The waves were close to perfection last week up on Scotland’s North Coast, Thurso definitely bears resemblance to some of its tropical cousins – they don’t call it the “Cold Water Nias” for nothing.

And cold it was.. Even though the sun was shining on this particular day, 6mm hooded suits, boots, and gloves were essential to deal with the water temp hovering around 7°C.

Filmed: @global.zoo.co

• USA’s Marks and Colapinto Finish in Second Place
• Picklum Ties Moore for No. 1 on World Rankings
• 8X World Champion Gilmore and 5X Champion Moore Fall in Quarterfinals
• More Available at WorldSurfLeague.com 

Molly Picklum (AUS) and Filipe Toledo (BRA) won the )( Hurley Pro Sunset Beach, the second stop on the World Surf League (WSL) 2023 Championship Tour (CT), in six-to-eight foot waves at Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu.

Despite being early in the season, today’s Hurley Pro Sunset Beach results are critical to the CT rankings, with the Mid-season Cut looming following Stop No. 5 at Margaret River, as well as provisional Olympic qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Picklum and Carissa Moore (HAW) are now tied for the top position on the world rankings, with Jack Robinson (AUS) also in first. Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Tyler Wright (AUS) are quickly trailing close behind in second and third, respectively.

Molly Picklum Wins Hurley Pro Sunset Beach, Goes to No. 1 on the Rankings

Australia’s Molly Picklum (above) claimed her first CT win, the best result of her career so far, today at the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach. The 20-year-old was chaired up the beach by two-time World Champion Tyler Wright (AUS) and Brisa Hennessy (CRC), both competitors who she eliminated en route to the Final. With her maiden CT victory, and in only her second year on the elite CT, Picklum is now tied for the No. 1 position on the world rankings with none other than five-time World Champion Carissa Moore (HAW). Picklum will now wear the yellow Leader jersey at Stop No. 3 on the CT.

“It is just a jersey color, but I’m stoked to be on the top because that’s where I want to be, it’s where I feel I believe I can be, and it’s just a jersey color for now because the endgame is Trestles,” said Picklum. “I’m so stoked to take it out and this event is so challenging. I think it’s just never losing your confidence and really believing in yourself the whole way, no matter what it looks like. The level of women’s surfing is insane. You can be on the Challenger Series one year then win a CT event, so I’m definitely proud of myself for just chipping away even though there are so many setbacks. Moments like these make it all worth it.”

Marks’ runner-up finish moves her up from 9th to 5th on the rankings heading into Portugal. The 21-year-old defeated rookie Caitlin Simmers (USA) and sophomore Gabriela Bryan (HAW) in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals, respectively. This was the American’s first time competing at Sunset Beach after missing the first half of the 2022 season due to medical reasons.

Marks’ successful run to the Finals puts her back in both the World Title race and the hunt for Olympic qualification.

“It’s been such a fun week, and I’ve had such an amazing support crew and want to thank everyone,” said Marks. “My best friend came and surprised me, my brother’s here, my other friends are here, and it’s just been so fun. This time last year was way different than where I am this year, so I’m really grateful and so happy.”

The women’s Final showcased progressive surfing as two of the Tour’s younger competitors battled it out for the win. After falling on the first wave of the Final, Picklum quickly regained her composure and posted two mid-range scores by halfway through the heat. But Marks answered back, unleashing her formidable backhand attack to earn a near-excellent 7.50 and put pressure back on Picklum. Under priority, Marks utilised an opportunity to capitalise and took over the lead, forcing Picklum to need a 5.58.

In a flurry of action, Picklum earned a 5.50 and 5.40 to steal the lead from Marks at the 10-minute mark, and left Marks needing a 3.40 as time dwindled.

Filipe Toledo Claims 13th CT Victory at Hurley Pro Sunset Beach

Newly minted World Champion Filipe Toledo (BRA) is back on top after his win at the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach. Toledo had a strong start at the first stop of the season, finishing in fifth, but his win now makes it clear that he is out to prove that he can defend his World Title in 2023. The 27-year-old now has 13 CT victories to his name and sits at World No. 2 on the rankings heading into Portugal.

“I’m grateful to be here and in the position I am,” said Toledo. “It is special to share cool moments with all these surfers. Hawaii is always one of those places where you want to get better, evolve, and win events, and this means a lot to me.”

The men’s Final witnessed a rematch of the 2022 Surf City El Salvador Pro Final and got underway with fireworks straight out of the gates. A massive exchange between Toledo and Colapinto, showed how powerful their respective forehand attacks can be. Colapinto’s astonishing effort earned a near-perfect 9.17, showing total commitment to a heavy section. Toledo posted a 7.83 for his multiple, powerful manoeuvres.

