Jordy Smith wins Margaret River Pro to claim WSL number-1 ranking
South Africa’s Jordy Smith wins at the Margaret River Pro to take the WSL number-one spot - part of a career-defining comeback that's put him back on top of global surfing. Full event recap here.
The WSL continues to serve up some incredible waves alongside some incredible victories. Although conditions disappointed in the finals of the Margaret River Pro, there won't be many fans out there who won't have been delighted to see Smith grab another event win as his career resurgence gathers pace.
01
Margaret River Pro
Jordy Smith has won the Margaret River Pro, defeating Griffin Colapinto in the final and rising to top spot in the WSL rankings. In a season defined by comebacks, Smith’s is one of the most remarkable: from an eight-year winless drought to two event victories in just two months, he now leads the world title race by 5,000 points and has seemingly unstoppable momentum as we wrap up the Australian leg of the tour.
This latest win builds on Smith’s emotional breakthrough at the Surf City El Salvador Pro, where he stormed past former World Champion Italo Ferreira on the way to an all-South African final.
"This means everything," commented Smith. "It’s been a long road back, but I never stopped believing I could be here again. I feel strong, and I’m loving every moment on tour.
This means everything. It’s been a long road back, but I never stopped believing
Jordy Smith
On the women's side of the draw, reigning world champion Caity Simmers missed out in the final as Hawaiian rival Gabriela Bryan notched the highest combined score of the 2025 women's tour so far with 17.33.
Kanoa Igarashi dug deep in the last-eight clash to get past recent Surf City El Salvador Pro champion Jordy Smith 14.34 to 13.84, however wildcard Julian Wilson was a different proposition in the semi-final. The Australian, who defeated championship leader Italo Ferreira in the Round of 32, got the upper hand with a great performance to book his final spot against Brazilian Filipe Toledo.
Igarashi jumped up the rankings with his Burleigh Heads performance
With Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach winner Jack Robinson defeated in the Elimination Round and Lexus Pipe Pro runner-up Leonardo Fioravanti also out early, 2022 and 2023 WSL champion Toledo took the chance to bag his first 2025 victory thanks to a brilliant final showing of 17.60.
2019 WSL champion Ferreira still leads the title race from compatriot Yago Dora, with Smith just behind in third place and Igarashi up two spots to fourth place and with momentum now behind him.
In the women's contest, American Caroline Marks couldn't replicate her MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal win from earlier in the season as she was bundled out in the last 16 by France's Vahiné Fierro. Reigning WSL champion Caity Simmers was also unlucky not to progress beyond the Round of 16 after a 12.84 to 12.50 loss to eight-time WSL champion Stephanie Gilmore
That heat was so crazy, I'm so lucky that I was able to surf against Steph. I've looked up to her my whole life
Erin Brooks
Canadian Erin Brooks excelled on the other side of the draw to defeat American Lakey Peterson in the Round of 16 and then produced a masterclass in the last eight to see off Gilmore. Brooks said: "That heat was so crazy, I'm so lucky that I was able to surf against Steph. I've looked up to her my whole life and I'm just glad to get the win off of her because she's so amazing."
03
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach
Australian Jack Robinson won the iconic Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach event for the first time. The fifth stop of the 2025 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) saw Robinson out for his first season win after seeing the likes of Ítalo Ferreira and Jordy Smith win already this year on the circuit.
Robinson sneaked through top of a tough Heat 7 to start his challenge, then saw off Jackson Bunch in the Round of 32 with an imperious display and score of 16.13 before having an easier time of it in the Round of 16 against Filipe Toledo - thanks to a winning score of 16.53.
Jack Robinson carves it up at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach
After a long week of waiting for waves, Finals Day saw the Bells Bowl continue to deliver with semi-clean surf in the four-to-six-foot range as all finalists put on a show for thousands of fans. Robinson came up against childhood friend Kanoa Igarashi, who was contesting his first final of the season after a solid run through the field this week. Igarashi surfed multiple waves while Robinson played a patient game, only surfing two scoring waves.
After climbing up to world number three in the rankings, Robinson stated; "It's a special day. I have my whole family here, everyone is here. All my team, my whole crew. Right before the semi-finals, we were watching footage of [Joel Parkinson] Parko and Mick [Fanning] surfing Bells and I was all fired up. I drew some inspiration from those guys. I just channelled that and thought, 'be in the moment'."
