Gabriela Bryan and Jordy Smith Win Western Australia Margaret River Pro

• • Gabriela Bryan Goes Back-to-Back at Margaret River, Earns Second CT Win of the Season To Stay World No. 1
  • Jordy Smith Furthers World Title Campaign with WA Victory and Leads Men’s CT Heading Into Lowers
  • Californians Caity Simmers and Griffin Colapinto Build Momentum Ahead of Trestles with Runner-up Finishes
  • Bronte Macaulay Earns Excellent Third-Place Result in Wildcard Run
  • Isabella Nichols and Jordy Smith Win Inaugural GWM Aussie Treble

Gabriela Bryan (HAW) made it back-to-back victories at the event that she has come to define in the modern era. The 23-year-old competed in her first CT Final in Margaret River in 2022, doing exactly what she needed to keep herself on Tour and earn the Rookie of the Year title that season. Bryan then earned her first-ever CT event win at the location in 2024, before now backing it up a year later. Having been at risk of the Mid-season Cut in each previous showing, Bryan currently sits in a very different position. In 2025, Bryan returned to Western Australia wearing the Yellow Leader Jersey, largely thanks to her win in El Salvador. Bryan will now retain her status as World No. 1 headed into Stop No. 8, the Lexus Trestles Pro, after her third CT victory today.

“It’s incredible, I mean, I tried not to think about going back-to-back, but how cool it would have been to see my name twice on the stairs, one after the other,” Bryan said. “So yeah, it’s a really cool accomplishment. I don’t feel like [the World No. 1]. I am, but yeah, yellow, wow. I try to just tell myself it’s red, but I’m getting used to it. Every heat I have with it I get more comfortable. I thought I lost it over at Burleigh and then to come back with a win and now to wear it at Lowers. I can’t wait to compete there, I haven’t competed there since I was a junior.”

Since sharing their first major Final together in the 2021 US Open of Surfing, the pure power of Bryan and the style and flow of Caity Simmers (USA) have been distinct contrasts. Though Simmers’ career has taken a steeper trajectory since winning that event, Bryan went on to win the Challenger Series that year. More than ever, the 2025 season is highlighting the fact that the two are defining modern-day performance in surfing – to the point that for two events running, the pair have been sitting with equal points in the rankings. In a battle for who would break ahead of their deadlock, Bryan opened with a near-perfect 9.50, the highest single-wave score of her career. Earning the score through a series of four full-power gouges, Bryan quickly backed it up with a 7.83, to leave Simmers, the reigning World Champion, in need of a combination of two high-scoring waves to take the lead. Though Simmers had opened up with a 7.17 of her own, the 19-year-old was unable to crack into the elevated range of Bryan, who had also earned an excellent 16.34 heat total in her Semifinal defeat of Lakey Peterson (USA).

“I’m honestly speechless, I don’t even know what to think,” Bryan said. “That 9.50 was just the wave. I turned around and that thing just came right at me. I saw the wave and it had a perfect line. I just kind of went out there, like just got to surf my heart out, and that’s what I did on that wave. And then I was lucky enough to get a backup before it went flat. So yeah, I’m so stoked.”

Caity Simmers (USA) returned to the podium for the first time since winning the second event of the season, the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro, to appear in her third Final this year. After a strong start in 2025, Simmers had been unable to break out of the Round of 16 in Australia but returned to form in Margaret River. Simmers defeated a series of solid performers, including Brisa Hennessy (CRC), Luana Silva (BRA), and Bronte Macaulay (AUS) to make her first Margaret River Pro Final with the fast, stylish rail work that has come to be expected of the 2024 World Champion.

“It was just cool that we got a couple waves in that heat, because it was pretty inconsistent, and there actually ended up being waves in our heat,” Simmers said. “But yeah, I think we have two different styles of surfing, and we both can get good scores from it. That’s the beauty of surfing, there’s not a straightforward way to do it. And [Gabriela Bryan] just won fair and square, there was no other way to put it. But yeah, it’s really fun to watch. I had a perfect view of both of her waves. After I got my waves, I just turned around, and she’s getting the 9.50, and then her next wave, too. I literally watched both of them from paddling out, and I was just like, well, whatever.”

Competing in his 18th season on Tour, Jordy Smith (RSA) has claimed a second CT win within the same season for the first time of his long tenure. Since winning his first CT in eight years in El Salvador, the 37-year-old has continued his exceptional form to now sit with a strong lead in the rankings as World No. 1. Having previously placed runner-up to the World Title in 2010 and 2016, Smith has been in the Title conversation for much of his career, and now sits in the prime position to deliver on that promise. Smith has previously won three of the four remaining regular-season events. Two of those he has won twice, both in locations that he has called home, Trestles and J-Bay.

“It feels incredible, I think it’s just a testament to like, every day keep showing up, trusting what you’re doing,” Smith said. “I can’t just say that I’ve been doing all the work, I’ve got such a great team of people behind me. For me, this year, it’s just really been about have fun and enjoy this because it’s not forever. I think everyone’s going to be fighting for that top five now, there’s a lot of guys that are swinging for it, so that’s going to be really exciting. And I think just having that opportunity to kind of push yourself against all the best in the world is all I’m really looking for, and yeah, take every day for what it is and don’t think too far down the line.”

After moving through an extremely wide range of conditions, from huge, unruly Main Break, to slab perfection at The Box, the men’s Final was decided in small, inconsistent surf that saw only three waves ridden. With two previous Margaret River Pro runners-up, Smith and Griffin Colapinto (USA), battling for their first event win, a fiery exchange was expected, but quite the opposite took place. Smith opened with the single defining wave of the Final, an 8.50, earned through a variety of maneuvers, echoing the type of surfing the South African had delivered throughout the event, and across his long career. Meanwhile, after opening early with a 4.83, Colapinto dropped anchor, waiting for a wave that never arrived, and closed his account with just a single score.

“I’m so stoked bru,” Smith said. “It’s been a lot this week, a lot this last two or three months. Two people I want to dedicate it to, obviously my family first and foremost: my wife, my mother, my father, my sister, and my two sons. And then, this is for Jack McCoy. He passed away just recently. It’s someone that’s inspired me throughout my whole life. All his movies, his videos, his family. This is for you guys. I’m sending all my love and prayers are with you guys.”

