What an incredible event. When the waves do show up, the CT is hard not to watch. I get bent if I miss an event when it’s firing. This explains why the couch in front of the TV was my bed for the weekend.
Snapper must be in a different time zone than Bells and Margs. I felt like those events were running over night; it was tough for me to watch live. The Gold Coast Pro at Snapper would start around 2 or 3pm, California time, and run until around midnight. Worked out great for me, I thoroughly enjoyed this comp.
Four Days of possibly the highest performance surfing ever done in competitive history. Julian Wilson said that Sunday (day before Finals Day) was “some of the most beautiful surfing” he’d ever seen. While we are on the subject, I would like to make a couple more notes about the commentary from this event.
I really liked that they brought competitors, both currently on Tour and past CT surfers, in the booth. I was SHOCKED to see Medina with the headphones and mic on during the Heat he should have been surfing in. I understood the tactic once the Heat was over and Medina was handed the keys to a new truck for winning ‘The Aussie Trebble’. Even whilst winning this award, it’s hard to imagine Medina willingly stepping into the booth in years past. Really feels like a new form of Gabe is starting to emerge.
Another thing I will say about the talking/commentating, something I found truly hilarious. Dane Reynolds introduced the world at large to some new, quirky way to describe surfing a week or two ago. It was on that Stab podcast they’ve got him hosting, so of course the clip has done its rounds on Social Media as well.
He was talking with Britt Merrick about the new Stab In The Dark with Ethan, and Reynolds described watching and observing Ethan’s “economy of movement”. Where does a statement like that even come from? Leave it to a Reynolds or Tom Curren type to say some Left Field shit like this. While that is funny on its own, the best part is how quickly it’s spread its roots. I heard Richie Lovett spit that exact phrase out at least 3 times over the event in regards to Ethan’s surfing. He could have used it for a different surfer, at the very least. Pretty amusing.
Last few shoutouts – Owen Wright was really good as a commentator. He seemed stoked to be in there, just fired up on surfing in general. He broke down waves very well. I think he could make for a solid judge. Matty Wilko was there; I don’t remember one word he said. Caroline commentated Caity and Steph’s R1 Heat. She was promoting that new RedBull movie. And lastly, back to Julian, that guy can talk. Mostly about himself. Man. Turpel had to interrupt one single story at least twice to call waves. Julian might have spoke through the entire ride about himself. Rich.
Alright let’s get on to Finals Day. Here’s a recap of Day Four, Finals Day of the greatest surf contest in recent memory, AKA the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro.
WOMEN
QUARTERFINAL
HEAT 4
Lakey Peterson vs. Luana Silva
Much different conditions today. A bit sectiony and disjointed, plus it was really bowling out and racing down the line. It looked hard to surf. As dreamy as it looks, I imagine I would struggle out there in anything about chest high. This isn’t about me though.
A rematch from the Final at Margs, but this time around Luana gets the better of Lakey. Lulu was charged up; she wanted to win, badly. She was on better waves than Lakey was, and she was attacking big sections. There were a few falls, like on the finishing maneuver of her best wave, but the surfing she got done prior could not be denied. 3 massive snaps in the pocket, right in Lakey’s face. Even with the fall she dropped an 8.50. Luana combo’s Lakey and gets her revenge in fashion.
MEN
QUARTERFINAL
HEAT 1
Kauli Vaast vs. Ethan Ewing
Slow heat. Almost 10 minutes went by before Kauli catches the Opening Ride. Nice surfing. First wave for the Men’s so no scale set yet. A flat 6 was a little high for me but I could see it. Ethan’s first comes in just over, a 6.50. The wave was much worse than Kauli’s, but the surfing was much better. Kauli did not drop another score of impact. He caught two waves that he quickly hopped out of to retain priority, and then he sat anchor. Ethan was surfing freely underneath him applying pressure, and it was a bit of a walk through. EE to the semi’s.
HEAT 2
Mateus Herdy vs. Liam O’Brien
The Hometown Hero LOB is graced with a freak bomb right off the buzzer. It was much bigger than anything we’d seen yet this morning. The score was in the wave itself, because aside from the first turn, there was nothing major. One big crack through a descending lip, a little late to the party, but critical nonetheless. He cleans it up just wrapping and slashing the rest of the way through, pretty safe surfing, for a 7.83. He immediately picks up another insider runner, this time with a bigger, better slash in the pocket, before getting a nice inside draining tube; 7.17. He’s got Mateus comb’d with a 15 point Heat Total in about 7 or 8 minutes.
This put the rookie Herdy in a tough spot, and you could feel his panic. 21 Waves caught in this heat, no scores over a 4.50. Just throwing shit at the wall. A ton of air attempts, up and outs, falls, and incomplete maneuvers. At one point LOB even breaks his board and has to come in and do the full run around. Mat’s unable to take advantage, sitting in the lineup solo for at least 5 minutes with priority. No scores. It was kind of a full on meltdown. He’s going to need to get over that boom-or-bust mentality sooner than later. Liam, onto the Semi’s at his home break to face EE.
