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Margaret's Many Choices Keep Things Interesting
Paul Evans
While Charles Darwin urged the importance of variety in the struggle for survival, perhaps Aphra Behn ("Variety is the soul of pleasure") and Greek dramatist Euripides ("A change is always nice") somehow had surf contests in mind.
And there aren't many places in the universe more blessed with variety than Western Australia's Margaret River region, giving a mobile event like the Drug Aware Pro options on top of options. Each break is beautifully distinct, all underwritten with a common thread of power, not to mention an underlying threat of potential physical harm.
Take the 36 hour period since the 2017 Drug Aware Pro kicked off. Wednesday's opener saw the historic introduction of North Point in elite competition and most notably Seabass' "at least a 10" tube. For some of the surfers, it was the first time they had ever surfed the spot, and it was certainly the first time the wave starred in a WSL broadcast. Tackling the unknown, then, was another dimension of the competition.
Thursday, competition moved back to a familiar venue. Round Two feasted in meaty open ocean power walls of Main Break, big drops that required precise timing off the bottom and controlled aggression off the top. Main Break was also dished out a mix of reward and cruelty: Some of the Tour's most seasoned competitors, from Mick Fanning to Matt Wilkinson, suffered defeat at the familiar break. Upstarts like Connor O'Leary and Kanoa Igarashi, meanwhile, managed to tame to wilds and win their heats.
Meanwhile, a hop and a skip across the lagoon from the Main Break left, is a third break, the infamous Box. That fast, barreling wave threw out some crazy distractions for Thursday's winners in that unmistakably flaring, deceptively beautiful West Oz way.
The embarrassment of riches that is the multitude of breaks between Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturaliste call for a bit of everything, all making captivating viewing. The surfers best suited to a mobile event like the Drug Aware Pro? Those that can ride the tube, for sure, those who can handle power, without doubt.
But most of all, the surfers who will thrive here are those versatile enough to savor whatever ever delectable dish the Indian ocean happens to conjure up.
Kelly Slater
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The eight-time CT Pipeline winner, 11-time World Champ, Kelly Slater added another milestone to his insatiable career with a 100th-career
Kelly Slater's ‘Best Win Ever' from the 2022 Lexus Pipe Pro. With the wildcard at the 2025 Lexus Pipe Pro and an advancement out of the
Drug Aware Margaret River Pro
Here are five must-see heats from an epic year at the wild and rugged Margaret River, in Western Australia.
The WSL filmmakers go behind the scenes to capture all of the action from the 2017 Drug Aware Margaret River Pro.
The Californian is absorbing another round of life lessons during his roller-coaster ride in 2017.
If the charismatic Australian is to save his year he'll need to get busy at the Hurley Pro.
The rookie from Portugal talks about his huge upset win over Mick Fanning and John John Florence in Round Four.