By Dan Walsh
Australian Jack Robinson has pulled off a stunning win at Teahupo’o with a clutch late barrel to win the Tahiti Pro and seal his place in next month’s World Championship Tour finals at the last minute.
Robinson’s topsy-turvy season took another twist in four-to-six foot peaks at one of the world’s heaviest waves, the West Australian trailing three-time world champion Gabriel Medina for much of Thursday’s men’s final.
Jack Robinson celebrates his remarkable win at Teahupo’o.Credit: Getty
Medina’s professional record at Teahupo’o ranks as the best in the past decade with two wins, three seconds and a third-place finish from the last six times he has competed in Tahiti.
Another victory – and the last slot in September’s single-day, winner takes all finals at Lower Trestles, California – loomed for the Brazilian when he held a healthy 7.18 lead over Robinson as the clock ticked down to the last eight minutes of the event.
With conditions deteriorating, Robinson responded with the unlikeliest of exits from a tight barrel, earning a score of 7.83 and praise from big-wave expert Peter Mel in commentary, asking “how did he make that?”
Knee and ankle injuries have hampered a WCT campaign that started with a victory at Pipeline, leaving Robinson in eighth place at the start of the Tahiti Pro.
The final at Teahupo’o effectively amounted to a finals shootout between Robinson and Medina, with Robinson needing a win to pip Medina for a fifth-place finish to the regular season and passage to the finals.
“I feel like it was meant to be,” Robinson said afterwards.
“I’ve been feeling the energy, the mana of this place for a lot of years. I just want to say thanks to Tahiti and everyone here.
“Going back to the start of the year, [winning] the first event and last event and then having to go through the rollercoaster and come all the way back up to get back, I just couldn’t give up… It was a big challenge but it makes you stronger.
“I looked at [Medina’s] semi-final and said ‘Ok, it’s him and me, I’ve just got to go out and win the event’.”
Tyler Wright surfs during the Tahiti Pro semi-final at Teahupo’o.Credit: Matt Dunbar/WSL
Fellow Australian Ethan Ewing has also qualified for the finals after finishing third behind world No.1 Filipe Toledo and American Griffin Colapinto.
But Ewing remains in serious doubt for his own world title tilt after fracturing two vertebrae in a Teahupo’o wipe out last week before the Tahiti Pro.
In the women’s event, Stephanie Gilmore’s world title defence officially came to an end with a quarter-final loss to eventual winner Caroline Marks.
American teen Caitlin Simmers’ finish as runner-up to Marks pipped Gilmore for the last place in the finals, which will feature rising Australian star Molly Picklum (fourth) and Tyler Wright (second).
Wright and Picklum fell to Marks and Simmers in the semis and quarter-finals respectively.
The top-five finishes secured both women provisional spots to represent Australia at next year’s Olympic Games, which will see surfing hosted at Teahupo’o.
Robinson and Ewing are locked in as Australia’s two men’s competitors.
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