• Sakura Johnson Moves One Step Closer to Championship Tour Qualification
• Brazilians Medina and Chianca Advance into the Round of 16
• Field Dwindles as Competition Moves to Man-on-Man Format

PRAIA DE ITAÚNA – Saquarema, Brazil (Saturday, November 5, 2022) – Competition continued today at the Corona Saquarema Pro pres. by Banco do Brasil, Stop No. 6 of the World Surf League (WSL) Challenger Series. The day began with clean conditions, offshore winds and waves in the three-to-five foot range at Praia de Itaúna. Despite moderate onshore winds causing deteriorating conditions in the afternoon, plenty of scoring opportunities were on offer as the women’s Round of 32 and the men’s Round of 24 were completed today. The WSL Tours and Competition team will reconvene tomorrow, Sunday, November 6, at 7:00 a.m. (GMT-3) for a possible 7:35 a.m. start.

Sakura Johnson Moves One Step Closer to Qualification

Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) took one step closer to qualifying for the Championship Tour (CT) today. The current No. 4 on the Challenger Series rankings had a commanding victory in the Round of 32, Heat 6. Her 14.33 total (out of a possible 20 points) was the highest heat total of the day in the women’s division. If Sakura Johnson makes it to the Finals at the Corona Saquarema Pro at Praia de Itaúna, she would take the lead in the rankings and guarantee her spot on the 2023 CT.

“I just tried to get some scores on the board, keep building and just surf and have fun,” said Sakura Johnson. “I was super happy to get in the water today.  I only surfed four waves, I was watching the heat before mine and saw I needed to be selective and be on the right waves. The wind has picked up a bit, but we’re here to surf in all conditions, so we have to be ready at all times. I just want to make it to the podium and this is the second to last event on the Challenger Series so I want to finish strong.”

“This was one of the toughest heats, there are still amazing waves, but conditions are tough,” said Bonvalot. “Those last ten minutes I just focused on doing one big turn. So I kept moving around, looking for an opportunity, so I kept fighting until the end to find that wave. Conditions are so much different from the start of the event, but the banks here are super complicated. From the beach you see one thing, but in the water it’s another. But I’m super happy with this heat and how I adapted my strategy and leaving it all out in the water.”

Brazilians Medina and Chianca Advance into the Round of 16

As the weekend rolled in and the sun came out, the passionate Brazilian crowds flocked to Praia de Itaúna to see their favorite surfers at one of Brazil’s most iconic venues. Local surfer João Chianca (BRA) turned the energy level up a notch as he secured the highest heat total of the day with a 15.60 on his two best waves in Round of 24, Heat 2. A surprising upset occurred in the same heat with Australia’s Kalani Ball earning the scores he needed to eliminate Liam O’Brien (AUS).

“It was a super hard heat and one of my best friend’s said that he hasn’t seen me lose a three-man heat all year, but Liam and Kalani are really good surfers so I felt like I needed to get out in front and take advantage of an early lead,” said Chianca. “Even though conditions are hard, I’ve surfed so many days out here like this, so I know the wave that I want, so luckily I found those two with a clean, open face and that made things really easy to execute. Now the next round is man-on-man and it’s been kind of tough for me this year with a lot of close calls, so I just want to keep the nerves down and do my best.”

The crowds began to flock closer and closer to the event site as Medina warmed up and slid his athlete jersey on prior to the start of Round of 24, Heat 4. He got the crowd on their feet and cheering at the top of their lungs as he landed a solid backside air-reverse for a 7.70. He added a 6.43 backup to win the heat and advance into the Round of 16.

“The waves were really hard and it was super windy out there, but I was happy with the win and I tried to make the most of it. Now I’m probably going to face Miguel (Pupo) in the next round, but I’m just excited to be in the event, said Medina. “I just want to put on a good show and hopefully everything will work out.”

When asked about his recovery, Medina said, “I’ve been training and surfing a lot. This event is to get my rhythm back and make some heats, but I’m just really focused on my training. So this is all preparation for Hawaii really. This event is for me to express myself and see how my body feels back in competitive mode.”

Field Dwindles as Competition Moves to Man-on-Man Format

As the Corona Saquarema Pro gets down to the final stages of the event, the field of competitors has reached the man-on-man phase in both the men’s and women’s divisions. Only sixteen competitors remain for each category and crucial rankings points are still on the line before the last Challenger Series event in Haleiwa, Hawaii.

