Saquarema Pro: The CT Road Shrinks, Some Already Walk Through the Gates

To stay motivated on the Challenger Series must be, well, a challenge. Up until the moment the CS lurches onto Ehukai Beach, the events are characterised by their insipidity. If we were to rate the CS venues and wave quality, it would read something like this:

Newcastle: half-baked.

Ballito: Scrappy

Huntington: Underwhelming

Ericeira: Tepid

Saquarema: Mid

Pipe: Fucking heavy

Newcastle: Still half-baked.

That list, aside from Pipe, is essentially a roll call of small-wave grovelling. The best training for the CS would be to perfect the art of surfing onshore slop. We know you can win a world title without being a Pipe or big wave specialist — Toledo’s already proven that — and the CS is, at its core, a small wave spectacle.

So how does someone like Sally Fitzgibbons stay motivated?  

To someone watching from afar, Sally embodies the Australian battler spirit: determined, humble, and honest. She takes the hits, learns from them, and keeps showing up. There’s no bravado, just persistence and a belief in hard work. The Aussie battler ideology of perseverance against the odds. Turning 35 this year, she deserves nothing but respect and admiration for her tenacity and humility. Getting a 3rd here in Rio and going into Pipe at 3rd place in the rankings is heartwarming. She still needs to bank a chunk of points to calm her qualification status, though. Here’s hoping she gets it done. 

TL;DR

• Fourteen-year-old Tya Zebrowski (France) and Yolanda Hopkins (Portugal) are locked into the 2026 CT.
• The Etxabarri sisters from the Basque Country are the biggest movers, with fifteen and sixteen place advancements from Annette and Janire, respectively.
• Sammy Pupo (Brazil) advances 11 spots to number 2 on the rankings.
• Event Runner-up Eli Hanneman (Hawaii) goes to the top of the CS leaderboard heading to Pipe. 

Men’s Semis

The first men’s semifinal was a study in contrasts, with Jordan Lawler racking up 11 rides while Sammy Pupo opted for just three. It was the stripped-back approach that gave Pupo the slight edge, sneaking into the final by a razor-thin margin.

“Jordy just kept riding waves and giving me priority, but it was still tricky to choose which way to go,” said Pupo. “Still, I’m glad to get that one wave and get a six (6.33) and happy to go into the final.”

Jordan goes up 13 spots to 13th on the rankings and is now within striking distance of CT qualification. 

In semi 2, Eli Hanneman (Hawaii) was swinging for the fences, trying to lock in his lead with a massive full-rotation backhand air that would’ve put it out of reach. He fluffed the move, but it didn’t matter. The Hawaiian stayed ahead of Oscar Berry (Australia) until the hooter sounded.

“I’m feeling calm and protected, in the moment, this is my time,” said Hanneman as he contemplated the final heat. 

Women’s Final

The all-European women’s final was wide open — the crumbly cross-shore conditions giving no one a clear edge. Fresh off securing her qualification, Hopkins surfed with a relaxed confidence. She took charge from the start, while Etxabarri seemed a step behind — timid, even fragile at times. Some might appreciate dainty, but not the judges.

Hopkins went into the lead early with some standard surfing, but the scrappy, low-scoring conditions ultimately kept both surfers from truly lighting up the scoreboard.

Amongst the flotsam, Hopkins found a gem under priority and banged a solid combo for a 7.33, the highest scoring wave of the final. Etxabarri hunted restlessly until the end, but the Portuguese surfer sealed the deal with a popular win, vindicating her CT qualification.

Still, Etxabarri surged up 15 spots in the CS rankings to land at 6th. Despite a 16-place jump—the biggest of the event—her sister Janire now sits at 21st, and the dream of a 2026 CT sisterhood is starting to fade.

Speaking of tight margins, there are seven girls within a mere 300 points of each other, hanging around the 7th to 12th spots. India Robinson, Amuro Tsuzuki, Laura Rupp, Kirra Pinkerton, Alyssa Spencer, and Teresa Bonvalot are all squeezed between 16,420 and 16,125 points, which is bizarrely tight.

Men’s Final

Sammy Pupo looked urgent in the water. He clearly had a point to prove. He was hustling, scratching, paddling hard, moving around, and off to a quick start, marking a change from his selective strategies in previous heats. 

Eli, on the other hand, couldn’t buy a wave. His first ride was as uninspired as a soggy sandwich, his second — a backhand air attempt — was way off the mark. With a mid-two and a four on the scorecard, he hadn’t much of a role in the final. Blame the conditions, blame his strategy, whatever it was, the ocean had him on mute.

But then a nugget popped up right at the buzzer. A big bottom turn, a top turn, a compulsory check turn, and a pop-shuv to finish the final with a little flair. Sirens. Was it enough? Was it even close?

The first scores to drop were two straight sixes, his highest of the heat, but all the judges agreed, it still fell short of the 6.17 needed, averaging out at a 5.5. Sammy had done enough.

“It was a crazy event,” said Sammy. “Not having any big scores and still making it through heats, and in the final, the same again. It doesn’t feel real.” 

Both men climb to the top of the CS rankings. Sammy sits in second, while Eli’s hard work pays off, catapulting him to number one. With Hawaii looming, he’s got to be feeling pretty solid at the top.

Two events remain.