It's a special day. I have my whole family here, everyone is here. All my team, my whole crew
Jack Robinson
In the women's event, defending WSL champion Caitlin Simmers, Caroline Marks, Molly Picklum and Erin Brooks all departed at the Round of 16 stage as Isabella Nichols produced a series of brilliant displays to make her way through to the final where she easily saw off Brazil's Luana Silva 16.26 to 12.67.
04
Surf City El Salvador Pro
Jordy Smith secured his seventh championship tour victory and first in eight years as he overcame Matthew McGillivray in a historic all-South African final at the Surf City El Salvador Pro.
Smith backed up his strong start and held a commanding lead heading into the back half of the final. McGillivray was able to respond and get in the heat with a 5.00, but as time dwindled, Smith found another Punta Roca wall that allowed him to showcase more of his powerful style and post a 6.93 to take the win.
Smith, whose remarkable career spans 18 years among the world’s best on the CT, said: “I think just for South Africa in general, this means a lot. I can’t believe it, to be honest. If I could dedicate this to two people, my wife and my father. I wanted to ride my father’s board in this final and win on it, and to do it is incredible."
Over in the women’s event, American Gabriela Bryan secured back-to-back Surf City El Salvador finals appearances and the second CT victory of her career. The 2022 Rookie of the Year eliminated reigning World Champion Caity Simmers in the semi-finals to book a place in the final against Isabella Nichols of Australia.
Caitlin Simmers takes on the formidable waves of Punta Roca
Caroline Marks put on a dominant performance at Supertubos, claiming her second Portugal title and reinforcing her status as one of the tour’s top contenders. Navigating tricky conditions, she edged out Gabriela Bryan in the final, securing her seventh career win. Meanwhile, reigning WSL champion Caitlin Simmers fell just short in the quarter-finals but retains the yellow jersey as the tour heads to El Salvador.
It wasn't the prettiest final, but we'll take it. It was really challenging, but winning feels so good, I'm so pumped
The 2024 Olympic champion from Florida, Marks revealed: "It wasn't the prettiest final, but we'll take it. It was really challenging, but winning feels so good, I'm so pumped. The last couple of years, it felt like I was building momentum in the second half of the season, so to start off with a win and just be really consistent to be in the Finals Day for every event so far has felt really good. It feels really special to share this one with my dad. He doesn't come to many events, so to have him here is really good."
Over in the men's event, Brazilian Italo Ferreira continued his strong start to the WSL season with an impressive run to the final in Portugal. Taking down top contenders along the way, he showcased his trademark power and aerial brilliance, landing the highest single-wave score of the final.
Though compatriot Yago Dora edged him out with a creative backup ride, Ferreira’s runner-up finish keeps him firmly in the yellow jersey. With momentum on his side, he now looks ahead to El Salvador, ready to defend his lead in the title race.
This air helped Italo Ferreira take down Joel Vaughn in the Round of 16
Ferreira, 30, said: "It was a long week, and I was really confident, but I made a few mistakes in the Final. It's always a pleasure to compete against Yago, congratulations to him. I love this place. I have a lot of good memories. We still have a long season ahead, so let's keep it going."
06
Surf Abu Dhabi Pro
Griffin Colapinto gets to know the Abu Dhabi playing field
After the two-week-marathon of the Lexus Pipe Pro, the waves and pace of this weekend's Surf Abu Dhabi Pro could not have provided a bigger contrast. The United Arab Emirates played host to the second stop of the 2025 Championship Tour, and the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro, the first-ever WSL event to take place in the Middle East, ran flat out in three frantic days.
Amazingly, for an event that ran in the controlled environment of the world's latest and greatest wave pool, there was no shortage of variables, as wild winds, human error, and even a sandstorm did all they could to throw curveballs at the contest. Despite all of that, or maybe because of it, the last surfers standing seemed likely from the first time they stepped in the world's first saltwater wave pool.
The winners
Italo Ferreira and the alley oop that saw him soar to the top of the podium
With the momentum from his sizzling season-opening performance still maxed out, Brazilian powerhouse Italo Ferreira looked like the man to beat as he bulldozed his way through the Championship Tour field. From launching huge aerials to ripping waves to ribbons with vicious carves and tying it all together without missing a beat, rhythmical from the moment he took off till he kicked out at the other end of the pool, Italo's UAE performances were showstoppers.
