The Gold Coast Pro 2025: Day Four

Super entertaining day of pro surfing with the remaining eight heats of the Men's Round of 32 and the entire Round of 16 completed.

Huge, huge day for the WSL, which tops a huge week. However you view the Ryan Crosby knock-down-and-rebuild you have to admit this radical restructuring back to the old tour was a response to things going badly. You don't fuck with the status quo unless it's failing. Fan disengagement, pro surfer disaffection, and just a general malaise all seemed to be contributing to a sporting organisation drifting towards a slow demise. Sixteen world titles worth of talent walked away in the last two years, to sit on the sidelines for various reasons. Thirty world titles no longer on the roster if you include Slater and Medina.

No sporting/entertainment body can afford to lose that wattage of star power and not suffer. Something had to be done. It had to be radical and it had to be wholesale. If, and this is still a big if, Ryan Crosby's radical renos do arrest the slide we'll look back at this week at Burleigh as a turning point. It wasn't his idea to return top level pro surfing to one of its spiritual birthplaces - that was an act of God, as the primary venue got destroyed by a tropical cyclone. It wasn't his idea to get former stars, now retired, and working stiffs looking for redemption, into the wildcard spots but that has been a masterstroke of momentum and generated huge interest across the board.

Miggy (WSL/Shield)

Who in the surfing world can resist watching Julian Wilson take to the skies and beat the new kids at their own game; make the current world No1 look second rate? Who cannot thrill to Morgan Cibilic, now working a real job to fund his dream, looking like he is a genuine world title contender again, like he did in his incredible COVID year run?

We accepted as fait accompli that the new generation of women's pro surfers had made redundant the old gen without testing them against benchmarks like Steph Gilmore surfing at right points. Already she has shown up current World Champ Caity Simmers. She may do the same to much hyped wunderkid Erin Brooks.There's a lot more juice left to squeeze from that fruit.

The surf was raggedy at times today, tricky to read, moody and shifting constantly across sandbar zones which showed remarkable variation with the tide. At all times though, there were plenty of rideable waves, chunky sections and opportunity to let surfing win the heat.

The day started with triumph for the father of three Julian Wilson who evinced every parents complaint when trying to pack up three kids to go the beach almost made him miss his heat. He later described that as an advantage because it enabled him to adapt flexibly to the changing conditions with no preconceived ideas. When you've got kids and you get a window, you just paddle out and make do with the time you have. In the case of Wilson he described a “bottled up energy ready to he delivered on the world stage.”

Jules 1 (WSL/Shield)

He definitely did that. Building a solid little house and nailing a couple of mid-4's. That seemed to agitate the Brazilian yellow jersey holder. He went for a massive backside rotation on his opening ride, landed buttocks first on the board and buckled it. Time drifted by while he looked confused as to what route to take on the run around. He bounded over rocks like a hopped-up tiger then realised the path was a better option than a hundred metres of slippery boulders. Wilson kept pulling the trigger, not quite finding the ramp he was looking for but getting enough solidity in the scoreline to hold the Brazilian at bay.

After looking unbeatable, Italo has been kneecapped into second-last place two comps in a row at the hands of Australian wildcards. One not even on tour and the other a retired for four years father of three now making a comeback - and who now holds a 5-0 record against him. That has to sting. But we saw no visible meltdown from Italo, just a firm stride out of the competition zone with head bowed, boards underarm and still in his Nike labelled springy. The day could not have started better for Australian surf fans.

It got a lot better. Burleigh Point was packed with locals waving LOB placards hoping their boy could reverse a losing record and get one back on Griffin Colapinto. The pressure from a local crowd, as LOB later described it, was a “double edged sword”. He managed to channel it to his benefit, later describing it as a “privilege, not pressure”. No doubt the cheering throng exerted some pressure on judges, especially when LOB paddled way deep, almost to the Cove and found a grower that kept dishing out juicy sections and a neat tube. It had to go excellent, but this time, as they have all event, judges showed generosity to LOB, who sits dangerously poised on the razor's edge of the cut line.

LOB (WSL/Ryder)

Every pro surfer without legacy backing who finds themselves in this position will find themselves having to consider ancillary employment, what they call in agriculture: off farm income. That is harsh, but it is making competition so much more hard fought. While a rarefied few can afford the luxury of having to find motivation for competition surfing or even allowing themselves to feel victims of being stuck in such a shallow profession, for the majority, at least on the men's tour, it's now a hard scrap to stay on circuit and keep the cheques flowing.

You can use Alejo Muniz as the poster boy for that struggle. Not a damn thing pretty or artistic or soulful about Alejo's surfing, especially today as he scrapped for a 6 and his coach Adriano De Souza went ballistic on the platform as his charge fought for his career. He struggled like a bird in an oil slick, flapping furiously in an almost pitiful display before, through sheer strength of will, he managed to achieve enough elevation to gain the winning ride over Barron Mamiya.

The topic of scoring airs at pointbreaks has enraged purists over time. Blokes often bring it up with me in the water in between sets. How can a single air manouevre on a closeout be scored as highly as a well put together wave and what message does it send to pro surfers if they know they can waste waves hucking airs if they will get a huge score when they finally land one?

