Matthew McGillivray to surf Supertubes at Corona Open
Chance for J-Bay hero to show off skills in own backyard
Jeffreys Bay surfing hero Matthew McGillivray will have the chance to put his skills on show in his own backyard when he competes in the Corona Open J-Bay taking place later in 2022.
The Corona Open J-Bay, the ninth stop on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), will see hometown hero McGillivray compete against the world’s best surfers at Supertubes in Jeffreys Bay from July 12-21.
McGillivray was requalified for the 2023 Championship Tour after his impressive performance at the Margaret River Pro in Western Australia, the final stop before the midseason cut which saw the field narrowed down to just 22 surfers.
McGillivray secured the last available spot by defeating Samuel Pupo (BRA) in the quarterfinals.
Veteran competitor Owen Wright (AUS) missed the cut-off as a result and will focus his attention on the Challenger Series (CS) to requalify for the World Tour.
“It’s been really stressful coming into Margaret River. I thought I was going to have a better start to the year at these events,” McGillivray said.
“I really had to put my head down and work hard. I was struggling to get the results.
“Bells Beach was a shocker for me, so I tried to not think too much about it and take my mind off the results and focus on the process.
“Everything came together and I can’t believe I made the cut and I’m going to J-Bay!”
Joining McGillivray, two-time event winner Jordy Smith also made the cut and will be one of the favourites to win at Jeffreys Bay.
Meanwhile, in the women’s draw, Caroline Marks (USA) has been awarded the 2022 WSL season wild card, which gives her entry into CT events after the midseason cut and entry into the first half of the 2023 CT season.
The men’s 2022 WSL season wild card was awarded to Gabriel Medina (BRA).
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) and Yago Dora (BRA) have been awarded the 2023 WSL season wild cards, which give entry to all competitions in the first half of the 2023 CT season.
As the WSL season wild card for the remaining CT competitions after the cut, Marks’s points will be eligible for the WSL Final 5 rankings, where the Top 5 surfers on the men’s and women’s CT will compete in the Rip Curl WSL Finals for the 2022 world title.
The same rules will apply to Medina’s competition eligibility as the men’s 2022 WSL season wild card.
As the 2023 WSL season wild cards, Fitzgibbons and Dora will also be the first replacements for the remaining events in the 2022 CT season.
Points earned by Fitzgibbons and Dora as the replacements for any CT events in 2022 will count as rankings points.
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