Today is the eve of the waiting period for the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal presented by Corona. The third Championship Tour stop will be at Supertubos, located in Peniche, Portugal, with a competition window that opens tomorrow, March 6, and runs through March 16, 2024.
On the men’s side, John John Florence (HAW) will be wearing the yellow jersey as the current CT rankings leader. JJF has seen plenty of success in Portugal, including a win in 2016 that cemented his first world title. However, he’ll be going up against a competition pool that includes three previous winners at Supertubos: Griffin Colapinto (USA), Italo Ferreira (BRA) and Gabriel Medina (BRA).
“I’m super happy to be back here, I have great memories obviously winning my first world title here was pretty exciting for me,” Florence told the WSL. “This wave is amazing and the town is amazing, its people, it’s amazing to see the support for surfing here. The power of this wave reminds me a lot of Hawaii, when it’s good it’s one of the best beachbreaks in the world, and when it’s bad it’s really challenging and it makes it a fun event to compete at.”
John John Florence. Photo: Brent Bielmann // WSL
JJF will be a clear favorite, but Pipe and Sunset champions Jack Robinson and Barron Mamiya are nipping at his heels. Also, though he’s currently sitting at 26 on the rankings, Gabriel Medina is coming off a dominant performance at the ISA World Surfing Games, and one has to wonder if the Olympic-bound barrel hound will take that momentum back to the Tour.
Molly Picklum. Photo: Brent Bielmann // WSL
For the women’s event, Molly Picklum currently tops the CT rankings after back-to-back finals appearances at Pipe and Sunset. However, she will also face a competition pool with a bevy of previous Supertubos champions, including Caitlin Simmers (USA), Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) and Caroline Marks (USA). Simmers in particular will represent a real threat, as she currently sits at number two in the rankings, with a quarterfinal finish at Sunset and a Pipe win that nobody’s going to forget any time soon.
“I think figuring out the rip currents out there is key,” Simmers told the WSL. “There’s a little luck involved, I think sometimes the peak just comes to you, it was a lot of fun last year and I loved being here. The current level on tour is pretty fun to watch, even from an outsider perspective, and it’s really cool to just be a part of it.”
Bettylou Sakura Johnson. Photo: Brent Bielmann // WSL
While we very well may see a continuation of the Molly and Caity show, Bettylou Sakura Johnson seems due for a win. Going on numbers alone, she placed third at Pipe, second at Sunset, and sits at third on the rankings. However, the real crazy part is that, as good as those results are, they actually undersell just how good her surfing has been. She competed in “the greatest women’s heat of all time” at Pipe and scored a near-perfect 9.17 at Sunset.
The first call is tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. WET.
MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal Women’s Opening Round Matchups:
HEAT 1: Caitlin Simmers (USA), Isabella Nichols (AUS), Alyssa Spencer (USA)
HEAT 2: Molly Picklum (AUS), Luana Silva (BRA), Sophie McCulloch (AUS)
HEAT 3: Caroline Marks (USA), Gabriela Bryan (HAW), Francisca Veselko (POR)
HEAT 4: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW), Lakey Peterson (USA), Sawyer Lindblad (USA)
HEAT 5: Johanne Defay (FRA), Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), India Robinson (AUS)
HEAT 6: Tyler Wright (AUS), Brisa Hennessy (CRC), Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal Men’s Opening Round Matchups:
HEAT 1: Connor O’Leary (JPN), Jake Marshall (USA), Cole Houshmand (USA)
HEAT 2: Barron Mamiya (HAW), Imaikalani Devault (HAW), Deivid Silva (BRA)
HEAT 3: Griffin Colapinto (USA), Callum Robson (AUS), Kelly Slater (USA)
HEAT 4: John John Florence (HAW), Jacob Willcox (AUS), Marco Mignot (FRA)
HEAT 5: Ethan Ewing (AUS), Rio Waida (INA), Joan Duru (FRA)
HEAT 6: Jack Robinson (AUS), Crosby Colapinto (USA), Joaquim Chaves (POR)
HEAT 7: Jordy Smith (RSA), Matthew McGillivray (RSA), Kade Matson (USA)
HEAT 8: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN), Seth Moniz (HAW), Eli Hanneman (HAW)
HEAT 9: Ryan Callinan (AUS), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR)
HEAT 10: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), Gabriel Medina (BRA), Samuel Pupo (BRA)
HEAT 11: Ian Gentil (HAW), Italo Ferreira (BRA), Caio Ibelli (BRA)
HEAT 12: Yago Dora (BRA), Liam O’Brien (AUS), Frederico Morais (POR)
