In all likelihood, the Fiji Pro kicks off on Wednesday, August 26 (local time). Based on the current forecast, the WSL is looking at potential run days on August 26, 27, and 28, with another possible swell at the end of the waiting period. Long-period southwest swell is expected to fill in tonight, bringing 8- to 10-foot faces to Cloudbreak for the first day of competition. The swell starts to back down after that, but based on how things are looking right now, the comp gets underway in stout South Pacific surf.
Coming off of her monumental win at the Outerknown Tahiti Pro a couple of weeks ago, the smart money’s on 19-year-old Erin Brooks to steal the show in Fiji. Site of her first Championship Tour win, where she topped the podium as a wildcard in 2024, she’s been a standout during recent training days and is riding a ton of momentum. Cloudbreak tends to be a faster wave that runs down the line, and the ability to pump and make micro adjustments on her to her line on her forehand puts her at a distinct advantage.
It feels more wide open on the men’s side of the draw. San Clemente boys Cole Houshmand and Crosby Colapinto showed up to Tavarua early and scored some sizable surf. Both bigger, stronger guys, they have the ability to match power with power. Houshmand sliced up his hand after a brutal, fall-from-the-sky wipeout, but I really like his chances. He’s hungry, has the requisite chip on his shoulder, and is in a position in the ranking where he has nothing to lose and everything to gain.
If opening day is the biggest surf of the waiting period and this thing devolves into a small-wave shootout, one has to think Italo Ferreira is an obvious favorite. Now sitting atop the Championship Tour leaderboard, he appears focused on extending his lead and positioning himself to be in the world title hunt at season’s end. Of course, don’t count out Yago Dora, who earned his first world title here last year.
In most iterations of this contest, the surfers have stayed exclusively on either the islands of Tavarua or Namotu, but this year, there are a handful of competitors, mostly women, staying at the Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay, located on the Fijian mainland. The top two women on the leaderboard, Hawaii’s Gabby Bryan and Carissa Moore, are both staying at the Momi, as are Isabella Nichols, Sally Fitzgibbons, and Alyssa Spencer.
Ed Sloane/World Surf League
As 20 or 30-minute boat ride from Cloudbreak, they’ve been getting their reps in, then retreat to the resort to hang with family. Moore shared some video highlights of her warmups, and she’s looking relaxed but razor sharp. It will be interesting to see if their accommodations give them a bit of an unexpected psychological advantage.
When staying on Tavarua or Namotu there’s really no way to escape the pressure cooker. The competitors are essentially all living together 24/7. They eat together. They surf together. They watch the sunset together. As time goes on, things can get a little “Lord of the Flies” on the islands, and there’s potential for a lot of unspoken posturing and head games. Meanwhile, staying at the nearby Momi offers a reprieve from all that. Surfers like Bryan and Moore, who are in the title hunt, can escape from the spotlight and decompress. The food’s great, the atmosphere is chill, and it’s an idyllic place to unplug.
Of course, Cloudbreak has a way of writing its own script. An open-ocean wave subject to the wide, winds, subtle shifts in swell direction and period, it’s probably the biggest, most challenging playing field on tour. We could be less than 24 hours from the start of this thing, and with world titles and careers hanging in the balance, the surfers are locked in and ready to do this thing.
Related: Canadian Teen Phenom Erin Brooks Earns Statement-Making Win in Pristine Tahitian Surf