Page 6 - MidWeek East - May 3, 2023

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MAY 3, 2023
The Margaret River Pro in West Oz is the fifth World Cham- pionship Tour event of the year before the midyear cut.
BY GARY KEWLEY
Surfing Updates Both Here And Around The World
By the time you read this, we will have our final roster of 22 men and 10 women.
I want to congratulate North Shore rippers Gabrie- la Bryan and Bettylou Saku- ra Johnson, who both made the mid-year cut at the Mar- garet River Pro in Western Australia last month.
surfers were from Austra- lia, five were from Brazil, four were from Hawai‘i (John-John Florence, Barron Mamiya, Seth Moniz and Ian Gentil), two were from South Africa and one each were from the continental U.S., Japan, Italy and Indo- nesia.
This mid-year cut is a rel- atively new addition to the competition and helps cre- ate more drama, tension and challenge for competitors — but it’s not without con- troversy.
Bryan rode in at No. 9 with Johnson right behind at No. 10.
In other news, the Local Motion Surf into Summer at Ala Moana Bowls returns in June.
Those who didn’t make the cut must return to the Challenger Series, or second tier of the contest, which be- gins later this month.
Carissa Moore came in a comfortable third, but she wasn’t aiming to just make the cut — she’s going for Top 5 and a shot at her sixth World Tour Championship title.
Eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater fell short of the mid-season cut at the Western Australia Margaret River Pro.
PHOTO COURTESY WSL / HUGHES
This event kicks off the 2023-24 Qualifying Series. The QS is the third tier for aspiring competitive surfers.
And that’s a wrap for this week ... I hear the surf call- ing.
That will be their first of
Joining Moore, Bryan and
six shots to earn back a slot in next year’s World Cham- pionship Tour.
raised on Kaua‘i.
For the men, seven of the
partnering with Local Mo- tion once again,” says Robin Erb, WSL North America/ Hawai‘i regional director. “Their longstanding support for local amateur surfers is invaluable, and with a re- invigorated commitment to professional competi- tion — including longboard — we’re looking forward to what will be an incredible showcase for all of the talent right here in Hawai‘i.”
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