Quincy Davis will be up first when the event recommences. Photo: ASP/Masurel

A challenging marathon first day of competition yesterday saw the 6-Star Swatch Girls Pro France complete a total of four rounds in small, windswept surf up at Seignosse.

Hawaii’s Swatch ProTeam rider Coco Ho advanced into the fifth round with two strong performances in the complicated conditions. A dynamic surfer in the small surf, Ho managed to read the ocean and find the waves she needed to outscore her opponents.

“It’s a tough day of competition, the waves are hard to find and if you need a score, which is the worst position it’s so hard to know where to go to get them,” Ho explained. “You just got to keep trying and hope time’s on your side, that’s how I got lucky.” Ho went on to add “It’s amazing to be a Swatch girl at this event, they blow everyone out of the water when it comes to putting on a girl’s event,” Ho continued. “And then next month we have Lowers, it’s amazing. The three events that were added to the tour this year are probably three of my favorite waves in the world so I’m stoked. I always enjoy France too, the jetlag is never easy the first couple of days, but I really enjoy it.”

Local favourite and last year’s runner-up Johanne Defay surfed a solid heat to easily advance into the fourth round. Not affected by the pressure on her shoulders, Defay managed to perform in the waist-high surf and displayed her usual powerful approach.

“It’s great to get through, especially in difficult conditions that first heat is always a little stressing,” Defay commented. “Sure a lot of people like to remind me of my result last year, but I try not to think too much about this. The WCT this year is my main concern I want to do really well, so I’m more relaxed in the other events.”

With two solid fifth place results in Fiji and the US Open, Defay sits in 10th position before the next event in France. Halfway through her rookie season amongst the Top17, she starts to make good use of the knowledge she has been gaining on tour.

“Even if it doesn’t show much right now, I definitely feel like I have a way more professional approach,” Defay added. “It’s all those little details in my everyday preparation, I learned a lot. I feel more comfortable on tour and can concentrate more on myself and my surfing.”

Unfortunately for the young French surfer, she was not able to find decent scoring opportunities in her next heat, defeated by an in-form Nikki Van Dijk.

REMAINING SWATCH GIRLS PRO FRANCE ROUND OF 24 MATCHUPS:

Heat 4: Lee Ann Curren (FRA), Stephanie Single (AUS), Quincy Davis (USA), Mahina Maeda (HAW)
Heat 5: Bianca Buitendag (ZAF), Silvana Lima (BRA), Anali Gomez (PER), Chelsea Tuach (BRB)
Heat 6: Holly-Sue Coffey (AUS), Alizé Arnaud (FRA), Paige Hareb (NZL), Coco Ho (HAW)

SWATCH GIRLS PRO FRANCE ROUND OF 24 RESULTS:

Heat 1: Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 13.25, Keely Andrew (AUS) 9.40, Johanne Defay (FRA) 9.20, Nao Omura (JPN) 7.00
Heat 2: Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) 12.00, Ellie-Jean Coffey (AUS) 10.80, Brianna Cope (HAW) 8.35, Bronte Macaulay (AUS) 7.55
Heat 3: Pauline Ado (FRA) 10.00, Laura Enever (AUS) 8.90, Dimity Stoyle (AUS) 7.45, Tanika Hoffman (ZAF) 6.20

SWATCH GIRLS PRO FRANCE ROUND OF 48 RESULTS:

Heat 1: Johanne Defay (FRA) 13.10, Brianna Cope (HAW) 11.45, Meah Collins (USA) 8.25, Bailey Nagy (HAW) 8.15
Heat 2: Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 14.80, Ellie-Jean Coffey (AUS) 11.15, Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 9.95, Brittani Nicholl (AUS) 9.60
Heat 3: Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) 15.75, Keely Andrew (AUS) 12.55, Mikaela Greene (AUS) 8.90, Ana Morau (FRA) 6.00
Heat 4: Bronte Macaulay (AUS) 11.85, Nao Omura (JPN) 11.80, Nage Melamed (HAW) 11.45, Kim Veteau (GLP) 9.75
Heat 5: Laura Enever (AUS) 13.50, Lee Ann Curren (FRA) 8.60, Isabella Nicholls (AUS) 8.15, Ella Williams (NZL) 7.55
Heat 6: Pauline Ado (FRA) 11.45, Stephanie Single (AUS) 9.50, Maud Le Car (FRA) 9.00, Frankie Harrer (USA) 8.40
Heat 7: Quincy Davis (USA) 11.30, Tanika Hoffman (ZAF) 9.35, Justine Dupont (FRA) 8.85, Sage Erickson (USA) 7.30
Heat 8: Mahina Maeda (HAW) 11.00, Dimity Stoyle (AUS) 8.50, Carina Duarte (PRT) 5.10, Rina Katazawa (JPN) 3.60
Heat 9: Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 9.80, Holly-Sue Coffey (AUS) 9.05, Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 8.40, Lucia Martiño (ESP) 7.10
Heat 10: Silvana Lima (BRA) 13.15, Alizé Arnaud (FRA) 11.50, Sophia Bernard (AUS) 5.40, Marie Dejean (FRA) 4.30
Heat 11: Paige Hareb (NZL) 8.00, Anali Gomez (PER) 7.10, Georgia Fish (AUS) 5.95, Crystal Vail (AUS) 5.00
Heat 12: Coco Ho (HAW) 11.15, Chelsea Tuach (BRB) 9.25, Laura Poncini (AUS) 8.90, Marion Bouzigues (FRA) 7.05

