As with the men, The Drug Aware Pro in Margaret river in Western Australia has been a qualifying series event for the last few years. This year it upgrades and gives the women a chance to go head to head in some solid surf.

The wave, known as Main Break, is a left and right peak with the left hander provinding longer rides but the right often a solid end section for punting airs. The wave is exposed to swells which come roaring out of the Indian Ocean, which means conditions change quickly, and it’s not uncommon for contests to be held one day in head high surf and the next in triple overhead.

It’s this potential for such a diverse range of conditions that makes this event so exciting and unpredictable.

Who to watch out for?

Carissa Moore took this event out last year and it really kicked her campaign off towards becoming world champ for the second time. She will be a big threat but Steph Gilmore is formidable as the surf gets bigger, as will be Sally Fitzgibbons, Tyler Wright and Lakey Peterson. It’s a hard one to predict like the conditions.

How to watch?

The whole of the tour is broadcast live on a free webcast, just go to www.aspworldtour.com and follow the link.

West Australia is GMT +8, so that means you need to get the coffee on for a long late night. The event runs typically over the best three days of the holding period.