Griffin Colapinto (USA) again proved himself to be one of the most consistent surfers in Western Australia. The 26-year-old has made at least Quarterfinals every season in the event since 2021, finishing runner-up for the first time in 2023. Entering the GWM Aussie Treble ranked 26th and in danger of the Mid-season Cut, Colapinto rose 15 places across the three events to now sit at No. 11, one place outside of the Top 10, after making his first Final of the season. Colapinto delivered a highlight reel of performances throughout the event, including a Perfect 10 for one of the most impressive full rotation air reverses delivered in competition and a 9.00 for a mind-blowing exit from a Box barrel. The Californian will now return home to San Clemente for Stop No. 8, his first chance to compete in a regular-season CT event at his home break of Lower Trestles.

“When we got in the water, I was having flashbacks to when I was, I must have been like 13 or 14 up at like 1am watching [Jordy Smith] win J-Bay,” Colapinto said. “And I was staying up watching him win that, and then Modern Collective, and that being like my favorite movie ever. And then to us in a Final together is just a cool chain of events, you know, over time. So yeah, super grateful and psyched to see Jordy back on top and doing his thing again. Guy’s one of my favorite surfers. Coming into this event, I was a little bit nervous about the Cut. Both my brother and I were on the bubble. So to get past that, it just feels like we’re playing with house money and the weight’s off our shoulders. I’m so excited to be going home and feeling that way.”

In a repeat of the 2024 MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, the Colapinto brothers missed out on a shared Final by one heat. In both events, the brothers, Griffin and Crosby Colapinto (USA), moved through the event on opposite sides of the draw all the way to the Semifinals, before the younger brother, Crosby, was eliminated and the older, Griffin, progressed into the Final.

The two standout surfers from the women’s Quarterfinals, Bronte Macaulay (AUS) and Lakey Peterson (USA), were unable to tap into the same rhythm that saw them post some of the highest numbers of the previous round. The strong showing in the event for Macaulay was a fitting finish to the career of the local Wildcard and former CT veteran, who had stated that this would likely be her last time in the competition jersey at the CT level. Currently studying to be a teacher, Macaulay is now pouring her energy into coaching the next generation of women from Western Australia.

The GWM Aussie Treble culminated at the Western Australia Margaret River Pro after moving through two other Australian states with the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach and Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro. The inaugural trophies were handed to Isabella Nichols (AUS) and Jordy Smith (RSA), along with keys to a brand new GWM Tank 300, as the winners of the series that collected points from across the three events.

“Winning an event in Australia, let alone winning the Treble, is super, super special,” Nichols said. “I couldn’t have done it without everyone here supporting me. I want to dedicate this win to my sister, the newlyweds, Helena and George. Also, thanks to my family for being here, Mike McAuliffe for housing us, Kurt [Jacobs], Bottle [Jay Thompson], everyone who’s been in my corner. I couldn’t have done this without everyone’s support. And also everyone here in W.A., thanks for the love. We always love coming here. Thanks for hosting such an incredible event.”

For more information and highlights from the 2025 Western Australia Margaret River Pro, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

The Western Australia Margaret River Pro marks the final stop before the Mid-season Cut, a pivotal moment in the 2025 CT season where the field is reduced for the back half of the Tour and crucial to determine 2026 CT requalification. Following this event, only the top 22 men and top 10 women on the CT rankings will advance to the next four events, earning their place at iconic venues like J-Bay and Teahupoʻo. For those who make the Cut, it’s a major step toward World Title contention and the WSL Finals in Fiji. For others, it’s the end of their CT run for 2025 and the start of the battle to requalify for 2026 through the Challenger Series.

The 2025 Challenger Series will begin in Newcastle, Australia on June 2, 2025, and hold a competition window through June 8.

View the 2025 Challenger Series schedule.

Women’s 

Made the Cut: 
– Gabriela Bryan (HAW)
– Caity Simmers (USA)
– Molly Picklum (AUS)
– Isabella Nichols (AUS)
– Tyler Wright (AUS)
– Caroline Marks (USA)
– Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW)
– Luana Silva (BRA)
– Lakey Peterson (USA)
– Erin Brooks (CAN)

Missed the Cut (Will Not Continue to 2025 CT Backhalf, Qualified for 2026 CT): 
– Sawyer Lindblad (USA)
– Vahine Fierro (FRA)
– Bella Kenworthy (USA)
– Brisa Hennessy (CRC)

Relegated to the Challenger Series:
– Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
– Johanne Defay (FRA)
– Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)
– Nadia Erostarbe (ESP)

Men’s 

Made the Cut:
– Jordy Smith (RSA)
– Italo Ferreira (BRA)
– Yago Dora (BRA)
– Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
– Barron Mamiya (HAW)
– Ethan Ewing (AUS)
– Filipe Toledo (BRA)
– Jack Robinson (AUS)
– Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
– Miguel Pupo (BRA)
– Griffin Colapinto (USA)
– Jake Marshall (USA)
– Rio Waida (INA)
– Connor O’Leary (JPN)
– Marco Mignot (FRA)
– Crosby Colapinto (USA)
– Alan Cleland (MEX)
– Joao Chianca (BRA)
– Joel Vaughan (AUS)
– Seth Moniz (HAW)
– Cole Houshmand (USA)
– Alejo Muniz (BRA)

Missed the Cut/Relegated to Challenger Series: 
– Matthew McGillivray (RSA)
– Liam O’Brien (AUS)
– Jackson Bunch (HAW)
– George Pittar (AUS)
– Ian Gouveia (BRA)
– Samuel Pupo (BRA)
– Imaikalani deVault (HAW)
– Deivid Silva (BRA)
– Ian Gentil (HAW)
– Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR)
– Edgard Groggia (BRA)
– Ryan Callinan (AUS)
– Gabriel Medina (BRA) – Awarded 2026 WSL Season Wildcard 

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Western Australia Margaret River Pro Women’s Final Results:
1 – Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 17.33
2 – Caitlin Simmers (USA) 12.84

Western Australia Margaret River Pro Men’s Final Results: 
1 – Jordy Smith (RSA) 12.00
2 – Griffin Colapinto (USA) 4.83

Western Australia Margaret River Pro Women’s Semifinal Results: 
HEAT 1: Caitlin Simmers (USA) 14.00 DEF. Bronte Macaulay (AUS) 9.34
HEAT 2: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 16.34 DEF. Lakey Peterson (USA) 11.64

Western Australia Margaret River Pro Men’s Semifinal Results: 
HEAT 1: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 12.17 DEF. Barron Mamiya (HAW) 7.44
HEAT 2: Jordy Smith (RSA) 14.67 DEF. Crosby Colapinto (USA) 6.67

Next Stop: Lexus Trestles Pro Presented by Outerknown 
Stop No. 8 on the 2025 WSL Championship Tour will be the Lexus Trestles Pro Presented by Outerknown. The event will hold a competition window from June 9 – 17, 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.

