Sydney Surf Pro Manly: Ryan Callinan survives drama, best action photos

Big names fell, others struggled and a number of fearless youngsters ruled on a dramatic day at the Sydney Surf Pro. Who survived? Who didn’t? BEST ACTION PHOTOS.

Ezekiel Lau flying high on a day of drama at the Sydney Surf Pro. Pic: Phil Hillyard.

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Newcastle’s Ryan Callinan survived a day of Olympic-sized upsets, rampaging youngsters and small surf to keep alive his bid for a major win prior to the start of the 2020 World Tour on the Gold Coast later this month.

Merewether’s Callinan, runner-up at Newcastle’s Surfest last Sunday, is in the running to go one better with a morale-boosting tournament win at the Sydney Surf Pro at Manly this week.

Ezekiel Lau from Hawaii gets some air during the Sydney Surf Pro at Manly. Pic: Phil Hillyard

Surfers competed in a range of conditions on Tuesday in the challenger series event.

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“It was close in the end. Everyone got a flurry of waves and I got one that just bettered things and got me back into first. But it was stressful for a while,’’ said Callinan, who only requalified for the world tour in 2019 and has a goal of finishing top five in 2020.

But out of the race at Manly are the two surfers in line to represent Australia in the men’s surfing when the sport makes its Olympic debut in Tokyo later this year.

Former world No.1’s Owen Wright and Julian Wilson were both sent to the beach on a day of upsets at Manly.

Mateus Herdy of Brazil was the man who helped bundle Julian Wilson out of the event. Pic: Phil Hillyard

Australia's Mitch Parkinson at Manly.

Australia's Owen Wright qualified for the Tokyo Olympics via the men’s world tour last year. Pic: Phil Hillyard

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Wright, from the NSW far south Coast, finished third in his second round heat won by Hawaiian Joshua Moniz, whose brother Seth is on the men’s world tour.

Wilson was next to be ejected from the event, also finishing third in his heat won by Brazilian Matueys Herdy, a former junior world champion still in his teens.

Despite the local advantage, there were almost as many Aussies sent flying out of the comp than those advancing out of the elimination second round.

Ezekiel Lau producing another show stopping move.

Long and lean, Australia's Owen Wright is one of teh biggest men in elite surfing.

Ethan Ewing, Matt Banting, Reef Heazlewood, Jacob Willcox, Mitch Crews, Sheldon Simkus, Nicholas Squiers, Jackson Baker, Jordan Lawler and Adrian Buchan, Liam O’Brien survived to surf another day.

Not so lucky were Wright, Wilson and fellow Aussies Jack Freestone, Chris Zaffis, Morgan Cibilic, Dakoda Walters, Soli Bailey, Mitch Parkinson, Connor O’Leary, Cooper Chapman, Kyuss King, Lucas Wrice and Stuart Kennedy.