By Erika Scafuro

2023 WSL Championship Tour has begun and in the first two events of the season we have already witnessed incredible excitement.

On 8 February, to be crowned with the unmistakable Hawaiian flower crown, in front of Banzai Pipeline’s iconic waves, were Carissa Moore and Jack Robinson; winners of the first event of the season, the Billabong Pro Pipeline in memory of Andy Irons.

Banzai Pipeline’s competition has always been the most significant and it did not disappoint again this year, providing indelible moments watching the pro surfers took impressive performances in the barrels of the North Shore of Oahu.

The 5 times Surfing World Champion Carissa Moore took the victory in her home break, defeating the opponent Tyler Wright; while the Australian Jack Robinson has shown that he has worked hard, winning the final against Leonardo Fioravanti.

@ photo by Francesco Canu

The Italian pro surfer Leonardo Fioravanti made us dream: he became the protagonist of a historic feat for Italian surfing, second place at the world’s most important surfing event; Italy can proudly boast this young pro surfer who competes among the top surfers in the world. Fioravanti’s conquest of the podium began with victory first over Jordy Smith, then Caio Ibelli.

The second stop of the WSL Tour, Hurley Pro Sunset Beach, ended instead on 19 February.

Winning on the six to eight foot waves on the North Shore of Oahu were Molly Picklum and Filipe Toledo. The Australian Molly Picklum took her first CT victory after first defeating Brisa Hennessy and then, in the final, the two-time World Champion Tyler Wright.

Due to this victory Picklum is currently in the first position on the world rankings with the five-time World Champion Carissa Moore.

@photo by Pedro Szekely

Filipe Toledo is back on top of the podium: his victory at Hurley Pro Sunset Beach marks the 13th of those achieved at the Championship Tour. The Brazilian top surfer showed the power of his manoeuvres earned points by first gaining points on his compatriot Joao Chianca and then, in the final, defeating Griffin Colapinto. Filipe Toledo currently sits at World No. 2 on the rankings.

We are just at the beginning of the season, but the results of this second stop are already crucial for CT rankings and the Olympic qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Championship Tour Rankings, updated to the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach, sees in the top five positions, for the Women: Carissa Moore; Molly Picklum, Tyler Wright, Gabriela Bryan and Caroline Marks; while for the Men: Jack Robinson, Filipe Toledo, Joao Chianca, Leonardo Fioravanti and Caio Ibelli.

The next stop of 2023 WSL CT will see top surfers compete in the waves of the Portuguese coast during Meo Portugal Pro to be held in Peniche from 8 to 16 March.

@ Copyright foto in cover by Fosterand sons