The Rip Curl West Coast Classic pushed competitors to the limits on the weekend with some unruly Marrawah sets. 

The action started with state points leader Adam Henriks who struggled to get going at Green Point Beach, putting up two poor waves to be eliminated on day one. 

A recent rule change allowed Henriks to find his way back into competition, surfing five times on day two at West Point to be back in contention at Nettley Bay on day three. 

A stellar performance from Matt Gaby impressed judges and spectators alike, as he surfed up a storm in the Marrawah swell and pushed Henriks further down the field. 

Four-time title holder Jy Johannesen looked sublime throughout the weekend, as he consistently served up scores a cut above the rest to carry the lead. 

On day three, the title looked like it was heading home with Johannesen who stayed the course and surfed to his strengths, posting the highest scoring wave of the day heading into the final set. 

Gaby refused to give up, focusing on executing his turns and taking advantage of his speed in the final moments of title contention. 

With seconds to run in the final heat, Gaby took off towards a wave and managed to be up moments before the final buzzer. In a jaw-dropping turn of events, he used his speed to his advantage to pull off an almost technically perfect run and his best wave of the day. 

This feat put Gaby level with Johannesen. The recent rule change allowed the title to go to the surfer with the highest scoring wave of the day, meaning Gaby was the rightful winner. 

His final wave topped Johannesen’s by 0.01 of a point. 

In the women’s open Marrawah resident Sarah Prior took out her fourth title after a competitive weekend. Prior was consistent across the three days and was unsurprisingly crowned the victor after the close of competition on Monday.

Matt Gaby capitalised on his speed to take home the Rip Curl West Coast Classic in the final heat on the weekend. Photos courtesy of Paul Campbell Photography.