The surf world crowned two new champions early Tuesday morning, delivering high-stakes drama from the iconic waves of Cloudbreak, Fiji. Brazil’s Yago Dora and Australia’s Molly Picklum both clinched their very first world titles. They arrived at the championship final as the top-ranked surfers and managed to hold onto those spots when it mattered most.
The men’s competition was a thrill ride from the start. Brazilian surfer Italo Ferreira, ranked fifth, kicked things off by eliminating Australia’s Jack Robinson, who sat fourth. However, in what many called one of the day’s best duels, Italo’s run was halted by American Griffin Colapinto, ranked third. Colapinto edged him out with 16.33 points against Italo’s 13.67. Colapinto then continued his impressive march, overcoming South Africa’s Jordy Smith, ranked second, to earn his spot in the grand final. Despite Colapinto’s strong momentum, the world number one, Yago Dora, proved too powerful. Dora won the final heat with 15.66 points to Colapinto’s 12.33, securing the world title right away thanks to a new rule.
This victory marked a significant moment for Brazilian surfing. Following Gabriel Medina’s historic first world title in 2014, Yago Dora, at 29 years old, became the fifth Brazilian surfer to reach this global pinnacle. In fact, only Hawaii’s John John Florence, with wins in 2016, 2017, and 2024, has managed to break the strong Brazilian dominance on the World Tour during this period.
On the women’s side, American Caroline Marks, ranked fourth and the reigning 2023 world champion, played a crucial role in shaping the day’s story. Marks began by defeating Hawaii’s Bettylou Sakura Johnson, also noted as fourth in the ranking. She then went on to beat her fellow American and defending world champion, Caitlin Simmers, ranked third, in the next heat. Marks didn’t stop there, winning again in her matchup against Hawaii’s Gabriela Bryan, ranked second, which secured her place in the championship final. There, Marks used her experience to win the first duel against world number one Molly Picklum, putting her in the lead for the title.
However, unlike the men’s final, the women’s championship wasn’t decided in a single heat. Since the ranking leader, Molly Picklum, didn’t win the first duel, the title automatically became a best-of-three contest. Picklum, just 22 years old, responded with incredible force, winning the next two heats convincingly. She scored 15.83 points against Marks’ 8.03 in the second heat, and then an even more dominant 16.93 against 6.24 in the third, bringing the women’s world title back to Australian surfing.
This championship event marked the final time the world title was decided in a “finalÃssima” showdown involving the top five surfers. The World Surf League (WSL) has already announced that it will return to the older format starting in 2026. From next season onwards, the world champion will once again be determined by who finishes at the top of the ranking after all 12 planned stages of the circuit.