- WSL / Matt Dunbar NewsBoost Mobile Margaret River Pro presented by CoronaSage Erickson Command Performances From Toledo, Weston-Webb Rule Margaret River Share Ben Collins Monday, May 10, 2021 Editors' note: This page is being updated after each day of competition. Day Five Coverage It was an emotion-filled Finals day as Brazil's Tatiana Weston-Webb and Filipe Toledo swept the podium the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro presented by Corona in clean, rippable four to-six foot Main Break. From the heart shown in the water to the love and compassion of the local surf community back on the beach, here's how it all went down: Post Show: Brazil Sweeps Margaret River, WSL Leaderboard Gets A Shake-Up 42:38 From Toledo and Weston-Webb's big wins to Final 5 predictions, the WSL Desk Crew breaks down all the action from Main Break. An Emotional Win For Weston-Webb Weston-Webb found her way into the Final against seven-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore after advancing passed local hero Bronte Macaulay in the Semifinals, who was still very much morning the recent passing of her brother, Jack. Despite the family tragedy, the result is Macaulay's best-ever result at Margaret River, which is just down the coast from her home in Gracetown. Weston-Webb, who found herself in her second Final in as many events, put on a gritty, full-rail performance against Gilmore to take her first Championship Tour victory of 2021. "This win is for the Macaulay family," Weston-Webb said afterwards. "I came up against Bronte earlier today and seeing her show up for her heat was so brave. I can't imagine what she has been going through. They are an amazing family with so much love and are such a big part of surfing here in the West and my condolences are with them." MARGARET RIVER, AUS - MAY 10 : Tatiana Weston-Webb of Brazil surfing in Semifinal 1 of the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro presented by Corona on May 10, 2021 in Margaret River, WA, Australia. (Photo by Cait Miers/World Surf League via Getty Images) After her win at Margaret River Tatiana Weston-Webb now sits second on the WSL Leaderboard, less than 3,000 points behind Carissa Moore. - WSL / Cait Miers Toledo Makes His Move Meanwhile, This is Toldeo captured first CT victory since the 2019 Oi Rio Pro. Putting on an absolute rail-surfing masterclass to take the win over South Africa's Jordy Smith, the Brazilian tapped into a new gear which hadn't yet been seen during the event. Going into his turns with more speed and torque in the most critical parts of the waves than we've previously seen, Toledo has put everyone on notice that he means business. For the effort, Toledo flies up the WSL Leaderboard, going from eighth all the way to third. With Gabriel Medina still wearing the Yellow Jersey and defending World Champ Italo Ferreira in second place, this puts Brazil in firm control of the top three spots of the leaderboard. "This one is for my son Koa, it's his birthday today and he asked me to win the trophy," Toledo explained. "I promised him I would and I could not break the promise, so this one's for you son, I love you." "This win will be a huge jump on the rankings for me which I needed," he continued. "This Tour is all about consistency and if you're not showing up in the Finals often, you won't make that Final 5, and that's my biggest goal for the year, to give myself that chance." MARGARET RIVER, AUS - MAY 10: Filipe Toledo of Brazil won the final of the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro presented by Corona on May 10, 2021 in Margaret River, WA, Australia. (Photo by Matt Dunbar/World Surf League via Getty Images) Speed, power and flow, Filipe Toledo had it all working on Finals day at Main Break. - WSL / Matt Dunbar WSL Leaderboard Gets A Shake-Up With four of the 2021 Championship Tour events now in the books, we continues to see all kinds of movement on the WSL Leaderboard. For the women, Weston-Webb now slides into number two in the rankings, while Carissa Moore retains her number one position. Rounding out the Final Five, Stephanie Gilmore moves into third with Caroline Marks hanging onto fourth and Tyler Wright in the fifth spot. For the men, as noted above, Brazilians are in firm control of the top three spots on the leaderboard thanks to Medina, Ferreira and Toledo. After being forced to withdraw in the Quarterfinals due to a knee injury, John John Florence has slipped to fourth, while Smith's Finals appearance puts him in fifth. MARGARET RIVER, AUS - MAY 10 : 7X WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore of Australia surfing in Semifinal 2 of the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro presented by Corona on May 10, 2021 in Margaret River, WA, Australia. (Photo by Cait Miers/World Surf League via Ge Stephanie Gilmore made her first-ever final at Main Break. - WSL / Cait Miers Get Ready