Pictured: Australians Jack Robinson (AUS) and Molly Picklum (AUS) both found near-perfect scores on their way to claiming dominant wins in the 2024 Hurley Pro Sunset Beach. Credit: © WSL / Tony Heff

A monumental shift in women’s professional surfing happened over the course of the season’s first two events, with the Top 17 taking on serious conditions at Pipe and Sunset and some of the youngest competitors showing up with massive performances and commitment to raise the bar.

Picklum was an integral part of the charge in making history this month as she collected huge scores for her relentless approach to hitting the biggest sections of the waves, holding nothing back. Today she earned back-to-back titles at Sunset. This win marks Picklum’s second victory on Tour, out of four Finals surfed, and the Australian will be wearing the yellow Leader jersey heading to Portugal for the next stop of the 2024 CT as the new World No.1.

“What a moment! Defending a title is so hard in our sport because the ocean is in charge,” Picklum said, “The ocean played its part for me and I’m really, really happy it did that. Every event feels different, so I’m just taking it for what it is and trying to find the little fun moments in between it all. I definitely wasn’t as confident in this event but I always kept belief and I think that’s one of my strengths.”

Picklum backed it up quickly to take the lead midway through the heat and apply pressure to Sakura Johnson, who was surfing in her first-ever Final on the CT. But the Haleiwa local stayed patient, sitting in the lineup with priority waiting for the right wave. Her calculated approach, unfortunately, did not pay off as time ran down without offering any more opportunities for either surfer.

Picklum added yet another highlight to a spectacular four-week stint on the North Shore today with one of the biggest turns ever seen on the women’s Tour at Sunset Beach. In her Semifinal bout against Brisa Hennessy (CRC), the powerful regular foot posted a near-perfect 9.67 for a high-risk, high-reward single maneuver on a double-overhead wave.

“It’s been an unreal last couple of days, we’ve been so fortunate to get good waves,” said Sakura Johnson. “I’m really just blessed to be home and to represent home, and have my coach behind me and have the confidence I needed to do well in this event. It’s pretty unreal. Molly and I talked about it two years ago, and now we’re doing it, and I’m really happy to be a part of it and to hopefully keep pushing this level, and it will be a new level of surfing for women’s surfing in the next few years.”

Jack Robinson (AUS) continues to build his legacy on the North Shore, as he picks up win No. 6 on the CT, his first at Sunset. After an upset loss in the Round of 32 at Pipe, the Australian bounced back in the best way with total domination all week, an incredible display of his signature carves, and the ability to find the deepest, cleanest barrels at Sunset.

“It was a crazy last few months at home, I had a baby and everything before coming here and it’s all new and just adapting,” said Robinson. “I’m just enjoying it so much today. I know I didn’t start good at Pipe but it didn’t matter, I was just trying to enjoy it so much and it’s so special. It was a cool wave, almost bending, and I’ve never been tubed twice on the inside here. And to have a Final with Kanoa, we’ve grown up together, we’ve been doing this for a long time. It’s a cool history and a lot more to come.”

Two surfers with a lot of history, competing against each other since their early grom years, Robinson and Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) met in the Final after dominating all week at Sunset. The Australian pulled the trigger first and wasted no time as his first wave went straight to excellence, an 8.17, to make his intentions clear to his opponent.

After an unlikely mistake on his first attempt, Igarashi fought back with a 7.33 to stay in fighting distance. But Robinson kept building momentum and found an absolute gem, locking into two barreling sections after a massive carve and was rewarded with a near-perfect 9.87 to put the Japanese surfer into an 18.04 combination situation (out of a possible 20).

Despite his best efforts, the gap was too much for Igarashi to overcome and Robinson claimed the win. The West Australian will leave Hawaii ranked second in the world.

“Growing up in California, Hawaii was just one flight away and a place we had to come and train, and back when I was younger I would dread coming over because it’d be scary to be here on the North Shore to surf bigger waves,” said Igarashi. “But, over the years I would try to put as much time as I could, and I have a really good team in my corner. Thanks to them they always pushed me, and I knew that if I wanted to be a top surfer on Tour I’d have to get good results here. I’m really happy with my start so far this year and just want to keep it going.”

North Shore local and two-time World Champion John John Florence (HAW) put up a great fight against Smith in the Quarters but ultimately fell short and had to settle for an equal 5th at Sunset after a runner-up at Pipe. His consistency at home has served him well, however, as he leaves Hawaii in pole position on the rankings and will be World No. 1 in Portugal.

