Men's Qualifying and Elimination Rounds Are ON at Surf Abu Dhabi Pro

The event wildcards will pose a threat, including Olympic Gold Medalist Kauli Vaast (FRA) and reigning World Junior Champion Bronson Meydi (INA). Both will compete for the first time in Kelly Slater Wave Co technology. In heat 5, Vaast will face 2023 Surf Ranch Pro Winner Griffin Colapinto (USA) and Imaikalani deVault (HAW). This will be 20-year-old Meydi’s first CT event, and he […]

The event wildcards will pose a threat, including Olympic Gold Medalist Kauli Vaast (FRA) and reigning World Junior Champion Bronson Meydi (INA). Both will compete for the first time in Kelly Slater Wave Co technology. In heat 5, Vaast will face 2023 Surf Ranch Pro Winner Griffin Colapinto (USA) and Imaikalani deVault (HAW). This will be 20-year-old Meydi’s first CT event, and he will have to challenge 2024 ranked World No. 2 and 2019 World Champion Italo Ferreira (BRA) and CT Rookie Joel Vaughan (AUS) in Heat 6.

Competition Began at 7:00 a.m. Friday GMT+4
Watch the Men’s Qualifying Round and Elimination Round Today
Women’s Qualifying Round, Men’s Round of 16, and Women’s Elimination Round Scheduled for Tomorrow
Watch LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com

Pictured: The inaugural Surf Abu Dhabi Pro will kick off today with the men’s Qualifying Round and Elimination Round to follow. In Heat 12, Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) will face Joao Chianca (BRA) and Liam O’Brien (AUS). Credit: © WSL / Manel Geada

HUDAYRIYAT ISLAND, Abu Dhabi, UAE (Friday, February 14, 2025) — The Surf Abu Dhabi Pro, Stop No. 2 on the 2025 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), is ON. Starting today through February 16, the world’s best surfers will make history by competing in the first CT event to take place in the Middle East. The competition will kick off at 7:00 a.m. GMT+4, with the men’s Qualifying Round and men’s Elimination Round to follow. The competition’s unique format and advanced wave technology will come to life to test the best and see who will claim victory at the first Surf Abu Dhabi Pro.

Following stellar performances at Pipeline, the world’s best will look to continue their successes in Abu Dhabi. The first heat of the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro will see 2025 CT Rookie Edgard Groggia (BRA) take on Lexus Pipe Pro Quarterfinalist Jake Marshall (USA) and CT veteran Connor O’Leary (JPN). In 2018, 2021, and 2023, O’Leary competed in the Surf Ranch Pro CT events and will look to use the experience in Abu Dhabi
The men’s Qualifying Round will consist of 12 three-surfer heats, determined by seeding. The heat winners will move on to the Round of 16. Those who placed second and third will compete in the Elimination Round. Only four surfers from the Elimination Round will advance through to the Round of 16, where they will be re-seeded based on their seed from the beginning of the event.
Surf Abu Dhabi Pro Women’s Qualifying Round Matchups:
HEAT 1: Brisa Hennessy (CRC) vs. Lakey Peterson (USA) vs. Bella Kenworthy (USA)
HEAT 2: Caroline Marks (USA) vs. Isabella Nichols (AUS) vs. Luana Silva (BRA)
HEAT 3: Caitlin Simmers (USA) vs. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) vs. Macy Callaghan (AUS)
HEAT 4: Molly Picklum (AUS) vs. Johanne Defay (FRA) vs. Vahine Fierro (FRA)
HEAT 5: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) vs. Gabriela Bryan (HAW) vs. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
HEAT 6: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Sawyer Lindblad (USA) vs. Erin Brooks (CAN)
The women’s Qualifying Round will consist of six three-surfer heats, and the heat winners will move through to the Quarterfinals. Meanwhile, second and third place will have to compete in the Elimination Round, where only two surfers will earn a spot in the Quarterfinals.

Surf Abu Dhabi Pro Format Explained
Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) will round out the Qualifying Round in Heat 12 against Joao Chianca (BRA) and Liam O’Brien (AUS). Boukhiam was one of the first surfers to experience Surf Abu Dhabi but has yet to compete in the technology. Both Chianca and O’Brien have previously competed at the Surf Ranch, and Chianca made it to the Quarterfinals in 2023.
14 hours ahead of Hawaii…
Day 1 of competition will see the men’s Qualifying Round and Elimination Round. Day 2 will feature the women’s Qualifying Round, men’s Round of 16, and women’s Elimination Round. The winners of the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro will be determined on Day 3, Finals Day, with the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals.
Watch the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com.
In the men’s Qualifying Round each surfer will have four attempts, including two right waves and two left waves. The top left and top right wave scores make up the heat total and determine the winner. The format and scoring for the rounds following, including the women’s Qualifying round, men’s and women’s Elimination Round, and men’s Round of 16, will give each surfer two attempts, one right and one left, and the single highest wave score determines the score. For Finals Day, each surfer will get two lefts and two rights. The highest totals from the best-scoring right and left wave combined will advance. In the Final, the surfer with the highest total score will be crowned the 2025 Surf Abu Dhabi Pro winner.

Surf Abu Dhabi Pro Men’s Qualifying Round Matchups:
HEAT 1: Jake Marshall (USA) vs. Connor O’Leary (JPN) vs. Edgard Groggia (BRA)
HEAT 2: Barron Mamiya (HAW) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Jackson Bunch (HAW)
HEAT 3: Jack Robinson (AUS) vs. George Pittar (AUS) vs. Ian Gentil (HAW)
HEAT 4: Ethan Ewing (AUS) vs. Matthew McGillivray (RSA) vs. Mateus Herdy (BRA)
HEAT 5: Griffin Colapinto (USA) vs. Imaikalani deVault (HAW) vs. Kauli Vaast (FRA)
HEAT 6: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Joel Vaughan (AUS) vs. Bronson Meydi (INA)
HEAT 7: Yago Dora (BRA) vs. Cole Houshmand (USA) vs. Samuel Pupo (BRA)
HEAT 8: Jordy Smith (RSA) vs. Seth Moniz (HAW) vs. Deivid Silva (BRA)
HEAT 9: Rio Waida (INA) vs. Ryan Callinan (AUS) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
HEAT 10: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Ian Gouveia (BRA) vs. Marco Mignot (FRA)
HEAT 11: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) vs. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) vs. Alan Cleland (MEX)
HEAT 12: Joao Chianca (BRA) vs. Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) vs. Liam O’Brien (AUS)

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Men's Qualifying and Elimination Rounds Are ON at Surf Abu Dhabi Pro

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