Gabriel Medina and Carissa Moore emerged as the victors at the Western Australia Margaret River Pro, Stop No. 5 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2023 Championship Tour (CT). The event featured solid four-to-six-foot surf at Main Break, providing the perfect canvas for the world’s top surfers to showcase their skills. Medina’s win marked his first CT event victory since 2021, while Moore secured her second event win of the season.
Gabriel Medina, the three-time World Champion, demonstrated his exceptional talent and dominance throughout the competition. In the final, he faced off against Griffin Colapinto from the USA and emerged triumphant with the highest heat total of the day, an impressive 17.50 out of a possible 20. Medina’s exceptional performance included a near-perfect score of 9.50 out of 10. Along the way, he defeated the current World Champion Filipe Toledo in the quarterfinals and the current World No. 1 Joao Chianca in the semifinals. This victory marked Medina’s 17th CT career event win and his first-ever triumph at Margaret River.
Expressing his delight, Medina said, “It’s pretty special to win here. It’s a venue where I’ve struggled to make heats. It felt good to have good waves and get the win. I’m feeling better now, just feeling like I’m in the rhythm again.” He acknowledged the tough competition and the challenging nature of the wave at Margaret River, emphasizing his satisfaction with his own improvement.
The women’s competition saw Carissa Moore, the five-time World Champion from Hawaii, clinch her 27th CT victory. Moore’s exceptional performance throughout the event earned her a third Margaret River win. In the final, she faced off against Tyler Wright, a two-time World Champion from Australia. Moore showcased her trademark wrapping carves and posted a score of 6.10, taking the lead over Wright. Despite Wright’s last-minute opportunity, she failed to capitalize on it, and the score fell short. Moore’s win positioned her to challenge Wright for the World No. 1 position, as she currently sits at World No. 2.
Reflecting on her victory, Moore expressed gratitude for the support she received from the community and the positive energy that fueled her performance. “Coming here, the doubts were starting to creep in. But, I really felt the love and the joy from this community, and I want to say thank you because I couldn’t have done it without that good energy,” she said. Moore also acknowledged the unpredictable nature of surfing, noting that she had to leave the outcome up to the universe.
With the conclusion of the Western Australia Margaret River Pro, the field has been narrowed down to the Top 22 men and Top 10 women, who will continue competing in the back half of the 2023 CT season.
The next stop on the tour is the Surf Ranch Pro, scheduled to take place on May 27 and May 28, 2023. Competitors will now focus on securing their spots in the Final 5, which will allow them to compete at the WSL Rip Curl Finals and contend for the coveted 2023 World Title.
