The Cliffs is one of the most intimidating and unique waves in the world, as long Atlantic Ocean swells batter the coastline of Ireland.

The only entry and exit point is a narrow goat track down a steep cliffside.

The wave is extremely fickle, with Russ hunting for years before finally getting the chance to surf it. This is a session and a ride that defines his relationship with the place.

Watermarks is an ongoing series exploring the most defining waves of Russell Bierke’s career.

Erin Brooks (CAN) and Seth Moniz (HAW) won the Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA, Stop No. 7 of the 2026 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT). Clean, four-to-six-foot, hollow barrels greeted competitors to Finals Day, setting the stage for an incredible day of surfing. Multiple tight matchups resulted in the first victory as a Tour member for Brooks, who defeated 2026 CT Rookie Anat Lelior (ISR), and a long-awaited inaugural CT win for Moniz, a Tour mainstay who evened the score against lifelong friend Griffin Colapinto (USA) in the Final.

"I'm just so thankful to God for sending me my waves, because I honestly thought I was out. In a combo really early, I knew I had time, but it's super hard to get good waves and it made me nervous," Brooks said. "I haven't had a win in so long, so it feels really good. The season has been really hard. I've kind of lost out in the second round of every event, so to get a win gives me so much more confidence, because I was almost doubting myself. The girls have gotten so much better and I was really bummed on my results. But I'm happy with this one."

An all-time barrel-fest went down in the all-goofy-footed women’s Final. Brooks and Lelior traded clean barrels to open, the Israeli earning the early advantage of a 6.33 to a 5.67 from the Canadian. Lelior then locked into a much deeper, heavier section to float over the foamball, exit the barrel, and pick up her first excellent score of the event, an 8.33. Brooks responded with a slightly deeper tube than her opener, adding a 6.03 to her scoreline, before Lelior improved her backup to a second excellent ride of an 8.00 and put Brooks into a heavy combination at the halfway point of the 40-minute Final. Finally locking into the wave she was hoping for at the 17-minute mark, Brooks delayed a stylish bottom-turn into a throaty barrel to answer back with an 8.27. An 8.93 soon followed after Brooks emerged from a much longer, trickier barrel, leaving Lelior in need of an 8.88, which she was unable to find despite sending herself into every remaining opportunity.

"I'm just so thankful to God for sending me my waves, because I honestly thought I was out. In a combo really early, I knew I had time, but it's super hard to get good waves, and it made me nervous," Brooks said. "The season has been really hard. I've kind of lost out in the second round of every event, so to get a win gives me so much more confidence, because I was almost doubting myself. The girls have gotten so much better, and I was really bummed on my results. But I'm happy with this one."

Moniz Delivers Career-Best Performance to Earn Long-Awaited Inaugural Victory

Seth Moniz (HAW) has at last achieved a dream long in the making, winning his first CT event in his seventh season on Tour. Previously sharing his best result by placing runner-up to 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) during Slater’s most recent victory at Pipeline in 2022, Moniz found his breakthrough win right when he needed it most. Languishing at the bottom of the rankings all season, the win has shot Moniz 12 places up the rankings to No. 19. The 28-year-old had to battle through undoubtedly the hardest draw of the event, all the way from Round One, to truly earn the victory. One of Teahupo’o’s finest, Eimeo Czermak (PYF), was the first victim of Moniz’s barrel mastery, before reigning World Champion Yago Dora (BRA), tube-riding specialists Barron Mamiya (HAW) and Alan Cleland (MEX). Moniz then ended the run of current World No. 1 Italo Ferreira (BRA) in the Semifinals before the defeat of his lifelong friend Griffin Colapinto (USA) in the Final. Newly married and with a baby on the way, Moniz has pushed through to a big momentum shift for his career in 2026.

"I've been waiting so long for this," Moniz said. "We put a lot into this, you know? Surfing's such a hard sport, and only one guy wins every time. I put so much work into this, and it finally paid off. My phone was on the boat, and I heard it ringing before the Final, so I think [my family is] probably losing it. I hope my parents aren't having a heart attack. This whole week has just been surreal. Just this crazy momentum every time, this perfect sync with the ocean. I swear to God, he was up there looking down at me and sending me the waves. It hasn't sunk in yet, honestly. It's a weird feeling."

A long wait for the opening wave of the Final saw Colapinto (above) attack first. That small number was soon replaced by 7.67 and 5.67, giving the Californian an early lead. A false start from Moniz was followed by a well-navigated, heavier barrel than either that Colapinto had been able to find, delivering the Final’s first excellent score of an 8.50. Moniz soon claimed the lead with a follow-up 6.33, before locking into a bigger, deeper, driving barrel that earned a 9.07 and left Colapinto in need of a near-perfect 9.90. Moniz’s exit landed him directly amongst a watching crowd of supporters, who sprayed him with celebratory splashes. Not done yet, the Hawaiian close out the Final with an even better 9.10 for the highest heat total of the day, and Moniz’s personal best, of 18.10. Moniz’s victory evened the head-to-head rivalry with Colapinto, who last defeated him on the road to his most recent victory at the 2024 Fiji Pro.