Ferreira reflected on a good day's work: "That was a really great day! I was waiting for this moment! It was my first time in Abu Dhabi, and it was really special. I put all my heart into this, everything that I did was with a lot of emotion."
In the final, which you can watch in the video above, Ferreira came up against an Indonesian man on a mission, Rio Waida. Although the Brazilian was a clear favourite, Waida fuelled his run to the end game on spirited self-belief, pushing his bulletproof surfing to new limits and not shying away from saying how much he wanted to win in post-heat interviews.
Similarly, Californian Simmers' win seemed a solid bet from her opening heat. Although Simmers' casual demeanour sits on the other end of the character spectrum to Ferreira's outgoing bombast, it can't hide the steely competitor barely buried beneath her effortlessly stylish exterior. While Ferreira's outrageous energy signals his every intent, Simmers's slacker stylings leave the viewer wondering what's coming next, as she zigs where others zag, with not a wasted movement or drop of water out of place.
"It really feels good when you can do well under pressure, it makes your mind stronger when you’re put in those situations," she explained. "It feels really good to get a win. It was crazy to see Molly did good on both of her waves so I had to get a score and was happy I got it."
If Ferreira surfs quantitatively, Simmers is qualitative. Both are equally compelling viewing, both work.
Although the world champions tackle life at wildly contrasting paces, they ended the weekend in the same place, alongside each other atop the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro podium, draped in the world number one's yellow jerseys, as the CT heads to Portugal.
The rivalry
Caity Simmers and Molly Picklum: surfing's friendliest rivalry
Simmers accounted for Molly Picklum in the final of the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro to take her head-to-head lead over the Aussie to a staggering 6-0. It is staggering because the two are evenly matched, as seen in last year's historic Pipeline final.
"It was fun watching Molly, and I feel like we'll be doing this a lot more in the future, so..." said Simmers. "Molly pushes me so hard, she’s a really spontaneous surfer, she’s a fun human, lot of energy, she can pull it together so well."
Molly pushes me so hard, she’s a really spontaneous surfer, she’s a fun human, lot of energy, she can pull it together so well
Beyond the winners, there was a lot to unpack at surfing's latest wave-pool event. The main takeaway was the type of surfing required to not only encourage the panel to punch big numbers into their tablets but also win over surfing's real judges: the viewing audience.
Standard surfing was not the formula for success; if it seems safe in the ocean, you can be guaranteed that it looks bland in the pool. Those who attacked sections they might normally shy from or dared to roll the dice on lines they wouldn't take at the beach were rewarded handsomely. Jackson Bunch stole the show on the opening day, deliberately avoiding the tube to allow more runway to launch three aerials back-to-back-to-back and drop the highest score of the whole event.
Simmers' suave swerves were punctuated in the final by a foot-to-the-floor run to the shoulder, normally a wave-pool faux pas, followed by a big, on-rail roundhouse cutback that would have been more at home at Bells than Abu Dhabi. It led to her best wave in the final.
Jack Robinson showed that his catlike reflexes work in manmade waves too, with turns and aerials used as wild stalls that pitched him into the tube from never-before-seen angles, the point of difference forcing big numbers from the judges.
Didn't want to chance aerials? Rio Waida, Gaby Bryan and Ethan Ewing showed that insanely committed on-rail turns, bordering on the edge of disaster, will score exponentially higher than well-executed but risk-free versions.
Caroline Marks and Luke Egan en route to the Abu Dhabi Pro quarters
= Vahine Fierro (TAH), Gabriela Bryan (HAW) and Ethan Ewing (AUS), Jack Robinson (AUS)
07
Lexus Pipe Pro
21 min
Channel 51 – Last Call Pipeline
Stab’s alt-cast crew break down all the takeaways from the first event of the 2025 WSL Championship Tour.
English
The first event of the 2025 WSL Championship Tour, the Lexus Pipe Pro, wrapped up sensationally on Hawaii's North Shore with hometown hero Barron Mamiya going back-to-back at his beloved Pipeline. On the women's side of the draw, two-time world champion Tyler Wright became the first female two-time Pipe Pro champion, accounting for Caity Simmers in a wave-starved final.