A new call is set for Sunday, November 6 at 7:00 a.m. for a possible 7:35 a.m. start. When competition resumes, Kirra Pinkerton (USA) will face Bronte Macaulay (AUS) in Round of 16, Heat 1 of the women’s division, while Douglas Silva (BRA) will match up against Kalani Ball (AUS) in Men’s Round of 16, Heat 1.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com

Upcoming Men’s Round of 16:
HEAT 1: Douglas Silva (BRA) vs. Kalani Ball (AUS)
HEAT 2: Joao Chianca (BRA) vs. Timothe Bisso (FRA)
HEAT 3: Joel Vaughan (AUS) vs. Maxime Huscenot (FRA)
HEAT 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
HEAT 5: Ian Gentil (HAW) vs. Lucas Silveira (BRA)
HEAT 6: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) vs. Morgan Cibilic (AUS)
HEAT 7: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) vs. Lucca Mesinas (PER)
HEAT 8: Joan Duru (FRA) vs. Cauã Costa (BRA)

Upcoming Women’s Round of 16:
HEAT 1: Kirra Pinkerton (USA) vs. Bronte Macaulay (AUS)
HEAT 2: Teresa Bonvalot (PRT) vs. Laura Raupp (BRA)
HEAT 3: Vahine Fierro (FRA) vs. Minami Nonaka (JPN)
HEAT 4: Sawyer Lindblad (USA) vs. Tessa Thyssen (FRA)
HEAT 5: Summer Macedo (BRA) vs. Sarah Baum (ZAF)
HEAT 6: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) vs. Amuro Tsuzuki (JPN)
HEAT 7: Alyssa Spencer (USA) vs. Francisca Veselko (PRT)
HEAT 8: Leilani McGonagle (CRI) vs. Keely Andrew (AUS)

For more information, visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Watch LIVE
The Corona Saquarema Pro pres. by Banco do Brasil is scheduled to run from November 1 – 8 at Praia de Itaúna, in Saquarema, Brazil. The event will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, WSL’s YouTube channels and the free WSL app. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners.

The Corona Saquarema Pro pres. by Banco do Brasil is brought to you by: Corona, Banco do Brasil, BB Asset, Prefeitura Municipal de Saquarema, Secretaria de Esporte e Lazer do Governo do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, TikTok, 51 Ice, and NewON.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

About the WSL
The World Surf League (WSL) is the global home of competitive surfing, crowning the undisputed World Champions since 1976 and showcasing the world’s best surfers on the world’s best waves. WSL is comprised of the Tours and Competition division, which oversees and operates more than 180 global competitions each year; WSL WaveCo, home of the world’s largest high-performance, human-made wave; and WSL Studios, an independent producer of unscripted and scripted projects. For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

PRAIA DE ITAÚNA – Saquarema, Brazil (Friday, November 4, 2022) – Competition continued today at the Corona Saquarema Pro pres. by Banco do Brasil, Stop No. 6 of the World Surf League (WSL) Challenger Series, featuring clean conditions, light winds and waves in the three-to-five foot range at Praia de Itaúna. The women’s Round of 64 was completed as was the men’s Round of 48. The WSL Tours and Competition team will reconvene tomorrow, Saturday, November 5, at 7:00 a.m. (GMT-3) for a possible 7:35 a.m. start.

Spencer Earns Event’s Top Scores, Keeps Qualification Dreams Alive

The day began with the final six heats of the women’s Round of 64. Alyssa Spencer (USA) started her campaign off with a bang, earning the highest single wave score of the event so far, an 8.67 (out of a possible 10 points), with consecutive backside turns on a right-hander. Spencer then added an additional near-excellent 7.10 as her backup to earn an impressive 15.77 (out of possible 20) heat total and advance in first place to the Round of 32. Spencer currently sits in 14th on the Challenger Series rankings, but Championship Tour (CT) Qualification is still possible if she can keep her momentum going.

“It was really tricky out there, but I was able to find two good ones, so I’m super stoked to get a rhythm going and get a couple of good turns,” said Spencer. “I’ve been watching the waves all morning and keeping an eye on those rights. The lefts were really good earlier, but it changed really quickly and I got a little nervous because I haven’t surfed this part of the bank yet. So it was kind of new, but I’m happy everything worked out. I love it here, Brazil has been amazing so far and the whole vibe here is super fun, so I’m excited to see what’s in store for the rest of my trip.”

