Finals Day determined in the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM

Performance levels lifted once again as Finals Day was determined in the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM.

Pictured: Spain's first female representative on the CT, Nadia Erostarbe (ESP), showcased some of the finest backhand surfing seen on Tour to defeat World No. 1 Gabriela Bryan (HAW) and move into her first Semifinal at the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM. Credit: WSL / Andrew Shield

Stop No. 3 of the 2026 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) has delivered an epic few days of professional surfing, with more to come as the forecast calls for the pumping conditions to continue. 

Today's three-to-four-foot swell is expected to get a slight bump tomorrow, seeing the Yellow Alert called for a potential Finals Day tomorrow, May 4. The first call will be at 8:30 a.m. AEST for a potential 9:05 a.m. start with a special WSL50 Expression Session Kirra vs Snapper Surfriders Superheat. Featuring World ChampionsMick Fanning(AUS) andJoel Parkinson(AUS) teamed with a male and female junior from their respective rival Boardriders clubs, the superheat is expected to set the tone for a big day of action.

Gilmore Returns to Semifinals as Erostarbe Takes Down World No. 1

Competing in her 17th Gold Coast Pro, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) moved into her ninth Semifinal, following victory in a marquee matchup against 2024 World Champion Caity Simmers (USA). An eight-time World Champion and six-time event winner, Gilmore is the undisputed GOAT of the sport and queen of her home break. Opening the day with a narrow win over defending event winner Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW), the 38-year-old began her Quarterfinal against Simmers with her best number of the year so far, a 7.83. Matching seamless rail work with a long, clean barrel, Gilmore got the better of the first exchange, after Simmers started with a 6.50. From there, Simmers stayed overly patient, while an active Gilmore built to a 6.90 backup. A late charge from Simmers delivered an exciting end, but it was Gilmore's day once again at Snapper Rocks.

"It's funny, Caity [Simmers] and I, we had a heat at Burleigh last year, and same thing, we were having so much fun leading up to the heat. It's all good vibes," Gilmore said. "In the water, before the heat started, we were just like, how fun is this? The waves are pumping. I just have so much respect for her. She's like my favourite surfer, so to be able to share the water with her is the coolest thing ever. And it's just cool because we have so much respect for each other, but we want to have a good battle as well. So it's a really healthy, competitive relationship. But yeah, I'm just in awe of her surfing. The whole time I was thinking, oh, Caity can get a 10 behind the rock, no problem. So I definitely was trying to just keep getting better and better every wave. I'm stoked I finally put a heat together."

Meeting Gilmore in the Semifinals will be Nadia Erostarbe (ESP), who delivered excellence for the third day in a row, today picking up her highest number yet, an 8.67. Despite current World No. 1 Gabriela Bryan (HAW) providing another exceptional display of power, including excellence of her own, Erostarbe's pinpoint precision in her approach to the Snapper lip, along with superior wave selection, saw her oust the Hawaiian with a 15.67 heat total, the equal second-highest of women's competition so far. In addition to her exceptional surfing, Erostarbe also managed a smart heat, effectively utilising priority to reduce Bryan's chances of finding scores.

"I'm shaking, I'm really happy to make it through," Erostarbe said. "I knew Gabriela [Bryan] was going to be one of the hardest ones to beat here with her power and everything and with how beautiful the waves are. I'm just in a dream right now. I have such a big crew here. [Gabriela] throws so much spray every turn, so I knew I had to go big."

Sawyer Lindblad (USA) claimed big wins over Australians Isabella Nichols (AUS) and Molly Picklum (AUS), respectively, to move into her second Semifinal appearance in a row. The remaining women's Semifinalist will be either Lakey Peterson (USA) or Luana Silva (BRA). The Western Australia Margaret River Pro Finalists will meet in Quarterfinal 4 when competition resumes. Earlier in the day, Peterson evened the score with five-time World Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) to move into her third straight Finals Day, while Silva did the same with her second defeat of two-time World Champion Tyler Wright (AUS) in 2026.

Toledo and Samuel Pupo Set Quarterfinal Clash With Near-Perfection

After delivering the highest heat total of the year so far in Round Two, Filipe Toledo (BRA) upped the ante on himself with a near-perfect 18.94 (out of a possible 20) two-wave total – the 100th excellent heat total of his career. Facing fellow World Champion and current World No. 1 Gabriel Medina (BRA), Toledo clicked into rare form, mixing barrels and airs with some of the most on-edge rail surfing seen at the iconic venue of Snapper Rocks to max out his numbers with a 9.77 (out of a possible 10) and a 9.17. Once he had put his longtime rival into a gigantic combination, Toledo continued to catch wave-after-wave, providing an expression session for the massive crowd gathered to watch the heavyweight matchup and revel in his dominant victory.

"Every time that me and Gabriel [Medina] hit the lineup, for sure it's going to be a good heat," Toledo said. "It doesn't matter who wins, there's always going to be very good numbers on the board. With Gabriel in form the way he is right now, that's the only way to actually shut him down; put two huge scores and hope he doesn't get a 10 or anything. Gabriel has been an inspiration for all of us. Even though we're pretty much the same age, I look up to him. He's one of the toughest competitors, I think, on the intelligence side, experience, and how precise he really is in every movement that he does. So that was my strategy, to go out and put two huge scores out there and control the heat. I've seen this crowd in Brazil, but not in Australia. This is pretty special for us. Even though we surf against each other, me and Gabriel, I'm pretty sure we're both really happy with the crowd over here today and the support, so just super grateful."

