Wave selection proved critical as Ryan Callinan progressed to the quarter-finals and Merewether clubmate Morgan Cibilic bowed out at the Sydney Surf Pro at Manly on Monday.
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Callinan put on a highlight reel of front-side aerials to win on Sunday in the round of 24 but a more measured performance helped him take out his last 16 heat against Brazilian Alex Ribeiro 13.83 to 10. It sets up a quarter-final on Tuesday with Hawaiian Imaikalani deVault at the second event on the eight-stop Challenger Series (CS), where Callinan is chasing a return to the Championship Tour (CT) for 2023.
Up against a fellow goofy-footer, Callinan started with a three-turn effort on a smaller wave for a 4.33. He trailed until getting a 5.07 for one quality smash off the lip, 10 minutes into the 30-minute heat.
He backed it up two minutes later with a 4.83 for a three-turn ride, putting him up 9.9 to 7.28. Callinan built on his lead with 13 minutes left, pulling off a wrapping carve and vertical snap under priority for a 6.17 as Ribeiro consistently chose the wrong waves.
Ribeiro, the 2019 Surfest champion, needed a 6.81 until Callinan went to the air to earn a 6.5 inside the final nine minutes. It left Ribeiro chasing a 7.2, which became 7.1 when he scored a 5.57 with seven minutes remaining.
Callinan kept Ribeiro off a nice wave inside the last 40 seconds, finishing with a fist pump and a heat-high 7.33 to ice the win. Ribeiro surfed 13 waves to Callinan's seven.
"It's a good one to get through. I mean, now it feels like a big result," Callinan said. "Still a ways to go but at least I'm putting some heats on the board.
"Yesterday was a bit more exciting but today I just felt like I really had to just play the game. Alex looked pretty frustrated and I kind of used that to my strengths and just got the waves I needed.
"One little slip up or a wrong decision, or just paddling into the wrong spot, can cost you a heat, especially in these kind of man-on-man heats. Any mistakes, the other guy can capitalise, so I guess trying to stay focused the whole way through and pick my opportunities."
It was a contrasting heat earlier in the day for Cibilic, who lost to American Kade Matson 12.86 to 12.2.
Cibilic trailed throughout after Matson had scores of 5.5 and 6.33 inside the first 10 minutes. The 6.33 was on a wave Cibilic left for Matson, who improved his lead with a 5.83 from a backhand attack inside the last 10 minutes.
The American landed a front-side air two minutes later for a 6.53, leaving Cibilic chasing a 7.99. Cibilic cut the requirement to 5.53 with a 7.33 from a vertical snap and floater finish with three minutes to go but, without priority, that was as close as he got.
However, the result - a repeat of his finish at the opening Gold Coast Pro - has Cibilic well positioned in his hunt for a CT return.
In the women's contest, Newcastle-based South African Sarah Baum exited in the quarter-finals, losing to Portugal's Teresa Bonvalot 13.23 to 7.7.
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