John John is giving us claims. Something is up… Photo: Aaron Hughes//World Surf League
Good waves. In the grand scheme of things, with all the gripes about judging or mid-year cuts, good waves go a long way in making the Championship Tour a great product. And with good waves comes higher scores — the kind of opportunities surfers need to do something special.
Ten-point rides may still be few and far between when you take into account just how many waves are scored in a given heat and contest but it at least feels like we’ve seen a streak of high marks lately. The men churned out nine excellent heat totals in El Salvador and 17 in Tahiti just a week earlier. The women added three of their own in Tahiti. Within that stretch we were given three perfect scores on individual waves. Here’s a running list of the 10-point rides so far this season, from Pipe to El Sal.
John John Florence, Surf City El Salvador Pro Semifinal
John John is claiming now? And yes, this is a legitimate claim. Personally, I love it.
Maybe it’s dad mojo or maybe it’s just that this is the longest stretch of time the CT has had to deal with a healthy John John Florence. Either way, the two-time world champ is looking as dominant as ever. Through seven contests this year, Florence has made four Finals. This wave sent him to the Final in El Salvador and eventually, his first contest win since 2021.
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Gabriel Medina, Tahiti Pro Round of 16
It’s kind of wild that this was the only 10-point ride during the men’s Finals Day at the Tahiti Pro. There were plenty of waves in the high nine-point range but Medina was the only surfer on the men’s side who got a cooler out of the whole deal when all the dust was settled.
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Tatiana Weston-Webb, Tahiti Pro Semifinal
Not all 10-point rides are created equal. This one stood out instantly, not just in the context of the heat between Tatiana Weston-Webb and Vahine Fierro.
The women thrived on Finals Day of the Tahiti Pro and Teahupo’o was pumping. Tati knew she had done something special and so did anybody who was watching.
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John John Florence, Margaret River Pro Semifinal
Yeti is already one of John John’s sponsors, by the way, so he likely has a stash of these things sitting in his garage with or without the 10-point rides.
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Barron Mamiya, Pipe Pro Final
“This is for sure the best day of my life. Winning at Pipe with John in the Final is an insane thing,” Mamiya said after his big win at Pipe.
You’d imagine this moment was the exact fulfillment of a lifelong dream for the North Shore standout, winning the biggest event at his home wave and beating another local surfer he grew up just a few years behind.
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Molly Picklum, Pipe Pro Semifinal
Caity Simmers may have been the one who declared “Pipeline’s for the fucking girls,” but Molly Picklum’s 10-point ride earlier in the day gave that statement some weight.
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