Swatch Women’s Pro: Tyler Wright leaving no stone unturned in bid for world surfing crown

TYLER Wright is leaving nothing to chance in her bid for a maiden world surf crown with a fortnight of training in the US part of her plan to retain the world’s top ranking right until season end.

Tyler Wright at the recent US Open of Surfing.

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AUSTRALIAN surfer Tyler Wright is leaving nothing to chance in her bid for a maiden world crown with a fortnight of training in the US part of her plan to retain the world’s top ranking right until season end.

The current world No. 1 goes into this week’s Swatch Women’s Pro off a solid training base at the event venue but proclaiming it a “dangerous’’ time of the season for her world title tilt.

Tyler Wright has good form ahead of the Swatch Pro.

The high-performance waves at Trestles can produce some of the most spectacular surfing of the year but it can also prove the undoing of even the biggest names in the sport.

To ensure she isn’t one of the latter, Wright has done everything possible to feel comfortable at the venue for when the event window opens on Thursday.

“Trestles is the most rippable wave on tour,” said Wright. “You see some of the best surfing of the year happen in the men’s and women’s events at the venue and it’s really exciting.

“I’ve been in Southern California for a couple weeks now, dialling my boards in and surfing Lowers a lot.

Tyler Wright is chasing her maiden world surfing crown in 2016.

“These days, everyone is a threat on the women’s tour and, at a wave like Lowers, everyone has the opportunity to put up big numbers.

“There’s never been a more dangerous field in women’s surfing than the one we have in 2016.”

While Wright leads the world title race heading into the seventh of 10 stops, American rival Courtney Conlogue looms large, just 550 points off the lead.

Courtney Conlogue after winning at Bells Beach earlier this year.

While Wright meets Australian young gun Nikki Van Dijk and dangerous wildcard and former pro surfer Bethany Hamilton in her opening heat Conlogue will match up against Australian Laura Enever and Chelsea Tuach from Barbados.

Sally Fitzgibbons meets Americans Malia Manuel and Lakey Peterson in her first outing and multiple world champion Stephanie Gilmore will take on Australian rookie Keely Andrew and French surfer Johanne Defay.