LA ZICATELA, Puerto Escondido, Mexico (Sunday, December 15, 2024) - Today, Hayden Rodgers (USA) emerged victorious at the World Surf League (WSL) Pacifico Surf Open Puerto Escondido, a men's Qualifying Series (QS) 1000, over Ryan Huckabee (USA) at the famed beach of La Zicatela. Testy two-to-three-foot conditions pushed competitors to deliver their best performances and Rodgers rose above the field for his first-ever QS victory as Huckabee powered his way toward back-to-back Final appearances. Plus, season-best results for John Mel (USA) and Tyler Gunter (USA) help kickstart the final stretch of the 2024/2025 year toward 2025 Challenger Series qualification.
Hayden Rodgers Claims Maiden QS Victory at La Zicatela
A slow start to the men's Final gave way to a battle between Rodgers and Huckabee. Two of North America's rising talents, Rodgers, 19, and Huckabee, 20, began trading off two-turn combination waves to start posting their scores of consequence with Rodgers' 6.33 (out of a possible 10) earning the nod. Then, Huckabee took control of the heat momentarily before Rodgers responded with another combination of on-rail carves and a close out finish. Then, Rodgers all but sealed the Final with his signature flair, boosting an air-reverse for a heat-best 7.17 and held the lead until the final horn to claim his maiden QS victory.
"I'm in disbelief. All of these competitions are so hard and you lose over and over again so I'm just super happy to win this one," said Rodgers. "That air made it a little easier but I know Ryan is so gnarly and he could still get it. The last minute he sprinted up the beach and I had first priority so I was scrapping to get over there. But that air came out a lot this event just because it was pretty dumpy beach break on the shore so I was stoked to have that."
The competitive tear Rodgers continues to maintain took him to his first-ever QS Final after overpowering Finals Day heats. Rodgers' Quarterfinal bout with fellow San Clement, Calif., competitor Jake Davis (USA) pushed Davis to the final minutes and narrowly missed his opportunity in the final moments before Rodgers took a convincing win over defending event winner John Mel (USA). The 18-year-old's impressive aerial attacks kept pushing the scale and faced an in-form Huckabee in their Final bout. Rodger's streak pushes him up to No. 6 and enters the 2025 Challenger Series qualification conversation.
"It all started making some heats in Puerto then I went to Morro Bay and got a fifth-place. It was just surfing more heats and building confidence, and I'm just stoked to get a win now."
Ryan Huckabee (USA) powered his way through toward back-to-back runner-up finishes. - WSL / Andrew Nichols
Ryan Huckabee's Surge Ends with Back-to-Back Final Appearances
Back-to-back Final appearances for Huckabee reignite his run toward requalifying for the Challenger Series after returning to the QS with no keeper results until Morro Bay and now Puerto Escondido. The Floridian's fortune earned him a buzzer-beater in the final seconds of a Quarterfinal duel with Dylan Hord (USA) before squaring off with Hord's fellow Southern Californian Tyler Gunter (USA) in a Semifinal battle. With two major results now counting, the 20-year-old prepares for the World Junior Championships beginning January 13 - 19.
"If you told me I was going to get two second-place finishes before these competitions I'd be more than happy obviously," said Huckabee. "It does sting a bit making back-to-back Finals and not winning but it was so small and closing out I needed to be on better waves. Hayden's got that firepower on lock but it didn't go my way and hopefully I can pull a Taro (Watanabe) and win the next one. It was nice to win some heats before World Junior Championships and carry some momentum into that and if I can win there it's an automatic spot back on the Challenger Series which would be huge."
Tyler Gunter ignited his 2024/2025 season with his best finish of the year so far. - WSL / Andrew Nichols
Season-Best Results for John Mel and Tyler Gunter with Semifinal Finish
This marks Tyler Gunter's(USA) first Semifinal appearance since 2022, earning runner-up at the Jack Surfboards Pro, and moves him to No. 23 on the rankings heading into the final events of the QS season. The perennial QS threat found his form against fellow event standout Sam Reidy (CRC) in their Quarterfinal bout before facing elimination in a stout battle with eventual runner-up Ryan Huckabee (USA). Now, Gunter prepares for a big finish to his year with marquee events in the balance.
John Mel's standout performances at Puerto Escondido elevates his surge to start the final streatch of events. - WSL / Andrew Nichols
Defending event victor John Mel (USA) nearly completed his dream of earning back-to-back wins at a place he holds a special connection with in Puerto Escondido. Mel's electric forehand led to an impressive win over Will Deane (USA), who made earned a career-best equal fifth-place, before his Semifinal duel with eventual winner Hayden Rodgers (USA). But, this spark helps push Mel to make a final surge in the rankings before the 2024/2025 season is done.
The 2024/2025 North America QS season returns to action beginning January 20 - 26 with the SLO CAL Open at Pismo Beach QS 3000.