Words and photos by Thea McDonald-Lee 

Last week Sally Fitzgibbons won the Fiji Women’s Pro at Cloudbreak; you can watch the video highlights here. Neither the conditions nor the surfing were perfect but we were stoked to see the girls finally competing at a world class wave in decent-sized swell. Our friends at Surf Europe weren’t so sure though, asking whether “the Fiji Pro was women’s surfing lowest ebb?” and:

 How come it was so hard to watch? How come Fiji was so unimpressive? Why did almost no one get a proper barrel and make it? How come the turns looked hideously crabby and forced? How come at times it looked like they were riding 8’10″ five fins? I’m genuinely baffled. These are the best surfers in the world.

I couldn’t help but think ‘Jamie O’ Brien would be getting more barrelled than this surfing switch’.

We love a good heated debate so our girl on the ground/in the boat Thea McDonald-Lee, penned this response: