One call changed everything
Caio Ibelli crowned champion in the Maldives
A late call-up, an asymmetrical twin fin and one unforgettable week in paradise carried Brazil’s Caio Ibelli to the 2026 Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy, where he defeated Bede Durbidge in a thrilling Overall Final at Sultans.
Two weeks earlier, Ibelli was sitting in the Australian outback, wondering when he might next see the ocean. Now, he was the Single Fin, Twin Fin and Overall Champion – the first Brazilian to claim the event’s overall title.
“And then one call, my life changed!” he said.
Sultans Saves Its Best For Last
After three consecutive days of competition, several days of waiting followed for the right conditions to decide the Overall Champion. On the final day, Sultans delivered, with a fresh pulse of swell, offshore winds and some of the best barrels of the contest.
Durbidge returned to the Patel thruster that had won him the Thruster Division. Ibelli chose differently, backing himself on an asymmetrical Draft twin fin despite the size and power of the swell.
“Everybody expects me to ride thruster in these conditions, but I chose to stick with my twin because that’s my thing,” he said.
Durbidge took an early lead with a 6.50 and 7.00, while Ibelli answered with a 5.50. Then, holding priority, Ibelli found the wave that changed the Final. He threaded the barrel before finishing with a series of critical turns, earning an 8.33 – the highest score of the heat.
Durbidge fought back, finding barrels of his own and requiring a 7.17 in the dying seconds. His final wave earned a 6.23, leaving Ibelli the winner by just 0.66 points, 14.16 to 13.50.
A week to remember
The victory capped an extraordinary week for both surfers. Durbidge, back in a competitive environment after a decade away from Championship Tour competition, had won the Thruster Division to earn his place in the Final.
“It was such a good battle, and I haven’t felt those feelings in a long time,” he said. “I’ve been off tour 10 years now, and it was really cool to share that with Caio and to be able to push each other.”
For Ibelli, the week was about far more than another trophy. Arriving as a late replacement after spending little time in the ocean, he rediscovered his competitive edge across the three divisions.
“At first, I started as like, ‘Oh, it’s a fun event. Don’t be too serious about it. I’m not a professional surfer anymore.’”
After winning the Single Fin Division, his mindset changed. The Twin Fin Division followed, then the Overall Final.
“This trip changed my life. It gave me a whole new perspective.”
With his wife and young son watching from the beach, Ibelli secured a historic victory before preparing to return to the Australian outback.
“Now in two days, I’ll be back on the red dirt,” he said. “That’s what’s crazy about it. I live such a different reality. But this was the best outcome I could ever imagine. I’m so happy.”
First staged in 2011, the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy is an invitation-only competition held at Sultans in North Malé Atoll. Six surfers compete across single-fin, twin-fin and thruster divisions before an overall champion is crowned.
The 2026 edition delivered everything the unique format promises: changing equipment, pumping reef breaks, fierce competition and a final decided by less than a point.
