Surfing
Surfing
Caity Simmers and Italo Ferreira rule the pool at historic Abu Dhabi Pro
After a fast start in Hawaii the WSL Championship Tour headed to the Middle East to battle it out at the season's second event. From Pipeline to the pool, here's how the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro went down.
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01
Surf Abu Dhabi Pro
Griffin Colapinto gets to know the Abu Dhabi playing field
© Thiago Diz/World Surf League
After the two-week-marathon of the Lexus Pipe Pro, the waves and pace of this weekend's Surf Abu Dhabi Pro could not have provided a bigger contrast. The United Arab Emirates played host to the second stop of the 2025 Championship Tour, and the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro, the first-ever WSL event to take place in the Middle East, ran flat out in three frantic days.
Amazingly for an event that ran in the controlled environment of the world's latest and greatest wave pool, there was no shortage of variables, as wild winds, human error and even a sand storm did all they could to throw curveballs at the contest. Despite all of that, or maybe because of it, the last surfers standing seemed likely from the first time they stepped in the world's first saltwater wave pool.
The winners
Italo Ferreira and the alley oop that saw him soar to the top of the podium
© World Surf League/Thiago Diz
The megawatt smile of Surf Abu Dhabi's brightest light, Italo Ferreira
© World Surf League/Manel Geada
The rail game that made Italo Ferreira the Abu Dhabi Pro's final boss
© World Surf League/Manel Geada
Italo Ferreira and coach Rainos Haynes deep in the Red Bull Athlete Zone
© World Surf League/Thiago Diz
With the momentum from his sizzling season-opening performance still maxed out, Brazilian powerhouse Italo Ferreira looked like the man to beat as he bulldozed his way through the Championship Tour field. From launching huge aerials to ripping waves to ribbons with vicious carves and tying it all together without missing a beat, rhythmical from the moment he took off till he kicked out at the other end of the pool, Italo's UAE performances were showstoppers.
Ferreira reflected on good day's work: "That was a really great day! I was waiting for this moment! It was my first time in Abu Dhabi and it was really special. I put all my heart into this, everything that I did was with a lot of emotion."
King Italo ascends the throne
© World Surf League/Thiago Diz
I put all my heart into this, everything that I did was with a lot of emotion.
In the final, which you can watch in the video above, Ferreira came up against Indonesian man on a mission Rio Waida. Although the Brazilian was a clear favorite, Waida fueled his run to the end game on spirited self-belief, pushing his bulletproof surfing to new limits and not shying away from saying how much he wanted to win in post-heat interviews.
Caity Simmers lets another win sink in
© World Surf League/Thiago Diz
The Caity Simmers roundhouse cutback that makes every surfer's heart sing
© World Surf League/Max Physick
Caitlin Simmers, sitting happy in the UAE's midday heat
© World Surf League/Manel Geada
Caity Simmers and coach Tom Whitaker laughing all the way to the podium
© World Surf League/Manel Geada
Similarly, Californian Caity Simmers's win seemed a solid bet from her opening heat. Although Simmers' casual demeanor sits on the other end of the character spectrum to Ferreira's outgoing bombast it can't hide the steely competitor barely buried beneath her effortlessly stylish exterior. While Ferreira's outrageous energy signals his every intent, Simmers's slacker stylings leave the viewer wondering what's coming next, as she zigs where others zag, with not a wasted movement or drop of water out of place.
"It really feels good when you can do well under pressure, it makes your mind stronger when you’re put in those situations," she explained. "It feels really good to get a win. It was crazy to see Molly did good on both of her waves so I had to get a score and was happy I got it."
Caity Simmers lets her fins sing
© World Surf League/Manel Geada
It really feels good when you can do well under pressure, it makes your mind stronger when you’re put in those situations.
If Ferreira surfs quantitatively, Simmers is qualitative. Both are equally compelling viewing, both work.
Although the world champions tackle life at wildly contrasting pace they ended the weekend in the same place, alongside each other atop the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro podium, draped in the world number one's yellow jerseys, as the CT heads to Portugal.
The rivalry
Caity Simmers and Molly Picklum: surfing's friendliest rivalry
© World Surf League/Thiago Diz
Caity Simmers accounted for Molly Picklum in the final of the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro, to take her head-to-head lead over the Aussie to a staggering 6-0. Staggering because the two are evenly matched, as seen in last year's historic Pipeline final.
"It was fun watching Molly, and I feel like we'll be doing this a lot more in the future, so..." said Simmers. "Molly pushes me so hard, she’s a really spontaneous surfer, she’s a fun human, lot of energy, she can pull it together so well."
