George Pittar has emerged as the last Australian competitor remaining at the Margaret River Pro after surviving one of the most nerve-racking moments of his burgeoning surfing career. On a day when top surfers such as Molly Picklum, Gabriela Bryan, Ethan Ewing, and Carissa Moore were eliminated, Pittar secured his place in the semi-finals by defeating defending world champion Yago Dora in the quarter-finals.
Pittar's chances of victory in the bumpy four-to-six-foot conditions on Saturday seemed bleak as the clock wound down, with him still needing a score of 5.68 to advance. With just five seconds remaining, Pittar paddled into a right-hand A-frame wave and executed a clutch three-turn combination, earning a score of 7.57. However, the drama did not end there.
Unbeknownst to Pittar, Dora had also taken off on the same wave, going left and performing a sharp two-turn combination. Pittar's high score was posted first, leaving Dora in a tense wait to see if he would receive the 6.08 he needed. Dora ultimately scored a 6.00, allowing the 23-year-old Pittar to advance by a razor-thin margin.
"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 initially thought he had secured victory after his late heroics, only to realize that 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."
The other three quarter-finals saw a Brazilian charge, with Samuel Pupo, Italo Ferreira, and Gabriel Medina all advancing. Australian Joel Vaughan (13.06) fell just short against Pupo (14.00), while Queenslander Ewing (8.33) managed only two waves in a loss to Ferreira (12.00). Three-time world champion Medina cruised past American Crosby Colapinto.
Pittar was a wildcard when he lost to John John Florence in the semi-finals of the 2023 Margaret River Pro. Now, three years later, Pittar—who spent nearly a decade living in Vanuatu before moving back to Australia at age 11—has the chance to go all the way. He 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, losing to Brazilian Luana Silva (13.37) in the quarter-finals. Bryan's bid for a third straight Margaret River Pro crown ended heartbreakingly when she was pipped in the dying seconds by American Sawyer Lindblad. Lindblad took 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 into 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.