The last two minutes provided a last opportunity for both surfers to showcase their power once. Toledo’s lightning-fast attack earned him a near-perfect 9.47 and pushed the requirement higher. Colapinto’s last attempt fell short, crowning Toledo the event victor.

“It means a lot, I worked super hard for this just training and surfing,” said Toledo. “Last year was fun, and I got what I wanted, which was my Title, and I learned a lot. When it comes to situations like this, I feel like I’m really well-prepared and ready for anything. Griffin Colapinto came out swinging, and I’m just thinking, ‘I’m ready, here we go.’ I knew the right wave would come, it was slow for a lot of the heat, but I could see he was tense having that 9.17. He seemed a little nervous, I don’t know if he was or not, and I stayed calmed and composed and just wait for the wave, then do what I have to do.”

San Clemente’s Colapinto fell shy of his third career CT win, but he will use the momentum heading into the next stop in Portugal, where he is the defending event winner. The 24-year-old is ready for his breakthrough season after failing to make the Final 5 by one place last season. Colapinto proved he’s ready to take on the world’s best after taking down World No. 1 Jack Robinson (AUS) in the Semifinals and Ethan Ewing (AUS) in the Quarterfinals.

“I feel great, that was a crazy heat with Filipe (Toledo), and the only heats I’ve had with him are in the Finals, so that’s been pretty cool,” said Colapinto. “That was a good little battle, and I’m super stoked. Caroline [Marks] lives in my hometown as well, so it’s a good day.”

8X World Champion Gilmore and 5X Champion Moore Fall in Quarterfinals

Wright started her road to the Semifinals with a nail-biting showdown against fellow Australian Stephanie Gilmore (above). With five minutes left, Gilmore briefly took the lead, putting the pressure on Wright. An exciting last exchange left the two World Champions awaiting scores after the buzzer, with Wright defeating Gilmore with an excellent 8.00 (out of a possible 10) to Gilmore’s 6.50. Despite the early loss in the day, Gilmore’s 5th place finish moves her up four places on the rankings to World No. 11.

In the first upset of the day, CT newcomer Gabriela Bryan (HAW) dominated current No. 1 and five-time World Champion Carissa Moore (HAW). Bryan started the heat with a near-excellent 7.00 (out of a possible 10). She then raised the requirement on Moore by hammering several turns and scoring an excellent 8.00. Moore was unable to answer back but will keep her top spot on the rankings.

Women’s Championship Tour Rankings following Hurley Pro Sunset Beach:
1 – Carissa Moore (HAW), 14,745 points
2 – Molly Picklum (AUS), 14,745 points
3 – Tyler Wright (AUS), 13,885
4 – Gabriela Bryan (HAW), 10,8830

Men’s Championship Tour Rankings following Hurley Pro Sunset Beach:
1 – Jack Robinson (AUS) 16,085 points
2 – Filipe Toledo (BRA), 14,745
3 – Joao Chianca (BRA), 12,170
4 – Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), 11,120

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Women’s Final Results:
1 – Molly Picklum (AUS) 10.90
2 – Caroline Marks (USA) 9.90

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Men’s Final Results:
1 – Filipe Toledo (BRA) 17.74
2 – Griffin Colapinto (USA) 16.10

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Women’s Semifiinal Results:
HEAT 1: Molly Picklum (AUS) 12.34 DEF. Tyler Wright (AUS) 1.74
HEAT 2: Caroline Marks (USA) 13.10 DEF. Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 8.83

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Men’s Semifiinal Results:
HEAT 1: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 17.90 DEF. Jack Robinson (AUS) 16.33
HEAT 2: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 16.33 DEF. Joao Chianca (BRA) 15.54

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Women’s Quarterfinal Results:
HEAT 1: Molly Picklum (AUS) 8.67 DEF. Brisa Hennessy (CRC) 8.40
HEAT 2: Tyler Wright (AUS) 12.17 DEF. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 11.17
HEAT 3: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 15.00 DEF. Carissa Moore (HAW) 7.73
HEAT 4: Caroline Marks (USA) 12.50 DEF. Caitlin Simmers (USA) 12.23

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Men’s Quarterfinal Results:
HEAT 1: Jack Robinson (AUS) 14.76 DEF. Nat Young (USA) 9.33
HEAT 2: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 13.50 DEF. Ethan Ewing (AUS) 9.16
HEAT 3: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 17.07 DEF. Caio Ibelli (BRA) 12.44
HEAT 4: Joao Chianca (BRA) 15.23 DEF. Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 13.00

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Panama is known for a lot of things. Including: having great waves, however, one thing it’s not really known for is big wave surfing. You’ve probably heard of Silverbacks whenever someone brings up surfing down here and even though it’s been tackled by numerous big names throughout surfing history, it’s still a slightly underrated big wave surf spot. This place blew my mind as I surfed & saw the true potential for what’s really possible out here. It’s an honour for me to surf and experience a wave like this in my lifetime. Thank you Panama and thank you Nub Nation, for the dream! – Ben

