Taj Burrow today became the first ever three-time winner of the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy, beating Mikey February in the grand final to cap off three radical days of competition in the best waves the event has ever seen.
Taj Burrow – Jon Frank
Burrow’s victory was hard fought. After finishing runner-up in all three divisions and surfing the maximum 10 heats, the 46-year-old Australian did his best to conserve energy on the final day. While being conservative with wave selection is counterintuitive behaviour for a surfer when the waves are four-foot and flawless, it was a wise call. Burrow’s six excellent wave scores on the final day proved that while he may have sacrificed quantity, the quality of his waves didn’t suffer in the least.
Grey skies greeted competitors as they made their way out to the Sultans lineup this morning, but as an early tropical downpour dissipated it left a silky-smooth ocean in its wake. Slack winds and non-stop waves were the perfect recipe for the twin fin division to get underway, and Jeremy Flores came out all guns blazing. Unimpressed with his performances on the opening two days, and with no chance of winning overall, Flores was surfing for pride alone, but that was plenty. An 8.33 and a 7.17, both for beautifully ridden tubes, were warning shots to the field, and enough for a comfortable victory over Burrow and local wildcard Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil.
Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil – Jon Frank
The second heat saw more fireworks from another passion-fuelled surfer, Jadson Andre. Going upside down on his backhand, as he has all event, Andre locked in an 8.33 and a 7.83 to move on to the next round in first. Mikey February advanced in second, while a valiant but fatigued Carissa Moore was eliminated.
After his strong opening round performance Flores stepped up further in the semi-finals against February, whose pair of sixes were no match for Flores’ 8.67 and 9.10. By now the tide was optimal, conditions had clicked, and the waves were impeccable. A 17.77 total for Flores saw him move on to the final with a head of steam after claiming the scalp of the most renowned twin fin artists in the game.
Mikey February – Jon Frank
In the second semi, Andre, who needed to advance to the twin fin final to remain in contention for the overall final, had no answer to Burrow’s all out assault. Opening with an incredible 9.67 for a deep tube complete with wild foamball ride, the West Australian was never headed. As he has all week Andre stayed busy catching waves the length of the point, whether banging out big backhand blasts at the top peak, or sneaking off to hunt tubes further down the line.
While Andre’s two final waves were his highest scorers it was Burrow who had the last laugh with the event’s first perfect 10 coming in the dying minutes, thrown unanimously by the judging panel for a deep disappearing act.
Taj Burrow – Jon Frank
“It was a really fast, perfect cylinder,” said Burrow. “I knew it was a good one because there were some foamball moments in there, then it let me out and I did a nice roundhouse cutback. The whole week has been a blur of tubes but that felt like a 10 for sure.” Burrow’s near-perfect 19.67-out-of-20 total saw his MR x Mayhem California Twin Pin take him to his third final for the week.
Jeremy Flores and Taj Burrow – Jon Frank
A battle between two of the WSL Championship Tour’s greatest ever performers was always going to be a closely fought affair, no matter the surfboards being ridden. After five minutes Burrow sat with priority on his preferred corner of the reef, while Flores headed up the line to chase the bigger top peak. Somehow the next set delivered gems to both men, Flores the first to pull into a huge tube, exiting in time for Burrow to hear the crowd erupt as he paddled into a gem of his own.
“That was so fun!” said Burrow, of the back-to-back barrels that ensued. Flores earned a 9.67 for his bigger first pit, Burrow a 9.77 for his deeper tube behind. Like that, we had a final on our hands as the two surfers scoured every inch of the lineup looking for waves. In the end it was Flores who found a better second score, a 7.27 the reward for his last wave, a tight tube followed by a long wall that allowed him to unleash his arsenal of powerful open face carves and under the lip laybacks.
Jeremy Flores – Jon Frank
“It was crazy, it looked like the swell was dying then suddenly it turned on again,” said Flores. “I was a bit angry today, I’d been cruising at first, yesterday I was a bit bummed, but today I really wanted to win something. And I did! Still got it!”
With the twin fin division decided, the grand finalists were locked in. Burrow kept his rash vest on to surf his third straight 33-minute heat, and fourth for the day, while February had spent the previous hour relaxing in an airconditioned cabin on the Kuda Princess, the luxury yacht that has been the surfer’s locker room all week. While fatigue was starting to play a role, there was no way Burrow wanted to lose his rhythm. He opted against taking any form of break and rolled straight on to the title-deciding bout, merely pausing for a second to add a third small trailer to his twin fin set-up, given the grand final allows for any equipment to be used.
