Update: At the end of Day 2, women’s Round Two, Heat 3 was put on hold to resume the next competition day. Pursuant to the WSL Rule Book, Rule 10.04, the heat will resume from the time it was stopped, with 4:52 min remaining on the clock, with both surfers in the line-up/take-off zone. Vahine Fierro (FRA) will have first priority, with Caity Simmers (USA) in second.
The Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro hit an abrupt pause in the closing moments of the day after a 2-metre bull shark was spotted in the lineup with Caitlin Simmers and Vahine Fierro still battling in the water — and just five minutes left on the clock.
In a tense final stretch, the event’s drone team identified the shark moving through the lineup before it disappeared from view in the white water. With the animal assessed as being within 500 metres of the competitors, officials immediately halted the heat under WSL safety protocols.
Low light added another layer of complexity as the lineup settled and the situation was monitored. Competition remained on hold for 15 minutes, but with visibility dropping fast, officials ultimately called the day and confirmed the heat will resume tomorrow morning.
The decision now sits with the Head Judge and WSL officials, who will determine whether the heat restarts with five minutes remaining or is fully restarted if conditions have shifted dramatically overnight. That call could be crucial: a major change in surf — and the “scale” of scoring available can leave athletes chasing the kind of finishing scores that simply aren’t on offer in altered conditions.
For now, it’s a rare, high-stakes reminder of what makes competition on the Gold Coast so electric: world-class surfing, a tightening clock — and the ocean still very much in charge.
