Margaret River’s Jack Robinson triumphs at Quiksilver G-Land Pro

Fresh from his stunning win at the Margaret River Pro, local firebrand Jack Robinson has snatched victory at the coveted Quiksilver G-Land Pro in Indonesia. With surfers during the Margaret River Pro near-universally citing their excitement to compete at G-Land, which has not seen a top-rated competition since 1997, Robinson bulled through on the buzzer in this final against Felipe Toledo. The win bolsters Robinson’s standing on the Championship Tour rankings and cements his reputation as one of the World Surf League’s emerging stars. The weekend win saw the 24-year-old Margaret River surfer clinch his third tour title in two years on the tour. Things weren’t looking good for Robinson as the final heat closed, but he paddled on to a wave in the final 10 seconds, needing a score of 6.67 to trump the current men’s ranking leader. The wave was scored a 7.0, with Robinson slapping the water with delight with his two-wave tally of 13.50 pipping Toledo’s 13.16. The successive victories moved him into second in the rankings and added to his “giant killer” reputation after he beat famed John John Florence at Margaret River. After the win, Robinson said he was in a good headspace. “I’m just in a good space in my mind,” he said. “I’m not expecting too much right now, just one by one and that was what I was like in this contest,” Robinson said. “I feel in a good place and I’m just staying focused.” The win was a repeat of semi-final performance against reigning world champion Gabriel Medina, who was making his return to competition after taking the early part of the season off. Robinson launched onto a wave, with the buzzer sounding as he manoeuvred across the famed reef break. The wave scored 7.83, which was enough to eliminate Medina. Gracetown surfer Bronte Macaulay was admitted to G-Land on a wildcard, but was bested in the semi-finals by France’s Johanne Defay in a first-time competition for female surfers at the Indonesian break. Defay went on the beat current world champion and rankings leader Carissa Moore, scoring 14.00 to the Hawaiian’s 13.33. Australia’s Sally Fitzgibbons and Steph Gilmore bowed out in the quarter-finals.