Caity Simmers and Italo Ferreira claimed victory at the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro, the second stop of the 2025 WSL Championship Tour season. With their wins, both athletes now sit at the top of the leaderboard, marking a strong start to the competition.
This marks the first time the WSL Championship Tour has hosted an event in the United Arab Emirates, but the results were hardly unexpected. Defending world champion Simmers, who recently finished as runner-up at the Lexus Pipe Pro, and Ferreira, known for his aerial displays, dominated the inaugural Surf Abu Dhabi Pro.
Simmers, coming off a title-winning performance at Trestles last September, has continued to set the pace this year. Her consistent performances have made her a clear frontrunner, with no sign of the competition catching up just yet. In the final, Simmers faced Australian rival Molly Picklum, whom she had previously defeated in the semifinals of the Pipe Pro. In Abu Dhabi, Simmers relied on her strong rail game to clinch the win.
Simmers set the tone early, scoring an 8.67 on her first wave of the final. Picklum responded with an 8-point ride of her own, but the final was ultimately decided in the last few waves. Simmers posted a 7.43 on a left, while Picklum’s 7.70 was not enough to surpass her. Simmers won by a mere 0.27 points.
“I feel like when Molly and I surf together, we just laugh at each other. It’s pretty fun,” Simmers said after the win. “I’m really just thankful, thankful for surfing and being able to ride waves. It’s the most fun thing ever. And I’m thankful for Molly, because she pushes me to surf my best.”
Ferreira brought his signature high-energy, aerial style to the men’s final, earning his top scores on the first two waves against Indonesia’s Rio Waida. Ferreira scored an 8.67 on the right and an 8.60 on the left, leaving Waida struggling to catch up.
“I woke up today and prepared myself mentally for those runs. In a wave pool, it’s always exciting when I have a wave and a chance to perform. I always go bigger and harder, and that’s what I did,” Ferreira said. “I’m so glad to have those moments and all my team behind me.”
For surf enthusiasts, the Surf Abu Dhabi wave pool marked its debut on the Championship Tour stage. With technology similar to Kelly Slater’s prototype pool in Lemoore, California, the question of how the two wave pools compare was on many minds. Some surfers, including one who competed in Hawaii earlier this month, noted that the Abu Dhabi wave was better, offering a broader range of maneuvers and an improved barrel on the left.
However, the desert winds posed a challenge. While Lemoore’s winds can sometimes be tricky, the winds in Abu Dhabi made conditions difficult at times, turning what would have been pristine waves into crumbly, onshore surf. The situation serves as a reminder that even with cutting-edge man-made waves, natural elements still play a crucial role.
The Championship Tour now takes a break for nearly a month before heading to the Meo Rip Curl Pro in Portugal. Both Simmers and Ferreira finished tied for ninth at last year’s event, and fans will be watching to see if they can continue their momentum in the upcoming contest.
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