The Light Is Fading In Saquarema
A mid-comp check-in at the year’s final stop.
Midpoint of the final Challenger Series comp of the year. Scabs split, wounds rot, and the rankings shift—every heat win a gasp of air, every loss a tooth in the flesh.
It’s strange that so many surfers in this comp, even those buried at the bottom of the rankings, can still scramble their way into the top ten and qualify. Is this what modern competitive surfing looks like? Big results in big moments trumping a year of reliable ham sandwiches?
I happen to enjoy sandwiches, but here we are — halfway through the end. Some are still trapped in the maze, searching for a way out. Most are already dust, remnants of a fight that’s ended.
Kaipo, as he so often does, said it best. “There’s gonna be cheers, and there’s gonna be tears on the sand in Saquarema.”
Here’s what you missed.
Qualified
So far, only two surfers who didn’t have their spots on the 2025 CT locked in before this event have made it through: Erin Brooks and Miggy Pupo.
Brooks launched her year with a win at Snapper Rocks and a runner-up finish at Narrabeen. Two 25ths at Ballito and Portugal followed, but she still rolled into Saquarema ranked No. 4 on the CS leaderboard. After tearing through her Round of 32 heat in Saquarema, Erin has done enough to cement her place on the 2025 CT. Destiny cracks its knuckles.
On Instagram, she wrote, “I can’t believe I get to travel and compete with the best surfers in the world. Dreams do come true!”
The OG Pupo bit the dust overnight in the Round of 32, but a 17th-place finish was just enough to scrape him over the tour’s flimsy finish line. By once again getting booted from the CT and then clawing his way back in the same year, Miggy is entering Jadson Andre battler territory.
Defeated, dusted, done.
After some brutal early-round losses, Callum Robson and Mikey McDonagh are officially out of the qualification race. The boys came into the event sitting at 11th and 12th, but both got knocked out in consecutive heats in the second round. Mikey finished dead last in his heat, while Callum stumbled just .2 points short against Dakota Walters, limping away with a 9-point total. Gut punches for the boys.
After winning this competition two years ago, Alyssa Spencer needed a strong showing to crack the top 5, but she was dumped in the second round. It’s back to the Chang for the former CT competitor.
Big Movers
Mateus Herdy and Morgan Cibilic have both climbed seven spots to land at 16 and 17, respectively, but they took very different roads to get there. Morgs did just enough to slip through his heats. Mateus, meanwhile, decided to throw down an outrageous backflip, inking the first 10 of the comp. It’s a loud reminder that his Hi-Fi game deserves a place on the CT.
Perennial cut-lurker Deivid Silva has clawed his way up 5 spots, now just a cat’s whisker from the from fellow countryman Michel Rodrigues. For now, Michel’s clinging to 10th, but he’s an inch from the gutter.
Not much has shifted in the women’s standings, but No. 5 Nadia Erostarbe just got booted in the Round of 32, and the vultures are circling overhead. Vahine Fierro and Luana Silva are still in the fight, both sitting on 19,185 points—just two heat wins away from snatching Nadia’s spot.
Showtime At The Buzzer
When the furnace gets hot, the iron gets forged. Jacko Backer and Kade Matson proved this to be true, with both of their winning scores being announced on the sand after the buzzer—Kade keeping his CT hopes alive in the process. Jacko missed the first two events of the season, so his qualification is shot, but he’s still well and truly in the running for surfing’s most glorious creature. Check his post-wave claim below if you need proof.
Even when you’re winning, you’re losing
Joel Vaughn entered the event within the qualification line at number 9, and he hasn’t lost a heat yet. Still, he’s slipped three spots to number 12 in the live rankings, putting him out of the qual zone. When competition resumes, Joel will surf the first heat of the day. Any slip-up now means the Stab Highway alum could be cold-shouldered from the tour once again.
“I’m going in knowing I need to earn my spot on the CT—full attack mode,” Joel told us before the event. If there was ever a time to bare his teeth, it’s now.
The next call rings in on October 15, 2024, at 6:45 AM BRT.
Comments
Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.
Already a member? Sign In
Want to join? Sign Up