“It’s definitely a lot smoother than yesterday, but conditions are still really tricky. At first I couldn’t really find the exact spot I wanted to be in, but then I was lucky enough to find a couple of good ones,” said McDougall. “I’m here with my dad, which is rare for him to come to an event, so it’s been special. It’s his first time to Brazil and he was really nervous this morning, but I also have my coach Brad Gerlach overseas, who has been texting me too, so I have a good support team.”

Schilling Overcomes Medina With Buzzer Beater Air

Following the women’s action, the men’s Round of 48 took to the water. The crowds began to line the beach and the sun finally came out as three-time WSL World Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) began his warm-up routine in Heat 4. However, it was the young American, Jett Schilling (USA), who took an early lead to the heat with a mid-range 6.77 score.

With the crowd fully behind him, Medina battled back with a 6.63 and a 7.23 for a 13.86 heat total. But, as the final seconds ticked by, Schilling accelerated down the line on a right-hander and boosted a huge backside full-rotation air, landing cleanly as the crowd went wild. Schilling ran up to the event site exuding stoke and got even more excited when he heard he received an 8.67 and advanced to the Round of 24 in first place over Medina.

“It feels really good, I haven’t even been able to sleep that much because I’ve been thinking about this heat,” said Schilling. “I had Gabriel in my heat, so I just wanted to beat him so bad and I went out there and proved him wrong. I can’t believe it but there are still a lot of heats to go, so I just want to keep advancing and have fun. It was really wonky and weird out there, so I just wanted to stick to my board. But I also had some paddle battles against Gabriel, so now I finally know what it’s like to compete against him and it felt great,” concluded Schilling.

Top seeds and potential CT qualifiers, Liam O’Brien (AUS), Dylan Moffat (AUS), Ian Gentil (HAW), Maxime Huscenot (FRA), and Morgan Cibilic (AUS), have also advanced to the Round of 24.

An emotional but cheerful  Willian Cardoso (BRA) announced his retirement after being eliminated in the Round of 48, Heat 10, finishing in 37th place. Cardoso competed around the world for more than 15 years, becoming the oldest rookie to qualify for the CT in 2018, and achieving an impressive CT victory at Uluwatu. Now, he has decided to move onto the next chapter here at the same place where he won his only QS event in Brazil, the Coca-Cola Saquarema Pro in 2010 at Praia de Itaúna.

“Just part of my story ends here today,” said Cardoso. “All the memories are going to be alive. I’ve had really great moments here in Saquarema and I’m so grateful to be here with all my friends. I am missing two people here today, my wife and my son. I want to give them so much respect for keeping my dreams alive for all these years. A new chapter starts tomorrow. I have more things to do. Next year I want to win the Nationals. It’s one title I’ve never had. I’m going to fight for that and hope next year I finish with a victory.”

A new call is set for Saturday, November 5 at 7:00 a.m. for a possible 7:35 a.m. start.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com

Upcoming Women’s Round of 32 Heats:
HEAT 1: Laura Raupp (BRA) vs. Keala Tomoda-Bannert (HAW) vs. Sara Wakita (JPN) vs. Kirra Pinkerton (USA)
HEAT 2: Teresa Bonvalot (PRT) vs. Sol Aguirre (PER) vs. Bronte Macaulay (AUS) vs. Shino Matsuda (JPN)
HEAT 3: Anne Dos Santos (BRA) vs. Vahine Fierro (FRA) vs. Rachel Presti (DEU) vs. Tessa Thyssen (FRA)
HEAT 4: Sawyer Lindblad (USA) vs. Minami Nonaka (JPN) vs. Yolanda Hopkins (PRT) vs. Pauline Ado (FRA)
HEAT 5: Sophia Medina (BRA) vs. Amuro Tsuzuki (JPN) vs. Mariana Areno (BRA) vs. Summer Macedo (BRA)
HEAT 6: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) vs. Daniella Rosas (PER) vs. Zoe McDougall (HAW) vs. Sarah Baum (ZAF)
HEAT 7: Keely Andrew (AUS) vs. Alyssa Spencer (USA) vs. Carolina Mendes (PRT) vs. Chelsea Tuach (BRB)
HEAT 8: Havanna Cabrero (PRI) vs. Leilani McGonagle (CRI) vs. Nadia Erostarbe (EUK) vs. Francisca Veselko (PRT)