The World No. 1 coming into this week at Sunset, Caitlin Simmers (USA), reached the Quarterfinals with fairly low scores and, by her own admission, average heat execution and unfortunately couldn’t turn on her magic against an in-form Hennessy this morning. Simmers spent most of the 30 minutes waiting in the lineup for set waves that never manifested and exited the heat with only 2 points on the board and an equal 5th-place result. She will head to Portugal, where she is the defending event winner, ranked second in the world.

For more news and highlights from Finals Day at the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Men’s Final Results: 
1 – Jack Robinson (AUS) 18.04
2 – Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 15.16

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Women’s Semifinal Results: 
HEAT 1: Molly Picklum (AUS) 17.44 DEF. Brisa Hennessy (CRC) 9.07
HEAT 2: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 12.66 DEF. Caroline Marks (USA) 10.40

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Men’s Semifinal Results: 
HEAT 1: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 14.83 DEF. Jordy Smith (RSA) 12.50
HEAT 2: Jack Robinson (AUS) 16.10 DEF. Ryan Callinan (AUS) 13.10

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Women’s Quarterfinals Results:
HEAT 1: Molly Picklum (AUS) 11.16 DEF. Lakey Peterson (USA) 7.60
HEAT 2: Brisa Hennessy (CRC) 11.67 DEF Caitlin Simmers (USA) 2.00
HEAT 3: Caroline Marks (USA) 8.57 DEF. Johanne Defay (FRA) 7.67
HEAT 4: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 15.50 DEF. Isabella Nichols (AUS) 10.65

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Men’s Quarterfinal Results:
HEAT 1: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 14.67 DEF. Seth Moniz (HAW) 10.90
HEAT 2: Jordy Smith (RSA) 15.16 DEF. John John Florence (HAW) 14.26
HEAT 3: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 16.00 DEF. Liam O’Brien (AUS) 12.10
HEAT 4: Jack Robinson (AUS) 17.37 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 15.60

Next Stop: MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal 
The next stop on the 2024 WSL Championship Tour will be the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal. The competition window opens on Wednesday, March 6 and closes on Saturday, March 16, 2024. The event will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, the free WSL app, and the WSL’s YouTube channel. Check out more ways to watch from the WSL’s broadcast partners. For fans watching in the United States, coverage of the competition’s Quarterfinals and beyond will continue on WorldSurfLeague.com and ESPN+.

The Hurley Pro Sunset Beach is proudly supported by Hurley, Lexus, 805 Beer, Red Bull, YETI, SHISEIDO, Bonsoy, Cup Noodles, Spectrum Hawaii, Pura Vida, Mananalu Water, Pacifico, True Surf, Eventbrite, Hawaii Tourism, and Cocomo. 

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

About the WSL
The World Surf League (WSL) is the global home of competitive surfing, crowning World Champions since 1976 and showcasing the world’s best surfing. The WSL oversees surfing’s global competitive landscape and sets the standard for elite performance in the most dynamic playing field in all of sports. With a firm commitment to its values, the WSL prioritizes the protection of the ocean, equality, and the sport’s rich heritage, while championing progression and innovation.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Pictured:  Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) will face Isabella Nichols (AUS) in the Quarterfinals at the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach. Credit: © WSL / Brent Bielmann

The Quarterfinals are stacked with talent once again and the remaining surfers will fight for the prestigious Sunset titles and to move up the rankings before competition relocates to another continent next month.

The reigning World Champion Caroline Marks (USA) and Johanne Defay (FRA) made back-to-back Quarters as well and will be hoping to advance further in the Finals. At the same time, for Isabella Nichols (AUS) and Lakey Peterson (USA) it’s a big step in the right direction after an early exit at the first stop of the season.

The field is much more open in the men’s, with John John Florence (HAW) and Jordy Smith (RSA) as the only two athletes who made Finals Day at Pipe, still in contention. The Hawaiian has a shot at taking over the rankings lead and yellow leader jersey with a big finish at Sunset, but he will have to make it past Smith first as they draw each other in the Quarters.

For the rest of the surfers, big points are vital after a slow start if they want to build a safety net before the Mid-Season Cut approaches.

Watch competition LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

• Florence Maintains Impeccable Form at Home
• Smith’s Power Notches Back-to-Back Quarterfinal Appearances in 2024
• O’Brien, Igarashi, Robinson, and Ferreira Remain Steadfast Amid Full Day of Action
• Competition OFF Tomorrow, Next Call on Tuesday, February 20, at 7:45 AM HST

Pictured: Two-time World Champion John John Florence (HAW) put the field on notice with a powerful performance in the Round of 16, kicking off his 2024 season with back-to-back Quarterfinal appearances. Credit: © WSL / Brent Bielmann

Mixed swells and breezy winds tested the world’s best surfers again at Sunset, but as conditions improved throughout the afternoon, performance levels rose to match the talent of the remaining eight surfers in contention by the end of the day.