The Western Australia Margaret River Pro is Proudly Supported by Tourism WA, Red Bull, YETI, Surfline, True Surf, Bonsoy, GWM, Stone & Wood, Oakberry, Hydralyte, Bioglan Boost Mobile, Bond University, Fatboy Bikes, Rusty, Shire of Augusta Margaret River, and Spudshed. 

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

• • PRIOR UPDATES BELOW
  • Final Cut Roster Determined Ahead of Tomorrow’s Finals Day at Western Australia Margaret River Pro
  • Bronte Macaulay Takes Down Big Names, Furthers Wildcard Run Into Semifinals
  • Pressure-Filled Cut Scenarios See Lakey Peterson Thrive, Sally Fitzgibbons Forced Out
  • Luana Silva Makes the Cut With Victory Over Erin Brooks, Brooks Narrowly Hangs on Above Cut-line
  • Colapinto Brothers Lead the Charge: Griffin Scores Third Perfect 10, Crosby Makes Third Semifinal

By day’s end, Isabella Nichols (AUS) had won herself a brand new GWM Tank 300 thanks to taking the win in the inaugural GWM Aussie Treble, while Jordy Smith (RSA) had moved to World No. 1 for the first time since 2017. Five women and one man were cut from the remainder of the 2025 CT season, and three women and one man had their places above the Cut-line confirmed.

Finals Day will be tomorrow, Tuesday, May 27. The first call will be at 7:00 a.m. AWST for a possible 7:15 a.m. start with the women’s Semifinals, followed by the men’s Semifinals and the women’s and men’s Finals to determine the winners of the 2025 Western Australia Margaret River Pro.

Local Wildcard Bronte Macaulay (AUS) bookended her Quarterfinal match against current World No. 3 Molly Picklum (AUS) with solid two-turn backhand combos, both scoring in the 7-point range. Macaulay’s 15.00 heat total (out of a possible 20) saw her into the Semifinals for the fourth time at her hometown event. Having announced her retirement from full-time competition at the end of last season, the 31-year-old former CT veteran accepted the wildcard with the caveat that it would likely be her last appearance in the jersey. The large crowds that showed up early in the morning to support the local favorite were rewarded by seeing Macaulay claim a buzzer-beater victory over Caroline Marks (USA), the 2023 World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist, before her next victory over Picklum late in the day. Macaulay is hoping that this will be the year that she pushes through to her first-ever CT victory.

“I do want to win a lot, I’m not going to lie,” Macaulay said. “I feel like in my first two heats I didn’t really surf the way I wanted to. It was nice to get a couple of waves then. And a little bit surprising, you know, I don’t feel that fit. I’m kind of winging it a little bit. But I’m just trying to enjoy every moment. It’s probably going to be my last event, so I just want to make the most of it and enjoy the little things like walking down the stairs and getting high-fives and talking to Stomper [Mike McAuliffe], my coach, before, and enjoying being in a lineup and doing a few backhand reos. It’s been so epic seeing all the crew down here, even first thing this morning. Everyone’s here bright and early and they’re still here today, so it’s pretty special. Not many surfers get to compete in their hometown, and I get to do that so I’m just really lapping up every moment.”

Heading into the day, Lakey Peterson (USA) was sitting in 15th place on the live rankings, the one spot of the remaining women’s field that won’t qualify for the 2026 season and will instead be relegated to the Challenger Series. An increase in the number of women on Tour for 2026 means that the top 14 will re-qualify for 2026, though only the top 10 will surf the remaining events of the 2025 season. Peterson surfed through two high-pressure heats today, both against former event winners, to make the Semifinals at Margaret River for the first time since her own event win in 2019. The 30-year-old Californian posted the two highest heat totals of the day for the women, saving the best for last, with a 16.34 total in her victory over 2022 event winner Isabella Nichols (AUS) in the day’s closing heat.

In the Round of 16, a loss for Peterson would mean the difference between relegation back to the Challenger Series or saving her spot on the CT in 2026. The 2018 World Title runner-up, Peterson, faced two-time World Champion Tyler Wright (AUS), who has made the Final in half of the ten times she has competed in Margaret River, winning in 2016. The two veterans fought tooth and nail in a tense match that saw long waits and priority battles precede exchanges of excellent scores. By heat’s end, Peterson had posted both the highest single wave score of the day for the women, 9.10, and the first of her two excellent heat totals, 16.10.

“It was like the gnarliest mental challenge of my life this week to just stay in it and not freak out,” Peterson said. “Surfing has given me so much, everything I have, and an amazing life, amazing friends and it’s also broken my heart so many times. I feel like I’ve just finished second so many times, like World Title, last year I got 11th, and this year I was like, I’m not doing that again. I’m going to just put my best foot forward. I guess sometimes you just have to get to the bottom to find what you’re what you’re made of…This week has been so hard. It took everything. Honestly, it’s like everything I had to just stay in it and believe in myself and just do it. I’ve been doing this a long time and I was just like, come on, I know it’s in there. And so just really proud of myself, honestly, to do it today, and in really good waves, and just so stoked to surf Lowers.”

After two previous attempts, an ecstatic Luana Silva (BRA) made the Mid-season Cut for the first time in her career. Silva achieved her long-held goal after defeating Erin Brooks (CAN) in the Round of 16, the winner of which was guaranteed a place on Tour for the rest of the season. Brooks opened with a 7.00 for an early advantage in the heat but struggled with completions afterward. Meanwhile, Silva stayed patient, waiting for more than half the heat to open her account, but was able to open with a 6.07 of her own before delivering a more critical end-section hit on her final wave to sneak 0.30 points ahead of Brooks with a 6.73. The win secured Silva, the Olympian and reigning World Junior Champion, on the CT for the first time since her initial qualification through the 2021 Challenger Series.