Upcoming Men’s Round of 24 Heats:
HEAT 1: Timothe Bisso (FRA) vs. Douglas Silva (BRA) vs. Justin Becret (FRA)
HEAT 2: Kalani Ball (AUS) vs. Joao Chianca (BRA) vs. Liam O’Brien (AUS)
HEAT 3: Jett Schilling (USA) vs. Joel Vaughan (AUS) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
HEAT 4: Kei Kobayashi (USA) vs. Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Maxime Huscenot (FRA)
HEAT 5: Ian Gentil (HAW) vs. Morgan Cibilic (AUS) vs. Gabriel Andre (BRA)
HEAT 6: Edgard Groggia (BRA) vs. Lucas Silveira (BRA) vs. Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR)
HEAT 7: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) vs. Dylan Moffat (AUS) vs. Cauã Costa (BRA)
HEAT 8: Lucca Mesinas (PER) vs. Joan Duru (FRA) vs. Shun Murakami (JPN)

For more information, visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

PRAIA DE ITAÚNA – Saquarema, Brazil (Thursday, November 3, 2022) – Competition recommenced today at the Corona Saquarema Pro pres. by Banco do Brasil, Stop No. 6 of the World Surf League (WSL) Challenger Series, with moderate onshore winds and waves in the four-to-six foot range at Praia de Itaúna. Despite the difficult conditions, the men’s Round of 96 and women’s Round of 64, Heats 1-10 were completed and saw impressive performances from an international field of athletes. The WSL Tours and Competition team will reconvene tomorrow, Friday, November 4 at 7:00 a.m. (GMT-3) for a possible 7:35 a.m. start.

Fioravanti and Pupo Come Out Swinging

Current Challenger Series rankings leader Leonardo Fioravanti (ITL) maintained his high performance surfing with an impressive win in the Round of 96, Heat 20. Fioravanti used powerful forehand hacks on the hefty right-handers at Praia de Itaúna to earn a 6.27 and a 6.07 (out of possible 10) on his two best waves for a 12.34 heat total (out of a possible 20 points). Now that he has clinched a spot on the 2023 Championship Tour (CT), his confidence is at an all time high and his surfing has been a reflection of that mentality.

“It’s been a great couple of months on the Challenger Series, winning the event in Ericeira was a goal of mine, but the overall objective was getting back on Tour,” said Fioravanti. “I’m here because I want to keep winning, keep competing and I love Brazil. Even though it’s been windy, rainy and cold for Brazil, it’s one of my favorite places. The people here are so nice, the food is great, so I’m stoked to be back here.”

“It was a nice wave and I was just trying to better my score,” said Pupo. “ It was a hard heat for me and I couldn’t find any waves down the beach, so I paddled back up front and found those rights. It was pretty scary with ten minutes left and I didn’t have any scores, so I had to do my best to get first place. I always want to put on a good performance and it’s nice to be back here for a Challenger Series event, but I miss that winning feeling, so I’m just focused on making the Final and winning.”

Top Seed, Picklum, Eliminated in Women’s Round of 64

After several days of anticipation, the women’s Round of 64 was finally able to hit the water and with CT qualification on the line, performances did not disappoint. Current No. 2 on the rankings, Molly Picklum (AUS), had a chance to claim her spot on the 2023 CT here in Brazil. But, in the upset of the day she was eliminated in the Round of 64, Heat 8. Picklum put up an excellent 8.00, but suffered an interference penalty causing her second score to go to zero and costing her the heat.

In the Round of 64, Heat 3, former CT surfer Bronte Macaulay (AUS) began the match with a solid 7.83. She then added a backup score of 5.17 to win the heat and advance into the Round of 32. Macaulay could potentially climb back into the Top-5 rankings with a Quarterfinal result at the Corona Saquarema Pro.

“I ended up down the beach because of the rip and had to do the runaround, so I feel like the rip right in front of the comp zone is where you want to be, but after my good wave, I kind of did nothing for the next 25 minutes, but it feels nice to get through,” said Macaulay. “I’ve only made one heat here and I’m pretty far behind in points, so I need a good result here, but I’m pretty excited for the next few days. The forecast looks good so it should be pretty fun.”

This is the first event that Sophia Medina (BRA) is competing in the same event as her brother, three-time WSL World Champion, Gabriel Medina (BRA). Despite having a difficult season on the 2022 Challenger Series, Medina has had prior success here in Saquarema, clinching her first WSL South America title in 202, and a Semifinal result at the QS 5,000 this past October. Medina used her local knowledge to fend off Hawaiian Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) by a slim margin of 12.16 to 10.40 respectively, as both advanced into the Round of 32.

