After their big wins today, Moore and Colapinto have taken the rankings leads.
Carissa Moore(HAW) and Griffin Colapinto (USA) won the Surf Ranch Pro Presented by 805 Beer, Stop No. 6 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2023 Championship Tour (CT), in front of a live audience of surf fans in Lemoore, Calif. After their big wins today, Moore and Colapinto have taken the rankings leads. Caroline Marks (USA) and Italo Ferreira (BRA) earned runner-up finishes after putting on outstanding performances.
The world’s best surfers will now turn their attention to Central America as they prepare for the Surf City El Salvador Pro Presented by Corona, Stop No. 7 on the 2023 CT. Only four more events remain before the Rip Curl WSL Finals and competitors are starting to feel the pressure of clinching a spot in the WSL Final 5.
Carissa Moore Achieves Second Surf Ranch Pro Victory
Five-time World Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) claimed her second Surf Ranch Pro win and third CT event win of the season. Moore has had an exceptional year, and will now be back in the yellow Leader jersey going into the Surf City El Salvador Pro. Today’s win adds to Moore’s long list of accomplishments, including a Gold Medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and her 28th CT victory. As the No. 1 surfer on the rankings, she is now well on her way to qualifying for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris and securing a place in the WSL Final 5.
“You can’t wipe the smile off my face right now and to be sharing the podium with these amazing humans is an honor,” said Moore. “I think all of us as athletes just want to perform to the best of our potential and I definitely think there was more for me to give out here. But, I felt happy and present, and that’s what matters most to me. I didn’t really imagine it would go quite this good and I’m just really happy. I have a lot of family and friends here, and watching all over the world, so I really appreciate all the love. It’s a perfect wave, but it’s really difficult to ride. It took a couple surfs to figure out the timing again and get to calm the nerves, but I just felt really good.”
Moore set the standard with an excellent 8.60 (out of possible 10) on her first right of the Final to apply major pressure to one of the sport’s phenoms, Caroline Marks (USA). Moore’s 7.93 backup ride put Marks into an all-or-nothing situation for her second round of waves. Marks went to the air for her final attempt but fell on the landing. The score came up short of what she required and Moore emerged victorious once again.
Griffin Colapinto Wins First CT Event of the Season
Griffin Colapinto (USA) left everything out in the water during each heat today and reserved his best for the Final against 2019 World Champion Italo Ferreira (BRA). Ferreira and Colapinto went wave-for-wave during the Final, keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats. Colapinto started strong, posting an excellent 8.70 and backup 7.83. Ferreira was able to take the lead after earning an 8.70 himself and backup of 8.13. Colapinto was left needing a big score and delivered just that, turning in a near-perfect 9.70.
“It means everything to win a CT in California, especially to win here because everyone gets the same opportunity and there’s so much that goes into your physical ability,” said Colapinto. “A lot of hard work went into this. I’m feeling really good and just so psyched, all my friends and family are here so to win with them here is just insane. That Final was so crazy and it’s trippy to watch Italo’s (Ferreira) waves and hope he fell so I’m just over the moon. I had no clue I was No. 1 until you told me and it’s a crazy feeling being in the yellow jersey.”
Colapinto’s flawless run through Finals Day had him up against some of Brazil’s best, starting with a jaw-dropping win over Surf Ranch standout Yago Dora (BRA). He then eliminated World Champion and defending event winner Filipe Toledo (BRA) in the Semifinals, one of the day’s biggest upsets.
Next Stop: Surf City El Salvador Pro Presented by Corona
The Surf City El Salvador Pro Presented by Corona will run Friday, June 9 through Sunday, June 18, 2023. The competition will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL’s YouTube channel, and the free WSL app. Check out more ways to watch from the WSL’s broadcast partners. For fans watching in Brazil, coverage of the competition’s Quarterfinals and beyond will continue exclusively on WorldSurfLeague.com and SporTV.