2026 Fiji Pro: Cloudbreak Delivers as the World’s Best Battle Through the Opening Rounds

The 2026 Fiji Pro Presented by Corona Cero has got underway at one of the most iconic waves on the Championship Tour, with Cloudbreak once again proving why it is regarded as one of the ultimate tests in professional surfing.

The eighth stop of the 2026 World Surf League Championship Tour has already produced heavy barrels, major upsets and some outstanding performances across both the men's and women's draws.

With the event window running through September 4, there is still plenty of competition to come, but the opening days have already given fans plenty to talk about.

Erin Brooks Starts With a Perfect 10

The biggest performance of the opening day came from reigning Tahiti Pro champion Erin Brooks.

The 19-year-old Canadian looked completely at home in the powerful Cloudbreak lineup, producing a deep barrel that earned a perfect 10-point ride in her opening-round heat against Australia's Sophie McCulloch.

Brooks finished the heat with an incredible 18.00 out of 20, while McCulloch could only manage 3.06.

It was an early statement from Brooks, who arrived in Fiji full of confidence after winning the Tahiti Pro earlier this month. She also has previous Fiji success behind her, having won the event as a wildcard in 2024.

Brooks wasn't finished there.

In Round 2 she came up against former World Champion Caroline Marks. Despite the slower conditions, Brooks remained patient and eventually secured the win with a 10.83 to 6.00 heat total.

That victory puts Brooks directly into the women's quarterfinals, where she will face another standout performer, Vahine Fierro.

Vahine Fierro Produces a Major Upset

Tahiti's Vahine Fierro continued her strong run in Fiji with one of the most important wins of the opening rounds.

Fierro defeated current World No. 3 Sawyer Lindblad by 11.67 to 10.43, using a long Cloudbreak barrel to produce a crucial 7.00-point ride.

The result gives Fierro her best result of the 2026 season so far and sets up a fascinating quarterfinal against Brooks.

It is one of the most anticipated matchups of the women's draw so far: Fierro's powerful tube riding against the confidence and form of the reigning Tahiti champion.

Bettylou Sakura Johnson Finds Her Form

Bettylou Sakura Johnson also made her presence felt.

After defeating Bella Kenworthy in Round 1, the Hawaiian faced in-form Brazilian Luana Silva in Round 2.

Johnson produced a powerful backhand attack to score 14.60, comfortably defeating Silva's 9.00.

The result is particularly important for Johnson after a difficult stretch of the season. Her performance in Fiji has given her a much-needed boost and a place in the quarterfinals.

She will now face fellow Hawaiian and former World Champion Carissa Moore.

Carissa Moore Wins a Tight Battle

Carissa Moore began her Fiji campaign against Australian veteran Sally Fitzgibbons.

It was a close battle, with Moore eventually taking the win 12.13 to 11.50.

Moore's victory keeps her hopes of finally claiming a Fiji Pro victory alive, and she now faces Johnson in the quarterfinals.

The matchup between two Hawaiian surfers should be one of the highlights when competition resumes.

Sally Fitzgibbons and Stephanie Gilmore Meet in Round 1

One of the opening-round heats that immediately grabbed attention was the all-Australian matchup between Sally Fitzgibbons and Stephanie Gilmore.

Fitzgibbons advanced with a 9.97 to 8.37 victory.

It was another reminder of the experience throughout this year's Fiji women's field, with Cloudbreak demanding patience, positioning and confidence when the bigger sets arrive.

Francisca Veselko Gets the Better of Tyler Wright

The opening round also produced an upset when Portuguese rookie Francisca Veselko edged past two-time World Champion Tyler Wright.

Veselko posted 12.17, just enough to get past Wright's 12.00.

It was a narrow result but an important one for the CT rookie, who continues to build confidence during her first season among the world's best.

Veselko will still have another opportunity to progress when she faces Lakey Peterson in the remaining Round 2 draw.

Men's Competition Produces Plenty of Fireworks

The men's opening rounds have been just as competitive, with several of the biggest names on the Championship Tour successfully navigating their first tests at Cloudbreak.

World Champion Yago Dora looked dangerous once again, posting a 15.40 heat total against Mateus Herdy.