Molly pushes me so hard, she’s a really spontaneous surfer, she’s a fun human, lot of energy, she can pull it together so well.
The talking points
Beyond the winners there was a lot to unpack at surfing's latest wave-pool event. The main takeaway was the type of surfing required to not only encourage the panel to punch big numbers into their tablets, but win over surfing's real judges: the viewing audience.
Molly Picklum unleashes in the UAE
© World Surf League/Manel Geada
Jack Robinson flying high in the Middle East
© World Surf League/Max Physick
Jackson Bunch launched into the highest-scoring wave of the Abu Dhabi Pro
© World Surf League/Thiago Diz
It's a pool party, Abu Dhabi style
© World Surf League/Beatriz Ryder
Standard surfing was not the formula for success; if it seems safe in the ocean you can be guaranteed it looks bland in the pool. Those who attacked sections they might normally shy from, or dared to roll the dice on lines they wouldn't take at the beach, were rewarded handsomely. Jackson Bunch stole the show on the opening day, deliberately avoiding the tube to allow more runway to launch three aerials back-to-back-to-back and drop the highest score of the whole event.
Simmers's suave swerves were punctuated in the final by a foot-to-the-floor run to the shoulder, normally a wave-pool faux pas, followed by a big, on-rail roundhouse cutback that would have been more at home at Bells than Abu Dhabi. It led to her best wave in the final.
Jack Robinson showed that his catlike reflexes work in manmade waves too, with turns and aerials used as wild stalls that pitched him into the tube from never-before-seen angles, the point of difference forcing big numbers from the judges.
Didn't want to chance aerials? Rio Waida, Gaby Bryan and Ethan Ewing showed that insanely committed on-rail turns, bordering on the edge of disaster, will score exponentially higher than well-executed but risk-free versions.
Caroline Marks and Luke Egan en route to the Abu Dhabi Pro quarters
© World Surf League/Max Physick
Joao Chianca tearing in the UAE
© Manel Geada/World Surf League
Caity Simmers, locked in
© World Surf League/Thiago Diz
Emiratees, expats and diehard fans loved having the Abu Dhabi Pro in town
© World Surf League/Thiago Diz
The podium
Winners are grinners, dripping in gold jerseys, as the CT leaves the UAE
© World Surf League/Max Physick
- Caity Simmer (USA) and Italo Ferreira (BRA)
- Molly Picklum (AUS) and Rio Waida (IDR)
- Vahine Fierro (TAH), Gabriela Bryan (HAW) and Ethan Ewing (AUS), Jack Robinson (AUS)
02
Lexus Pipe Pro
The first event of the 2025 WSL Championship Tour, the Lexus Pipe Pro, wrapped up sensationally on Hawaii's North Shore with hometown hero Barron Mamiya going back-to-back at his beloved Pipeline. On the women's side of the draw, two-time world champion Tyler Wright became the first female two-time Pipe Pro champion, accounting for Caity Simmers in a wave-starved final.
Hometown hero Barron Mamiya goes back-to-back at Pipeline
© Brent Bielmann/World Surf League
To go back-to-back, I feel like that cements you as one of the best ever out here.
Mamiya beat Leo Fioravanti in a controversial finish after both men registered 17.97 two-wave totals. Mamiya won on a countback, his top-scoring 9.80 besting Fioravanti's high scoring 9.10, locked in while chasing a 9.11 for the win. After the judges took an eternity to confirm the crucial number hearts broke around the world for Fioravanti, competing in his second Pipe final in the last three years and still chasing a maiden win on the CT.
Leo Fioravanti finished second at Pipe, but first in the minds of many
© Tony Heff/World Surf League
"Needing a 9.11 and getting a 9.10, it's tough," said Fioravanti on the podium, "but I'm very proud of myself for coming back and giving myself that chance. Congratulations to Barron. He is one of the greatest Pipe surfers of all time."
Tyler Wright wins the Pipe Pro and redlines to the top of the CT rankings
© Brent Bielmann/World Surf League
"This is such a special win!" said Wright. "I think I really tried to bring in a lot more joy. It was so cool to have a final with Caitlin out there. She's like the queen of Pipeline to me."
This is such a special win! I think I really tried to bring in a lot more joy.
"I wish the final was a barrel shootout," said Simmers, "But the ocean definitely slept during our heat. Tyler is a very smart competitor and she just got the waves. Congrats to her."
