Cole Houshmand and Molly Picklum scored big in Brazil. Photos: Thiago Diz
The Vivo Rio Pro is over, with Cole Houshmand and Molly Picklum claiming huge wins. With the season winding to a close, and the Final 5 championship in sight, the world’s best surfers faced off in Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to the sounds of throngs of the country’s famously ardent fans.
Houshmand, going off. Photo: Camila Othon
The men’s event was an all-American heat between Cole Houshmand and Griffin Colapinto. The matchup really highlights San Clemente, California’s recent dominance on the Championship Tour – apparently growing up with ready access to Trestles has its perks. Griffin fired off the opening salvo, with a 6.67 amuse bouche to put him in the lead. However, once Houshmand threw his full 6’3″ length, and 225 pounds into a wave and scored a dominant 9.40, Colapinto would never see the lead again. They finished the heat with Cole scoring a combined 16.90 and Griff 14.40, allowing Houshmand to secure his second-ever CT win.
“It doesn’t seem real, honestly. I’m speechless,” said Houshmand in a post-heat interview. “It’s been a long year and it’s been a lot of fun. Honestly, I just went out there surfing with my best friend Griffin. It’s like an expression session. We don’t even know what we’re doing. We’re just going to have fun.”
With only two events left in the season, the results don’t actually move the needle much, as far as the Final 5 goes. Ethan Ewing snuck into the fifth place slot, supplanting Barron Mamiya. Griff’s second-place finish puts him in sixth, just over 2,000 points away from a Final 5 appearance at Cloudbreak. Houshmand’s win took him up four places, to the number 12 spot.
Photo: Thiago Diz
Meanwhile, the women’s event came down to a heat between Australian Molly Picklum and Brazilian Luana Silva. Molly put on the pressure early, opening with a 6.83 that she shored up with a 5.67. Meanwhile, Silva struggled to stick the landing on her rides, failing to score anything over a point until nearly the end of the heat. Picklum eventually replaced that second score with an 8.17, but it hardly mattered – the win was already in the bag.
“I worked so hard this year to really put my best foot forward,” said Picklum on the sand. “I’ve dreamt so much of winning here in Rio. I’m a real energy person. I love the Brazilian energy. To get a win this year means so much, for sure.”
Unsurprisingly, Picklum’s win propels her to the top of the rankings, with Gabriela Bryan and Caity Simmers following up in second and third, respectively. The rest of the Final 5 remains unchanged, with Bettylou Sakura Johnson and Isabella Nichols keeping their spots in the Cloudbreak lineup – for now, at least.
On to the next one, with the competition window for the Corona Cero Open J-Bay opening on July 11.
