Broken boards, bruised egos at Pro
"Wild and ugly" conditions have greeted the world's best surfers on the opening day of competition at the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro.
Amid a forecast that was described by Surfing WA as the best in a decade for the event, massive waves have left a trail of carnage of broken boards and bruised egos.
Eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater's board was broken this morning - although not by him.
The American legend lent the board to compatriot C. J. Hobbood, who snapped it while surfing a heat at a treacherous right-hander known as the Box.
Slater, who had just won his Round 1 heat, joked about the incident afterwards, quipping that it gave him "two clubs" to hit Hobgood with.
The incident followed a decision by contest organisers this morning to hold the early heats at the Box rather than Margaret River main break.
Adriano de Souza at the Margaret River Pro. Picture: Michael Wilson/ The West Australian
While Slater welcomed the call, saying the Box was a more challenging wave, others complained it disadvantaged surfers who are goofy footers.
"It's kind of unruly, really," Slater said.
"It's kind of chunky."
Hawaiian Freddy Pattacchia, who won a low-scoring heat against Brazilians Gabriel Medina and Alejo Muniz, described the conditions as particularly difficult.
After falling off a wave and hitting the reef he said the contest should be shifted back to main break - a move that was taken about lunch time as conditions worsened.
Mick Fanning surfs a wave at 'The Box' . Picture: Michael Wilson/The West Australian.
