The sands of Saquarema Beach in Rio de Janeiro are buzzing. This Brazilian coastline, affectionately known by some as the “Maracanã of surfing,” is set to host the Saquarema Pro. This event is the fifth stop on the seven-stage Challenger Series tour. It’s a crucial moment for five surfers, all battling for a spot on next year’s World Tour. The heat draw is already out, setting the stage for some intense competition.
This weekend’s action kicks off with the men’s division. Frederico Morais, known as ‘Kikas’, and Afonso Antunes are their country’s hopes in the male category. Both surfers will compete in the very first round. They are currently far from the top positions in the rankings. Kikas sits at 56th, while Afonso is at 66th. They are nearly 10,000 points behind the top 10, which secures a place in surfing’s global elite. This means they need a huge performance here to even enter the qualification race.
Afonso Antunes will face a tough lineup in Heat 6. He goes up against Hawaii’s Luke Tema, Australia’s Tully Wylie, and Brazil’s Rafael Teixeira. Frederico Morais jumps into the fray in the following heat. He will test his skills against Spain’s Adur Amatriain, America’s Ryan Huckabee, and Brazil’s Kaue Germano.
Women on the Brink of History
The women’s side presents a much brighter picture for the national team. Yolanda Hopkins arrives in Brazil holding the second-place spot in the rankings. The top seven female surfers will earn a ticket to the 2026 World Tour. Joining Yolanda in a strong position are Francisca Veselko, ranked 4th, and Teresa Bonvalot, sitting at 8th. All three women received a direct pass into Women’s Round 2 as seeded competitors.
Every heat Yolanda wins at Saquarema brings her closer to qualification. She will be in the eighth and final heat of her round. Her opponents include Australia’s Ellie Harrison and two surfers advancing from the initial round. Kika Veselko, as Francisca is known, is in Heat 3, facing Australia’s Sophie McCulloch and two surfers from Round 1. Teresa Bonvalot takes her spot in Heat 6. She’ll compete against America’s Kirra Pinkerton and two more surfers coming from the first round.
The Saquarema Pro begins this Saturday morning and could run until Sunday, October 19. It stands as an immensely important event for shaping the final standings. Yolanda Hopkins could mathematically secure a historic spot on the women’s World Tour here. If the 27-year-old surfer from the Algarve pulls it off, she will become the first woman from her country to achieve this feat. For the men, Tiago Pires and Frederico Morais have previously reached the World Tour.
The Road Ahead
After Brazil, two more stages remain to decide the seven women’s and ten men’s spots. Both of these final events will take place in early 2026. The first will challenge surfers in the powerful tubes of Pipeline, Hawaii. Finally, Newcastle, Australia, will host the very last stop. This year’s circuit actually kicked off in Newcastle, where Kika Veselko impressively won the women’s event.