Mikey February – Jon Frank
February remained atop his beloved Channel Islands twin fin, as another insane tube duel commenced. February caught seven waves to Burrow’s four, and both men had three excellent scores to their name at final’s end, but with a 9.10 and a 9.03 it was Burrow who led throughout. An 8.67 and a 9.10 ensued February was never far from first, and with a few minutes to go a storm loomed large on the horizon. Suddenly the wind turned stiff offshore, and even after a week of big barrels, suddenly they’d never seen wider.
Burrow’s final pit for the week was a gem, but an 8.00 was no help to him. He kicked out in the channel leaving February alone in the lineup chasing a 9.04. As the buzzer went February snuck into one last long wall. The crowd seemed to be paying little attention as the South African flew through section after section in the tube. Burrow was worried but he needn’t have been, as the resulting 8.17 fell short. Bottles began popping on the back of the Princess as Burrow’s 18.13 scoreline narrowly shaded February’s 17.77 two-wave total.
Taj Burrow – Jon Frank
“I almost feel guilty for winning,” said Burrow afterwards. “Mikey was the best surfer here this week. He looks beautiful on any board but especially that twinny. His turns were looking so perfect, he was on point and ripping and I knew he was the one to beat.
“But I know how to surf a heat, and I knew how I could do it. I patiently sat on my spot, got a couple of drainers, did a few turns of my own. Even at the end I knew he could get me, and then the storm hit! The wind ripped in hard offshore, the waves were so groomed and I got maybe my roundest tube for the week. I thought I’d done enough at that point, then Mikey caught another wave on the buzzer, and was in the barrel for ages. I didn’t think it was the score, but you never know, and finally it was read out that’d I’d won.
“I was staring down the barrel of a bunch of seconds, and that led me to dig deep for the final. I was very tired and running on adrenaline, but I knew my formula and the ocean delivered. That might be one of the funnest finals I’ve ever surfed. I don’t know if I’ll ever wear a jersey again … unless I get invited back! I got so tubed, with friends, staying at the Four Seasons, there’s no way you can better that. The pinch-me moments have been non-stop all week.”
Twin Fin Division Results
1. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 1000pts
2. Taj Burrow (AUS) 900pts
3. Jadson Andre (BRA) equal with Mikey February (ZAF) 800pts
5. Carissa Moore (HAW) equal with Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil (MDV) 700pts
2024 Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy Leaderboard
1. Taj Burrow (AUS) 2700pts
2. Mikey February (ZAF) 2600pts
3. Jadson Andre (BRA) 2500pts
4. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 2500pts
5. Carissa Moore (HAW) 2200pts
5. Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil (MDV) 2200pts
The Hamburg startup Floating Wave aims to set new standards in urban surfing by combining cutting-edge technology with sustainability, the 12-meter-wide Floating Wave offers a unique project that brings together economic benefits, urban accessibility, and scalability. This innovative floating wave is set to change life for inland surfers right around the world!
Unlike other artificial river waves and large surf parks, which are often located outside city centers, Floating Wave brings the surfing experience directly to people in the heart of harbor cities. The innovative floating pontoon solution is made possible by advanced wave technology and expertise in water construction.
Floating Wave utilizes state-of-the-art wave technology that consumes 50% less energy than conventional systems. By using filtered river water instead of drinking water, the ecological footprint is significantly reduced. This combination of efficiency and environmental friendliness makes Floating Wave a pioneer in the field of artificial river waves.
Thanks to its unique features, Floating Waves can be implemented quickly and efficiently worldwide in any suitable harbor city. This allows for a planning and construction period of just 16 to 24 months. This unique selling point supports the fast and healthy growth of Floating Wave.
The First Floating Wave will be in Hamburg, Germany. The project has broad support from politics and business, as well as cooperation with environmental authorities and experts, have made this possible. The Hamburg startup is excited to realize the first floating river wave in its home harbor, with an opening planned for 2026.
The owners are now inviting visionary co-founders and investors to join them in setting new milestones in the market for artificial river waves.