Two-time World Champion John John Florence (HAW) put on another masterclass in his backyard, first by picking the right waves where most competitors struggled to identify any, then by absolutely tearing them apart with lightning-fast carves right under the lip for a 16.06 (out of a possible 20) heat total. A runner-up last week at Pipe, Florence has the potential to secure the yellow leader’s jersey here at Sunset after the early exit of his compatriot, Barron Mamiya (HAW).

“I got really lucky in the non-priority heat to find an open face wave, which there weren’t a lot of right now,” Florence said. “It took me a while to find another wave, there were a lot of wash throughs and eventually I just tried to get waves to get one turn on, a clean wall and a close out. Once I started looking for that I got two really good ones back-to-back. I guess I just changed my perspective on what I was looking for. It feels really good to just be chipping away at heats. I’m really enjoying it and the challenges that every heat brings and trying to just be ok with that and not be too hard on myself.”

CT veteran Jordy Smith (RSA) enjoyed the winning feeling once again with Round of 32 and 16 victories to surge into the Quarterfinals. Smith’s power sent him past Miguel Pupo (BRA), before facing another in-form event threat, Rio Waida (IDN), in the Round of 16, where he posted his second 7-point ride of the day amid the tough conditions. Smith’s back-to-back Quarterfinal appearances to start 2024 have sparked the South African’s vigor in the jersey as he now looks to carry that momentum into a world-class Quarterfinal against Florence.

“I’m surfing the best I can with the opportunities I get and it’s really difficult in the overlapping heats since you’re trying to position yourself and at the same time be mindful of those competitors who have priority,” said Smith. “Everyone’s sitting right at the bowl and I’m just doing the best with the cards I get dealt. John (Florence) took three of the waves I wanted. He’s definitely the best on the rail and if there’s something to draw inspiration from it’s definitely that.”

Sunset Beach standout Ethan Ewing (AUS) kicked off his day with a big heat against 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), eliminating him from the competition. Ewing then had to face an in-form Liam O’Brien (AUS). O’Brien carried his momentum from his Round of 32 win against Caio Ibelli (BRA) through to his matchup against Ewing, and posted an impressive 7.83 (out of a possible 10), utilizing his dynamic forehand on multiple sections of a Sunset Beach diamond in the rough.

O’Brien will now face Ryan Callinan (AUS), after eliminating Connor O’Leary (JPN) in his Round of 16 heat, as both O’Brien and Callinan enter their first Quarterfinal appearance of 2024.

“The ocean felt like it was working with me a bit,” said O’Brien. “When I had priority, there was a bit of a lull and unfortunately for Ethan it went a bit turbo when he had priority at the end there. I’ve had so many heats where I’ve just been lost at sea, so it’s nice to get one where I get a couple waves. Obviously that was always going to be a really hard heat, Ethan’s just so good out here. Really happy to get past that one and we’ll see how we go in the next.”

Two of the form surfers of the Round of 32, Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) and Griffin Colapinto (USA) matched up in an excruciatingly slow battle in the Round of 16, coming down to the last seconds with a minimal ride for Igarashi to give him the edge over the former World No. 3 Colapinto. The Californian was hoping for one more opportunity, the kind he got in his previous round where he locked into the first tube of the day with a big snap to wrap the wave, earning a 9.00-point ride for his effort. Instead, it was Igarashi, needing a 1.67, who found enough of a wall to carve one turn and advance into the Quarters. Igarashi’s win tied the pair in their famous head-to-head rivalry.

Igarashi will face Seth Moniz (HAW) in the Quarters as the Hawaiian escaped a similarly nail-biting affair against rookie Jacob Willcox (AUS). Both surfers found a good score early on but struggled to pick the right backup wave and it all came down to the wire and a last ditch effort from Moniz.

Jack Robinson (AUS) proved he will be one to beat after overcoming the Round of 32’s top performer Jake Marshall (USA), who posted the day’s highest single-wave score of a 9.17, in a back-and-forth battle that went down to the final minutes.

The Round of 32 witnessed some shocking early eliminations, most notably rankings leader Barron Mamiya (HAW), who was taken out by Frederico Morais (POR). The experienced Portuguese surfer selected better waves and applied his typical clean carves and smart attack to find one of the few big scores of the round, an excellent 8.00, to eventually take out Mamiya, the winner last week at Pipeline and the 2022 winner here at Sunset. Morais was eliminated by 2019 World Champion Italo Ferreira (BRA) in their Round of 16 heat.

Three-time WSL Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) lost to Seth Moniz (HAW) in the Round of 32, Heat 4. Moniz’s confidence gained from defeating Medina carried into the Round of 16 where he overtook rookie sensation Willcox, who previously defeated Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) in the Round of 16.