“That last wave was all or nothing, I had to go for it,” said Medina. “I’ve been trying that move all week long, but this was the first time it felt good completing it. It’s always from the heart. I’ve been really down this year. It was the first heat I’ve won on the Challenger Series this year. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do my best and the results didn’t come. So this time I just decided on having fun and whatever happens happens.”

When asked about competing at the same event as her brother for the first time, Medina responded:

“It feels so good. When I saw him make his first heat, I knew I had to do my part too. It’s actually very emotional to be in the same event as him. I’ve been to Saquarema so many times when I was younger. I see so many people that were on the CT at the same time and now to be in the same event means a lot, so I just want to do my best.”

Remaining Women’s Round of 64 Heats:
HEAT 11: Zoe McDougall (HAW) vs. Rina Matsunaga (JPN) vs. Samantha Sibley (USA) vs. Mariana Areno (BRA)
HEAT 12: Sarah Baum (ZAF) vs. Summer Macedo (BRA) vs. Camilla Kemp (DEU) vs. Isabela Saldanha (BRA)
HEAT 13: Luana Silva (BRA) vs. Keely Andrew (AUS) vs. Havanna Cabrero (PRI) vs. Julia Duarte (BRA)
HEAT 14: Alyssa Spencer (USA) vs. Leilani McGonagle (CRI) vs. Hinako Kurokawa (JPN) vs. Karol Ribeiro (BRA)
HEAT 15: Zahli Kelly (AUS) vs. Nadia Erostarbe (EUK) vs. Carolina Mendes (PRT) vs. Taina Hinckel (BRA)
HEAT 16: Sophie McCulloch (AUS) vs. Francisca Veselko (PRT) vs. Chelsea Tuach (BRB) vs. Yasmin Dias (BRA)

Upcoming Men’s Round of 48 Heats:
HEAT 1: Jadson Andre (BRA) vs. Joao Chianca (BRA) vs. Timothe Bisso (FRA) vs. Marcos Correa (BRA)
HEAT 2: Ezekiel Lau (HAW) vs. Eithan Osborne (USA) vs. Kalani Ball (AUS) vs. Douglas Silva (BRA)
HEAT 3: Liam O’Brien (AUS) vs. Justin Becret (FRA) vs. Santiago Muniz (ARG) vs. Te Kehukehu Butler (NZL)
HEAT 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Jett Schilling (USA) vs. Taichi Wakita (JPN) vs. Jose Gundesen (ARG)
HEAT 5: Michael Rodrigues (BRA) vs. Maxime Huscenot (FRA) vs. Gatien Delahaye (FRA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
HEAT 6: Jordan Lawler (AUS) vs. Deivid Silva (BRA) vs. Kei Kobayashi (USA) vs. Joel Vaughan (AUS)
HEAT 7: Jorgann Couzinet (FRA) vs. Marco Giorgi (URY) vs. Lucas Silveira (BRA) vs. Ian Gentil (HAW)
HEAT 8: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) vs. Morgan Cibilic (AUS) vs. Edgard Groggia (BRA) vs. Caio Ibelli (BRA)
HEAT 9: Rio Waida (IDN) vs. Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) vs. Carlos Munoz (CRI) vs. Gabriel Andre (BRA)
HEAT 10: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) vs. Willian Cardoso (BRA) vs. Keanu Asing (HAW) vs. Joan Duru (FRA)
HEAT 11: Cauã Costa (BRA) vs. Brodi Sale (HAW) vs. Shun Murakami (JPN) vs. Chris Zaffis (AUS)
HEAT 12: Samuel Pupo (BRA) vs. Lucca Mesinas (PER) vs. Ryan Kainalo (BRA) vs. Dylan Moffat (AUS)

Watch LIVE
The Corona Saquarema Pro pres. by Banco do Brasil is scheduled to run from November 1 – 8 at Praia de Itaúna, in Saquarema, Brazil. The event will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, WSL’s YouTube channels and the free WSL app. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners.

The Corona Saquarema Pro pres. by Banco do Brasil is brought to you by: Corona, Banco do Brasil, BB Asset, Prefeitura Municipal de Saquarema, Secretaria de Esporte e Lazer do Governo do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, TikTok, 51 Ice, and NewON.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.