THERE was no competition at the World Surf League 2016 Fiji Pro for the third day running on Thursday.
Conditions at Cloudbreak off Tavarua Island Resort were not good enough for organisers to declare a start to Round 3 of competition, with waves being small and infrequent.
WSL commissioner Kieren Perrow makes a decision each morning as to whether or not the contest will go ahead, based on current surf conditions and forecasts provided by multiple sources. The event window runs from June 5-17, meaning that organisers have plenty of time to complete the competition, and are in no rush to finish the contest in mediocre conditions.
Early forecasts suggest the swell at Cloudbreak will start to pick up towards the end of the event window, and those inside close surfing circles suggest the competition could restart again as early as today.
When competitive surfing is resumed, all eyes will be on the likes of 11-time world champion Kelly Slater, who has been among the top performers in the opening round of the competition.
Near unanimously perceived to be the greatest surfer of all time, Slater has been drawn against the other star of Round 1, Jordy Smith, making for a hotly anticipated clash.
Meanwhile, 38-year-old veteran Taj Burrow faces a tough draw in the final event of his illustrious career before retirement, needing to beat Hawaiian John John Florence, touted by many as Slater’s natural successor, in order to progress.
