The 2025 World Surf League Championship Tour reached its thrilling conclusion at the iconic Teahupo’o in Tahiti. With a powerful Southern Hemisphere swell gracing the legendary waves, surfers battled for crucial points in the final regular-season event, determining the WSL Final 5.
Key Takeaways
- Molly Picklum secured her second consecutive WSL Championship Tour win, clinching the Lexus Tahiti Pro and extending her lead heading into the WSL Finals.
- Jack Robinson delivered a clutch performance to win the men’s event, moving into fourth place in the standings and securing his spot in the Final 5.
- The event served as the last chance for surfers to qualify for the WSL Finals in Fiji.
Women’s Division: Picklum Dominates
Australia’s Molly Picklum continued her winning streak, claiming victory at the Lexus Tahiti Pro. Her powerful backhand and mastery of the heavy Teahupo’o waves saw her defeat reigning WSL champion Caitlin Simmers in the final with a commanding score of 17.26 to 4.94. Picklum had previously overcome Vahine Fierro and Caroline Marks en route to the final. This victory solidified her position as the top seed heading into the WSL Finals.
Simmers secured second place in the overall Championship Tour rankings, with Gabriela Bryan in third and Caroline Marks in fourth. Bettylou Sakura Johnson rounded out the top five, earning the final spot in the WSL Finals.
Men’s Division: Robinson’s Crucial Victory
In the men’s competition, Jack Robinson delivered a standout performance to secure a vital win. His victory propelled him up four spots in the Championship Tour standings, landing him in fourth place and securing his place in the Final 5. Robinson’s path to victory included close heats against Ítalo Ferreira and Crosby Colapinto before facing Griffin Colapinto in the final, which he won 16.90 to 13.67.
Brazilian Yago Dora finished the regular season at the top of the men’s rankings, followed by South African Jordy Smith. Ferreira secured the fifth and final spot for the WSL Finals.
Swell Forecast and Conditions
The event was blessed with a powerful Southern Hemisphere swell, creating challenging yet classic Teahupo’o conditions. The forecast predicted heavy, clean lines, setting the stage for a dramatic and memorable finale to the regular season. Surfers were seen taking advantage of pre-competition freesurfs, honing their skills in the formidable waves.
Sources
- Surfline Forecast: Big swell bears down on Teahupo’o for finale of Lexus Tahiti Pro, World Surf League.
- WSL highlights: Lexus Tahiti Pro action, Red Bull.
- Psycho Teahupo’o: Pre-comp freesurf insanity Day -2 I Lexus Tahiti Pro pres. by I-SEA, World Surf League.
