Aussies have the Wright stuff to win surf world titles

The wait for big waves works in the favour of Australia's world surfing title hopefuls according to Owen Wright, who has conquered Cloudbreak like no other. Molly Picklum and Jack Robinson are in Fiji for the World Surf League Finals, with competition expected to stay on hold until early next week due to a lack of swell. The now-retired Wright made history at the fabled reef break back in 2015 when he became the only surfer to clock two perfect heats in one event; his second 20.0 total score coming in a dominant victory in the final over fellow Australian Julian Wilson. The title showdown was held in pumping three-metre barrelling waves, with the then 25-year-old in a league of his own. Both rides featured long tubes, staying in the barrel for an incredible 10 seconds on his second perfect score, with Wright saying after the event that "something special was happening out there for me". Wright told AAP that, rather than any tricks for success, surfers had to navigate Cloudbreak by "feel". "The waves are pretty giant and pretty messy and hard to ride, but I grew up south of Sydney surfing in pretty powerful reef-break waves," the 2020 Olympic bronze medallist said. "The positioning and that are all by feel because you're out in the middle of the ocean, so it's really hard to figure out where you are in the line-up. "It's how comfortable you are in heavy open-ocean waves, and that's kind of what I put my success down to as I loved it." Wright felt that world No.1 Picklum and fourth-ranked Robinson had the weapons, the form and the experience in the sudden-death format to both take out the one-day decider. Stephanie Gilmore was the last Australian world champion, claiming her eighth crown in 2022. Mick Fanning lifted the men's trophy back in 2013. Picklum and Robinson both won at the last tour stop at Teahupo'o, also a large, left-hand reef break, where Wright said he saw a change in both surfers. "I caught up with Jack before he went to Tahiti, talking about him trying to get in rhythm again, and I felt like he really did that in Tahiti and he's started to gain some momentum," Wright said. "I think Jack could have a pretty wild story of coming from fourth, and I have a feeling he could do something major. "And the same with Molly - she charges so hard and she'll go nearly any wave, but I felt in Tahiti she nailed that ability to say no to a wave that's going to wipe her out or break her board, and instead put herself in that position for that perfect wave. "That's the first time I've seen her do that in her career, so as No.1 she's got a good chance of retaining that. "I feel like we've got some really good, solid opportunities." While top-ranked Picklum is already the championship heat, Robinson has to beat 2019 world champion Italo Ferreira, ranked five, to advance past the opening heat. Fellow Brazilian Yago Dora is No.1 in the men's five-man field. Wright said what could count against the Australians was if the swell never really picked up. "I think that swell size is really going to play a big role in how it goes down," Wright said. "Brazil has a lot more beach breaks so smaller waves, and that's not to say that they can't surf in bigger waves, they've definitely proved themselves. "It's just Jack's forte is bigger waves, and if it goes small, it could even the playing field a little bit."