“With lower mooring fees and reduced energy consumption, Floating Wave offers a financially attractive and environmentally responsible investment opportunity. Together, we can bring the surfing experience to central urban locations worldwide and transform cityscapes and recreational activities”
Felix Segebrecht, Founder:
„We are excited about the support from the city and our seed investors for our smart low-tech innovation. Our next goal is to close the upcoming funding round to ensure a successful launch in the spring of 2026. We look forward to engaging with visionary banks and investors as we advance.“
José Fernandes, Snowboard World Champion, Surfer, and Entrepreneur:
“Floating Wave is a true game changer for the leisure industry. By innovatively combining proven technologies, it significantly reduces fixed costs for mooring and energy while enabling central urban locations. Thanks to sound financial planning and support from the federal INVEST funding program, this project is not only ecologically but also economically sustainable.”
Christoph Holstein, State Councillor for Sports, City of Hamburg:
“This project revitalizes unused harbor areas for sports, recreation, and tourism. It creates space for leisure and sports activities and adds a spectacular surfing attraction to the city’s offerings. It aligns exceptionally well with the core concept of ‘Active City’ and the use of the city for non-club-based sports. Therefore, the Sports Authority supports this attractive project.”
Michael Zirlewagen, President of the German Surfing Association (DWV):
“The Floating Wave in Hamburg combines sustainability, innovation, and passion to create a unique surf location in the heart of the city. This project makes surfing accessible to both beginners and professionals alike, and has the potential to set a precedent for similar initiatives across Germany. We are excited to fully support the Floating Wave and look forward to the opportunity to surf the rapids in Hamburg soon.”
The Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy went rogue today as a big jump in swell saw the decision made to switch the traditional order of proceedings and run the thruster division rather than the scheduled twin fins. With heaving tubes in the six-foot range strafing the Sultans reef, there was little complaint about the call from competitors, who promptly paddled out and spent the day pulling into big barrels, with South Africa’s favourite son Mikey February standing tall at day’s end to claim full points and join Taj Burrow on top of the Surfing Champions Trophy leaderboard.
Mikey February – Jon Frank
“I finally won something!” said an elated February after the final. “I don’t surf a thruster often, but there’s nothing wrong with riding a thruster in pumping waves, and this event challenges people in different ways. With this lineup of names I was probably the most nervous about today, so was just taking notes and trying to have fun.”
Last night at the single fin presentation, Taj Burrow told the crowd that yesterday had been the best Father’s Day of his life. Burrow kept that energy going this morning, locking straight into an incredible tube shootout with fellow former-CT competitors Jeremy Flores and Jadson Andre to kickstart the second day.
Taj Burrow – Jon Frank
With shifting peaks and regular cleanup sets breaking the length of the huge playing field, competitors were constantly on the move, hunting waves that would not only let them in, but more importantly let them out. There was no shortage of wild near misses as the ocean flexed on the field, which only served to make the handful of spectacularly threaded tubes in each heat even more enjoyable.
Jadson Andre – Jon Frank
Burrow and Flores, with an 8 and a 7-point ride apiece, moved on at the expense of yesterday’s winner Andre, whose pair of sevens left him just short but no less happy to be in the Maldives, as he paddled back in smiling.
In the second heat, February looked ominous from the start, advancing with a 15-point two-wave total. Carissa Moore weaved her way through countless tubes to claim second, while Maldivian wildcard Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil found one fun barrel but couldn’t secure a backup score to finish in third.
Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil – Jon Frank
Semi-final one saw Burrow and Moore square off in one of the biggest matchups of icons the Surfing Champions Trophy has ever seen. On top of Moore’s five world titles and Olympic gold medal, and Burrow’s folio of hall of fame video parts, both surfers have won at Pipeline, Bells, J-Bay, Snapper Rocks, Rio and Margaret River, to name a few.
Carissa Moore – Jon Frank
The opening exchange saw Burrow fly through a long running tube and kick out in time to see Moore lock into a drainer of her own. Back-to-back barrels earned an 8.50 and a 6.83 respectively and the tone had been set. At the halfway mark Burrow took off on the wave of the event, locking in from the top of the lineup through 50 metres of hypnotic warping sections before finally getting clamped moments from an exit and the event’s first perfect 10. Moore was left needing an 8.18 that never came, the two legends beaming as they boarded the boat afterwards, thrilled to share a heat.
“That was insane!” said Burrow. “Carissa was getting completely drained, we were sharing tubes, taking turns. It was so sick to share a heat with her, and in pumping waves too. Very special.”
Mikey February – Jon Frank
In the second semi-final February opened with a deep tube to silky smooth carve for an 8.33 to put himself in prime position. Flores replied with a stand tall tube for a 7.17, and with February unable to secure a solid second score, the door was left open. In the dying minutes Flores found his chance on a smaller inside wave. A barrel backed up with carves netted the Frenchman a 5.60, just short of the 5.94 he needed. Known for his fiery competitive nature, the Four Seasons version of Flores simply laughed and went back to playing with his kids, before settling in for the final.