For A High-Performance Left Now the Tour is headed to Strickland Bay at Rottnest Island for the Rip Curl Rottnest Search presented by Corona. The final stop of the four-event mega Australian leg, while there's also a right, this peak is primarily a high-performance left. This is set to create the stage for some fireworks from the goofy-foot top seeds such as Medina, Ferreira and Weston-Webb. Stay tuned, the waiting period kicks off on May 16. MARGARET RIVER, AUS - MAY 10: The winners of the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro presented by Corona on May 10, 2021 in Margaret River, WA, Australia. (Photo by Cait Miers/World Surf League via Getty Images) With Toledo and Weston-Webb atop the podium at Margaret River, Team Brazil has a lot to smile about at the moment. - WSL / Cait Miers Day Four Coverage MARGARET RIVER, Western Australia, Australia (Thursday, May 6, 2021) -- Enjoying a solid southern pulse with six- to eight-foot surf and unexpectedly clean conditions, it was moving day at the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro presented by Corona as the storylines from Main Break continued to play out and a clear picture for Finals day played out. Florence's Roll Continues Stopping John John Florence at Margaret River, and after an early morning rain squall and scattered lightning bursts, he continued his march towards the Final. In a gritty performance, he dispatched Brazil's Peterson Crisanto in the first head-to-head match-up of their careers. Posting a 13.50 heat score, it was his lowest total of the event thus far, but more than enough to earn him a spot in the upcoming Quarters. "I was definitely stoked to be out there. It's nice having those long heats and having time to get warmed up, get a few waves," Florence smiled after the heat. Florence Rolls Into Finals Day, Will Face Colapinto In High-Powered Quarterfinal Matchup 0:36 The 2x World Champ dispatched Brazil's Crisanto and now faces high-flying Californian Colapinto in Quarterfinals. For The First Time This Season We Won't See Medina On Finals Day After finding is way into the Finals of all three events thus far, Margaret River continues to be a thorn in the paw of Gabriel Medina, who was eliminated by a hard-charging Seth Moniz in the Round of 16. The heat started with Medina paddling under Moniz to try and gain priority on a set wave, but ultimately he was sucked over the falls and washed inside. Unable to tap into his customary rhythm and build momentum like we're used to seeing, the two-time World Champion appeared a bit out of sorts. Meanwhile, Moniz managed to put himself on the right waves and capitalize on his opportunities. Ultimately, the heat was decided by a mere 0.31 of a point. "He got me in a Semifinal at Teahupo'o and it hurt, so it felt good to get one back on him," Moniz explained. "I feel like I left the door open for him the entire heat with a couple of priority mistakes and maybe surfing a smaller board than I should have, so I'm happy it ended up working out for me. I'm loving my time here in West Aus, there are so many sick waves and it really suits my style of surfing." MARGARET RIVER, AUS - MAY 6: Two-time WSL Champion Gabriel Medina of Brazil surfing in Heat 5 of Round 4 of the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro presented by Corona on May 6, 2021 in Margaret River, WA, Australia.(Photo by Cait Miers/World Surf League via Down goes World No. 1 Gabriel Medina, who will have to settle for a 9th-place finish at Margaret River, his worst result of the 2021 season. - WSL / Matt Dunbar Gilmore Finds Her Form When we first saw the match-up on paper we knew there was always going to be fireworks when Australian Olympic teammates Stephanie Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons met in the Quarterfinals. And sure enough, the hat did not disappoint. Gilmore put together one of the best waves seen this year at Main Break, earning a 9.50, the highest score of the day. Fitzgibbons countered, but Gilmore was able to carve out a suitable backup score to take the heat win and earn her spot in the Semifinals. Enroute to her best finish of the season, she will now face Carissa Moore in a clash of the World Champions. "I just had to hold my nerve and be patient as I knew Sally would keep busy and build a house, and I just needed to get a good wave and do what I do," Gilmore explained afterwards. "It worked, but it could have gone the other way. It was a good battle with Sally, we've had a lot over our careers. It feels really good to break the Quarters. I haven't done that this year." MARGARET RIVER, AUS - MAY 6: 7X WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore of Australia surfing in QuarterFinal 4 of the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro presented by Corona on May 6, 2021 in Margaret River, WA, Australia. (Photo by Matt Dunbar/World Surf League via G Into the Semifinals, Stephanie