Hometown hero Barron Mamiya goes back-to-back at Pipeline
To go back-to-back, I feel like that cements you as one of the best ever out here
Barron Mamiya
Mamiya beat Leo Fioravanti in a controversial finish after both men registered 17.97 two-wave totals. Mamiya won on a countback, his top-scoring 9.80 besting Fioravanti's high scoring 9.10, locked in while chasing a 9.11 for the win. After the judges took an eternity to confirm the crucial number hearts broke around the world for Fioravanti, competing in his second Pipe final in the last three years and still chasing a maiden win on the CT.
Leo Fioravanti finished second at Pipe, but first in the minds of many
"Needing a 9.11 and getting a 9.10, it's tough," said Fioravanti on the podium, "but I'm very proud of myself for coming back and giving myself that chance. Congratulations to Barron. He is one of the greatest Pipe surfers of all time."
Tyler Wright wins the Pipe Pro and redlines to the top of the CT rankings
"This is such a special win!" said Wright. "I think I really tried to bring in a lot more joy. It was so cool to have a final with Caitlin out there. She's like the queen of Pipeline to me."
This is such a special win! I think I really tried to bring in a lot more joy
Tyler Wright
"I wish the final was a barrel shootout," said Simmers, "But the ocean definitely slept during our heat. Tyler is a very smart competitor and she just got the waves. Congrats to her."
Casual style in critical waves has fast become a Caity Simmers calling card
In the semi-finals, Simmers beat Molly Picklum in a repeat of last year's iconic final, in an equally thrilling encounter, while for the men Mamiya pulled together a near-perfect heat to end Italo Ferreira's spirited run. Lakey Peterson and Ian Gouveia were the other two defeated semi-finalists.
The waves
Surfing's ultimate playing field delivered for the Pipe Pro
The 2025 WSL Championship Tour season got off to a flying start with fun conditions for the opening days of the Lexus Pipe Pro. An unusually large build-up of sand saw longer pointbreak-style waves running down the beach at Backdoor Pipeline, allowing for high performance, rather than the usual high stakes, surfing.
Kelly Slater's timeless and unmistakeable Pipeline silhouette
Competition was then put on hold for over a week with solid conditions looming on the horizon. The forecasts proved true, with insane waves at both Backdoor and Pipeline for the final two days of the event, and the champions crowned in front of a packed house on Oahu's famed North Shore.
The 10s
2023 Pipe Pro champion Jack Robinson locked in his first ever 10 on the Championship Tour, riding as big of a Backdoor wave as you'll ever see to perfection, before failing to find a back-up and being eliminated by tour rookie Al Cleland.
Barron Mamiya added a 10 of his own, for an incredible Pipeline late drop that led to an almighty tube that put defending world champion John John Florence on the ropes. Florence struck back with a wild wave of his own that most fans declared a 10 from the moment he was spat from the tube, but the judges declared it a 9.63, and Mamiya advanced.
Mamiya had a string of excellent wins en route to claiming the trophy, but dethroning Florence, one of Pipeline's all-time greats, was surely the sweetest.
The colour
As well as broadcasting every day of competition on the WSL Championship Tour in 2025, Red Bull TV have partnered with Stab to bring a fresh take to three very different days of competition across the 2025 Championship Tour season. Channel 51 made its debut on the final day of the Lexus Pipe Pro, with another event in Australia and the WSL Finals Fiji slated to cop the Stab treatment later in the year.
WSL Lexus Pipe Pro Finals – Stab commentary
As Pipe's final day unfolds, Stab’s studio jockeys bring you all the winners, losers and unseen storylines.
Starring Damien Fahrenfort and Coco Ho in the studio, cheeky Aussie wondergrom Hughie Vaughan roaming the sidelines, and a string of guests including everyone from Jordy Smith to Jamie O'Brien, imagine Channel 51 as the loudest locals at your favourite beachside carpark hosting a podcast and you might be getting close.
If you missed Channel 51 the first time you should definitely hit play on the wrap-up video at the top of the page, and get excited for the team to return in Australia in a few months time.
Channel 51's roaming reporter Hughie Vaughan corners Kelly Slater