Dora has plenty of confidence at Cloudbreak after winning the 2025 World Title at the same wave and continues to look extremely comfortable in the powerful Fiji conditions.

Cole Houshmand also impressed, defeating Australian Ethan Ewing with a 15.17 total.

Meanwhile, Kanoa Igarashi advanced past Alan Cleland with a 13.27 to 11.66 result.

Connor O'Leary Wins One of the Closest Heats

One of the most entertaining men's battles came between Connor O'Leary and Filipe Toledo.

O'Leary eventually won by just 0.40 points, finishing with a 16.40 total compared with Toledo's 16.00.

Both surfers traded strong waves throughout the heat, making it one of the closest and most exciting matchups of the opening rounds.

O'Leary now faces current Championship Tour leader Italo Ferreira in Round 3.

Kauli Vaast Fires Back

After an early exit at his home event in Tahiti, Kauli Vaast responded strongly in Fiji.

The French Polynesian surfer produced one of the best men's performances of the opening rounds, scoring 16.17 against Crosby Colapinto.

Vaast found several long, powerful tubes and looked much more comfortable in the Cloudbreak lineup.

His reward is a Round 3 matchup against Australia's Miguel Pupo.

Gabriel Medina Keeps His Campaign Alive

Gabriel Medina also moved through his opening heat, defeating Australian Joel Vaughan 13.94 to 9.83.

Medina looked increasingly comfortable as the heat progressed and will now face Hawaiian Barron Mamiya in Round 3.

That matchup could be one of the most intriguing of the next men's round, with both surfers capable of producing big scores when Cloudbreak starts firing.

Round 3 Men's Matchups

The men's draw is now set for an exciting Round 3:

Heat 1: Seth Moniz vs Cole Houshmand
Heat 2: Yago Dora vs Kanoa Igarashi
Heat 3: Morgan Cibilic vs Leonardo Fioravanti
Heat 4: Callum Robson vs Jake Marshall
Heat 5: Italo Ferreira vs Connor O'Leary
Heat 6: Samuel Pupo vs Griffin Colapinto
Heat 7: Miguel Pupo vs Kauli Vaast
Heat 8: Barron Mamiya vs Gabriel Medina

There are some huge matchups in that list, particularly Ferreira against O'Leary, Dora against Igarashi and Medina against Mamiya.

Women's Quarterfinals Taking Shape

The women's draw has already produced two confirmed quarterfinals.

Quarterfinal 1: Carissa Moore vs Bettylou Sakura Johnson
Quarterfinal 2: Vahine Fierro vs Erin Brooks

The remaining Round 2 heats are:

Gabriela Bryan vs Yolanda Hopkins
Nadia Erostarbe vs Isabella Nichols
Molly Picklum vs Brisa Hennessy
Lakey Peterson vs Francisca Veselko

Those four heats will determine the remaining quarterfinalists.

Cloudbreak Remains the Big Story

As always in Fiji, the surfers aren't the only story.

Cloudbreak has provided a mixture of powerful barrels and more challenging conditions during the opening days, forcing competitors to constantly adjust their approach.

The first day produced some of the best waves of the event so far, highlighted by Brooks' perfect 10. As the swell eased, the emphasis shifted towards wave selection and patience.

The forecast will now be closely watched as the competition moves deeper into the event. With the world's best surfers still in contention, another increase in swell could completely change the complexion of the event.

What to Watch When Competition Resumes

For the men, all eyes will be on Italo Ferreira vs Connor O'Leary, Gabriel Medina vs Barron Mamiya, and Yago Dora vs Kanoa Igarashi.

For the women, the two confirmed quarterfinals are already mouth-watering.

Carissa Moore vs Bettylou Sakura Johnson is an all-Hawaiian battle, while Vahine Fierro vs Erin Brooks pits two of the event's biggest performers against each other.

Brooks has arguably been the surfer of the event so far after opening with a perfect 10 and then defeating Caroline Marks.

But at Cloudbreak, one wave can change everything.

The 2026 Fiji Pro is only getting started.

Official Results

You can follow the latest heat results and the updated Fiji Pro draw on the official World Surf League Fiji Pro results page.