Gilmore is on her way to her best result of 2021. - WSL / Matt Dunbar Weston-Webb Proves To Be One Of Toughest On Tour Be it her self-assuredness or never-give-up attitude, Tatiana Weston-Webb has found her stride in Australia. Coming off a Finals appearance in Narrabeen, she's now into the Semis at Margaret River courtesy a statement-making 9.23 against two-time World Champion such as Tyler Wright. "That was the goal this year to stay consistent and just let my surfing do the talking. In the heats I lose it's just about not giving myself enough opportunity," Weston-Webb said. In Steely Performance, Weston-Webb Keeps Her Winning Ways Going 2:16 The Brazilian used her strong backhand and trademark confidence to eliminate two-time World Champion Tyler Wright. Margaret River Has A Hero To Cheer For Margaret River regular Bronte Macaulay has put together a dream run in front of her hometown crowd. When last we saw her she was enjoying a win over World No. 2 Caroline Marks. And with her dad, a Margs legend himself, watching on from the bluff above, she took out hard-to-handle French power surfer Johanne Defay in the Quarters. Applying her well-honed backhand attack, she's into the Semis and on pace for one of the best results of her young career. She'll now face Weston-Webb when competition resumes. "That was a hectic heat, especially at the end. The rain was making it hard to see my lineups and it was even hard to see where Johanne was after she got that last wave and if it was good," Macaulay said. "I didn't know what was going on, so it was super stressful. I'm so stoked to make it, it's really special, especially at home. All of my family have been coming down each day and cheering me on, so it feels good to keep making heats." MARGARET RIVER, AUS - MAY 4: Bronte Macaulay of Australia surfing in Heat1 of Round 3 of the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro presented by Corona on May 4, 2021 in Margaret River, WA, Australia.(Photo by Matt Dunbar/World Surf League via Getty Images) Lots of reasons to celebrate for local Bronte Macaulay who's on pace to post one of the best results of her career in front of a hometown crowd. - WSL / Matt Dunbar Italo's Excellent Adventure Celebrating his 27th birthday, Italo Ferreira booked his spot in the Quarterfinals with a pair of excellent scoring rides. Putting countryman Caio Ibelli in a combo situation in which he needed to high-scoring rides to get back in the heat, Ferreira even found an air section to launch from. And if there was any question about the man's unbridled enthusiasm, just go back and watch his dismount from the Red Bull jet ski, it's seriously one for the ages. In an intriguing match-up, Ferreira will now face Filipe Toledo in the Quarters. Defending World Champ Ferreira Posts Two Excellent Scores In Convincing Rd. Of 16 Win 0:34 The defending World Champ drops a pair of excellent scores on his way to his fourth straight Quarterfinals berth this season. South Africans Are Making Moves Jordy Smith had already shaken hands with Julian Wilson in the final seconds of their heat, all but conceding to the Australian. But then a small left-hander popped up just in time. Jordy went left, hoisted a couple backhand bashes and clinched a stunning buzzer-beater win. "You've really got to push it to get big scores out there and I feel like we weren't doing that on our waves, they were only allowing for one big turn and you've got to do like three, pretty much, unless you just do one John [John Florence] turn," Smith said. Meanwhile, rookie Matthew McGillivray is on the way to his best finish of the season after a nail-biting win over Kanoa Igarashi, who made a priority mistake in the opening seconds of the heat that he was never able to recover from. "I was a bit confused to see him on that wave," said McGillivray. "It was an unfortunate way to start the heat and I feel bad for Kanoa. He was surfing better and had better scores, but that's just the way the heat went, everyone makes mistakes. I don't feel like I surfed well in that heat and I could have put on a better performance. I feel like I have been surfing well in my free surfs but free surfs don't win you heats, so I'm hoping to lift my game ahead of the next heat. I'm stoked to be in the Quarterfinals." MARGARET RIVER, AUS - MAY 6: Jordy Smith of South Africa surfing in Heat 3 of Round 4 of the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro presented by Corona on May 6, 2021 in Margaret River, WA, Australia.