"It's been a long time since I was in that Final with Kelly [Slater], and as good as that felt, I got second. After the event I was really bummed. It's so hard to make a Final on this Tour. So many gnarly guys to go through, so I'm ecstatic, and I'm happy I got the monkey off the back," Moniz continued. "It's been a tough year. This Tour is hard, everyone's really good, and I've been in this same position before, behind the eight ball. But I think when I get into these sticky situations and I really need to clutch up, I somehow pull it off. This whole week I felt like I was gonna get this win. Every morning I woke up I just had the butterflies and that feeling. Right now it's sinking in. I did it. I won. I beat six insane surfers. And then to meet Griff [Colapinto] in the Final; the Finals I've been in are with people that really mean a lot to me. After I beat Yago [Dora] I saw Griff parking his jet ski, pulled over, we had a beer, and he's like, 'I'll see you in the Final, we're on opposite sides of the draw.' We've said that a lot of times in our lifetime on Tour, and for it to actually happen is insane."

Anat Lelior Continues to Defy Expectations, Securing Historic Runner-up Finish

Continuing her career-long track record of defying expectations, Anat Lelior (ISR) has earned her biggest result yet by placing runner-up in this event. Already the first surfer from her nation to qualify for both the CT and the Olympic Games, Lelior has once again notched her name in the history books with the first-ever CT Final for Israel. Now sitting at No. 14 on the rankings, the 26-year-old has placed herself deep in the fight for Rookie of the Year honors. Battling through a tough journey to the Final, Lelior took down three-time World Title Runner-up Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), World No. 1 Gabriela Bryan (HAW), and deadly local Wildcard Kelia Gallina (PYF) over the course of the event, along with fellow Rookie Yolanda Hopkins (POR) in the Semifinals.

"It feels unreal, standing up here," Lelior said. "Everything I've said about Tahiti is true. The mountains, the community, I feel for that, I appreciate it, and my heart is out for you. Thank you for bringing this back to me. Putting Erin Brooks in combo, I might be 26 and she's 19, but she's a legend. So that 10 or 15 minutes putting her in combo felt good. But I heard Strider [Wasilewski] in the channel saying 'Job's not done yet,' and he was definitely right. It got under me. It's okay, it's my first Final, so I have a lot to learn. I'm hungry for more."

Second Place Finish Moves 2025 World Title Runner-up Griffin Colapinto Into Top-10

Appearing in his second Tahiti Pro Final in as many seasons, Griffin Colapinto (USA) has secured his best result of the year with a runner-up finish. Showcasing a phenomenal display of next-level barrel-riding throughout the event, including the season’s second Perfect 10-point ride and its highest heat total of 19.60, Colapinto notched his name in the Teahupo’o history books. The result sees the 2025 World Title Runner-up move four placings up the rankings and into the Top-10 at No. 8.

"It's crazy the way that all panned out to have Seth [Moniz] and I in the Final together, that's a dream come true," Colapinto said. "Seth and I have been best friends since we were 10-years-old, grew up doing Billabong Bloodlines, staying at this house right here, coming over here since we were 14, and always dreaming of being in this position. Seth's first event win, I'm so proud of him, so happy for him. If I won I would have been kind of bummed for Seth, so it was just this weird internal battle I was going through. I think that got the best of me and I made a few mistakes, and Seth ended up winning. It's something I'm gonna have to reflect on and figure out how to handle surfing against best friends. It's pretty challenging."

Statement Performance Matches CT-Best Result for Boukhiam

Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) bettered the two-wave total of his memorable defeat of 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) in the 2024 Tahiti Pro Quarterfinals with the highest heat total of his career, an excellent 17.74. Featuring a single-wave score of a 9.57, also the highest of the day, for a deep barrel that saw him emerge after the spit, the Moroccan left George Pittar (AUS) in a giant combination and secured his equal-best CT result with a Semifinal finish.

"That was super sick, I got so many barrels. I could have had another 9.50," Boukhiam said. "The heat before was really slow, so I was a little worried, but it turned on in my heat. I'm really happy. That 9.50 was obvious, it had the perfect little west bend on the inside ledge with the little south entry. It was a dream wave. I try to take off really deep so I get a big pump and can control my speed in there and come from behind. I felt some wind, and my board lifted up, and I knew the speed was coming to push me out."

For highlights from the 2026 Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com. 

Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA Women's Final Results:
1 - Erin Brooks (CAN) 17.20
2 - Anat Lelior (ISR) 16.33

Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA Men's Final Results:
1 - Seth Moniz (HAW) 18.17
2 - Griffin Colapinto (USA) 14.67

Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA Women's Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Erin Brooks (CAN) 15.10 DEF. Isabella Nichols (AUS) 11.17
HEAT 2: Anat Lelior (ISR) 12.50 DEF. Yolanda Hopkins (POR) 3.43

Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA Men's Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Seth Moniz (HAW) 15.76 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 13.83
HEAT 2: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 15.40 DEF. Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 8.37

Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA Women's Quarterfinal Results:
HEAT 1: Erin Brooks (CAN) 13.50 DEF. Molly Picklum (AUS) 3.27
HEAT 2: Isabella Nichols (AUS) 7.83 DEF. Nadia Erostarbe (ESP) 7.26
HEAT 3: Anat Lelior (ISR) 9.50 DEF. Kelia Gallina (PYF) 6.53
HEAT 4: Yolanda Hopkins (POR) 12.33 DEF. Caitlin Simmers (USA) 6.90

Outerknown Tahiti Pro Presented by I-SEA Men's Quarterfinal Results:
HEAT 1: Seth Moniz (HAW) 13.66 DEF. Alan Cleland (MEX) 1.50
HEAT 2: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 15.50 DEF. Ethan Ewing (AUS) 11.94
HEAT 3: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 17.74 DEF. George Pittar (AUS) 8.84
HEAT 4: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 11.83 DEF. Jack Robinson (AUS) 11.50