• Fiji’s Crown Jewel: Cloudbreak Primed to Turn Dreams to Reality
• The Final 5 Contenders Are Ready for Battle, Window Opens Next Week on August 27
• Updated Lexus WSL Finals Format Raises the Stakes

The fifth year of the WSL Finals sees a location change for the first time, moving from the pinnacle of high performance surfing at Lower Trestles, Southern California, to the long, hollow lefts that reel along the reef of Cloudbreak in the tropical paradise that is Fiji. Making its triumphant return to the CT in 2024 after a seven-year hiatus, Cloudbreak now promises to deliver a thrilling end to the hotly contested 2025 World Title races.

Located off the island of Tavarua, Fiji, Cloudbreak is a wave straight out of surfers’ dreams. Long lefts peel the length of its shallow reef, offering the opportunity for a high performance attack on smaller days and the ride of a lifetime as it grows in size. Some of the sport’s most iconic moments have played out in its waters, including multiple perfect heats. A surprisingly unpredictable wave, Cloudbreak’s differing sections offer unique challenges that can deliver barreling perfection just as easily as nightmarish wipeouts.

Revered by fans as a regular-season stop, Cloudbreak’s debut as a WSL Finals host promises a battle for the ages, especially given the caliber of surfers determined to leave Fiji as the 2025 World Champions.

The 10 surfers that make up the men’s and women’s Final 5s for the 2025 season have proven themselves through 11 events covering nine countries around the globe. Career-defining moments, breakthrough wins, perfect scores, and last-minute heroics describe just a small portion of the regular-season highlights that provided the opportunity for these surfers to lead the rankings. Now, the Top 5 men and Top 5 women will battle to determine who will claim the World Titles.

Molly Picklum (AUS) is the only woman in the Final 5 with prior WSL Finals experience not to have won a World Title, and she finished the season as World No. 1 for the first time in her career. Picklum is carrying serious momentum, having placed in the Final of the last four events and winning two. The only two other surfers to wear the Yellow Leader Jersey this season sit directly behind her including the power-packing World No. 2 Gabriela Bryan (HAW) and defending World Champion Caity Simmers (USA). The 2023 World Champion and 2024 runner-up Caroline Marks (USA), and Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) round out the youngest group of World Title contenders in over a decade.

Joining Bryan and Johnson as newcomers to the WSL Finals are the two men who sit current No. 1 and No. 2 on the men’s rankings, Yago Dora (BRA) and Jordy Smith (RSA). Dora will be seeking to add his name to the modern legacy of Brazilian World Champions, with the South American nation claiming seven of the past 10 men’s World Titles. On Tour since 2008, the 37-year-old Smith is the oldest and longest-standing member of the CT. Already a two-time World Title runner-up, the South African is looking to follow in the footsteps of 1977 World Champion Shaun Tomson (RSA) and finally reclaim the Title for his nation. However, Griffin Colapinto (USA), Jack Robinson (AUS), and Italo Ferreira (BRA) have their own intentions, along with extensive WSL Finals experience to back them up. Robinson earned his current World No. 4 seed with an event win at the Lexus Tahiti Pro last week. The 27-year-old will look to continue his momentum going into his fourth straight Finals appearance. Similarly, the 2025 Lexus WSL Finals Fiji marks Colapinto’s third straight appearance. While 2019 World Champion Ferreira searches for a second World Title heading into Fiji.

The fifth iteration of the Lexus WSL Finals will see a similar overall format as prior years, but with a few key changes. The World No. 1 ranked surfers are slotted directly into the Title Match, but in a change from previous years, that surfer can secure the World Title with a win in Title Match 1. If the top-ranked surfer doesn’t win the first heat, it then reverts to a best two-of-three-heat showdown.

The remaining surfers enter the Lexus WSL Finals bracket based on their year-end rankings. The Matches feature a traditional heat format, with two competitors seeking to lock in their two highest-scoring waves, each wave out of a possible 10 points for a possible 20-point heat total. Another update to the format this season provides the higher-ranked surfer starting each Match with predetermined priority.

The first matches on both sides will feature Olympic Gold Medalists and World Champions. In women’s Match 1, Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) will open her first Finals campaign against Olympic Gold Medalist and 2023 World Champion Caroline Marks (USA). On the men’s side, Match 1 will feature 2019 World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Italo Ferreira (BRA) and Olympic Silver Medalist Jack Robinson (AUS). Entering their fourth Finals appearance each, Robinson and Ferreira will have the most experience of the format out of anyone in the field. Marks and Ferreira have also previously battled through to the Title Match, and they will bring the knowledge gained straight into the first heats of the day.

Whoever wins Match 1 will advance to face World No. 3 in Match 2. This will be Caity Simmers (USA) for the women and Griffin Colapinto (USA) for the men.

The winner of Match 2 will face off against the No. 2 ranked surfer, Gabriela Bryan (HAW) for the women, and Jordy Smith (RSA) for the men. The winner of Match 3 will then move on to the Title Match, where they will face World No. 1, Molly Picklum (USA), and Yago Dora (BRA). If Picklum or Dora win the first Title Match heat, they will become the 2025 World Champion. Otherwise, a best-two-of-three battle will take place against their opponent.

The crowning of the 2025 World Champions will immediately follow the final Title Match of the day.

Fantasy Surfing for the Lexus WSL Finals Fiji Presented by Corona Cero is now open. WSL Fantasy Pick ‘Em is separate from the regular season game and creates new points and leaderboards, offering players one final chance at glory. The format involves a modified bracket challenge with scoring based on the correct number of heat picks.

To play, pick each women’s and men’s Match Winner of the Lexus WSL Finals Fiji. Picks will remain open until the match starts and points are earned for each correct pick. Women’s and men’s picks are scored separately and added together for the total score.

For the complete rules and to make your picks, visit ctfantasy.worldsurfleague.com.