Short Day of Competition at the Ballito Pro Presented by O'Neill

BALLITO, KwaDukuza, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (Thursday, July 4, 2024) - Today's competition at the Ballito Pro Presented by O'Neill, Stop No. 3 of the 2024 World Surf League (WSL) Challenger Series (CS) was cut short after conditions deteriorated rapidly in a blustery onshore, forcing organisers to call off the competition after four heats of the women's Round of 32. The next call will be on Friday, July 5 at 06:30 AM GMT+2 for a possible 07:05 AM start.

Isabella Nichols - WSL / Pierre Tostee

Nichols On Track, Rankings Leader Brooks Knocked Out

The current no. 2 on the Challenger Series rankings, Isabella Nichols (AUS) ticked the box for her first heat at Ballito, getting the win over Kirra Pinkerton (USA) with some smart surfing.

"It was really fun this morning when I went out for the dawnie and caught a few before getting ready for my heat," Nichols said. "The first heat of the day is always hard, because you don't really know what's going to happen and it definitely slowed down in our heat. By the time there was 10 minutes left I just wanted it end, but I'm super stoked to get it done and get the first heat nerves out of the way."

It didn't go so well for rankings leader Erin Brooks (CAN), who is still surfing despite an injured ankle. Brooks struggled to find decent scoring opportunities in the shifty lineup and was eliminated from the competition.

Vahine Fierro - WSL / Kody McGregor

Fierro In Fine Form Ahead of Olympics

Vahine Fierro (FRA) scored the best heat of the day with a total of 15.00 (out of a possible 20) to book her spot in the next round. Fierro dominated her heat, finding the best waves to show off her powerful backhand. She's currently on the cusp of the qualification line for the Championship Tour and a good result in Ballito could see her into the Top 5.

"It's so nice to be in Ballito, I'm so happy to be here," Fierro said. "I came from perfect Teahupo'o to really challenging conditions, but if you find the right ones it's really fun. I was able to get a really good rhythm from the start so I felt really comfortable out there."

While Ballito is an important event for her CT goals, Fierro is also preparing to compete for an Olympic medal at Paris 2024.

"It was important for me to come here and kind of come down from the high cloud I was on from Teahupo'o, come to a colder ocean and change my mindset, but still try to keep that same momentum in a contest and take that into my preparation for the Olympics," Fierro said.

Last-minute heroics from Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri (EUK) saw her advance over top seeds Macy Callaghan (AUS) and Eweleiula Wong (HAW). In the final heat of the day, a buzzer-beater from Minami Nonaka (JPN) saw her jump into the top spot ahead of Sophia Medina (BRA), sending Zoe Benedetto (USA) and Erin Brooks (CAN) home.

When competition resumes, Heat 5 will see Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Sarah Baum (RSA), Philippa Anderson (AUS) and Sara Wakita (JPN) in the water.

The next call will be on Friday, July 5 at 06:30 AM GMT+2 for a possible 07:05 AM start. The Ballito Pro is supported by O'Neill, KwaDukuza Municipality, Surfing South Africa, Corona, The North Coast Courier, Monster Energy, SMG and Coca-Cola.