SWATCH GIRLS PRO FRANCE ROUND OF 72 RESULTS:

Heat 1: Meah Collins (USA) 10.00, Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 9.70, Tessa Thyssen (GLP) 8.80, Dominic Barona (ECU) 7.70
Heat 2: Brittani Nicholl (AUS) 12.25, Bailey Nagy (HAW) 7.75, Joanne Dennison (GBR) 3.60
Heat 3: Mikaela Greene (AUS) 12.30, Nage Melamed (HAW) 10.95, Codie Klein (AUS) 10.15, Keshia Seelow-Eyre (PRT) 7.35
Heat 4: Nao Omura (JPN) 10.75, Ana Morau (FRA) 7.00, Reika Noro (JPN) 7.00, Jessica Anderson (CHL) 3.95
Heat 5: Isabella Nicholls (AUS) 11.65, Frankie Harrer (USA) 11.10, Garazi Sanchez-Ortun (EUK) 8.45, Yolanda Aneiros (ESP) 2.00
Heat 6: Stephanie Single (AUS) 10.00, Lee Ann Curren (FRA) 6.50, Carol Henrique (PRT) 4.10, Ophélie Couchot (FRA) 1.35
Heat 7: Quincy Davis (USA) 12.25, Rina Katazawa (JPN) 7.65, Anat Lelior (ISR) 7.25, Anne-Cécile Le Tallec (FRA) 2.85
Heat 8: Mahina Maeda (HAW) 15.50, Tanika Hoffman (ZAF) 7.30, Natsuki Suda (JPN) 6.00, Demi Boelsterli (USA) 3.75
Heat 9: Holly-Sue Coffey (AUS) 13.25, Marie Dejean (FRA) 12.30, Laura Macaulay (AUS) 11.35, Sarah Beardmore (GBR) 4.60
Heat 10: Sophia Bernard (AUS) 12.65, Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 12.65, Ainara Aymat (EUK) 7.90, Minami Takechi (JPN) 6.15
Heat 11: Anali Gomez (PER) 12.25, Laura Poncini (AUS) 9.90, Teresa Bonvalot (PRT) 8.00, Kloee Openshaw (USA) 3.15
Heat 12: Marion Bouzigues (FRA) 6.30, Crystal Vail (AUS) 4.95, Teal Hogg (ZAF) 4.55

SWATCH GIRLS PRO FRANCE ROUND OF 84 RESULTS:

Heat 1: Tessa Thyssen (GLP) 10.50, Joanne Dennison (GBR) 3.45, Matisse Patterson (DEU) 3.00, Mahe Javegny (REU) 2.50
Heat 2: Nage Melamed (HAW) 10.50, Ana Morau (FRA) 6.50, Jasmine De Beer (BEL) 2.35
Heat 3: Yolanda Aneiros (ESP) 6.50, Ophélie Couchot (FRA) 4.15, Alice-Mélissa Lemoigne (REU) 3.40
Heat 4: Anat Lelior (ISR) 7.55, Tanika Hoffman (ZAF) 6.75, Lisa Girardet (REU) 5.65, Caroline Perret (FRA) 2.20
Heat 5: Sarah Beardmore (GBR) 9.00, Ainara Aymat (EUK) 8.00, Camilla Kemp (PRT) 4.65
Heat 6: Teresa Bonvalot (PRT) 10.25, Teal Hogg (ZAF) 3.05, Camille-Elena Lavocat (GLP) 2.90