Italo Ferreira and Caitlin Simmers took home yellow jerseys at the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro. Photos: Max Physick//WSL
After much anticipation, and a fair share of controversy, the inaugural Surf Abu Dhabi Pro has come and gone. The second stop on the 2025 WSL Championship tour took place in a brand-new, 500-meter-long wave pool located on Hudayriyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Though the waves were more predictable than their ocean counterparts, high winds did occasionally throw a bit of a wrench in the works. Still, it was an event that tested both the technical skills of competitors and sometimes the attention spans of viewers and commentators alike. In the end, though, well-deserved victories went to Caitlin Simmers and Italo Ferreira.
Photo: WSL
Day one was reserved for the men’s competition, starting with 12 qualifying round heats, where the winner of each went straight to the round of 16 and the rest to an evening elimination round under the lights in which only four would advance. True to form, Griffin Colapinto earned the top score of the qualifying round with a 14.57. Other standout performances were from Rio Waida with a 14.34 and Filipe Toledo with a 14.50. Miguel Pupo had the best ride of the nighttime elimination round, nailing two tube sections and closing with an authoritative air reverse for a 7.77.
The following day, the women took the stage. With a smaller, highly competitive field affording fewer slots to advance to the elimination rounds, the opening heats were a cutthroat affair. In the end, the winners were Bella Kenworthy, Caroline Marks, Simmers, Molly Picklum, Gabriela Bryan and Erin Brooks. The subsequent elimination round was a brutal battle for the final two spots, with Vahine Fierro and Sawyer Lindblad eking out qualifications – notably leaving Pipe Pro winner Tyler Wright among the eliminated.
Jackson Bunch put on a show on day two. Photo: Thiago Diz//WSL
Day two also saw the men’s round of 16, where the banner performances came from Italo Ferreira, Jackson Bunch and Kanoa Igarashi. Bunch in particular was something to behold. The rookie seemed completely at home in the pool, and pulled off the highest-scoring wave of the day with a 9.23. However, the most dramatic moment came during during Kanoa Igarashi’s standoff against Filipe Toledo. During the heat, Toledo had one of his waves interrupted by a collision with a photographer. To add insult to (narrowly avoided) injury, the WSL did not allow him to retry the run, saying that it would not have affected the outcome.
Simmers logs some barrel time in the women’s final. Photo: Max Physick//WSL
On to Finals day, where the pace finally picked up a few notches. In the women’s event, Simmers blazed a path to victory, putting on dominant heat after dominant heat, and scoring an event-best 9.57 in the semis. The final came down to a matchup we’ve seen before and come to expect: Simmers vs. Picklum. Simmers took the lead early with an 8.67, but Picklum fired back with an 8.00 that kept her in sight of the victory, if only she could score high enough on her left. However, even though Picklum outscored Simmers by .27 on the second wave, it wasn’t enough to stop Caitlin’s meteoric rise to the podium.
“It was the most pressure you’re going to feel, when you’re in a wave pool, waiting for your wave and you know exactly what you need, and you’re going to get the opportunity to get it,” said Simmers after the win, in a pool-side interview with AJ McCord. “You gotta use skill. It’s not luck, like it usually is, where you’re like, ‘The ocean could send me this wave.’ The pool is going to send you this wave and you’ve gotta get the score. I think that’s what makes it very special for me.”
Italo Ferreira flies high in the men’s final. Photo: Max Physick//WSL
On the men’s side, the story of the day was Italo dominantly crushing everything in his path on the way to the win. Though Kanoa may have been a force to be reckoned with on Saturday, he lost by a full three points to the Brazilian in the quarterfinals. In the semis, Jack Robinson fared a little better, only to have Italo break the 17-point barrier. The final came down to Italo vs. Rio Waida. As with the rest of the day, Italo never really seemed to be in trouble, delivering a constant blend of turns, airs and maneuvers every time he took off on a wave. Italo scored an 8.67 and 8.60 right out the gate, leaving Rio to make a valiant effort that ultimately came up short.
“On a wave pool, it’s always super exciting,” said Italo in his pool-side interview. “You’re always going hard and bigger, and that’s what I did. I was so glad to have those moments.” When asked about wearing the yellow jersey for the first time since the Tahiti Pro last year, he added, “Crazy, after a long time, right? But I’m super excited, along the journey to the end. Just keeping my mind and playing the game and enjoying my moment. Now it’s time to go back home, work a little bit on my energy and get ready, be confident and do what I love.”
Italo’s win propels him to the top of the men’s rankings, followed up by Pipe Pro winner Barron Mamiya in second, then Miguel Pupo, Ethan Ewing and Leonardo Fioravanti filling out the top five. In the women’s rankings, Simmers’ win similarly puts her in the number one slot, followed by Molly Picklum, Tyler Wright (dropping two places from her Pipe Pro win), Caroline Marks and Sawyer Lindblad.
On to stop three, where everyone will reconvene for the Meo Rip Curl Pro Portugal on March 15.