“It’s a lot,” Silva said through tears. “The last two years haven’t been the easiest competitive-wise, but I never gave up. I never backed down, and I just thank my mom, my dad, and my brother for watching. They backed me so hard. I worked so hard, and I can’t believe I turned it around in just these three events in Australia. I’m so happy, so stoked. It’s for [Tatiana Weston-Webb] as well. She was the only Brazilian girl that was sticking it out for the last 10 years. I just want to back her up and be as good as she did and represent Brazil as well as she does.”

After many nervous hours waiting on the outcomes of others, Brooks was also confirmed above the Cut-line. The 2025 CT Rookie came on Tour with high expectations, both from others and from herself, and breathed a huge sigh of relief after officially making the Cut.

“Today’s been really hard,” Brooks said. “This morning didn’t start out how I wanted it to and it was really hard watching my opponents in their heat. I feel like I haven’t really surfed my best this year. I mean, I’ve shown small glimpses, but everyone sees what I can do from my clips on Instagram and they expect me to do that all the time. I come in a lot from my heats and I say on the post-heat interview that I’m not happy with my surfing, and I hope that in this back half of the year, I can make that switch and come in happy from my heats, and be proud of the surfing that I’m doing, and be a smarter competitor, because I’ve made a lot of mistakes. Being a rookie, this pressure of the Cut and everything, it’s definitely hit me a little harder than I had hoped. And everyone talking about the Final 5 being at Fiji and seeing my performance last year they expect me to be kind of close to there. Hopefully in this back half of the year I can get some better results and be there, that’d be the dream.”

Sawyer Lindblad (USA), Vahine Fierro (FRA), Bella Kenworthy (USA), and Brisa Hennessy (CRC) all placed below the Mid-season Cut-line, but within the top 14. While the four won’t compete in the remaining events of the 2025 season, their qualification for the 2026 CT is now secure.

Hennessy found herself eliminated under the Cut-line after Caity Simmers (USA) executed multiple critical maneuvers on a large set wave to earn an excellent 8.50 in their Round of 16 heat. Hennessy had led for much of the high-scoring match-up, finding her best number, a 7.83, on the wave directly before Simmers. Expecting to extend her lead, Hennessy was instead left needing a 6.68, a number she was unable to find. After falling victim to the Mid-season Cut in 2023, Hennessy returned to the highest finish of her career in 2024, World No. 4. The reigning World Champion, Simmers, moved into the Semifinals at Margaret River for the first time after defeating Luana Silva (BRA) in the Quarterfinals.

The first men’s Quarterfinal opened with fireworks when Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) and Griffin Colapinto (USA) burst into the highest range of the judging scale. Fioravanti emerged from a seemingly impossible end section hit to collect a 9.00, before backing it up with a 6.73 and leaving Colapinto in need of a 9.40. Gathering speed on a solid-sized wave, Colapinto launched a lofty full rotation air reverse to earn a Perfect 10-point score, the third of his career, and move through to the Quarterfinals at Margaret River for the fifth year in a row.

“The 10 was one of the most incredible moments of my life,” G. Colapinto said. “When I landed it, I landed, and then it took me a while to realize that this was like real life. I was like, ‘I’m on my board, okay.’ I was just tripping. After [Leonardo Fioravanti] got his 9, I was kind of going, ‘Okay, I need two waves.’ I thought in my head, it’s going to be a hard fight back, and then, yeah, I recognized that the ones that were breaking deep were probably better for air sections because you can get the slingshot, and then that wave was just perfect for it. But yeah, when I paddled back out, I was like, wow, there’s still a lot of time left, and Leo only needs a 7, and I was like, okay, I got to forget about that, but it was really hard. And then no waves really came for Leo at the end, so Mother Nature hooked me up on that one.”

The surfer with the steepest trajectory in the live rankings during the Margaret River Pro, Crosby Colapinto (USA), has already moved himself up 11 places after solidifying a place in the Semifinals with a victory over local Wildcard Jacob Willcox (AUS). Colapinto, the 2024 Rookie of the Year, opened with an 8.83 against his fellow 2024 rookie, Willcox, who fell off Tour at the Mid-season Cut in Margaret River last year. The West Australian was unable to rebound after Colapinto’s strong start, seeing the Californian through to the third Semifinal of his career. Having jumped the Mid-season Cut with his last heat win, Colapinto is now pushing to continue his rankings climb.

“It’s been such a wild week of emotions,” C. Colapinto said. “Watching [Griffin Colapinto] at The Box and having to come back down to earth after seeing that barrel. And then watching Griffin’s 10 was mind-blowing. And then having to just come back to focusing on myself, and then going out there and doing one wave at a time. So it’s just been a wild week and we’re still going. Definitely nice, like, making the cut and then going into that heat I could feel I was a little more free than the heats before. But definitely just wanted to keep going and do well, and keep going with my brother too. Honestly just a really cool week, a week that I’ll remember forever.”

Griffin will next face Barron Mamiya (HAW), who defeated Connor O’Leary (JPN) in the second Quarterfinal, while Crosby will meet Jordy Smith (RSA). The longest-standing member of the Tour, Smith, moved to No. 1 on the rankings for the first time since 2017 and will wear the Yellow Leader Jersey at CT Stop No. 8, the Lexus Trestles Pro, which will take place at the Colapinto brothers’ home of San Clemente.

Smith’s heat win also solidified the men’s Mid-season Cut conversation. His elimination of Imaikalani deVault (HAW) relegated the Hawaiian to the Challenger Series and left Alejo Muniz (BRA) as the final surfer above the Cut-line.