Shocking Upsets and Excellent Performances Decide Men’s Quarterfinals at Hurley Pro Sunset Beach

• World Champions Slater, Medina, Florence, and Ferreira Eliminated
• Joao Chianca Claims “The Best Competitive Day of My Life” at Hurley Pro Sunset Beach
• Current World No. 1 Jack Robinson Closes in on Second-Consecutive Event Win
• More Available at WorldSurfLeague.com 

The men’s Quarterfinalists have been decided after a full day of exciting action at the )( Hurley Pro Sunset Beach, the second stop on the World Surf League (WSL) 2023 Championship Tour (CT), in pumping, eight-to-10-foot waves at the North Shore’s iconic Sunset Beach. 

The challenging lineup of Sunset Beach proved to elevate the competition, level the playing field, and shake up the rankings. World Champions John John Florence (HAW), Kelly Slater (USA), Gabriel Medina (BRA), and Italo Ferreira (BRA) fell to underdogs, signifying a potential changing of the guard as new exemplified by today’s performances. 

With many of the big names eliminated, current World No. 1 Jack Robinson (AUS) is in a good position to make moves towards yet another event win and further his lead on the rankings. 

Current World No. 1 Jack Robinson Closes in on Second-Consecutive Event Win

Jack Robinson (AUS, above) will make his second Quarterfinals appearance of the season after emerging victorious in his head-to-head match with current World No. 2 Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA). Robinson posted an excellent 8.0 with a barrel and powerful carve combination. He then backed it up with a 6.33 to take the heat win and secure a spot in the Quarterfinals. Robinson is now in striking distance of winning both the first and second events of the 2023 CT.

“Those battles have gone on since we were 10 years old (laughs),” said Robinson. “He actually fires me up to go surf, and it was super cool because the waves were so good today. I’m just happy to get the job done, and Leonardo’s a super good competitor. When we started, it was elbow-to-elbow, and I knew it was on. Even when we were on the beach, he walked in front of me, then I walked straight past him, and I already beat him on the race into the water (laughs). But, it was a good heat. He got some good waves, and I just tried to be on the best waves.”

Joao Chianca Claims “The Best Competitive Day of My Life” at Hurley Pro Sunset Beach

Joao Chianca (BRA, above) put his competitors on notice today, finishing both his heats with all-excellent totals. He first notched an 8.17 and 8.50 in his Round of 32 matchup with fellow Brazilian Yago Dora. Chianca then went on to take down 2019 World Champion Italo Ferreira (BRA) in the Round of 16. Once again, he went into the excellent range, scoring an 8.40 and 8.43 to earn the highest heat total of the day, a 16.83 (out of possible 20). Chianca will now hope to keep his momentum going in his Quarterfinal matchup with Matthew McGillivray (RSA).

“Every night, I’d go to sleep thinking what was going to happen in the next heat, there’s so much that can happen,” said Chianca. “Today, I was just blessed to have two excellent heat totals. Today was pretty much the best competitive day of my life. Everything went so well, the waves were firing, and I was super emotional out there. I’m just trying to contain those emotions and knowing the job wasn’t over.”

World Champions Florence, Slater, Medina, and Ferreira Eliminated

In an intense Round of 16 matchup, 2013 Rookie of the Year Nat Young (USA) overtook two-time World Champion John John Florence (HAW). Florence started with the lead, but just after the halfway mark, Young posted a near-excellent 7.60, turning the heat. Young will now have to face none other than Robinson in the Quarterfinals.  

“I definitely had a game plan of how I wanted to approach that heat with John John (Florence),” said Young. “I’m not sure how well I executed the game plan I had, but I think it played into me making that heat. I felt good against him, I didn’t feel any pressure at all, but the heats before, I had some nerves. He’s the favourite out there for sure, but if I surfed my best and put up a good heat, I’d be happy.”

11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) will have to wait another year to add a Hurley Pro Sunset Beach title to his name as he was eliminated by Final 5 competitor Ethan Ewing (AUS) in the Round of 16. Ewing’s power surfing earned him a solid 7.00 and 6.83, which was enough to take down Slater. He will now meet California’s Griffin Colapinto in the Quarterfinals. 

“Kelly Slater beat me in Fiji my rookie year and then at Pipe two years ago, but I always love having heats with him,” said Ewing. “It’s always interesting to see what he does, and it feels really good to get one over him finally. I knew he needed a low 8.00 score, and if he got the right wave, he could put out a huge score, so I still wasn’t feeling too safe and just wanted to stay close to him.” 

