AUSTRALIAN surfing favourite Sally Fitzgibbons has been left at the altar in devastating scenes at the Maui Pro in Hawaii.
So often a bridesmaid in her long-running pursuit of a world title, Fitzgibbons missed her best chance yet to claim the crown in heartbreaking fashion.
Having entered the final event of the year in the leader’s yellow jersey, the 26-year-old from Gerroa was poised to fulfil her dream.
But after a ridiculously consistent year in which she finished in the quarterfinals or better in every event, she suffered a shock second round exit.
After looking out of sorts in a round one heat where she scored just 1.27 and 0.83 for her two waves, Fitzgibbons faced an elimination encounter with Hawaiian youngster Brisa Hennessy.
She started well, posting a 6.67 to settle her nerves, but it all went pear-shaped from there.
Fitzgibbons’ decision to take the first wave of the heat left Hennessy with priority as a peach of a wave arrived. And she surfed it well to put up an 8.5.
The Australian was left waiting for Mother Nature to give her the opportunity to respond. But it never came.
“It doesn’t get any heavier than that,” WSL commentator Martin Potter said.
“Honestly, I have no words,” Hennessy said in her post-heat interview. “I’m just extremely humbled. I’ve looked up to Sally for forever and it was just an honour to surf a heat with her.”
Fellow Aussie Tyler Wright now has a golden opportunity to go back-to-back. One of four competitors — along with Courtney Conlogue, Carissa Moore and Stephanie Gilmore — still in the mix, Wright progressed directly to the quarterfinals with a dominant round three win.
Gilmore, who also moved directly to the quarters, was in the heat that followed Fitzgibbons’ exit and embraced her compatriot in the water.
“That was heartbreaking to watch Sally go down there,” Gilmore said. “It was just such a slow heat … it was just one of those things … It’s just like getting stabbed in the neck, really.”
Fitzgibbons’ latest near-miss follows runner-up finishes in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and third-place finishes in 2013 and 2015.