For more information and highlights from today’s competition at the Western Australia Margaret River Pro, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Women’s 

Made the Cut: 
– Gabriela Bryan (HAW)
– Caity Simmers (USA)
– Molly Picklum (AUS)
– Isabella Nichols (AUS)
– Tyler Wright (AUS)
– Caroline Marks (USA)
– Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW)
– Luana Silva (BRA)
– Lakey Peterson (USA)
– Erin Brooks (CAN)

Missed the Cut (Will Not Continue to 2025 CT Backhalf, Qualified for 2026 CT): 
– Sawyer Lindblad (USA)
– Vahine Fierro (FRA)
– Bella Kenworthy (USA)
– Brisa Hennessy (CRC)

Relegated to the Challenger Series:
– Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
– Johanne Defay (FRA)
– Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)
– Nadia Erostarbe (ESP)

Men’s 

Made the Cut:
– Jordy Smith (RSA)
– Italo Ferreira (BRA)
– Yago Dora (BRA)
– Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
– Barron Mamiya (HAW)
– Ethan Ewing (AUS)
– Filipe Toledo (BRA)
– Miguel Pupo (BRA)
– Griffin Colapinto (USA)
– Jake Marshall (USA)
– Rio Waida (INA)
– Connor O’Leary (JPN)
– Marco Mignot (FRA)
– Crosby Colapinto (USA)
– Alan Cleland (MEX)
– Joao Chianca (BRA)
– Joel Vaughan (AUS)
– Seth Moniz (HAW)
– Cole Houshmand (USA)
– Alejo Muniz (BRA)

Missed the Cut/Relegated to Challenger Series: 
– Matthew McGillivray (RSA)
– Liam O’Brien (AUS)
– Jackson Bunch (HAW)
– George Pittar (AUS)
– Ian Gouveia (BRA)
– Samuel Pupo (BRA)
– Imaikalani deVault (HAW)
– Deivid Silva (BRA)
– Ian Gentil (HAW)
– Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR)
– Edgard Groggia (BRA)
– Ryan Callinan (AUS)
– Gabriel Medina (BRA) – Awarded 2026 WSL Season Wildcard 

Western Australia Margaret River Pro Women’s Round of 16 Results: 
HEAT 1: Molly Picklum (AUS) 9.17 DEF. Bella Kenworthy (USA) 8.10
HEAT 2: Bronte Macaulay (AUS) 8.73 DEF. Caroline Marks (USA) 8.33
HEAT 3: Caitlin Simmers (USA) 14.50 DEF. Brisa Hennessy (CRC) 14.16
HEAT 4: Luana Silva (BRA) 12.80 DEF. Erin Brooks (CAN) 12.50
HEAT 5: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 12.83 DEF. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 11.83
HEAT 6: Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 9.20 DEF. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 5.73
HEAT 7: Isabella Nichols (AUS) 13.33 DEF. Vahine Fierro (FRA) 10.84
HEAT 8: Lakey Peterson (USA) 16.10 DEF. Tyler Wright (AUS) 14.27

Western Australia Margaret River Pro Men’s Quarterfinal Results: 
HEAT 1: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 16.33 DEF. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 15.73
HEAT 2: Barron Mamiya (HAW) 11.16 DEF. Connor O’Leary (JPN) 8.66
HEAT 3: Crosby Colapinto (USA) 15.66 DEF. Jacob Willcox (AUS) 11.10
HEAT 4: Jordy Smith (RSA) 14.50 DEF. Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 11.50

Western Australia Margaret River Pro Women’s Quarterfinal Results: 
HEAT 1: Bronte Macaulay (AUS) 15.00 DEF. Molly Picklum (AUS) 12.54
HEAT 2: Caitlin Simmers (USA) 9.50 DEF. Luana Silva (BRA) 8.84
HEAT 3: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 12.97 DEF. Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 8.83
HEAT 4: Lakey Peterson (USA) 16.34 DEF. Isabella Nichols (AUS) 14.33

Western Australia Margaret River Pro Men’s Semifinal Matchups: 
HEAT 1: Griffin Colapinto (USA) vs. Barron Mamiya (HAW)
HEAT 2: Crosby Colapinto (USA) vs. Jordy Smith (RSA)

Western Australia Margaret River Pro Women’s Semifinal Matchups: 
HEAT 1: Bronte Macaulay (AUS) vs. Caitlin Simmers (USA)
HEAT 2: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) vs. Lakey Peterson (USA)

PRIOR UPDATES BELOW

The Box Makes Triumphant Return to Western Australia Margaret River Pro 

Smith Sets the Standard, Moves to World No. 2

Colapinto Brothers Are Quarterfinal Bound: Griffin Scores 9-Point Ride at The Box, Crosby Makes the Cut

deVault’s Dream Run Continues, McGillivray Relegated to Challenger Series

Competition Called OFF for Tomorrow, Thursday, May 22; Next Call To Come Tomorrow for Following Days

The rising onshore wind and increasing swell quickly changed conditions, leading to a decision to call the women’s Round of 16 off for the day, especially with so much on the line for the women’s field regarding the Mid-season Cut and re-qualification for the 2026 CT season. The competition has already been called off for tomorrow, Thursday, May 22, with an update on the call tomorrow for the following days.

The decision to finish the round at Main Break paid off for Jordy Smith (RSA), who delivered a dominant performance as he posted the highest numbers of the event to defeat Marco Mignot (FRA). An opening 7.83 (out of a possible 10) was followed by a 9.50 for a 17.33 (out of a possible 20) heat total as Smith’s explosive railwork lit up the large face of Main Break. The win moved Smith up to World No. 2 on the live rankings, with the potential for the 37-year-old South African to leave Western Australia in the Yellow Leader Jersey. It will be the fourth straight Quarterfinals appearance for Smith, who has tapped into rare form since winning his first event in seven years at Stop No. 4 in El Salvador.

“I was stoked, I started with that seven, and then to get the nine was special, so I was pumped,” Smith said. “I kind of had my strategy for [The Box], and then as we got there, the wind kind of was coming. I was like, ‘Oh, I might need to get an early start before that wind really hits in’. And then they just U-turn, come back, reset. They made a great call, you know, I think they predicted it perfectly. I know it worked out for me in the end.”

Out of the many surfers excited to see competition return to The Box, trials winner Jacob Willcox (AUS) was potentially the most happy. Despite growing up in Margaret River and competing in the event seven times previously, it was Willcox’s first opportunity to surf in a jersey at one of his favorite waves in the world. Competing against Joao Chianca (BRA), a formidable opponent in waves of consequence, Willcox made it look easy as he navigated the nuances of the reef on his backhand. An 8.17 was the high point of the heat for the West Australian who moved into the Quarterfinals of the Margaret River Pro for the first time, matching his previous best CT result from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in 2019.

