For a Qualifying Series event, there was quite a Championship Tour feel to the Grandstand Sports Clinic Women’s Pro with some of the sport’s most recognizable faces progressing through the contest. The QS 6,000 event, part of what has been dubbed as Surfest over the years, narrowed its scope Saturday in Newcastle, Australia, in some smaller conditions with light winds diminishing the waves throughout the day.
Looking to start her 2018 season on a strong note, Malia Manuel picked up a third-place result as she reached the semifinals for 3,550 early rankings points. Manuel had some major hurdles throughout her event but she stayed true to form and outsurfed just about all in her path until running into the defending world champion. Manuel knocked out Tatiana Weston-Webb and Dimity Stoyle in head-to-head matchups, while also outpointing the likes of Sage Erickson and Gabriela Bryan in earlier heats to make it to the final four.
It was there that she went up against 2017 world title winner Tyler Wright. The pair had a back-and-forth heat but Manuel ultimately needed a 6.44 in the closing minutes to turn the tide. She tried to manufacture a score but the smaller waves were mainly one-turn opportunities and Manuel came up short, 12.43 to 10.23.
Fully healthy after missing four CT events in 2017, Manuel is off to another of her signature strong starts on the QS, where she’s been one of the most consistently dominant performers over the past decade. From 2011 to 2016, Manuel placed in the top eight each season and has always done her best work at the biggest events. Making it to the semifinals at the QS 6,000 stops will have her continuing that pace and ease her qualification needs later in the season.
Weston-Webb’s loss to Manuel in the Round of 16 gave her a ninth-place result, which may not factor in to her season total. For Tati, her QS resume is just as impressive in a shorter amount of time. She already has a semifinal showing at the year’s first QS 6,000 event and she’ll remain in the top five after this week.
The two Kauai girls have now faced off multiple times during the late stages of various events. We’ll certainly see more of it in coming contests, hopefully resulting in another CT final face off, which occurred at the 2016 US Open of Surfing. Tati got the victory that day, but each has their fair share of wins to this point.
The final featured Wright taking on Coco Ho. Wright doesn’t compete often in QS contests these days, but Ho is still one of the tour’s main attractions. This early result will certainly be a boost to her confidence after a tumultuous 2017. With her CT results lacking, Ho put in a full workload on the QS and came away with three contest wins last season to requalify.
Results of the final heat were unavailable as of press time, but with both Wright and Ho reaching the championship round, the contest certainly concluded with the star power it had hoped for.
The men’s side was a coming-out party for Hawaii’s Barron Mamiya, who picked up his best result as a pro. Mamiya was spectacular throughout the contest and reached the final heat, eliminating Stu Kennedy, Davey Cathels and Alejo Muniz in head-to-head matchups. He also managed to best Marc Lacomare, Adam Melling and Alex Ribeiro in multi-man heats earlier in the event.
For Mamiya, this gives him the national and international recognition that he has been earning over the past couple seasons. He just made the final at the Sunset Open in January, but making the final at a QS 6,000 changes both ambitions and expectations. He can now have serious qualification dreams and goals for the immediate future.
Mamiya’s final against Australia’s Mikey Wright did not conclude before press time, but any result is a landmark one for the Oahu native who just turned 18 years old. His pro career is off and running with many highlights surely on the horizon.
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David Simon can be reached at dsimon@thegardenisland.com.
