GENERAL LUNA, SURIGAO DEL NORTE — Gabriel Medina and Caitlin Simmers etched their names into Philippine surfing history on November 3, 2026, becoming the first champions of the WSL Philippines Pro at Cloud 9. Medina, the three-time world champion from Brazil, defeated Australia’s Jack Robinson in the men’s final with a two-wave total of 16.93 against 14.50, built on a near-perfect 9.43 barrel and a 7.50 backup. Simmers, the American world No. 6, claimed the women’s title with a 12.00-10.77 win over Isabella Nichols of Australia. The finals capped a landmark event that marked the first Championship Tour stop ever staged in the Philippines.
A Final Worthy of the Setting
Medina’s path to the title ran through compatriot and world No. 1 Yago Dora, whom he eliminated in the semifinals before facing Robinson. In the final, Medina found the barrel of the week, a deep, clean tube that earned a 9.43 and left Robinson in a combination situation. Robinson answered with an 8.23 and a 6.27, but the deficit proved too large against a surfer operating at his peak. For Medina, the win was his first CT victory of the season and positioned him for a run at a fourth world title. For Robinson, the runner-up finish was a narrow miss in a final that demanded near-perfection from both surfers.
Simmers Overcomes Adversity
Simmers arrived at Finals Day carrying more than the usual pressure. She had seven new stitches in her right ankle and had endured back-to-back wipeouts during the event, yet she held her composure through a semifinal against five-time world champion Carissa Moore, who was called for an interference penalty that wiped out her scoring waves. In the final, Simmers controlled the heat against Nichols, a surfer who had undergone surgery only eight weeks earlier and had fought her way to back-to-back CT finals. The 12.00-10.77 scoreline reflected Simmers’ consistency rather than a single explosive moment, and it gave her a first event win of 2026.
A Landmark for Philippine Surfing
The inaugural Philippines Pro did more than crown two champions. It placed Cloud 9, a break that has hosted international competitions for three decades, on the Championship Tour calendar for the first time, drawing the world’s top 40 surfers to Siargao. Filipino wildcards John Mark “Marama” Tokong and Jayuard Alciso both advanced past the opening round and earned prize money, signaling that local talent can compete at the sport’s highest level. The event was presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, with support from the municipal and provincial governments, and it closed with a ceremony that recognized the champions before a home crowd that had waited years for this moment.
