LOWER TRESTLES, San Clemente, California (Friday, September 8, 2023) - The World Surf League (WSL) has placed the World Title-deciding Rip Curl WSL Finals on Yellow Alert for a probable start tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. PDT. The forecast at Lower Trestles, San Clemente, California, looks very promising for an epic, one-day, winner-take-all event to decide the 2023 World Champions.
Tune in to the WSL broadcast tomorrow, Saturday, September 9, at 7:30 a.m. PDT, when the WSL Tours and Competition team will decide and announce if the one-day event is ON.
yellow alert - WSL
"It feels good to be down here on Day 1 and even better to go on Yellow Alert this morning," said WSL Chief of Sport, Jessi Miley-Dyer. "Everyone's been talking a lot about this swell, and we know that tomorrow could be really good, so there could be a potential for tomorrow. We've been following this swell for Saturday and Sunday, and for Saturday, we know that we're going to build through tomorrow with that peak swell in the afternoon. There is a small potential for fog in the morning both Saturday and Sunday. It's still looking like Saturday is the best day, so that's why we're going on Yellow Alert today to give ourselves the best chance for great waves in the Finals. It feels good to be down here and be able to crown a World Champion."
Women's Bracket - WSL
Men's bracket - WSL
WSL Final 5 Prepare to Battle for the 2023 World Titles
The first match of the day will be a duel between two Tour newcomers, rookie Caitlin Simmers (USA) and sophomore Molly Picklum (AUS). Whoever wins will then advance to face powerful goofy-foot Caroline Marks (USA) in Match 2.
"I think at the end of the year, this is where everyone wants to be," said Marks. "It's really special to be here. I learned a lot about myself last year. It was a really big growing year, and each year I'm learning more and more about myself. I'm here because I love surfing. Our sport is so unique, and there's nothing like it. It's really special to be here, and I just want to have fun."
One of these three up-and-coming women will have the challenge of taking on two-time World Champion Tyler Wright (AUS) in Match 3. This is the first time in five years that Wright has been in World Title contention, and she is looking more ready than ever to claim her third World Title.
"It's been a long time since I've been in this position," said Wright. "It's the first year I've completed since 2017. To put a full year together has been a lot of work. It's something I didn't know I wanted to do again. To have a team that supports me doing it the way I want to do it and create something I'm really proud of and is driven by me, it's been quite a year. It's a beautiful opportunity to be here and keep practicing what I've been doing all year."
On the men's side, the first match will feature former Final 5 competitor Jack Robinson (AUS) and Tour sophomore Joao Chianca (BRA). Robinson looked destined for the WSL Final 5 at the beginning of the season, but a series of injuries set him back. He narrowly clinched the last spot in the Final 5 by overcoming Gabriel Medina (BRA) in the Final at Teahupo'o.
"From what I've been through this year, I just let the light in, and I'm blessed to be here," said Robinson. "I have another Finals Day to look forward to, and I'm just taking it step by step. I think, from the experience last year, when you come in here for the first time, it's all new, and it goes by so fast, so I'm just enjoying it. This year went up, it went down, and I'm just happy to be back."
Robinson or Chianca will meet Ethan Ewing (AUS) in Match 2. Ewing also suffered an injury recently, but he has made a speedy recovery and is ready to give it his all on Finals Day.
"I definitely didn't think I was going to be here, and I was worried about not being here," said Ewing. "I was really worried about making a full recovery, but I had a really good team around me and got a lot of support. I'm just really happy to be back here and have another shot at the Finals."
San Clemente local and No. 2 seed Griffin Colapinto (USA) will take the stage in Match 3. Colapinto narrowly missed clinching a spot in the WSL Final 5 the past two years but finally broke through this season. He will be fueled by the support of a cheering home crowd at Lower Trestles.
"The last two years, I barely missed out on making this Final 5 by one or two spots," said Colapinto. "I drove by these signs every day and just couldn't believe myself. Last year I ended up going to the contest, and I watched the Finals all day from start to finish because I knew I'd be in it this year. I just lived each person's perspective and just watched and learned. From what I've seen, it goes really fast, and it's a lot of build-up for 35 minutes. It's a crazy day, and I'm really excited. It's really cool to see a bunch of people in town come up to me and say good luck and have my back, and I'm just really trying to embrace it and show them that it means a lot."
All roads lead to the grand finale, the Title Match with World No. 1s Carissa Moore (HAW) and Filipe Toledo (BRA). Moore finished runner-up to Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) in the Title Match last year and will be eager for redemption and her sixth World Title.
"I'm really happy to be back; Trestles and San Clemente hold a special place in my heart," said Moore. "This season was really joyful. I enjoyed every step of the way. I'm going to carry that same enthusiasm to the Finals and try to refresh and get ready for this as much as I can. I'm excited."
Defending World Champion Toledo hopes to finish his already stellar year by earning back-to-back World Titles.
"I'm super honored to be back here in the same position that I was last year, now defending the Title," said Toledo. "I'm happy and super excited. We've got some new faces in the Final 5 this year that are going to bring super exciting heats. Everyone should go down there and watch and back us up."
All competitors are looking to cement themselves in surfing history on the sport's most highly-anticipated day of competition, but only one woman and one man will walk away with the honor of being this year's World Champion.
Rising Tides - WSL / Thiago Diz
WSL Rising Tides Hosts Special Activation with World Champions Layne Beachley and Lisa Andersen
Ahead of the Rip Curl WSL Finals, WSL Rising Tides hosted a special activation at the North side of the San Clemente Pier with seven-time World Champion Layne Beachley (AUS) and four-time World Champion Lisa Andersen (USA). Participants included up-and-coming surfers from the East and West Coasts of the United States who traveled to San Clemente for this event. WSL Rising Tides is a cornerstone of WSL's values, providing young surfers access to the world's best surfers and a platform to explore and learn from their heroes about pursuing their dreams in and out of the water.
One Ocean - WSL
WSL One Ocean and Partners Help Enhance Biodiversity at Trestles
To kick off the Rip Curl WSL Finals, WSL One Ocean forged a dynamic alliance with CA State Parks, the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians Acjachemen Nation, Surfrider Foundation, San Onofre Parks Foundation, Rip Curl, and WSL PURE grantee Native Like Water. This coalition united to share insights into watershed ecosystems' critical role in safeguarding biodiversity and upholding Native traditions. WSL athletes and enthusiastic volunteers were able to propel the cause of habitat enhancement by removing invasive sea rockets. Additionally, participants harvested tule plants, not just as symbolic vegetation but as living testaments to the cultural essence and traditions of the Acjachemen people.
For more information, visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
Watch LIVE: Rip Curl WSL Finals The event window for the Rip Curl WSL Finals opens on September 8 and holds a competition window through September 16, 2023. The event 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.
The Rip Curl WSL Finals is proudly supported by Rip Curl, SHISEIDO, YETI, Red Bull, Surfline, True Surf, Pura Vida, 805 Beer, Pacifico, Sambazon, Original Sprout, Turtle Bay, Boxed Water, Tudor, Candy Crush Soda, and Cup Noodles.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
About the WSL The World Surf League (WSL) is the global home of competitive surfing, crowning the World Champions since 1976 and showcasing the world's best surfers on the world's best waves. WSL is comprised of the Tours and Competition division, which oversees and operates more than 180 global competitions each year; Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC), home of the world's largest high-performance, human-made wave; and WSL Studios, an independent producer of unscripted and scripted projects.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com