“That was pretty grindy and I’m sure online it looks a lot easier than it is,” said Moniz. “I’m just stoked I got gifted that last wave. I’m super stoked to make the Quarters at Sunset and I did it in 2022. I had a shocker at Pipe which is the event I look forward to the most so that one hurt. But I’m looking forward and just taking it one heat at a time. I had a long offseason and feel a little rusty getting back into the swing of things but now hopefully I get some better waves on Finals Day.”

11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) also exited in equal 17th place despite keeping everyone on their toes with a last-second roll of the dice that saw him produce his signature carving 360 maneuver on a foamy Sunset right that came up short of the score he needed to advance.

With plenty of shuffling among the rankings set to take place, all-star Quarterfinal draws will provide the opportunity for those who remain in the draw to gain vital ground, and also a chance for the early upper echelon to start putting space between them and their opponents.

For more news and highlights from today’s competition at the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Due to the North Shore permit rules over the public holiday, the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach will be OFF on Monday, February 19. The next call for the competition will be on Tuesday, February 20, at 7:45 a.m. HST for a possible 8:03 a.m. start.

With Sunset Beach expected to deliver waves throughout the day, the WSL will host a live stream of the free surf tomorrow from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. HST. Fans can watch all the action LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, the free WSL app, and the WSL’s YouTube channel.

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Men’s Round of 32 Results:
HEAT 1: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 13.67 DEF. Kade Matson (USA) 9.67
HEAT 2: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 13.50 DEF. Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 13.03
HEAT 3: Jacob Willcox (AUS) 13.40 DEF. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 13.33
HEAT 4: Seth Moniz (HAW) 11.34 DEF. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 8.33
HEAT 5: John John Florence (HAW) 10.60 DEF. Deivid Silva (BRA) 8.06
HEAT 6: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 11.00 DEF. Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 6.30
HEAT 7: Jordy Smith (RSA) 12.16 DEF. Samuel Pupo (BRA) 11.33
HEAT 8: Rio Waida (INA) 10.03 DEF. Yago Dora (BRA) 7.46
HEAT 9: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 10.17 DEF. Kelly Slater (USA) 8.93
HEAT 10: Liam O’Brien (AUS) 12.77 DEF. Caio Ibelli (BRA) 11.54
HEAT 11: Connor O’Leary (JPN) 11.50 DEF. Eli Hanneman (HAW) 7.50
HEAT 12: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 12.34 DEF. Brodi Sale (HAW) 7.67
HEAT 13: Frederico Morais (POR) 13.83 DEF. Barron Mamiya (HAW) 8.43
HEAT 14: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 12.34 DEF. Crosby Colapinto (USA) 9.03
HEAT 15: Jake Marshall (USA) 15.50 DEF. Ian Gentil (HAW) 12.17
HEAT 16: Jack Robinson (AUS) 13.77 DEF. Cole Houshmand (USA) 12.66

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Men’s Round of 16 Results:
HEAT 1: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 8.43 DEF. Griffin Colapinto (USA) 7.00
HEAT 2: Seth Moniz (HAW) 10.40 DEF. Jacob Willcox (AUS) 9.26
HEAT 3: John John Florence (HAW) 16.06 DEF. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 8.83
HEAT 4: Jordy Smith (RSA) 12.67 DEF. Rio Waida (INA) 11.60
HEAT 5: Liam O’Brien (AUS) 13.83 DEF. Ethan Ewing (AUS) 7.67
HEAT 6: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 12.50 DEF. Connor O’Leary (JPN) 8.23
HEAT 7: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 13.23 DEF. Frederico Morais (POR) 12.07
HEAT 8: Jack Robinson (AUS) 14.66 DEF. Jake Marshall (USA) 11.77

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Men’s Quarterfinal Matchups:
HEAT 1: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) vs. Seth Moniz (HAW)
HEAT 2: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Jordy Smith (RSA)
HEAT 3: Liam O’Brien (AUS) vs. Ryan Callinan (AUS)
HEAT 4: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Jack Robinson (AUS)

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach Women’s Opening Round Matchups:
HEAT 1: Molly Picklum (AUS), Gabriela Bryan (HAW), Isabella Nichols (AUS)
HEAT 2: Caitlin Simmers (USA), Luana Silva (BRA), Sophie McCulloch (AUS)
HEAT 3: Caroline Marks (USA), Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Zoe McDougall (HAW)
HEAT 4: Tyler Wright (AUS), Brisa Hennessy (CRC), Alyssa Spencer (USA)
HEAT 5: Johanne Defay (FRA), Lakey Peterson (USA), Sawyer Lindblad (USA)

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.