HEAT 3
Connor O’Leary vs. Leonardo Fioravanti
Surprisingly, at least to myself, this was the Heat of the Round. A certified Barn Burner. Both boys being coached by Richard ‘Dog’ Marsh, instructions were given to pick the right wave, and once the priority was set to “surf it out”. Well that’s exactly went down, and this was like a HeavyWeight boxing match. Blow for blow, haymakers. Edge of your seat wondering who could stand through the next punch. Great heat, I suggest you go watch the recap, at the very least. Connor comes out on top, and this should be a nominee for Heat of the Year.
HEAT 4
Filipe Toledo vs Sammy Pupo
Both these boys put up 18+ points yesterday, so you could imagine there might have been some expectations for this Heat. I felt like the scores were held back because of this. There was some lump and bump on it, much more difficult to surf than yesterday. And both guys were fucking ripping. Sammy fell on his last maneuver, and then he got stuck behind in a barrel, but if he makes those waves I think wins. I think it was his first wave that Sammy only had 2 completed maneuvers, fell on the last, yet still dropped a 4.33. And that last turn was the best turn. Like I said if he pulls it the number goes big and he’s got a shot.
Filipe also got underscored, I thought. This 8.17 could have easily been in the 9’s. I don’t remember another air of this magnitude the entire event, you? The combo on the outside looked a little mistimed, but I think that had more to do with the wave than the surfing. He still tagged it. A slight bobble on the 3rd, but again, the wave – it was doubling up right underneath where he was dropping back in. Almost poked the nose. By the end of the Heat they had figured that the longer, more stretched out, and better waves were the medium sized ones rather than the bombs. Filipe drops a 7.60 to Sammy’s 6.40, and that was all she wrote.
WOMEN
SEMI FINALS
HEAT 1
Nadia Erostarbe vs. Steph Gilmore
The Cinderella story of this event, kind of on both sides of this draw. Steph, sitting in Dead Last place on the rankings, running through this draw at home. Nadia, Rookie on Tour and complete underdog at this event. Goofy vs. Regular foot. An interesting matchup in totality.
The first wave of the Heat, Stephanie drops a 7.0. Nadia answered back with an 8.50 that was incredible. Her 3rd and 4th maneuvers were squared up. Huge hooks. Stephanie goes the wave behind and snaps it one million times for a 6. Gilmore with the lead. Nadia uses priority on a bad wave – really foamy and pretty small. She surfs it well, most of the score coming on the finishing turn. 5.73 to take the lead, 14 minutes or so left.
Stephanie sits with prio for quite some time, around 7 minutes. She knew what she was looking for. She drops an 8.0 for leaning on about 5 turns, two of them of the layback variety, the rest all differing. Nadia, now needing a 6.50, waits until about 30 seconds remaining, and she goes a big one. Its a burger. Only one quick crack of the lip and it runs wide. Stephanie into the Final and it is a Mad House on the sand.
HEAT 2
Sawyer Lindblad vs. Luana Silva
Luana just wants to win so damn bad. You can see it in her surfing. She got a quick 2 waves and had an 11 point heat total early. Sawyer drops a 7 on an inside runner that she ripped 10 snaps on, all in the pocket, all the exact same. She goes another one basically right after and combos the 7 with a 5.73 and grabs the lead.
Luana takes off just before the two minute warning, and she surfs this wave for almost a minute. I didn’t time it, but try to imagine yourself carving and snapping and pumping and floating, sixty seconds. Crazy. She rips the shit out of the wave. Sawyer surfs right behind her, and with only 3 seconds left, both ladies come in to the beach to hear the scores and results read out. Luana gets what she needed(6.61), and some(7.67). That left Sawyer needing a 6.68 on her last wave. Comes in short, 5.73, and Luana is in back-to-back Finals. She also wins the car keys, like Medina.
MEN
SEMI FINAL
HEAT 1
Ethan Ewing vs. Liam O’Brien
Ethan was looking like the fastest surfer on Planet Earth. Liam was throwing everything he had at it. This heat, just like the last, would be decided on the sand. The last two rides were Liam’s 8.0 to Ethan’s 9.0. I suggest you go watch this Heat too. Fantastic surfing. Ewing in to the Final.
HEAT 2
Connor O’Leary vs. Filipe Toledo
The only thing that was going to stop O’Leary in this heat was a fucking sledgehammer and a body bag. I have never, ever seen someone so fucking charged up to just absolutely destroy everything he could. He was literally putting every cent he had into every single turn. It was sincerely something to see. Filipe had an early 8.50 that always kept him in the game, but Connor’s attack would not be matched. O’leary heading to meet Ewing in the Final.
WOMEN
FINAL
Luana Silva vs. Steph Gilmore
The entire beach was rooting for Steph, but I think everyone wants to see Lulu win. Just not right now. It felt like it was written in the stars; Destiny. Steph goes near perfect, dropping a 9.50 and wins the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro in style.
MEN
FINAL
Connor O’Leary vs. Ethan Ewing
Ethan’s opening 2 rides were a 6.0 and an 8.33. Connor was chasing the entire Heat, and he couldn’t quite get there. Close. He was noticeably on smaller waves than Ethan. He pinned a closeout turn that was one of my favorites of the event. What a run.
Ethan Ewing is your 2026 Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro champion.
The Gold Coast is still in a hangover, and my brain needs a competition break. I am glad to have a few days off before we get into Raglan. See you then.
Cheers,
hwilsin
Drew Stanfield