Crystal Cylinders
Nyxie Ryan from Lennox Head has had a podium finish at Cronulla Beach at stop two on the Hydralyte Sports Surf Series, a WSL Pro Junior-rated event.
Unfortunately for Ryan she incurred a priority interference during the final, which relegated the event standout to fourth place where otherwise she had the scores to win.
Following the shock first-round elimination of current World Surf League junior rankings leader Molly Picklum (Shelly Beach NSW), the ball landed in the court of second and third placeholders Nyxie Ryan and Hollie Williams (Sunshine Coast Qld) to narrow the gap as they continue their campaigns at Cronulla.
‘The conditions were tricky out there for sure. I knew it’d just be best to stay as busy as I could,’ said Ryan. ‘I haven’t looked at the rankings too much as I’m focusing mainly on the event and just trying to take every heat as it comes.’
Ryan has finished on the podium in three of the four events in the series so far, and is currently in second place on the JQS Australasian ratings.
Soli at Bells
Bells Beach was pumping at the second stop of the WSL World Championship Tour and John John Florence and Courtney Conlogue rose to the challenge to ring the bell.
After a dismal start in small lumpy waves, the ocean came to life with big waves for the last two days. The swell peaked on the second-last day with four-metre sets thundering into the Bells bowl.
Numerous boards were broken and competitors were washed over the bare rock ‘button’ at Winkipop as jet skis rushed in to rescue them and take them back out to the take-off zone.
Byron Bay’s Soli Bailey would have thrived in the solid conditions but unfortunately he was eliminated earlier in the competition in lacklustre surf at Winkipop in round three by Connor Coffin in a tight battle. Bailey won US $10,500 and is now in equal 23rd position on the WSL ratings ladder heading into the next round in Bali.
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