Christie does enough

Ricardo Christie bowed out in the round of 32 elimination heats of the Margaret River Pro in Western Australia. He is pictured competing in his seeding heat last week. File picture

Slim pickings made Ricardo Christie’s opening heat at the latest Championship Tour event a grind in Western Australia yesterday.

The Gisborne-Mahia surfer advanced to the round of 32 at the Margaret River Pro in Perth — the fourth contest on the World Surf League’s elite tour.

Christie was second in his three-man seeding heat, thus avoiding the elimination round involving the surfers who place third.

The 30-year-old registered only two waves against South African Jordy Smith and Australian Adrian Buchan.

It was to prove enough, scores of 4.07 and a crucial second wave 5.07 for a 9.14 total — just 0.21 ahead of Buchan (4.83, 4.10).

Smith, sitting sixth on the CT rankings, comfortably won the heat with 14.77 (7.67, 7.10).

Christie is alone in 30th on the rankings headed by Hawaiian John John Florence, with Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi — winner of the Bali Pro last week — second and Brazilian Italo Ferreira third.

Notable seeding round casualties yesterday included American veteran Kelly Slater.

The event was on standby today.

Meanwhile, former Gisborne surfer Jay Quinn was in the winner’s circle at the British championships in Jersey at the weekend.

Quinn, representing Wales through his mother Pip’s family, won the open men’s final.

He scored 16.4 (8.25/8.15), 4.4 points clear of runner-up Jayce Robinson of England.