Hot In The City

Jun 18, 2026

Words: Joel Gray

This year’s later start and expanded schedule has meant the WSL elite World Tour juggernaut seems to be non stop steamrolling around the world event to event.  Digital jet lag is setting in for those committed to the live stream after chilly New Zealand mornings straight to steaming hot El Salvador afternoons. For the top pro’s their air miles just took another boost as they hop to Brazil. 

 
Brazil tends to be a love it or leave it event for most online fans and there’s a fairly vocal split amongst the competitors too. The negative overtones are due to the usually underwhelming conditions or overwhelmingly weird backwash. 
It’s pretty hard to argue against the Brazil event in terms of the sheer size of it as a sporting spectacle though. Snapper and the Gold Coast did a solid job of packing the beach with knowledgeable fans but nothing comes close to the fervour of what will occur on the beaches of Rio as the top men and women come to one of the world’s greatest cities. 
 
Brazil is culture confident deep in its love of sport and its embraced surfing like no other in that regard. Driving through Rio you will see as many billboards with Medina on them as you will Neymar. With the backdrop of a world cup fuelling the nationalistic pride it’s a hard place to be if you’re in a heat against a Brazilian and a hard place to score points if your skill set is tuned to the world’s perfect waves. This is Brazil and this is surfing as a spectator sport all wrapped into one açai and caipirinha-fuelled beach. 
Women's favourites
 
Gabriela Bryan and Carissa Moore (above) simply look like they are surfing better than everyone else on tour this year. Gabby’s power and Carissa’s calm knowhow and sheer skill will likely see them remain at the top come events end.
 
Luana Silva is Brazil’s only female on the tour and a win here would put her in world title conversations for sure. No doubt 99.9% of fans of the beach will have her back.
Good bets
 
Portugal’s Yolanda Hopkins (above) got to Brazil early and shares Brazil’s ‘surfing is sport’ athletic vibe. She speaks the language on many fronts and has a skill set worthy of an outside win bet here for the rookie.
Still good enough?
 
Molly Picklum, Caity Simmers, Erin Brooks (above), Tya Zebrokski. All super talented and media hype focussed pre-seaons. All have been surfing good in spells without putting the necessary points on the board. All will drop out of the world title conversation if they don’t change tack and get a win soon. It could happen in Brazil - especially for Caity and Tya.
Men's favourites
 
More than likely it will be a Brazilian who wins this event so take your pick! Medina (above) looks like he’s surfing better than ever and better than everyone else but he’s yet to get a win. Italo is particularly suited to the ever changing sections of Rio beach breaks. It’s also kinda weird that Toledo has had so many shocker results and at home it’s likely that only friendly fire from his countrymen such as Sammy Pupo and Yago Dora that will limit his progress here. 

Good bets

Apart from any Brazilian, how about someone who likes to go 100% hard from the first section with a certain level of unpredictability? Marco Mignot fits the bill as does Joel Vaughan. Otherwise let's keep an eye out for Leo Fioravanti (above). Fresh from a confidence boosting first win in El Salvador he now sits third in the rankings. He’s the top dog in coach Richard Marsh’s Dog Pound and has established himself as a peerless forehand power surfer and heat tactician. He also knows another big result keeps him right in the conversation for world title showdown down the line.

Still good enough?

Spare a thought for Oscar Berry (above). The only competitor on the men’s or women’s tour yet to make a heat all season. This event he’s been drawn against Hawaiian air technician Eli Hanneman in the first round. Good luck!