The Corona Cero Open J-Bay delivered epic surf and fierce competition in South Africa’s Eastern Cape as the 2025 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour rolled into Jeffreys Bay. Australian star Molly Picklum retained the coveted Yellow Jersey, holding onto her No. 1 ranking heading into the final regular season stop, despite a nail-biting loss in the women’s final to Gabriela Bryan.
Picklum Powers Through to Another Final
Fresh off a victory in Brazil’s Saquarema, Picklum brought that same form to J-Bay, securing a decisive 15.84 to 11.27 quarter-final win over American Lakey Peterson. She followed it up with a hard-fought semi-final victory in an all-Australian battle against Isabella Nichols, narrowly edging it 13.64 to 12.00.
In the final, Picklum faced a surging Gabriela Bryan, who had just taken out reigning 2023 World Champion Caroline Marks in the semis. The final was razor-close, but Bryan took the lead with seconds remaining to clinch the win 13.60 to 13.34.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Bryan. “It’s been a dream to win here at J-Bay. It’s an iconic wave and one of my favourites in the world.”
The win secured Bryan’s spot in the WSL Final 5, joining Picklum and fellow American Caity Simmers, who also confirmed her place despite a quarter-final exit. Marks sits just outside in sixth but remains a strong contender heading into the Lexus Tahiti Pro, which she won in 2023.
O’Leary’s Breakthrough and Colapinto’s Climb
In the men’s draw, Griffin Colapinto made a strong push toward the Top 5 with a 15.03 to 14.13 win over Kanoa Igarashi in the quarter-finals, only to fall just short in the semis to eventual champion Connor O’Leary.
O’Leary, known for his smooth backhand, turned heads by scoring the event’s only 10-point ride in a dominant semi-final against three-time J-Bay winner Filipe Toledo. Riding that momentum, the Australian captured his first-ever Championship Tour title by defeating Brazil’s Yago Dora 15.67 to 14.23 in the final.
“All the stars aligned for this one. It felt good to perform for the fans here. I don’t have any words — I’m just stoked.”
said an emotional O’Leary
Despite the final loss, Dora locked in his first-ever place in the Lexus WSL Finals, joining Picklum, Bryan, and Simmers. The remaining top spots are still open, with Jordy Smith, Kanoa Igarashi, and Italo Ferreira all in strong positions ahead of the final showdown in Tahiti.
What’s Next?
All eyes now turn to the Lexus Tahiti Pro, starting 7 August, the last regular-season stop before the one-day, winner-takes-all Lexus WSL Finals at Cloudbreak, Fiji. With titles and Top 5 spots on the line, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Stay tuned to #ESA for more updates and full coverage of the WSL Championship Tour 2025.