything before coming here.
“I’m just trying to enjoy it, this is really special.”
The next WSL event is in Portugal before the tour moves to Australia.