Salamat, Siargao Island! An iconic finish to the maiden Philippines Pro presented by Philippine Sports Commission provided the goods, and Gabriel Medina and Caitlin Simmers showed their World Champion form.
In El Monstro fashion, Medina turned ON for Finals Day to once again put his name in the mix for a World Title heading into Pipeline. An all-Brazilian Storm clash with Yago Dora set Medina on his way atop the podium in defiant form ahead of fireworks with fellow event standout Jack Robinson. Medina’s ridiculous barrel in the Final earned a 9.43 and left Robinson in need of excellence of his own as time expired. Plus, Simmers’ road to the Final was no easy task, having to start her day against 5x World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Carisa Moore.
Then, Simmers dug deep despite a gash in her foot, and then turned another brilliant performance to take down the Cinderella story of Isabella Nichols.
The Philippines left the athletes and fans alike with memories that will not be fading anytime soon, and a few wounds to lace up ahead of the epic conclusion to the World Title race. The World Title heads for Pipeline for the first time in seven years, and the full field of world-class competitors is back to meet the occasion.
Who will rise? Who will hold their place among the icons of the sport, and who will meet the challenge of surfing’s mecca – Pipeline. It all goes down December 8 through 20 on WorldSurfLeague.com.
