Sally Fitzgibbons and Samuel Pupo won the Ericeira Pro. Photo: Laurent Masurel // WSL
Sally Fitzgibbons, and Samuel Pupo have won the World Surf League EDP Ericeira Pro Presented by Estrella Galicia. The event was the fifth and penultimate stop on the 2024 Challenger Series.
The women’s final came down to a final heat between Australia’s Sally Fitzgibbons and Tahiti’s Tya Zebrowski. The competitors provided a stark contrast to each other, with Fitzgibbons on her way to her 14th Championship Tour season and 13-year-old Zebrowski competing in her first Challenger Series ever. In the end, experience paid off, with Fitzgibbons finding an early lead that she widened with a 7.67 score, followed by a 5l.93 backup. Though Zebrowski made a valiant effort, including a closing minute bomb that she ultimately wasn’t able to stick, it just wasn’t enough to stop Fitzgibbons from clinching a second back-to-back Challenger Series win.
Sally Fitzgibbons. Photo: Manel Geada // WSL
“I couldn’t hear a thing out there, so I just tried to go by feel,” said Fitzgibbons in a WSL press release. “I knew she had a good score, but it kind of came as a surprise that I got the win. I’m so happy, this new generation coming through, they’re so fierce in freesurfs that it gives you more drive to beat them when you get them in a heat. Credit to our generation and the generation before us who worked so hard to give these next stars the opportunity to be here.”
Meanwhile, Samuel Pupo of Brazil emerged victorious for the men’s event, after a final face-off against Australia’s Callum Robson. Pupo dictated the tempo of the heat from moment one, scoring a 7.00 and 7.5 in the first ten minutes. Callum was never able to reply to that opening salvo, finishing with an 11.86 to Pupo’s 14.50.
Samuel Pupo. Photo: Manel Geada // WSL
“What a feeling, what a year,” said Pupo. “What an amazing crowd here in Ericeira. I just can’t believe everything that happened at this contest. I went from having a lot of pressure to make heats, making it to the final and I’m so happy with my performance.”
With that, Pupo and Fitzgibbons have secured top rankings in the Challenger Series, with just the Saquarema Pro left on the schedule. The final event of the 2024 Challenger Series will run from October 12 to 20.