(Photo by Matt Dunbar/World Surf League via Getty Images) The left which saw Jordy Smith move past Julian Wilson after all but giving up on a victory. - WSL / Matt Dunbar Bring On Finals Day With more swell in the forecast, when competition resumes we're looking at a very intriguing Finals day. we'll see a Semifinal heat with eleven World Titles accounted for, as Gilmore and Moore battle for a spot in the Finals. Meanwhile, local Macaulay will be up against Weston-Webb. Meanwhile, the Men's Quarterfinals is also set to open with fireworks, with the Florence/Colapinto pairing. The round ends with the Ferreira/Toledo heat, which promises to be one of the best duels of the entire event. There are only two surfers left in the draw that are currently in the Top Five on the WSL Leaderboard, so whatever happens, expect a lot of movement in the rankings when this thing is done and dusted. Day Three Coverage MARGARET RIVER, Western Australia, Australia (Tuesday, May 4, 2021) -- It was moving day for the women as the Quarterfinalists were decided for the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro presented by Corona. In a day that saw smaller, more high-performance surf conditions, there were some big upsets, as well as some big performances from the women atop the WSL Leaderboard. We're getting down to the business end of things here. In case you missed any of the action, here's what went down: Another Finals Round For Moore World Number One Carissa Moore is now four for four this season when it comes to making it to Finals Day after making it through the Round of 16 at Margaret River. Moore's lowest placing after three Championship Tour events this year is a third-place finish, and she's now set herself up to chase a fourth strong result and further solidify her position atop the WSL Leaderboard's Final Five. With smaller surf, a strong offshore wind and some tricky conditions, the four-time World Champion moved past Macy Callaghan after a very close heat in which both competitors managed to find excellent-range scores. "I enjoy those heats," Moore said afterwards. "I was getting a little nervous watching the conditions beforehand ... there were some heats that were slow. But Macy actually surfed really, really well and it was a close one, I needed a score on that last one and it definitely was a battle the whole way," Moore Hasn't Missed A Finals Day All Season, And Her Streak Continues At Margaret River 1:48 The 4x World Champ has been virtually unstoppable all year, and her performance at Main Break sees more of the same. Local Star Macaulay Upsets Marks, Advances To Quarterfinals For the local Margaret River surfers, perhaps the heat of the day came when Bronte Macaulay took out World No. 2 Caroline Marks in a heated backhand battle. Applying a lifetime of local knowledge, Macaulay was able to put herself on the best waves of the heat and take advantage of the scoring opportunities that presented themselves, leaving Marks to play catch-up for most of their heat. "Caroline is so solid, so I knew that was going to be a tough one and I kept telling myself ‘It's your time.' It's nice to compete at home. I feel happy and content when I'm in a familiar place and surrounded by friends and family," Macauley explained afterwards. "It's so funny, you can't be too humble in this sport, I look at someone like Tatiana and she is so confident, I'm, like, I think I should take a page from her book. You've got to stay true to yourself but at the same time really back yourself at the last few minutes of the heat," she added. Hometown Hero Bronte Macaulay Eliminates World No. 2 Caroline Marks At Main Break 1:55 The local books a spot in the Quarterfinals at one of her home breaks after a dominant performance against the Californian in Margaret River. A Preview Of What's To Come At The Rip Curl WSL FInals? Macaulay will now face Johanne Defay in the Quarterfinals, while Tatiana Weston-Webb will be up against two-time World Champion Tyler Wright. Wright and Weston-Webb seem especially fired up to win. As noted, Weston-Webb has a confidence others want to emulate, while Wright is searching for a strong result after ninth-place finishes in Newcastle and Narrabeen. Seven-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore also progressed and will now face Sally Fitzgibbons in the Quarters. In a rematch of their Final together in Newcastle, Moore will take on Isabella Nichols, who's surfing was on point in the Round of 16 and has discovered an appreciation and connection with the Margaret River lineup. This means there are three World Champions still in the draw and four of the current Final Five are also still in the draw. Given how much talent is still left in the event, we cold be looking at a potential preview of what we could see at the Rip Curl WSL Finals in California this September. MARGARET RIVER, AUS - MAY 4: Tatiana Weston-Webb of Brazil surfing in Heat 3 of Round 3 of the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro presented by Corona on May 4, 2021 in Margaret River, WA, Australia. (Photo by Matt Dunbar/World Surf League via Getty Images) Tatiana Weston-Webb wins Margaret River Pro 2021

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posted in: Learn to Surf, Surf Info, Travel |

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