Casual style in critical waves has fast become a Caity Simmers calling card
© Brent Bielmann/World Surf League
In the semi-finals, Simmers beat Molly Picklum in a repeat of last year's iconic final, in an equally thrilling encounter, while for the men Mamiya pulled together a near-perfect heat to end Italo Ferreira's spirited run. Lakey Peterson and Ian Gouveia were the other two defeated semi-finalists.
The waves
Surfing's ultimate playing field delivered for the Pipe Pro
© Tony Heff/World Surf League
The 2025 WSL Championship Tour season got off to a flying start with fun conditions for the opening days of the Lexus Pipe Pro. An unusually large build-up of sand saw longer pointbreak-style waves running down the beach at Backdoor Pipeline, allowing for high performance, rather than the usual high stakes, surfing.
Kelly Slater's timeless and unmistakeable Pipeline silhouette
© Brent Bielmann/World Surf League
Italo Ferreira's Pipe performance reflected his epic North Shore campaign
© Tony Heff/World Surf League
"Welcome to the tour, rookie!" Australian George Pittar's Pipeline baptism
© Tony Heff/World Surf League
Molly Picklum squared off with Caity Simmers in a classic Backdoor showdown
© Brent Bielmann/World Surf League
Competition was then put on hold for over a week with solid conditions looming on the horizon. The forecasts proved true, with insane waves at both Backdoor and Pipeline for the final two days of the event, and the champions crowned in front of a packed house on Oahu's famed North Shore.
The 10s
2023 Pipe Pro champion Jack Robinson locked in his first ever 10 on the Championship Tour, riding as big of a Backdoor wave as you'll ever see to perfection, before failing to find a back-up and being eliminated by tour rookie Al Cleland.
"That’s how it goes sometimes," reflected Robinson later, "This is the game."
The late drop that set Jack Robinson on the road to perfection
© Brent Bielmann/World Surf League
Jack Robinson earned the first 10 for 2025 with this Backdoor beast
© Tony Heff/World Surf League
Barron Mamiya shows the commitment required for a perfect 10 at Pipeline
© Brent Bielmann/World Surf League
John John Florence and a 9.63 the world thought was a 10
© Tony Heff/World Surf League
Barron Mamiya added a 10 of his own, for an incredible Pipeline late drop that led to an almighty tube that put defending world champion John John Florence on the ropes. Florence struck back with a wild wave of his own that most fans declared a 10 from the moment he was spat from the tube, but the judges declared it a 9.63, and Mamiya advanced.
Mamiya had a string of excellent wins en route to claiming the trophy, but dethroning Florence, one of Pipeline's all-time greats, was surely the sweetest.
The colour
As well as broadcasting every day of competition on the WSL Championship Tour in 2025, Red Bull TV have partnered with Stab to bring a fresh take to three very different days of competition across the 2025 Championship Tour season. Channel 51 made its debut on the final day of the Lexus Pipe Pro, with another event in Australia and the WSL Finals Fiji slated to cop the Stab treatment later in the year.
WSL Lexus Pipe Pro Finals – Stab commentary
As Pipe's final day unfolds, Stab’s studio jockeys bring you all the winners, losers and unseen storylines.
Starring Damien Fahrenfort and Coco Ho in the studio, cheeky Aussie wondergrom Hughie Vaughan roaming the sidelines, and a string of guests including everyone from Jordy Smith to Jamie O'Brien, imagine Channel 51 as the loudest locals at your favorite beachside carpark hosting a podcast and you might be getting close.
If you missed Channel 51 the first time you should definitely hit play on the wrap-up video at the top of the page, and get excited for the team to return in Australia in a few months time.
Channel 51's roaming reporter Hughie Vaughan corners Kelly Slater
© Jesse Jennings/World Surf League
Molly Picklum's honest appraisal of her Pipe Pro performance
© Tony Heff/World Surf League
Italo Ferreira is a man on a mission in 2025
© Tony Heff/World Surf League
Kanoa Igarashi, all smiles, all the time
© Tony Heff/World Surf League
The podium
Your 2025 Lexus Pipe Pro champions!
© Tony Heff/World Surf League
- Tyler Wright (AUS) and Barron Mamiya (HAW)
- Caitlin Simmers (USA) and Leo Fioravanti (ITA)
- = Molly Picklum (AUS), Lakey Peterson (USA) and Ian Gouveia (BRA), Italo Ferreira (BRA)
Be sure to download the free Red Bull TV app and catch the surf action on all your devices! Get the app here.
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