PRAIA DE GUINCHO, Cascais/Portugal (Thursday, September 29, 2016) - Courtney Conlogue (USA) has won the Cascais Women’s Pro, Stop No. 8 of 10 on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), after defeating Tyler Wright (AUS) in the Final in clean 5 foot (1.5 metre) surf at the back-up site of Guincho.
 
Today’s competition witnessed Conlogue earn her second victory of 2016 and the back-to-back event Title. The win sees the California-native earn 10,000 points to strengthen her WSL Title campaign. Conlogue will remain in second place on the Jeep Leaderboard and stay in the hunt for the world surfing crown, now sitting 5,250 points behind Wright.
 
“I am so thrilled to be back on the podium,” said Conlogue. “The World Title race has definitely tightened up. I still have a lot of work ahead of me. I’m one step closer, which is always a positive. I am just really happy with my performance at this event and I feel that I am on a good path right now. Always trying to learn from my mistakes and continue growing. I love France and I am looking forward to hopefully getting a few barrels and doing some big turns.”
 
Conlogue dispatched Malia Manuel (HAW) and Coco Ho (HAW) before matching up against Wright in the Final. Conlogue’s Semifinal berth ended Wright’s chance of claiming the WSL Title in Portugal and sends the title race to the Roxy Pro France.
 
“That final was actually really tricky,” continued Conlogue. “The conditions kept changing and I got a bit lost out there, but really stoked to win it. When I went out there I saw Tyler [Wright] paddle more north and thought that that was a different game plan. For me, I figured I would stick to what I know and what I have been training in. I figured the consistency of that lineup would work in my favor and give me a few opportunities to hopefully maximize.”

Caption: Courtney Conlogue (USA) storms to victory at the Cascais Women's Pro (WSL / Masurel)

The Final saw a clash between No. 1 and 2 on the Jeep Leaderboard, Wright and Conlogue. The pair traded small scores until, with more than ten minutes gone, Conlogue put down five solid turns and was rewarded with an excellent 8.17. Wright was left in a combination situation with only a 1.57 two-wave heat total. With ten minutes remaining, the Australian found a wave and delivered one solid turn for a 4.03 and backed it up with a 6.33. Meanwhile Conlogue, at the other end of the beach, fell on the final section of her next wave and failed improve her scoreline. Wright, who had escaped the combination to put herself back in contention, had one last opportunity but wasn’t able to find the required 6.68 to catch Conlogue.
 
Wright’s runner-up finish is her best result in Cascais and will see her remain atop the rankings and retain the WSL Jeep Leader Jersey heading into the next event on the CT, the Roxy Pro France. The Australian defeated Johanne Defay (FRA) and Sage Erickson (USA) en route to her match-up against Conlogue. Today’s final is the fifth of the year for Wright, who has claimed four previous CT wins this season (Roxy Pro Gold Coast, Drug Aware Margaret River Pro, Oi Rio Women’s Pro, Swatch Women’s Pro at Trestles).
 
“Looking it over, I would have surfed the same bank again,” said Wright. “I am psyched on the whole event and massive congrats to Courtney [Conlogue]. I have the same goal going into France - to win every heat and win every final. I am going to take what I’ve learned out of this one with dealing with beach breaks and everything like that into France and start it all over again. I have never been more psyched on surfing or doing heats and the amount that I am learning. It is my sixth year on Tour and I’ve never learned this much in my entire life. I know I am in a Title race, but for me, I know what I can do and what I want to do.”

Tyler Wright (AUS) will retain the Jeep Leader Jersey heading into the Roxy Pro France (WSL / Poullenot)

The next stop on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Women’s Championship Tour is the Roxy Pro France, which gets underway on October 4, 2016.