Unlike yesterday’s final, today Burrow took full advantage of his seven-minute age advantage, starting his campaign with an 8.67 for a big barrel and a string of trademark frontside turns before February had even entered the water. When he did, February sat on the wider inside peak and went to work. A 6.00 and a 5.93 in quick succession weren’t quite enough for the lead, but applied pressure to Burrow, who sat with only a 3.50 as his backup.
Mikey February – Jon Frank
As time ticked away, credit must go to both surfers, who could have taken the easy option and looked to build their totals with safe scores, but instead chose to go big till the end. While Burrow rolled the dice on a couple of Hail Mary set waves that only resulted in minor scores, February came up big with mere minutes on the clock. Needing a 6.17, a throwaway by today’s high standards, February swung for the fences as a solid set approached. Taking off into a deep, deftly ridden tube, February emerged with the spit, eyed off the wickedly critical closeout section and wrenched a fully committed layback carve. The spray from February’s vicious turn was still landing long after the resulting 9.57 was read out, giving the tall South African the win.
“My first overseas surf trip was to the Maldives when I was 14 years old,” said February soon after. “My parents scraped up all the money they could to get me here, and now to be here at the Four Seasons, competing with all these amazing surfers, is pretty special. I’m pinching every time I look around or I’m in the water.”
There is one more round to run in the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy for 2024, and this year it will be the twin fin division that decides our grand finalists. The forecast remains pristine for the remainder of the waiting period so stay tuned for more updates to come from the Maldives.
Thruster Division Results
1. Mikey February (ZAF) 1000pts
2. Taj Burrow (AUS) 900pts
3. Carissa Moore (HAW) equal with Jeremy Flores (FRA) 800pts
5. Jadson Andre (MDV) equal with Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil (MDV) 700pts
2024 Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy Leaderboard
1. Taj Burrow (AUS) 1800pts
1. Mikey February (ZAF) 1800pts
3. Jadson Andre (BRA) 1700pts
4. Carissa Moore (HAW) 1500pts
4. Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil (MDV) 1500pts
4. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 1500pts
During the Capitulo Perfeito event, a new generation led by Jackson Dorian shows the world a secret kept in the Mentawai Islands, the hidden right breaking close to the Hiddenbay Resort.
This epic session was attended by Jackson Dorian, Martim Fortes, Sid Englert, Inigo Madina, Joaquim El Thariq and others.
THE 2024 FOUR SEASONS MALDIVES SURFING CHAMPIONS TROPHY ROARS TO LIFE WITH OPENING DAY PERFECTION
Report by Chris Binns
The Sultans lineup – Conor Quinlan
“This is one of those days I’m going to remember forever!” said Jadson Andre, grinning from ear-to-ear after winning the opening round and launching the 2024 edition of the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy in spectacular fashion.
The world’s most luxurious surfing event kicked off in fine style with single fin surfboards proving a conduit to stylish performances and incredible tube riding on day one. Sultans provided a perfect canvas for an incredible cross-section of the surfing world’s best artists to go to work, with the judges rewarding those who best blended barrel riding and turns.
“Oh my gosh it is absolutely cooking out there,” said two-time event winner Taj Burrow as he first laid eyes on the roping righthanders pouring into lineup. Burrow’s excitement was warranted as the impeccable conditions refused to let up through three rounds of competition, with Andre downing Burrow in a closely fought final to clean sweep the day and move to the top of the Surfing Champions Trophy leaderboard.
Jadson Andre – Jon Frank
The Surfing Champions Trophy sees competitors battle it out in single fin, twin fin and thruster divisions. Start times are staggered from oldest to youngest and in 2024 Burrow will surf 33-minute heats, Jeremy Flores will enter the water at the 28-minute mark, Jadson Andre and Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil a minute after that, while Carissa Moore and Mikey February join the field 26 minutes on the clock.
Jadson Andre – Jon Frank
Andre set the tone on the first wave of the event, riding a custom made 5’9” Ricardo Martins shape. A beautifully read, deep backhand tube landed him an 8.50 and made it clear that despite only surfing a single fin for the first time this week, his impeccable wave selection and tenacity in the tube were going to make him hard to beat. Andre sat comfortable in the lead while five-time world champion Carissa Moore and local wildcard Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil locked into a back-and-forth tussle for second, the natural-footed Maldivian barrel merchant eventually prevailing.
Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil – Jon Frank
Burrow took a far tougher route through the first round, the iconic Australian squaring off against Europe’s greatest surfer Jeremy Flores, and South African style merchant freesurf icon Mikey February, in an all-star showdown. While Flores high-scored the affair with a 9.10 for a perfectly threaded double barrel, he couldn’t find a backup wave and Burrow’s 8.40 and 7.90, and February’s 8.0 and 7.87, all recorded for deep tubes, saw them advance to the man-on-man rounds.
The first semi-final between Andre and February came down to the dying minutes, Andre’s impressive 8.27 and 7.33 leaving the tall South African chasing near-perfection for the win as the wave he wanted reared up on the horizon. While a long tube, searing carve and raucous crowd reaction asked the question of the judges, the resulting 9.0 saw February fall just short as Andre moved onto the end game.
Mikey February – Jon Frank
Burrow blitzed the second semi, spending more time in the tube than out to throw away a string of high scores, hold onto a pair of nines and record a huge 18.86 two-wave total. Burrow’s last tube was the best of the day, a 9.63 the reward for a gurgling foamball wrestle that left Ammaday chasing a combination of scores as time ran out.
As Andre and Burrow sat in the lineup waiting for their battle to begin, a good-looking wall presented. Andre pounced and although he knew he couldn’t register a score it might just have been the wave that won him the final. “I think I got the best barrel of my life!” said Andre afterwards. “I felt a special connection to my board, this wave, this place. After that I thought I was going to win.”
Andre’s premonition looked strong from the start as the ocean went flat and refused to recognise Burrow’s six-minute head start. Andre promptly threaded deft tubes to win the first two exchanges and establish a lead at the halfway mark, leaving Burrow chasing big Hail Mary barrels to try and snatch the win.
Taj Burrow – Jon Frank
“The final was a bit of a blur to be honest,” laughed Burrow. “Jadson was a competitive machine, cutting laps and getting sick ones. I had a chance to beat him at the end; paddled into one super late, had to knife the take-off and start pumping, and there was no way I was doing it on that board. My fin slid out on the first pump and I fell in the tube looking out at where I wanted to be. Single fins are challenging, but that makes it more rewarding when you get a good one. I’m so happy for Jadson though, he was ripping and that was the best second place I’ve ever had. I’m thrilled.”
Carissa Moore – Jon Frank
“It’s hard to explain how I’m feeling right now!” said an elated Andre after the final. “I got to surf a heat with Carissa Moore, five-time world champion and gold medallist, she’s the best. After that, Mikey February is as good as it gets on a single fin and we had a great heat together. Then a final against Taj Burrow? Come on! We surfed so many heats on tour together, but when he retired eight years ago I never thought this would happen again. Today was a special day.”
The Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy runs from August 29-September 5. The forecast looks impeccable for the rest of the week so stay tuned for updates through the week, with the twin fin division next to run.
Single Fin Division Results
1. Jadson Andre (BRA)
2. Taj Burrow (AUS)
3. Mikey February (ZAF) equal with Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil (MDV)
5. Carissa Moore (HAW) equal with Jeremy Flores (FRA)
2024 FS Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy Leaderboard
1. Jadson Andre (BRA) 1000pts
2. Taj Burrow (AUS) 900pts
3. Mikey February (ZAF) 800pts
3. Ahmed “Ammaday” Agil (MDV) 800pts
5. Carissa Moore (HAW) 700pts
5. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 700pts
The World Surf League (WSL) will soon be crowning the 2024 World Champions at the Lexus WSL Finals. Featuring the men’s and women’s Final 5, the winner-take-all competition will take place on a single day during the waiting period of September 6 through September 14, 2024.
In its fourth year, the 2024 Lexus WSL Finals holds the potential to be the most exciting yet. With almost all 10 qualified surfers competing for at least their second time, the experience gained in previous events lends to even more intense clashes between the world’s best surfers.
Fans will have many different ways to participate in the event. Most notably, Lower Trestles is open to the public, offering prime viewing of the competitors, putting it all on the line for the chance to be crowned the 2024 World Champion.
The Final 5 are Locked In and Ready to Go
This year’s Final 5 surfers have risen to the top across a long season of diverse waves in wide-ranging locations, from Hawaii to Australia, Europe to Tahiti, the Americas to Fiji. It has taken serious dedication to reach this point, and every single surfer will be bringing their best in the battle for the World Titles.
