COCKY CIBILIC OUT TO CREATE WAVES IN FINALS

HE’S the unknown man of Australian surfing but Morgan Cibilic hopes to change all that in the coming days.

“If you don’t know who I am, then you will soon,” he said.

It sounds a cocky statement from a 21-year-old in his rookie season on the World Surf League (WSL) tour.

But Cibilic’s results back it up. The Newcastle product has been the surprise packet of the World Surf League season, pushing into the top five in the rankings to earn a spot in the competition’s new finals series.

The one-day event, likely to be held early next week Australian time, pits the top five men and women in the rankings against each other in a series of knockout heats until one challenger is left to face the world No.1 in a three-heat final.

Cibilic will start the competition as the biggest of underdogs, having to fight his way through to earn a place in the final against two-time world champion Gabriel Medina.

Cibilic qualified to join the WSL’s championship tour after outstanding results in the qualifying series in 2019.

Covid halted his march on to the world stage last year and while it was a blow at the time, Cibilic now sees it as a silver lining. “It was pretty annoying but at the same time it was a blessing in disguise because I got to improve my surfing,” he said.

Having spent his year causing upsets, Cibilic sees no reason to stop now.

“I guess everyone always says (take it one step at a time) but I’m definitely aiming to get to the final,” he said.