Beloved champion Stephanie Gilmore survives “the cut” leaving Owen Wright as last remaining surfer of note with sharpened guillotine poised above swan-like neck!

There will be blood.

Margaret River is drawing near the end of its waiting period. With two days remaining, near seventeen hours of professional surfing must be conducted, unless Senior Vice Presidents of Competition, Heads of Tours think wisest to run overlapping heats. The entire men’s round of 32, sixteen, quarters, semis and finals must be played out but only the women’s semis and finals as the bulk of those matchups were conducted yesterday.

Tyler Wright and Carissa Moore, currently numbers two and one respectively, became shock losses in the round of sixteen in Surfline-rated 6 to 8 feet Main Break likely reshuffling the standings. Most importantly, though, the beloved champion Stephanie Gilmore survived the dreaded “cut” by taking down India Robinson in the round of sixteen.

Whew.

The tour would not have been the same without Gilmore’s grace and effervescent smile and if she had been guillotined, the very notion of “the cut” might have fallen out of favor with ardent old surf fans.

The men, who will resume in mere hours, have Owen Wright, Morgan Cibilic and Matthew McGillivray below the line, ready for a Soviet-style disappearing with Wright being the only name or at least the only before the wildly-successful airing of Make or Break.

Ciblic, who surfs against Callum Robson in heat three and McGillivray, who surfs against Igarashi in heat five, will have breathless new surf fans on the edge of their settees. Wright takes on Pupo in heat eight and if he stumbles will you miss? Will you fondly recall his bevy of 10s at Cloudbreak?

An exciting day awaits us all, in any case, as there will be blood to fertilize the tree of the live sports business.

See you soon.