Surfers have traveled from around the world – and just a few miles on the freeway – for a heated showdown at Lower Trestles to decide this year’s world champions.
Ahead of the Rip Curl World Surf League Finals, the top 10 surfers – five men and five women – gathered at the San Clemente Pier on Wednesday, Sept. 6, to talk about the road to the championships, which will be decided in an one-day surf contest on the best day of waves sometime between Sept. 8 and 16 at the surf break wedged between Orange County and San Diego.
Through the afternoon, the surfers greeted fans, signed autographs and posed for photos, bringing a buzz among surf enthusiasts who showed up to meet the world’s best.
The event kicked off with a prayer from the native Acjachemen, who have occupied the coastal region for thousands of years. Each surfer was given a hand-made necklace for protection and was blessed with smoke from a bowl of herbs.
Surfing’s Hawaiian heritage was also celebrated, with the winner’s trophy officially named the Duke Kahanamoku’s World Champions Trophy, an homage to not just a legendary surfer and Olympic swimmer, but an ambassador of the sport who helped share surfing across the globe, said surf announcer Joe Turpel, who emceed the event.
Through the morning, each surfer spoke about their journey and feelings about making it to the WSL finals – slots earned from points generated throughout the competitive year.
San Clemente’s Griffin Colapinto, who has received much fanfare around town as the local favorite, talked about the support in his hometown as the lone surfer who grew up in the community.
It’s been cool having people in town say “good luck,” he said.
“I’m just trying to embrace it and show them that I care a lot that they are showing me that (support), it’s cool,” said Colapinto, who would be the first male California surfer to win a world title in more than 30 years.
If he won in his backyard?
“It would pretty much mean we would be raging for two weeks,” he said, drawing a chuckle from the crowd. “I just want to have fun. I love this event and it looks like the waves are going to be fun.”
The last two years, he came painfully close to making the cut.
“The last two years, I just missed out from making the Final 5 by one or two spots and drove by these signs every day and couldn’t believe myself. I was pretty rattled,” he said. “Last year, I ended up going down to the contest and watching the finals all day from start to finish, because I knew I would be in it this year.”
Oceanside surfer Caitlin Simmers, 17, is also someone familiar with the Lower Trestles surf break, competing in countless events there during her younger years rising up the amateur ranks.
“It feels good to come back and be close to home after a hectic year being everywhere in the world,” said Simmers, who won the US Open of Surfing in 2021 and joined the WSL World Tour this year. The tour rookie clinched a spot in the finals after several strong finishes and solidified after a second-place finish in Tahiti.
“I was just taking it how it came and it came really quick and now I’m here,” she said. “I’m really just grateful for surfing. I guess that’s what everyone has in common. It’s taken me so far, and it’s fun, and it doesn’t seem real right now.”
Turpel asked if she has thought about the fact she would be the youngest-ever world champ if she wins.
“Um, no,” said the soft-spoken surfer, drawing a chuckle from the crowd. “But it would be pretty insane.”
On the other end of the surf spectrum is Hawaiian surfer Carissa Moore, an Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion in the hunt for her sixth title. She has appeared in all three of the finals since the WSL made the change to the new one-day format.
“Trestles and San Clemente, this place has a really special place in my heart,” she said.
Brazilian Filipe Toledo, who has called San Clemente home for the past decade, will be defending his world title and goes into the event the top-ranked surfer in the world.
“I’m super honored to be back here,” he said. “It’s amazing to be back here in the same position I was last year … now defending the title. I’m happy. I’m super excited. We got some new faces on the Final 5 this year, it’s going to bring super exciting heats. Everyone should go down there to watch and back us up.”
Australians Jack Robinson and Ethan Ewing talked about injuries throughout the year leading up to the finals.
Robinson said he was blessed to be in the hunt and is taking it “step by step.” He remembered his first finals appearance last year and how fast the day goes.
Ewing, who fractured his back just a few weeks ago, said he didn’t know if he was going to make it to the finals to compete.
“I definitely didn’t know if I was going to be here, I was really worried about making a full recovery, I’ve just had a really good team around me and getting a lot of support,” he said.
Brazilian Joao Chianca, a 23-year-old rookie on tour, said it’s all still sinking in.
“It’s been so fun, improving my surfing, improving inside of the water and putting so much work into it and still being able to have fun doing the job that I love,” he said. “This year has really been over my expectations and that’s the magic about this sport.”
Australian Molly Picklum will be making her first finals appearance.
“You come in with a plan and sometimes it can go the way you want, sometimes it doesn’t,” she said. “But nonetheless you put your head down and work hard and see what happens.”
Fellow Australian Tyler Wright, a two-time world champion and a veteran on tour, talked about making it to the finals for a chance at her third world title – her last was clinched in 2017.
“I invested in myself a lot to create something I’m really proud of,” she said. “It’s a beautiful opportunity to be here, with such amazing talent. It’s been quite a year and it’s a great opportunity to keep practicing doing what I’ve been doing all year.”
Florida surfer Caroline Marks, who has lived in San Clemente for the past few years, took several events off last year following an injury and had to fight her way to the Top 5.
“Last year was a massive growing year and each year I’m learning more and more about myself,” she said. “I’m just here because I love surfing … Everyone has that in common here. Our sport is so unique, there’s nothing like it.”
More information and updates on the competition schedule: worldsurfleague.com
Source: Orange County Register
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