Typhoon Swell Sets the Stage for Philippines Pro at Cloud 9
Typhoon-driven swell shaped the inaugural Philippines Pro forecast at Cloud 9, where Caity Simmers and Gabriel Medina ultimately claimed historic wins.
The Philippines Pro is underway at Cloud 9 in Siargao, where organizers are tracking a typhoon-driven swell to find the best conditions for competition. Forecasts called for surf to build after a softer start, with overhead-to-double-overhead sets possible in the event’s strongest window. The inaugural contest ultimately delivered four days of high-level competition in powerful, hollow waves.
- Typhoon In-fa was expected to help build northeast swell, with the strongest surf forecast for the middle of the event window.
- Early forecasts also warned of increasing onshore wind and afternoon chop, making timing important.
- Caity Simmers and Gabriel Medina went on to win the inaugural event at Cloud 9.
Swell forecast puts timing in focus
The initial outlook called for 5-to-7-foot faces
The initial outlook called for 5-to-7-foot faces early on the first competition day, rebuilding to 6-to-12 feet by late afternoon. Forecasters expected a new northeast swell to fill in, with Tuesday and Wednesday offering the most powerful conditions: sets could reach well overhead to double overhead. The swell was expected to ease later in the window.
Wind was another factor for organizers Light
Wind was another factor for organizers. Light offshore or variable conditions were forecast early, with northeast winds likely to bring some bump later in the day. That mix made the morning and mid-morning periods potentially cleaner, while the competition schedule remained flexible enough to use the strongest available surf.
Cloud 9 delivers for the inaugural event
The first Philippines Pro, a World Surf League Championship Tour stop, brought the tour to Cloud 9 for a landmark international event. The competition concluded after four days, with the venue producing hollow, four-to-six-foot-plus barrels for the finalists. The event also marked 30 years of Cloud 9 hosting international surfing competition.
Simmers and Medina claim historic wins
Caity Simmers won the women’s final, defeating Australia’s Isabella Nichols 12.00 to 10.77. The victory was Simmers’ first of the season and her eighth Championship Tour win. Nichols, returning from ankle surgery, earned a runner-up finish after a strong run through the draw.
In the men’s final, Brazil’s Gabriel Medina beat Australia’s Jack Robinson 16.93 to 14.50. Medina secured the win with a deep tube ride that earned 9.43 points, claiming his 18th Championship Tour victory. Robinson’s second-place finish provided a boost after a difficult season, while Medina’s result strengthened his position heading toward the world-title showdown at the Lexus Pipe Masters in Hawaii.