The wave’s lip folded over, just enough for Griffin Colapinto to crouch down, disappearing inside its barrel.
The San Clemente surfer had already delivered two massive turns on the wave that showed up with just seconds left on the clock. If he could just punch through to the end of the barrel, there was a good chance he could have earned the score needed to overtake his opponent, Yago Dora, of Brazil, in the world championship bout in Fiji on Monday, Sept. 1.
But the wave shut down over Colapinto’s board and body – and wiped out his chances at the 2025 World Surf League world championship title.
The WSL Finals held at Cloudbreak in Fiji left two local surfers with runner-up finishes, with Colapinto and Caroline Marks, who moved from Florida to San Clemente a decade ago, coming up shy of the world title.
The event brought the top-five-ranked men and women to battle it out in the one-day, winner-takes-all event.
This year’s contest marks the last WSL Finals format, with the previous three held at Lower Trestles, just south of San Clemente. The governing body will return to a year-long ranking system to crown the champ next year.
Marks, an Olympic gold medalist and world champion, entered the event ranked fifth, having to win several heats through the day before matching up with Australia’s Molly Picklum. In her climb through heats, Marks took out Oceanside’s Caitlin Simmers, who earned the world title last year at Lower Trestles.
“I was super excited and I was trying to take it heat by heat. But I knew Caity would be a super tough matchup,” Marks said. “I’m just stoked the waves were a little better in the heat, and we’re able to ride more waves. I love surfing against her, it’s fun.”
Marks took the first win, which meant they would surf in a best-out-of-three heats for the world title.
Picklum dominated in the next heat, earning some of the day’s highest scores, leaving Marks scrambling. It was a repeat performance in the next heat, as she found just the right waves to post big points, Marks left unable to find the waves she needed.
“I just locked in and did what I did all year – I can not believe I’m a world champion!” said a screaming Picklum. “I wanted to bring one back to Australia. I can’t believe it.”
Colapinto bested Olympic gold medalist and world champion Italo Ferreira, who took to the air for points just as the waves started beefing up.
Colapinto made it to the WSL Finals after struggling at the start of the year, nearly finding himself knocked off tour at the mid-year cut. Several strong finishes toward the back half of the year helped him earn a spot.
“I think the whole back half of this year, I’ve been super trusting in the timing of life, and when these things happen, I feel like there’s a divine timing,” he said. “And if they don’t happen, maybe you’re not ready for it, there’s a lot of big things that come with being a world champion, a lot expected. If it’s your time for that and you know you’re ready, I think it will happen.”
Colapinto’s positivity looked to be paying off when he won his heat against tour veteran Jordy Smith, who has had a stellar year on tour.
But Dora came in fresh to the final matchup, ready to battle. A new rule this year stated that if the first final match-up heat went in favor of the No. 1-ranked surfer, they would be crowned champ, rather than a best-of-three to determine the winner.
Dora led the heat against Colapinto as the clock ticked down, and after the last-second wave pinched shut while Colapinto was in the barrel, the Brazilian surfer clinched the title.
“The signs were all there for me,” Dora said. “I felt something special this week. I knew it was going my way…it didn’t matter who I versed, I was going to win.”