Margaret River Pro, into the quarters

The Western Australia Margaret River Pro is through Rounds 1, 2 and 3 on the men’s side. Eight surfers left. The contest is on standby today, with the next call set for 7:00 AM AWST on Wednesday April 22. The waiting period runs to April 26, so there is still room to move, but the weather has opinions about when it wants to run.

How we got here

Round 2 had a couple of proper results. George Pittar knocked out Filipe Toledo in a tight heat, 14.90 to 14.03. Jack Robinson edged Kauli Vaast by a sliver, 13.97 to 13.60, in front of a home crowd. The Pupo brothers both advanced. Round 3 then paired the Colapinto brothers against each other, with Cole taking down Griffin, 13.67 to 13.43. Jackson Vaughan sent Liam O’Brien home, and Pittar kept rolling through Leonardo Fioravanti.

The quarters shake out like this:

• QF1: Samuel Pupo vs. Jackson Vaughan
• QF2: Cole Colapinto vs. Gabriel Medina
• QF3: Yago Dora vs. George Pittar
• QF4: Italo Ferreira vs. Ethan Ewing

Medina against Colapinto is the pick of the round. Ferreira against Ewing will come down to who handles a bigger, heavier Main Break better. On the board, Ewing.

Watch Day 2 highlights:

The forecast, because that is the whole story

Read the full Margaret River forecast for the detail. Here is the shape of it.

Today (Monday) is building fast. It starts the day around 3.0 m at 12.9 s from the WSW, but by evening it is 5.5 m at 11.2 s with 30 kn of NW wind. Power climbs from energetic to heavy in twelve hours. Heavy water incoming.

Tuesday is the peak. 5.7 m at 11 to 13 s all morning, firmly heavy around 8 AM. That is the heavy water bracket. Winds drop through the day from 33 kn NW to under 10 kn by evening, so the wave face cleans up as the swell starts to ease. Unsurfable early, seriously good in the back half, if you can handle the size.

Wednesday (restart day) drops into something the contest can actually use. 3.6 m easing to 2.6 m through the day, still 12.5 to 13 s of period, so it keeps the long-period shape. Wind is the catch: 17 to 23 kn from the NNW, which is sideshore onto Main Break. Runnable, but not classic.

Thursday rebuilds a touch. Steady 3.5 to 3.7 m at 12.5 to 13 s. Winds fall away to 8 to 15 kn out of the SW and W. Power sits energetic. A solid, energetic day.

Friday is the one. Size settles to 3.0 to 3.5 m, period stretches to 13.7 to 14.1 s, classic swell territory. Winds go light, 5 kn out of the WSW. That is as close to perfect as the Indian Ocean serves up.

Saturday holds 2.7 m at 13 s with morning winds just 4 to 6 kn out of the ESE, which is offshore. Smaller, but clean and well groomed.

Call it

Wednesday gets the restart in, but Thursday and Friday are the days that will crown this thing. Light winds, 13 to 14 s period, 3 m plus at a spot that loves a lined-up SW swell. If the contest director holds the final back for Friday morning, every heat will look like a highlight reel.

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