George Pittar is the last Australian standing at the Margaret River Pro after surviving one of the most nerve-jangling moments of his fledging surf career.
On a day when big guns Molly Picklum, Gabriela Bryan, Ethan Ewing and Carissa Moore bombed out, Pittar secured his path to the semi-finals after winning his final-eight showdown against defending world champion Yago Dora.
Pittar’s victory hopes in the bumpy four-to-six foot conditions on Saturday looked shot as the clock wound down with him still needing a 5.68 score to advance.
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But with just five seconds remaining, Pittar set off to the right on an A-frame wave and pulled off a clutch three-turn combination to net a score of 7.57.
But there was still more drama to come.
Unbeknown to Pittar, Dora had set off to the left on the same wave, pulling off a sharp two-turn combination.
Pittar’s huge score dropped first, leaving Dora in a nervous wait to see if he would net the 6.08 score he needed.
Dora ended up receiving a 6.00, resulting in 23-year-old Pittar advancing.
“I was having the worst heat. Honestly, I was so out of it for 34 minutes and 45 seconds,” a relieved Pittar said after his 35-minute battle.
“I felt like I was so lost out there. I was waiting, waiting, waiting, looking for a little bit of clean water.
“Then that little lump came, and luckily it sort of threw on my first turn.”
Pittar thought he had won it for sure after his late heroics – only to soon realise Dora had also caught the wave.
“I was claiming it, and I came in and was like ‘Yeah for sure (I’ve won)‘,” Pittar said.
“And then I see he got that left, and I was like ‘I’m done’. But luckily I got through.”
It was a Brazilian charge in the other three quarter-finals, with Samuel Pupo, Italo Ferreira and Gabriel Medina all making it through.
Australian Joel Vaughan (13.06) fell just short against Pupo (14.00), Queenslander Ewing (8.33) only managed two waves on the way to a loss against Ferreira (12.00), and three-time world champion Medina cruised past American Crosby Colapinto.
Pittar was a wildcard when beaten by John John Florence in the semis of the 2023 Margaret River Pro.
Three years later and Pittar, who spent almost a decade living in Vanuatu before moving back to Australia at the age of 11, now has the chance to go all the way.
Pittar will face Ferreira in an epic final-four battle when competition concludes on Sunday, while Pupo takes on Medina.
On the women’s side, defending world champion Picklum (11.74) could only catch three waves in the bumpy conditions on the way to a quarter-final loss to Brazilian Luana Silva (13.37).
Bryan’s bid to win a third straight Margaret River Pro crown came to a heartbreaking end when she was pipped in the dying seconds by American Sawyer Lindblad.
Lindblad set off on a wave with just 30 seconds remaining needing a score of 5.00, and she came away with a 5.20 to sneak through to the final four.
Caitlin Simmers (14.50) beat Moore (14.07) in an epic duel, while Lakey Peterson defeated Caroline Marks in an all-American showdown.
