The Corona Open J-Bay is the sixth stop on the World surf League Championship Tour, and competition has completed the remaining two heats of the women’s Round of 16 before the wind came up, and event organizers called off competition for the day.
Americans Lakey Peterson and Courtney Conlogue won their respective heats in three-to-six foot conditions at Jeffreys Bay sending home Aussies Bronte Macaulay and Nikki Van Dijk.
Courtney Conlogue and Nikki Van Dijk battled it out for a place in the Quarterfinals. The exchange was as close as it could get with equal scores and the tiebreaker going to the third highest wave score.
Conlogue and Van Dijk Van Dijk traded perfect set waves, with Conlogue controlling the heat from the start. Van Dijk stayed calm and committed and overtook the lead.
With a few minutes to go, Conlogue matched the required score, and the two competitors’ top two scores tied with 13.00 points (out of a possible 20). Conlogue took the win thanks to her third-highest wave score, a 5.83 to Van Dijk’s 5.17.
“I’m feeling very grateful that I won the tie,” said Conlogue. “These conditions are beautiful, and I’ve had some funky heats before with bad conditions in previous events, so I’m stoked to surf today. I don’t want to finish in the Quarters. I don’t like finishing there. I’ve had some great surfing, but it came down to just a few waves. The conditions are gorgeous today. I just want to give it my all and let the ocean present itself and have fun.”
Another close heat saw Lakey Peterson and Bronte Macaulay go toe-to-toe for the last Quarterfinal spot. Peterson surfed aggressively, opting for more medium-sized waves, while Macaulay waited for the set waves. A stronger offshore seemed to slow down the heat, leaving fewer options available as time wound down. Peterson held onto the lead and secured her entry in the fourth Quarterfinal, where she will meet Conlogue. Macaulay exits the Corona Open J-Bay in equal 9th, her fifth R/16 exit this season.
Competition is currently on hold with the next call to be made on Tuesday, The stage is set for one of the most anticipated matchups of the year with the round one repeat. Of Stephanie Gilmore and Caroline Marks taking in The Quarterfinals of the J-Bay Open.
Corona Open J-Bay Women’s Quarterfinal Matchups:
QF 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Caroline Marks (USA)
QF 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) vs. Johanne Defay (FRA)
QF 3: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) vs. Malia Manuel (HAW)
QF 4: Courtney Conlogue (USA) vs. Lakey Peterson (USA)
