Shark, Slater in Pro drama

Alex de Vos
A week of drama has set the scene for the finals of this year’s Rip Curl Pro.
The world’s best surfers battled small, inconsistent surf, location changes and shark sightings in their plight to ring the coveted bell.
Then nine-time world champion Kelly Slater overcame a foot injury and a dash to hospital for treatment to defeat Hawaii’s Dusty Payne in the third round.
In the lead-up to his Wednesday heat against Brazil’s Gabriel Madina, Australian world champion Mick Fanning posted a comment on social networking website Twitter saying it was “all happening at bells”
“Saw two kangaroos having a fight in the field this morning before (ASP World Tour rookie) Owen Wright told me he saw a shark,” Fanning tweeted.
The women’s event kicked off in small waves at Bells Beach last week, with triple-world champion Stephanie Gilmore defeating Peru’s Sofia Mulanovich for her third Rip Curl Pro title.
The men’s event continued at Bells Beach earlier this week before moving to Barwon Heads’ 13th Beach then relocating on Wednesday to Winkipop, which neighbours Bells Beach.
Round three heats were continuing in clean three to four-foot surf when the Independent went to press.