Each qualified surfer is well-versed in the highest level of competition; nine of the 10 have previously competed in the Lexus WSL Finals, and all 10 are Olympic surfers. Three are World Champions, and four have felt the weight of an Olympic medal around their necks.
In only her second season on the Championship Tour (CT), Caity Simmers (USA) arrives as the No. 1 seed, but the 18-year-old Californian will face stiff competition from a stacked field, which includes Caroline Marks (USA), the defending World Champion, who is sitting one position higher than where she claimed victory from in 2023 and has since added an Olympic Gold Medal to her accolades. Joining them will be Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy (CRC), Australia’s Molly Picklum (AUS), and Olympic Silver Medalist Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA).
Men’s No. 1 seed John John Florence (HAW), the two-time World Champion, is the sole surfer not to have previously competed in the Finals format. His quest for a long-sought third World Title will be challenged by the local knowledge of his Paris 2024 Olympic teammate Griffin Colapinto (USA). On top of that, Olympic Silver Medalist Jack Robinson (AUS) and his Olympic teammate Ethan Ewing (AUS) will be fighting hard to reclaim the World Title for Australia, while 2019 World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Italo Ferreira (BRA) will seek to retain it for Brazil, who have won every men’s World Title since 2018.
Breaking Down the Lexus WSL Finals Format
The fourth iteration of the Lexus WSL Finals will utilize the same overall format as previous events, with the World No. 1 ranked surfers slotted directly into the Title Match, where a best two-of-three-heat showdown will determine the World Champion. The remaining surfers enter the Lexus WSL Finals bracket based on their year-end rankings.
The Matches will feature a traditional heat format, with two competitors seeking to lock in their two highest-scoring waves, each wave out of a possible 10 points for a possible 20-point heat total.
The first matches on both sides will feature goofy-footed Brazilian Olympic Medalists taking on regular-footed Australian World Title hopefuls. In women’s Match 1, Olympic Silver Medalist Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) will take on Molly Picklum (AUS). On the men’s side, Match 1 will feature the contrasting styles of 2019 World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Italo Ferreira (BRA) and 2023 World Title runner-up Ethan Ewing (AUS). Weston-Webb, Ewing, and Ferreira have previously battled through to the Title Match, and they will bring that experience straight into the first heats.
As established last season, the No. 4 seed will have pre-determined priority over the No. 5 seed to start Match 1. Men's and women's Match 1 will be the only heats to have this pre-determined priority established.
Whoever wins Match 1 will advance to face World No. 3 in Match 2; Brisa Hennessy (CRC) for the women and Jack Robinson (AUS above) for the men.
The winner of Match 2 will face off against the No. 2 ranked surfer; reigning World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Caroline Marks (USA) for the women and Griffin Colapinto (USA) for the men. The winner of Match 3 will then move on to the best-of-three Title Match, where they will face World No. 1, Caity Simmers (USA), and two-time World Champion John John Florence (HAW). The first surfer to win two out of three Title Matches becomes the 2024 World Champion.
The crowning of the 2024 World Champions will immediately follow the final Title Match of the day.
Lower Trestles, the Pinnacle of High-Performance Surfing
The premier high-performance wave in Southern California, Lower Trestles, is often described as the skate park of surfing. As one of the primary venues for surf competition in North America, the cobblestone peak has played host to decades worth of champions being crowned, including the World Champions for the past three years.
The full judging criteria of speed, power, and flow comes into play at Lowers, with a surfer’s complete repertoire often being displayed. Large airs and speedy, full rail turns tend to receive the highest numbers, especially when seamlessly connected in the flow of the wave.
The break offers surfers the chance to go right or left, with endless options of maneuvers on offer, all within a stone’s throw of the crowd on the beach. The right is typically the primary scoring wave, but the left has come into play over the years, including aiding Gabriel Medina (BRA) in claiming his third World Title in 2021. Surf Night Offers the Opportunity for Fans to Connect With Their Heroes
An exciting new addition to the Lexus WSL Finals in 2024, Surf Night is a free, family-friendly gathering that will kick off the event with a celebration of the world’s best surfers and the San Clemente community.
On Tuesday, September 3, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. PDT, Surf Night will offer fans and their families the opportunity to connect with their heroes, collect autographs, and enjoy a fun night of music, giveaways, food, and more. Featuring all 10 of the women’s and men’s Final 5 surfers, it’s the ideal way to celebrate the World Title contenders, providing a memorable evening of surfing before the showdown for the Title kicks off.