“I’ve dreamt of that moment for a long time,” Willcox said. “When I heard they were pretty keen to go to The Box I was so fired up to get through that day competing yesterday. It’s probably not the best Box ever, but just being able to compete out there was so special. That’s something I’ve dreamt of for so long, getting to watch the comp out there a few times and not being involved in it, I was just wishing to have a go. That was a pretty fun heat. Obviously, I don’t think I did as good as I could have done out there. It was kind of hard trying to balance, like, wanting to get the best wave, but then trying to compete as well. I let one go at the end because I just wanted the whole priority. Joao [Chianca] is such a hard competitor, especially for a wave like that. I think he got one at the start that, if he made it, probably would have been a 10. It could have been a completely different story. But yeah, I just had a bit of local luck on my side, I guess.”

“That was sick,” Mamiya said. “I was definitely freaking out inside, but I was like, ‘Hey, just be mellow.’ Sometimes in the past, at Pipe or Teahupo’o or certain waves where it gets me super, super excited, and I’m freaking out, I’ll let my emotions get too freaked out, and then I’ll go out there and blow it. So I was kind of just like, alright, stay calm, go out there and just surf a normal heat. And yeah, I got into rhythm, and everything ended up being fun. I got some waves, got some barrels, it was sick.”

Two Japanese teammates from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games faced off when Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) took on Connor O’Leary (JPN). The low-scoring numbers registered didn’t account for the charging that took place between the two. Determined to continue his rise up the rankings and stranglehold on the GWM Aussie Treble leaderboard, Igarashi patiently waited for the bigger, deeper barrels but was unable to find any exits. O’Leary was more active, managing completed rides on lesser waves, to extend his head-to-head record over Igarashi and progress to the Quarterfinals for the first time this season.

Both Griffin Colapinto (USA) and Crosby Colapinto (USA) claimed Round of 16 heat wins today to move through to the Quarterfinals. A lackluster start to the season for the brothers, who both featured in the CT Top 10 in 2024, had them in danger of the Mid-season Cut, especially Crosby, who came into the event well below the Cut-line. After their performances in Western Australia, the two Colapintos were able to confirm their places on Tour as it heads to their home in San Clemente, California, for Stop No. 8.

The younger of the two, Crosby, was able to hold his nerve in the most pressure-filled heat of the day against Jackson Bunch (HAW). It was a do-or-die match for both surfers, with the winner moving above the Cut-line and keeping their place on Tour, and the loser relegated to the Challenger Series. With neither competitor able to score above a 4.50, the heat remained wide open right until the end, when Colapinto was finally able to breathe a massive sigh of relief at making the Cut.

“Out in the water, I had so much emotion coming out of me, I was kind of crying and stuff,” C. Colapinto said. “It’s just wild. I started the year, broke my elbow and then went to Portugal, didn’t really get a result and then El Salvador got a third. I’m like, alright, I’m right back in this, I can do it. And then came over here and lost in the Round of 32 in the first two events over here. So there was a lot of doubt coming into this one. But then, just trying to lean into belief and like all the hard work I’ve done and all the preparation. I was really inspired by Seth [Moniz]’s story last year of coming in here and kind of doing what I just did. So I’m just kind of coming in here with the belief of doing it and then also having this opportunity to create a special moment like this right here.”

“I feel like that’s one of the best heats of my life,” G. Colapinto said. “Getting barreled in a jersey is the dream, and I feel like I’ve kind of missed out on that a lot in my career, where like I lose and then the next day is just all-time barreling, you know Teahupo’o or Pipe, and I’m just on the sidelines, just so bummed. And today I woke up and went, wow, I’m in this, like I get to surf in this, you know, and I was just so grateful for that opportunity.”

The Cut scenario for the men was simplified by the end of competition today. With Crosby Colapinto (USA) making the Cut, Matthew McGillivray (RSA) was bumped below the line, officially relegating the South African back to the Challenger Series. Two surfers now remain in contention for the final remaining position above the Cut-line, Imaikalani deVault (HAW) and the current occupant of the spot, Alejo Muniz (BRA), who was eliminated yesterday. Nothing short of a win will see deVault able to take Muniz’s place.

A win over Alan Cleland Jr. (MEX) today sees deVault into his first Quarterfinal appearance of the season, which couldn’t come at a better time as the 27-year-old continues his slow climb up the rankings. At Margaret River last year, the Hawaiian was able to do exactly what he needed to save his place on Tour. With an even higher requirement on the line this year, deVault will next face Jordy Smith (RSA), who today posted the highest scores of the event.

“I’m just really enjoying how I’m surfing in my heats,” deVault said. “I’m just stoked to kind of be putting good performances together. Hopefully the next round has good waves because Jordy [Smith] is probably one of the best out here, so it’s going to be a battle.”

For more information and highlights from today’s competition at the Western Australia Margaret River Pro, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Western Australia Margaret River Pro Men’s Round of 16 Results:
HEAT 1: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 16.00 DEF. Mikey McDonagh (AUS) 2.43
HEAT 2: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 12.16 DEF. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 7.04
HEAT 3: Connor O’Leary (JPN) 8.50 DEF. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 2.50
HEAT 4: Barron Mamiya (HAW) 15.17 DEF. Jake Marshall (USA) 5.73
HEAT 5: Jacob Willcox (AUS) 12.50 DEF. Joao Chianca (BRA) 5.87
HEAT 6: Crosby Colapinto (USA) 6.53 DEF. Jackson Bunch (HAW) 3.34
HEAT 7: Jordy Smith (RSA) 17.33 DEF. Marco Mignot (FRA) 7.17
HEAT 8: Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 15.33 DEF. Alan Cleland (MEX) 8.26

Western Australia Margaret River Pro Men’s Quarterfinal Matchups: 
HEAT 1: Griffin Colapinto (USA) vs. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
HEAT 2: Connor O’Leary (JPN) vs. Barron Mamiya (HAW)
HEAT 3: Jacob Willcox (AUS) vs. Crosby Colapinto (USA)
HEAT 4: Jordy Smith (RSA) vs. Imaikalani deVault (HAW)

Western Australia Margaret River Pro Women’s Round of 16 Matchups: 
HEAT 1: Molly Picklum (AUS) vs. Bella Kenworthy (USA)
HEAT 2: Caroline Marks (USA) vs. Bronte Macaulay (AUS)
HEAT 3: Caitlin Simmers (USA) vs. Brisa Hennessy (CRC)
HEAT 4: Luana Silva (BRA) vs. Erin Brooks (CAN)
HEAT 5: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) vs. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
HEAT 6: Sawyer Lindblad (USA) vs. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW)
HEAT 7: Isabella Nichols (AUS) vs. Vahine Fierro (FRA)
HEAT 8: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Lakey Peterson (USA)