Marco (WSL/Shield)

The question is complicated at Burleigh by the fact that as the tide drained surfers did surf down at the beachie section where one and two turn waves had to be scored. Jake Marshall did the bigger turns but joined his fellow Californian counterpart Crosby Colapinto when he was defeated by a single air from Filipe Toledo. Two pumps and a huck gets an 8, to which Toledo said he was “blessed to get that one little ramp”. Is this the unbeatable Pip back, the one who makes opponents look like they are driving a car with bald tyres in the mud? We'll know after his QF with Yago Dora. If he pulls in the crowd energy (Brazilian crowds have seemed very sparse compared to recent years at Snapper) it'll be hard, almost impossible, to beat him in head-high point surf.

Julian Wilson couldn't do it when they faced off at Snapper in 2015. It seems more likely, by dint of some kind of time warp, that Jules could do it now. His heat against Marco Mignot was exactly that type of timeless performance he would need to upset Toledo if they matched up. Jules went huge on a straight slob grab air for an 8.50 - the only flaw being he was so high he had to wind down the windows on the descent. He stitched together classic point break power lines on his best ride, a 9.50, which was also the best wave of the day for mine.

Jules 2 (WSL/Ryder)

There was nothing political about it, but somehow it reminded me of Albo's Australian values election victory speech. The humility and respect and gratitude for the opportunity which Jules has shown had a similar emotional gravitas to it which was compelling. Morgs was the same. After dispatching Seth Moniz in possibly the heat of the round with a wild, flamboyant display of power surfing he was at pains to offer respect to Seth and just be grateful to the people who supported and support him.

Once in a blue moon, it's energising to be swept up in something that seems to transcend the sport. These wildcard runs from Morgs and Julian (and Steph) are generating so much energy. They are elevating the sport into rarefied air.

Morgs (WSL/Shield)

The tide pushed in and at a certain point, and quite suddenly, Burleigh started dishing up throaty barrels like Stubbies Classic days of yore. Jordy Smith turned an out of sorts start into a tube-fest, with a late barrel by Joao Chianca not enough to stem a deficit. Jordy, oldest guy on tour, into another finals day.

The day ended on a more sober note for Australian and local surf fans as Kanoa Igarashi put Liam O'Brien to the sword. A deep tube and an expertly stitched together ride in the opening ten minutes put LOB into a deep combination which he could not find his way out of. It quietened a crowd who had become, like fans online, increasingly aroused on one of those rare days when pro surfing can seem like the best sport on Earth. Good match-ups and waves, plenty of them. It doesn't seem that complicated, but judging by it's rarity it's one of the hardest nuts to crack.

The best thing about East Coast point swells is one good day is usually followed by another and if that holds true, we could see an epic Finals Day. Potentially, with two wildcards on the podium.

// STEVE SHEARER

Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM Men's Round of 32 Results: 
HEAT 1: Yago Dora (BRA) 13.67 DEF. Edgard Groggia (BRA) 11.94
HEAT 2: Alan Cleland (MEX) 13.60 DEF. Connor O'Leary (JPN) 11.17
HEAT 3: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 17.87 DEF. Crosby Colapinto (USA) 15.33
HEAT 4: Jake Marshall (USA) 14.40 DEF. Samuel Pupo (BRA) 13.83
HEAT 5: Morgan Cibilic (AUS) 11.47 DEF. Ethan Ewing (AUS) 10.10
HEAT 6: Seth Moniz (HAW) 12.50 DEF. Jackson Bunch (HAW) 8.26
HEAT 7: Barron Mamiya (HAW) 10.77 DEF. Callum Robson (AUS) 10.66
HEAT 8: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.47 DEF. Rio Waida (INA) 10.83
HEAT 9: Julian Wilson (AUS) 11.33 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 8.00
HEAT 10: Marco Mignot (FRA) 16.23 DEF. George Pittar (AUS) 14.23
HEAT 11: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 10.76 DEF. Ian Gentil (HAW) 10.73
HEAT 12: Deivid Silva (BRA) 11.60 DEF. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 11.27
HEAT 13: Jordy Smith (RSA) 13.16 DEF. Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 11.23
HEAT 14: Joao Chianca (BRA) 10.93 DEF. Cole Houshmand (USA) 10.43
HEAT 15: Liam O'Brien (AUS) 15.97 DEF. Griffin Colapinto (USA) 13.60
HEAT 16: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 12.86 DEF. Ian Gouveia (BRA) 12.67

Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM Men's Round of 16 Results: 
HEAT 1: Yago Dora (BRA) 10.73 DEF. Alan Cleland (MEX) 10.50
HEAT 2: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 14.17 DEF. Jake Marshall (USA) 12.17
HEAT 3: Morgan Cibilic (AUS) 16.93 DEF. Seth Moniz (HAW) 13.77
HEAT 4: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 12.17 DEF. Barron Mamiya (HAW) 11.17
HEAT 5: Julian Wilson (AUS) 18.00 DEF. Marco Mignot (FRA) 14.96
HEAT 6: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 12.33 DEF. Deivid Silva (BRA) 10.93
HEAT 7: Jordy Smith (RSA) 17.27 DEF. Joao Chianca (BRA) 16.10
HEAT 8: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 17.17 DEF. Liam O'Brien (AUS) 15.54