Picklum, Bryan, Nichols, and Peterson Find Success on Opening Day of Corona Cero Open J-Bay

Molly Picklum Flies Through Opening Round with 9.33 and Spot in the WSL Final 5
Isabella Nichols Feeling Right at Home, Debut Heat Win at Supertubes
Gabriela Bryan and Lakey Peterson Bypass Elimination Round and Lock in Quarterfinals

Pictured: Molly Picklum (AUS) scored an excellent 9.33 (out of a possible 10) in her Opening Round heat at the Corona Cero Open J-Bay today. Credit: WSL / Kody McGregor

JEFFREYS BAY, Eastern Cape, South Africa (Friday, July 11, 2025) – The Corona Cero Open J-Bay, Stop No. 10 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2025 Championship Tour (CT), kicked off its opening day in three-to-five foot surf at Supertubes. The women’s Opening Round was completed today and started in cleaner conditions, but then saw a more challenging lineup with strong West winds and a delayed swell, leading to an early finish to today’s competition. With the swell expected to fill in overnight, the next call will be tomorrow at 7:15 a.m. GMT+1 for a possible 7:33 a.m. start.

Molly Picklum Flies Through Opening Round with 9.33 and Spot in the WSL Final 5

World No. 1 Molly Picklum (AUS) officially clinched a spot in the WSL Final 5, securing her place for the Lexus WSL Finals to compete for the World Title at Cloudbreak, Fiji in September.

“I got a good result from Brazil leading into this,” said Picklum. “I’m stoked it’s confirmed. The girls are so good, and they’re going to keep pushing. I’d love to get my chances higher by going into Fiji in the number one spot.”

Picklum got off to a great start in Jeffreys Bay, finding the flow at Supertubes to weave together a creative combination of powerful turns and smooth transitions. Picklum, finding extra motivation in the Yellow Leader Jersey, cranked out an excellent 9.33 (out of a possible 10), matching the power and tempo of the wave with three solid turns and taking the win with a total of 16.83 (out of a possible 20).

“I had priority when that wave came, so I’m stoked,” said Picklum. “It’s so nice when the ocean does that for you. It’s one of those nice elements of our sport, you don’t know if you’re going to have priority when the best wave comes.”

Isabella Nichols Feeling Right At Home, Debut Heat Win At Supertubes

After suffering an early exit at the VIVO Rio Pro, Isabella Nichols (AUS) came straight to J-Bay to get in as many reps as she could. It showed, with the current World No. 5 stitching together a winning heat with a combined total of 14.00 to send Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) and Luana Silva (BRA) to the Elimination Round.

“I’ve been spending a lot of time out here after I got knocked in Brazil,” said Nichols. “I guess it’s paying off. I feel really comfortable here, I feel like I’m home. I have Dylan Lightfoot in my corner, and he understands all the intricacies of this wave, and it helps so much.”

In a last-minute exchange, World No. 2 Gabriela Bryan (HAW) found excellence in her Opening Round (Heat 3) to take the win ahead of Tyler Wright (AUS) and event wildcard Francisca Veselko (POR). Bryan scored an 8.00 with her trademark powerful snaps and pushing hard on her turns to get the score to jump into first and skip the Elimination Round.

The ocean slowed down for the last heat of the day, which saw 2023 Open J-Bay winner Lakey Peterson (USA) win a low-scoring affair ahead of World Champions Caroline Marks (USA) and Caitlin Simmers (USA).

The next call will be on Saturday, July 12, at 7:15 a.m. GMT+1 for a possible 7:33 a.m. start.

For highlights and more information from today’s competition at the Corona Cero Open J-Bay, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Corona Cero Open J-Bay Women’s Opening Round Results:
HEAT 1: Isabella Nichols (AUS) 14.00 DEF. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 12.83, Luana Silva (BRA) 9.43
HEAT 2: Molly Picklum (AUS) 16.83 DEF. Erin Brooks (CAN) 9.27, Sarah Baum (RSA) 3.07
HEAT 3: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 12.33 DEF. Tyler Wright (AUS) 7.50, Francisca Veselko (POR) 5.70
HEAT 4: Lakey Peterson (USA) 9.43 DEF. Caroline Marks (USA) 6.50, Caitlin Simmers (USA) 4.77

Corona Cero Open J-Bay Women’s Elimination Round Matchups:
HEAT 1: Caitlin Simmers (USA) vs. Sarah Baum (RSA)
HEAT 2: Caroline Marks (USA) vs. Luana Silva (BRA)
HEAT 3: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) vs. Francisca Veselko (POR)
HEAT 4: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Erin Brooks (CAN)

Corona Cero Open J-Bay Men’s Opening Round Matchups:
HEAT 1: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Jake Marshall (USA) vs. Seth Moniz (HAW)
HEAT 2: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) vs. Joel Vaughan (AUS) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
HEAT 3: Yago Dora (BRA) vs. Connor O’Leary (JPN) vs. Matthew McGillivray (RSA)
HEAT 4: Jordy Smith (RSA) vs. Crosby Colapinto (USA) vs. Luke Thompson (RSA)
HEAT 5: Ethan Ewing (AUS) vs. Cole Houshmand (USA) vs. Marco Mignot (FRA)
HEAT 6: Griffin Colapinto (USA) vs. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) vs. Rio Waida (INA)
HEAT 7: Jack Robinson (AUS) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Joao Chianca (BRA)
HEAT 8: Barron Mamiya (HAW) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Alan Cleland (MEX)

Watch LIVE
The Corona Cero Open J-Bay holds a competition window through Sunday, July 20, 2025. The event will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app. Check out more ways to watch from the WSL’s broadcast partners.