In absolutely pumping Supertubes conditions, Gabriela Bryan (HAW) and Connor O’Leary (JPN) emerged victorious at the 2025 Corona Cero Open J-Bay, Stop No. 10 on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour. With four-to-six-foot perfection and crisp offshore winds, the world’s best surfers delivered high-performance surfing in front of a packed beach. Molly Picklum (AUS) and Yago Dora (BRA) claimed second place, both showing standout form throughout the event.
Connor O’Leary’s Breakthrough Win at J-Bay
Connor O’Leary delivered a dream performance to claim his first-ever CT victory, and he did it in style. The 31-year-old goofy-footer from Cronulla charged through a stacked field, capping it off with the event’s only perfect 10-point ride in the Semifinal against three-time J-Bay winner Filipe Toledo (BRA). That moment alone was enough to set the beach alight — but O’Leary wasn’t done.
In the Final, he faced an on-fire Yago Dora (BRA), who was surfing in his third CT Final this year. O’Leary strung together an excellent 8.17 and 7.50 to post a 15.67 heat total and take the win.
“I don’t have any words,” O’Leary said after the win. “I’m just so happy with how I performed today. [Richard] ‘Dog’ Marsh has been telling me that it’s coming this year, but it’s been hard to believe sometimes. All the stars aligned for this one, so I’m stoked.”
O’Leary’s backhand was on another level all event, and taking down the ever-dangerous Dora in flawless right-handers made the win even sweeter. “To compete with a fellow goofy in the Final, hopefully it inspires other goofy-foot surfers that they can compete against the best in perfect right-hand point breaks,” he added.
After a string of solid but unspectacular results this year — including multiple ninths and two Quarterfinals — this win sees O’Leary surge to No. 11 on the rankings, his highest position for 2025 so far.
Gabriela Bryan Clinches Her Third CT Win of the Season
World No. 2 Gabriela Bryan (HAW) was all class at J-Bay, claiming her third CT win of the season — and doing it in style against none other than World No. 1 Molly Picklum (AUS). It was Bryan’s fourth Final appearance this year and the fourth win of her career.
“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” said Bryan. “I came here early, putting in a lot of time here, and it paid off. I’m so stoked. It’s been a dream of mine to win here at J-Bay. It’s an iconic wave and one of my favourites in the world.”
Bryan had a massive run to the Final, taking down two-time World Champion Tyler Wright (AUS) in the Quarters and eliminating reigning World Champ Caroline Marks (USA) in the Semis. She now locks in her place in the WSL Final 5 and will be heading back to Cloudbreak, Fiji to compete for the World Title — a far cry from last year, where she narrowly missed out.
“From last year, where I think I missed out by one heat, and now to do it with one event left in the regular season… it’s mind-blowing,” she said. “I just tried to simplify things, because it’s so exhausting out there today. I just focused on getting two good waves.”
Picklum Keeps the Yellow Jersey Ahead of Tahiti
Despite finishing runner-up, Molly Picklum (AUS) will carry the Yellow Leader Jersey into the final regular-season stop, the Lexus Tahiti Pro. After strong wins against Lakey Peterson (USA) and Isabella Nichols (AUS), Picklum looked sharp and composed all event.
“It’s a one-of-a-kind wave,” Picklum said of Supertubes. “Last year I felt I could learn a lot about my surfing here, and this year I was just trying to hold the throttle down a bit more, and find that rhythm.”
Already locked into the WSL Final 5, Picklum now heads to Teahupo’o as the top seed and a strong contender for the World Title showdown in Fiji.
Dora and Simmers Join the Final 5 Club
Yago Dora (BRA) continues his hot run in 2025, locking in his spot for the Lexus WSL Finals after a Final appearance at J-Bay. With excellent scores in nearly every heat, Dora eliminated Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) and Griffin Colapinto (USA) before meeting O’Leary in the Final. Although he couldn’t quite clinch his third win of the season, Dora now sits at No. 1 on the men’s rankings heading into Tahiti.
On the women’s side, Caity Simmers (USA) also booked her ticket to Fiji, thanks to her result in South Africa and the results of other contenders. With just one event left before the Finals, only two women’s spots and four men’s spots remain up for grabs — and it’s all going to come down to the legendary waves of Teahupo’o.
