Kaua‘i’s Bethany Hamilton took her opening round encounter at the 2012 Telstra Drug Aware Pro Margaret River in Australia on Monday. Blustery three-foot surf greeted Hamilton who was able to edge out Gabi Cope, a Kapa‘a High School alumnus, and
Kaua‘i’s Bethany Hamilton took her opening round encounter at the 2012 Telstra Drug Aware Pro Margaret River in Australia on Monday.
Blustery three-foot surf greeted Hamilton who was able to edge out Gabi Cope, a Kapa‘a High School alumnus, and Jordan Hundley of the Mainland to advance, Hamilton finishing with a 10.86 over Cope’s 8.87 and Hundley’s 6.77.
“The conditions were
really tricky,” Hamilton said in a Telstra news release.
“I don’t feel like I did all that well out there. I only really had one good turn, but I’m happy that I did enough to get through the heat because that’s all that matters in the end. I prefer reef breaks, so I’m stoked to be here, but at the same time, Margaret River can be super challenging.”
Some of the world’s best surfers collected for the Women’s Round of 60 at Surfer’s Point where Australia’s Nikki Van Dijik started the day with a convincing win, carving up the Margaret River line-up to advance to the Round of 48 where she will face Malia Manuel, another Kaua‘i surfer, Ornella Pellizzari of Argentina and Suelen Naraisa of Brazil.
“It’s pretty slow, but there are still waves out there,” Van Dijik said. “I’ve surfed out here a few times in the past. We had Aussie titles here a few years ago and I was here last year for the Drug Aware Pro. Margaret River is such a fun wave. I love how you can go left or right.”
Nao Omura of Japan finished with the day’s highest wave score, posting an 8.33 out of a possible 10 points. The Japanese surfer picked off a wave and unleashed two solid power curves to advance to the next round with Ellie-Jean Coffey of Australia.
Visit www.telstradrugawarepro.com for more information.