• PRIOR UPDATES BELOW….
• Off Sunday & Monday, Next Call Tuesday May 20, 2025 7:15 AM (Monday 1:15pm HI Time)
• Impending Mid-Season Cut Draws Excellence on Western Australia Margaret River Pro Opening Day
• Defending Event Winners Bryan and Robinson Highlight Opening Round Performances
• Hometown Hero Macaulay Overcomes Reigning World Champion Simmers in Opening Round
• Lindblad, Hennessy, and Kenworthy Earn Crucial Advancement Amongst Mixed Results for Women on the Cut Line

The first excellent score of the event for the women went to defending event winner Gabriela Bryan (HAW), whose relationship with Western Australia has only grown stronger over the years. Bryan tore through one of the most powerful turns of the day, extending the push directly under an imposing lip. An incomplete finish to the wave likely held the score back, but the 8.00 (out of a possible 10) earned, along with a 7.00, made for the highest heat total of the round, 15.00 (out of a possible 20). A runner-up finish in 2022 was followed by Bryan’s first-ever CT win in 2024, both necessary results to keep her on Tour. In 2025, the 23-year-old has returned as World No.1, today claiming her first heat win while wearing the Yellow Leader Jersey.

“It feels so good, I love it here,” Bryan said. “The minute I got here, it was like a breath of fresh air and it honestly feels so much like home. So yeah, I’m so glad to be back. On the Gold Coast, it was obviously kind of like a spotlight for me and I was trying to embrace it and stuff, but I like to go under the radar. But it’s kind of hard to do that, so I’m learning how to deal with it. It’s just a color on a jersey, so it’s nice, but yeah, I’m learning as I go.”

Bryan faced stiff competition from Vahine Fierro (FRA), who posted an 8.50 of her own to advance to the Round of 16 in second place, just 0.17 behind the Bryan. Wildcard Willow Hardy (AUS) was sent to the Elimination Round.

“I knew that wave was out there, it was just about getting on it,” Robinson said. “It’s good to start like that, and yeah, it kind of came down to the end a little bit to get that one. But we’re back home and feeling a lot of support, and love and support from the crowd, so it’s awesome. I see so many kids and everyone just around and supporting, and yeah, just soaking all the energy up, so it’s good. I think it just gives you a good feeling to be back. You go out there and you focus, but it’s also just a good feeling to have all the support. I’m just happy to be back home. It’s pretty simple, go and surf and have a good time.”

Robinson was one of only five of the top men’s seeds to earn a heat win today. Current World No. 1 Italo Ferreira (BRA) also took an early win, along with GWM Aussie Treble leader Kanoa Igarashi (JPN), Jake Marshall (USA), and Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA). Fioravanti managed to defeat both Griffin Colapinto (USA) and Crosby Colapinto (USA), in only the second time the brothers have appeared in a CT heat together. It was the surfer most in danger of the Cut, Crosby, who was sent to the Elimination Round.

The critical backhand of Bronte Macaulay (AUS) has taken the 31-year-old to much success around the world, including to victory on the Challenger Series, but her greatest consistency has been found at home in Margaret River. Macaulay’s tight hits in the pocket on the right at Main Break saw her take a big heat win over reigning World Champion Caity Simmers (USA) and 2019 Margaret River Pro winner Lakey Peterson (USA). Since announcing her retirement from full-time competition at the end of last season, Macaulay has been coaching up-and-coming surfers from the region, along with studying to be a teacher. Though the former CT veteran is always self-effacing, she is still hungry to push through to her first CT Final, especially after making the Semifinals in three out of the past four events.

“I guess I got lucky it was a two-wave set,” Macaulay said. “A lot of my waves were quite section-y and I felt like I couldn’t quite get my first turn in where I wanted to. So yeah, I just got lucky I got a smooth one at the end and that was just enough to get me through. It was obviously a big surprise [to receive the Wildcard]. I’m at Uni and coaching a lot of the girls that are here today actually. And yeah, they called me up saying you’ve got a spot. So I was like, okay, I got to get off the couch, start surfing Main Break, get some new boards. It was a really pleasant surprise and it’s just a really nice way to end my career back here at home in Margs.”

A crucial heat for 2017 Margaret River Pro winner Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) went right down to the wire. Luana Silva (BRA) surfed a solid heat to take a decent lead, while Fitzgibbons struggled to find a back-up to one of the highest scores of the heat, a range Isabella Nichols (AUS) was still trying to break into, despite sitting in second on the scoreboard. Within the final minute, both Fitzgibbons and Nichols caught waves. A single turn from Fitzgibbons provided the score she needed to jump into second, but Nichols’ wave arrived as her highest of the heat, reclaiming the advancing position and sending Fitzgibbons into the Elimination Round.

The longest-standing member of the women’s Tour, Fitzgibbons has been relegated to the Challenger Series every year that the Mid-season Cut has existed, and this season she is sitting the lowest on the rankings of those able to qualify for the 2026 CT. The 34-year-old faced the same Elimination Round scenario in 2024 and bounced back to place in the Quarterfinals, a result she’ll at least need to match to be able to secure her place for 2026.

Sitting in a similar position to Fitzgibbons, Brisa Hennessy (CRC) was able to turn her heat around in the final moments and head straight into the Round of 16. Hennessy’s advancement knocked Erin Brooks (CAN) into the Elimination Round however, leaving the 2025 CT Rookie in a precarious position. With eight women battling for three positions to avoid the Mid-season Cut, every heat is of utmost importance. Though Brooks is currently placed highest of the eight, that placement can change fast.

Hennessy progressed behind two-time World Champion Tyler Wright (AUS), the only top seed outside of Gabriela Bryan (HAW) to earn a heat win today. In 2024, Wright pushed her performances to make the Semifinals and avoid the Mid-season Cut. This year, the 2016 event winner and four-time runner-up sits comfortably within the top-5; the only veteran to do so amongst the newer generation.

In the following heat, fellow Rookie Bella Kenworthy (USA) was able to find the last-minute score that Brooks was unable to attain, pushing Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro winner Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) into the Elimination Round. Entering the event placed No. 13, Kenworthy is also in need of a big result in Margaret River.

