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Sally Fitzgibbons of Gerroa, NSW, Australia (pictured) winning the Fiji Womens Pro in eight-to-ten foot Cloudbreak in Fiji on Thursday June 4, 2015. Fitzgibbons surfed with a bandaged head after sustaining a burst ear drum earlier in the competition. Photo:WSL/Kirstin Scholtz
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Sally Fitzgibbons of Gerroa, NSW, Australia (pictured) celebrates after winning the Fiji Womens Pro in eight-to-ten foot Cloudbreak in Fiji on Thursday June 4, 2015. Fitzgibbons surfed with a bandaged head after sustaining a burst ear drum earlier in the competition. Photo:WSL/Kirstin Scholtz
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ianca Buitendag of Victoria Bay, South Africa (pictured) placed runner up at the Fiji Womens Pro after she was defeated by Sally Fitgibbons. Photo:WSL/Kirstin Scholtz
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Sally Fitzgibbons of Gerroa, NSW, Australia (pictured) celebrates after winning the Fiji Womens Pro in eight-to-ten foot Cloudbreak in Fiji on Thursday June 4, 2015. Fitzgibbons surfed with a bandaged head after sustaining a burst ear drum earlier in the competition. Photo:WSL/Kirstin Scholtz
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ianca Buitendag of Victoria Bay, South Africa (pictured) placed runner up at the Fiji Womens Pro after she was defeated by Sally Fitgibbons. Photo:WSL/Kirstin Scholtz
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Sally Fitzgibbons hoisting the trophy. Photo:WSL/Roberston
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Tatiana Weston-Webb of Hawaii (pictured) placing equal fifth at the Fiji Womens Pro, reaching the Quarterfinals where she was eliminated onThursday June 4, 2015. Photo:WSL/Kirstin Scholtz
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Joanne Defay of France surfing to equal 3rd place at the Fiji Women’s Pro held in large surf at Cloudbreak. Defay made the Semifinals where she was narrowly defeated by eventual runner up Bianca Buitendag from South Africa. Photo:WSL/Kirstin Scholtz
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Joanne Defay of France surfing to equal 3rd place at the Fiji Women’s Pro held in large surf at Cloudbreak. Defay made the Semifinals where she was narrowly defeated by eventual runner up Bianca Buitendag from South Africa. Photo:WSL/Roberston
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Laura Enever of North Narrabeen, Sydney, Australia (pictured) placing equal fifth at the Fiji Womens Pro after reaching the Quarterfinals where she was eliminated on Thursday June 4, 2015. Photo:WSL/Kirstin Scholtz
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Event Champion Sally Fitzgibbons of Gerroa, NSW, Australia (L) and Runner Up Bianca Buitendag of South Africa (R) hold their trophies during prize giving at the Fiji Womens Pro on Tavarua Island, Fiji on Thursday June 4, 2015. Photo:WSL/Kirstin Scholtz
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Sally Fitzgibbons of Gerroa, NSW, Australia (pictured) winning the Fiji Womens Pro in eight-to-ten foot Cloudbreak in Fiji on Thursday June 4, 2015. Fitzgibbons surfed with a bandaged head after sustaining a burst ear drum earlier in the competition. Photo:WSL/Kirstin Scholtz
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Sally Fitzgibbons of Gerroa, NSW, Australia (pictured) celebrates after winning the Fiji Womens Pro in eight-to-ten foot Cloudbreak in Fiji on Thursday June 4, 2015. Fitzgibbons surfed with a bandaged head after sustaining a burst ear drum earlier in the competition. Photo:WSL/Kirstin Scholtz
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Sally Fitzgibbons of Australia winning the Fiji Women’s Pro held in large powerful surf at Cloudbreak Fiji. Fitzgibbons defeated Bianca Buitendag of South Africa. Photo:WSL/Roberston
Sally Fitzgibbons won the Fiji Women’s Pro yesterday, which is no small feat. But she did it with a busted eardrum.
On her last wave of her second round heat, Fitzgibbons squeezed into a little barrel, took a high line, and ended up getting sucked over the falls. It didn’t look all that bad. Turns out, though, it was. Doctors at the event had a look and told her that she’d perforated her eardrum, which as anyone who has done it knows, really really hurts. Sally said screw it, though, and continued to surf… which turned out to be a good idea, because she won.
Directly after she hurt herself, Fitzgibbons strapped a bandage around her head and posted four near-perfect scores, moving into first place at the event and breaking into the top five in the world rankings.
Of the four women who consistently take up the top four spots–Moore, Gilmore, Wright, and Fitzgibbons, only Fitzbibbons managed to make it to the later rounds. With Stephanie Gilmore injured and both Carissa Moore and Tyler Wright taken out early, the door opened for Bianca Buitendag to hammer out a runner up finish.
Among the other standouts was tour rookie Tatiana Weston-Webb, who found some of the best waves of the event.