After an exciting back-and-forth exchange, Colapinto (above) emerged victorious over the three-time World Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) in their Round of 16 battle. With ten minutes left on the clock, Colapinto posted an excellent 8.83 (out of a possible 10), by air dropping from the lip on two critical turns. The score propelled him into the lead and solidified his win over the World Champion.

“I just wanted to go out and go for it,” said Colapinto. “He’s a three-time World Champ, so you have to surf your best. Any wave I got I just wanted to go as hard as I could. At the start, my timing was a little off, and then on my 8.00 score, I felt so connected. I’ve been putting so much time into this wave and Hawaii in general, to see it pay off feels really good.”

Current World Champion Filipe Toledo (BRA) was the only men’s World Champion to survive today’s eliminations. Toledo secured his spot in the Quarterfinals after taking out an in-form Seth Moniz (HAW) in the Round of 16. He now hopes to reclaim the rankings lead from Robinson with a win here at Sunset Beach.

But, Toledo will have to face event threat and fellow Brazilian Caio Ibelli in the Quarterfinals. Ibelli landed a place in the Quarterfinals after notching two excellent scores in the Round of 16 and taking out Miguel Pupo (BRA).

In a nail-biting finish to the day, Matthew McGillivray (RSA) barely held onto his narrow lead over last year’s event runner-up Kanoa Igarashi (JPN). McGillivray maintained the lead for the entirety of the heat, but Igarashi found one more opportunity in the dying seconds. Igarashi’s final score came back just 0.33 of a point short, confirming McGillivray’s place in the Quarterfinals.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Men’s Round of 32 Results:
HEAT 1: Jack Robinson (AUS) 15.50 DEF. Carlos Munoz (CRC) 10.43
HEAT 2: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 8.03 DEF. Samuel Pupo (BRA) 0.77
HEAT 3: John John Florence (HAW) 12.00 DEF. Ian Gentil (HAW) 11.47
HEAT 4: Nat Young (USA) 11.00 DEF. Callum Robson (AUS) 8.33
HEAT 5: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 10.44 DEF. Keanu Asing (HAW) 8.83
HEAT 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 9.57 DEF. Jake Marshall (USA) 8.07
HEAT 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.94 DEF. Rio Waida (INA) 9.33
HEAT 8: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 12.66 DEF. Liam O’Brien (AUS) 12.50
HEAT 9: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 11.17 DEF. Eli Hanneman (HAW) 2.90
HEAT 10: Seth Moniz (HAW) 12.06 DEF. Barron Mamiya (HAW) 9.13
HEAT 11: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 11.23 DEF. Kolohe Andino (USA) 9.27
HEAT 12: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 14.34 DEF. Ryan Callinan (AUS) 10.34
HEAT 13: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 12.17 DEF. Michael Rodrigues (BRA) 9.40
HEAT 14: Joao Chianca (BRA) 16.67 DEF. Yago Dora (BRA) 11.23
HEAT 15: Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 11.83 DEF. Jordy Smith (RSA) 10.24
HEAT 16: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 15.07 DEF. Jackson Baker (AUS) 15.00

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Men’s Round of 16 Results:
HEAT 1: Jack Robinson (AUS) 14.33 DEF. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 13.83
HEAT 2: Nat Young (USA) 12.10 DEF. John John Florence (HAW) 8.83
HEAT 3: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 13.83 DEF. Kelly Slater (USA) 9.67
HEAT 4: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 13.93 DEF. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 11.10
HEAT 5: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 11.86 DEF. Seth Moniz (HAW) 9.17
HEAT 6: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 16.33 DEF. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 10.77
HEAT 7: Joao Chianca (BRA) 16.83 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 12.16
HEAT 8: Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 15.17 DEF. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 14.84

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Men’s Quarterfinal Matchups:
HEAT 1: Jack Robinson (AUS) vs. Nat Young (USA)
HEAT 2: Ethan Ewing (AUS) vs. Griffin Colapinto (USA)
HEAT 3: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Caio Ibelli (BRA)
HEAT 4: Joao Chianca (BRA) vs. Matthew McGillivray (RSA)

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Women’s Round of 16 Matchups:
HEAT 1: Brisa Hennessy (CRC) vs. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
HEAT 2: Molly Picklum (AUS) vs. Isabella Nichols (AUS)
HEAT 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Zoe McDougall (HAW)
HEAT 4: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Macy Callaghan (AUS)
HEAT 5: Carissa Moore (HAW) vs. Luana Silva (BRA)
HEAT 6: Lakey Peterson (USA) vs. Gabriela Bryan (HAW)
HEAT 7: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) vs. Caitlin Simmers (USA)
HEAT 8: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) vs. Caroline Marks (USA)

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.