Hawaii native John John Florence claimed his third world title at the Lexis WSL Finals in Lower Trestles on Friday, September 6, ending a five-year reign by Brazilian surfers.
The Brazilian has been at the top since Florence won his last title in 2017 – he also won in 2016.
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The Lexus WSL finals began on Friday morning at Lower Trestles, where an increasing swell created attractive waves for the world’s best surfers vying for the championship title.
The competition brings together the top ten ranked men and women for a one-day showdown at the surf break south of San Clemente.
Live updates throughout the day:
The women:
- First heat: Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb won the first heat of the day as competition began, beating Australia’s Molly Picklum. Weston-Webb scored 12.74 (out of 20) to Picklum’s 9.40.
- Heat two: In her match against Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy, Weston-Webb took the heat win after scoring a total of 13.77 points over two waves, finishing just 0.60 ahead of her opponent. Weston-Webb will now face Olympic and reigning world champion Caroline Marks, a surfer from Florida who calls San Clemente home. After her match against Hennessy, Weston-Webb said she just tried to stick to her plan – have fun and stay loose. “Brisa has had such an incredible year, what an incredible person, not just a great surfer,” she said. “It was just a great joy to watch her, she’s just incredible. I knew it was going to be a really tough match, she looked fiery, was loose and was at her best.
- The 30-minute heat between Weston-Webb and Marks began with a pod of dolphins waiting for waves just feet away from the competitors. Mark took advantage of the first wave with a 6.50, after which the ocean stopped for a few minutes. Her opponent responded with a 6-point ride. The surfers shared a peak as a big wave rolled in. Weston-Webb’s score was 7.83, Marks scored 6.7, dropping to second place. But with 5 minutes to go, Marks used her power surfing to make seven huge turns, scoring 7.5 and taking the lead. The crowd erupted in cheers as she won the heat. She now competes in a best-of-three match against Oceanside’s Caitlin Simmers, who entered the event as the world number one.
- In the first of three final matches, Simmers and Marks took turns in the lead. Long breaks kept them waiting patiently throughout the heat. But with just a few minutes left on the clock, several changes created nerve-racking drama. Both scored high, but with just 3 seconds left on the clock, Marks managed a 9.60 and won the first round.
- In the women’s second meet, Simmers scored a great 9.20 and 9.17 – she dismantled two big waves for the highest total score of the day and the highest ever in the history of the WSL Finals at Lowers – to win the heat and send the title fight into a final, third meet.
The men:
- First Heat: In the first men’s heat of the day, Australia’s Ethan Ewing took on Brazil’s Italo Ferreira for his second world title. Ewing took the lead in the second half of the heat, but Ferreira was not going to be knocked down so easily. After 6 minutes, the Brazilian took off and flew over the edge, followed by spins and another jump to take the lead with a 7-point surge. With just over a minute left, Ewing turned his rails for big spins, scoring a 6.50 for a brief stay in the lead until Ferreira responded, scoring a 7.80 with just seconds left on the clock to win the heat.
- Second run: In the duel between Ferreira and Australian Jack Robinson, Ferreira took an early lead while Robinson had few low scores, needing an 8.33. As the clock ticked down, both surfers stayed busy. On one wave, they shared the top and both went airborne to improve their scores. Robinson’s 5.27 on this ride, with only 4.67 from the previous, was not enough to take Ferreira’s lead with 7.57 and 7 points.
- As Griffin Colapinto took the stage for his heat, the crowd chanted the local surfer’s name. But it was Ferreira who took the first wave, took off, and scored 5.67. Colapinto countered by throwing his fins in the air during his ride, scoring 5.27, backing up his early 3-point ride and taking the lead. Two consecutive waves earned Ferreira a high 7.6; Colapinto dropped to second with 7.33. The ocean slept for 10 minutes, and no waves showed on the big tide as the clock ticked down. Just as the 1-minute mark was reached, a set came: Ferreira went to his rail on the first wave, Colapinto countered on the next, using the same tactic by doing big spins on the wave. The duo high-fived on the shore as they and the crowd waited for the score. Colapinto, needing a 7.15, waited for what seemed like an eternity with the entire beach holding its breath, surrounded by a crowd of fans. When the scores came down, it wasn’t enough – a 7.0, just .15 less than the score he needed, and that meant the end of his world title fight. Ferreira now faces two-time world champion John John Florence in a best-of-three match.
- In the men’s first best-of-three match, Ferreira was diligent, taking to the air on multiple waves to score high points. Florence was patient and selective, waiting with just three minutes on the clock to take a wave for his second score. He needed an 8.16 – and scored an 8.3 to win the first heat.
- In the second – and final – duel, Ferreira set an early high of 8.17, but moments later Florence put in a massive 9.70, the highest single wave score ever achieved on a WSL finals day. He backed that up with a high 8.43, maintaining the lead throughout the run and winning his third World Championship title.
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