2024 Margaret River Pro runner-up Sawyer Lindblad (USA) enters the event this year in a similar position to last year on the rankings. As with last season, the 19-year-old was able to rely on the exceptional timing of her backhand hits under the lip to take out the first women’s heat of the day over World No. 3 Molly Picklum (AUS) and injury replacement Nadia Erostarbe (ESP). Though entering the event at No. 10, with a narrow points advantage over the five women below her in the rankings able to take her place, Lindblad has already dipped below the Cut-line, despite today’s heat win.

“I just wanted to get waves that would allow me to do two turns,” Lindblad said. “It was kind of hard on the backhand, you had to be really quick, and some of the waves were closing out. So yeah, I’m happy I got it done at the end. I have lots of really happy memories from here and I feel like this wave really suits my surfing. I love big rights, so yeah, I’m excited for my next heat.”

Impending Mid-Season Cut Draws Excellence From Men on the Line

Of the 10 excellent scores earned in the men’s Opening Round, seven of them came from six surfers amongst the closest to the Cut-line: Cole Houshmand (USA), Samuel Pupo (BRA), Joao Chianca (BRA), Connor O’Leary (JPN), Matthew McGillivray (RSA), and Liam O’Brien (AUS).

Houshmand and Pupo came into the event on opposite ends of the Cut conversation, at No. 17 and No. 29, respectively. Houshmand’s powerful backhand blasts and Pupo’s searing forehand rail game were the perfect contrast, with both surfers pushing each other in the highest-scoring affair of the round. Though the Brazilian regular-footer was the only surfer of the day to collect two scores in the excellent range, the American goofy-footer took the heat win, his 16.43 total edging out Pupo’s 16.23. Both surfers progressed to the Round of 32 however, sending World No. 8 Barron Mamiya (HAW) into the Elimination Round.

“It feels like we’re back in Hawaii or something,” Houshmand said. “It’s been firing the last few days, just stoked to be able to ride a little bit bigger board and just lay into it. So it’s fun. Obviously, the vision is past the cut, you know, I want to do better than that. And so I think the main focus is just stay in the moment and heat-by-heat and kind of just enjoy it all. Last year, I won Bells, so it kind of just skyrocketed me up. I didn’t even have to think about it. But, you know, it’s always in the back of your mind. You kind of just have to accept it when you’re in our position and accept that it’s reality. And then just also fall back on the work you put in and all the dedication and know that what’s meant to be is meant to be. So just keep working hard and surfing good and hopefully win some heats.”

A dramatic layback end section hit delivered an 8.83 to Joao Chianca (BRA). Backed up with a 7.17, the lowest-ranked surfer above the Cut-line pre-event, at No. 22, delivered an excellent 16.00 heat total. Chianca surfed a fiery heat, both on the waves and in the lineup, forcing Wildcard Mikey McDonagh (AUS) into an intense paddle battle for priority that was amusingly faux-adjudicated by Jordy Smith (RSA). Smith progressed behind Chianca, leaving McDonagh to take on the Elimination Round.

“It’s a good day in the West,” Chianca said. “Happy to be back and everything feels alright, but I really don’t have much to say because the job is not over yet. So yeah, just stoked. It’s always fun times when we bring the best out of the other surfers and Mikey [McDonagh] had that fire going as a wildcard, so yeah, props to him.”

Despite two-time World Champion and 2021 Margaret River Pro winner Filipe Toledo (BRA) dropping the first excellent score of the event in the opening heat of the day, it was Connor O’Leary (JPN) who took the win. O’Leary drew exceptionally clean lines to showcase his critical backhand surfing, earning an 8.50 and a 7.30, for an exciting start to the day. Entering the event at No. 19 on the rankings, the brand-new father will likely need every heat win he can get to remain on Tour when he leaves Western Australia.

“It’s been a while since I feel like I’ve had a heat where there’s been a lot of waves and I’ve been able to kind of ride a couple and perform,” O’Leary said. “This year, I feel like I’ve been surfing the best I ever have, personally, and I think, you know, Darren [Handley], kudos to Darren, he’s been making me unbelievable boards. I think I’ve just been having a few unlucky heats. Conditions have been tricky and I’ve been making a few little mistakes that end up being huge mistakes at the end of the heat, when it’s finished. So to be able to kind of make a mistake out there at the start and then be able to tell myself there’s going to be a lot of opportunity to get my way back in was really satisfying. And yeah, it was cool to get a few and just get a few steep sections to kind of just rip in a bit.”

“The waves are cooking today, so everyone’s really excited,” McGillivray said. “I was really nervous about coming up against Ethan [Ewing] and Ryan [Callinan]. It came down to the last wave for me, so the pressure was on, and I was definitely feeling it. But I was just happy to not fall on that last turn, and yeah, I was stoked to make it through. It’s a great confidence boost. After Burleigh Heads I was a little bit bummed, and yeah, hopefully this is a better event for me. I’m excited.”

Liam O’Brien (AUS) knows the importance of performing at Margaret River more than most, having saved his place on Tour for two years running with big heat wins. In 2023, O’Brien defeated both Toledo and Kelly Slater (USA) to maintain his status. Today, O’Brien got the best of current World No. 2 Yago Dora (BRA) and wildcard replacement Winter Vincent (AUS) to move into the Round of 32, where he will be in a must-win situation to jump above the line that he is now sitting one place below.

“These heats are all pretty important, as everyone knows, so any one I can get is a good one,” O’Brien said. “But yeah, it’s always nerve-wracking, first heat of the comp. You don’t want to stumble early, but I was stoked to get that one out of the way. The West is somewhere I’ve always loved. I’ve got a lot of good friends over here, and it’s one of my favorite stops on Tour for sure, so stoked to be back.”

The four men in the event sitting lowest on the rankings, Imaikalani deVault (HAW), Ryan Callinan (AUS), Edgard Groggia (BRA), and Ian Gentil (HAW), all find themselves in the Elimination Round despite needing a huge result in Margaret River to keep their CT hopes alive. With strong Wildcards and top-seeded surfers also in the round, the competition will be intense when the event resumes.

For more information and highlights from today’s competition at the Western Australia Margaret River Pro, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Watch LIVE
The Western Australia Margaret River Pro will hold a competition window through May 27, 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.