Facing Toledo in the Quarterfinals will be Samuel Pupo (BRA), who delivered an excellent total of his own to defeat his older brother Miguel Pupo (BRA). Coming close to matching the speed and power of Toledo, and earning almost exactly the same numbers, Samuel drove through huge vertical hits and open face carves to post an 18.90 total. In a similar fashion to Medina, Miguel's heat total would have been enough to win many of the other matchups in the round, but the heat was never truly competitive after Samuel built a runaway lead. It marked Samuel's second win over Miguel in a row, breaking their head-to-head tie and giving the 25-year-old a 2–1 advantage. With Miguel having worn the Yellow Leaders Jersey for the first time in his career after a victory at Bells Beach in the opening event of the season, Samuel now has the opportunity to do the same with a win on the Gold Coast.

"That was probably my best heat on the CT ever," Pupo said. "I was so relaxed and happy to be out there with my brother at probably my favourite spot in the world. Watching Gabe [Gabriel Medina] and George [Pittar] lose out definitely fired me up a little bit to make this heat. I'm really glad that the waves showed up for us and we got to have an amazing heat; both of us really surfed so well. That's probably one of the best heats of my life for sure. I knew Filipe [Toledo] was surfing amazing the heat before, and I just wanted to make sure that if I did make this heat against Miguel [Pupo], I was putting on a statement for everybody that I am here and I'm ready for the next heat."

Queenslanders Ewing and O'Brien Deliver Matching Totals With Standout Performances

A pair of local Queensland surfers, North Stradbroke Island's Ethan Ewing (AUS) and Burleigh Heads' Liam O'Brien (AUS), claimed decisive wins over their opponents with matching excellent 17.50 heat totals. 

Channeling the electric form that saw him post a 9.10 for his first-ever wave on the CT, surfed at Snapper Rocks in 2017, Ewing put on a rail surfing clinic to leave 2019 Gold Coast Pro winner and World Champion Italo Ferreira (BRA) in a combination situation. In a rematch of their Quarterfinal in the previous event at Margaret River, where Ferreira took the win, Ewing built from a 7.33 (out of a possible 10), to an 8.50, to a 9.00. Dialing directly into rhythm with the ocean, the 27-year-old Queenslander unloaded more power with every wave surfed. Ewing relentlessly attacked the clean, open faces, stabbing his board straight through the lip before releasing the tail in seamless flow with the perfection on offer. 

"That was so fun; that's what you dream of, is just getting waves like that in places like this," Ewing said. "I used to come down here as a kid and watch the event. It's crazy to be here right now in this position and have heats against Italo [Ferreira] and stuff like that; it's super special. Yesterday I came down, I surfed down the beach and I don't think I've ever seen that many people for a surf contest, maybe Brazil or something, but it's so cool. I've got a bunch of friends from home down here and my nephew's down here. It's not home, but it's as close to home as it gets for me, so it's super special to compete here."

In contrast to Ewing, Liam O'Brien (AUS) opened with his best, also a 9.00 ride, before slowly building his backup score from a 6.33, to a 7.00, to an 8.50. Earning his high point from a double-barrel, the first of which was the longest and deepest of the event so far, O'Brien also seemed in sync with the ocean, locking into his stylish flow as his rail work grew in its aggression. Ultimately, O'Brien left Western Australia Margaret River Pro winner and current World No. 2 George Pittar (AUS) in need of two fresh scores when the hooter sounded.

"Every now and then you get a little lucky heat where all the waves come your way and you don't fall off. I feel like it's a bit less common for me than some of the other dudes, so I'll take them when they come. But that was a sick fun heat," O'Brien said. "I got a bit bitter when I got knocked off [Tour] and I was a bit like, damn, I'm doing all this work and it doesn't seem to be getting me anywhere. But I think that's the nature of sport. You've got to be prepared to do the work and still not get the results. All that gives is yourself a chance to get a result. I'm trying not to be entitled to results and just enjoying every opportunity to go out, learn, get better and try and do my best surfing."

Australia's remaining two representatives in the men's draw, Callum Robson (AUS) and Jack Robinson (AUS) were eliminated by Connor O'Leary (JPN) and Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), respectively. A second exceptional backhand performance in the event from O'Leary provided a convincing win, while Robinson struggled to find a score of note until the last minute, posting the highest of the heat, but too little, too late to overtake the Italian.

Red Bull's 'Now Days' Premieres Featuring Next Generation of Stars

Red Bull's latest film 'Now Days' will premiere at the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM event site this evening. Telling the story of what happens when generational talents converge in the water, blurring the line between friendship and rivalry, the film stars World Champions Molly Picklum (AUS), Caity Simmers (USA) and Caroline Marks (USA), along with CT sophomore Erin Brooks (CAN), WSL World Junior Champion Sierra Kerr (AUS) and Olympic Medalist Sky Brown (GBR).

Hemsworth's, McKeon and Barty Soak Up the Action at Snapper Rocks 

Sporting greats, actors, musicians and other celebrities showed up at the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM over the weekend to support their favourite surfers. Emma McKeon and Ash Barty, along with Chris and Liam Hemsworth, were the headliners of a long list of Aussie A-listers that soaked up the action at Snapper Rocks over the weekend.

Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM Women's Round Two Results
HEAT 1: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 16.66 DEF. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 13.60
HEAT 2: Nadia Erostarbe (ESP) 14.67 DEF. Caroline Marks (USA) 13.93
HEAT 3: Caitlin Simmers (USA) 14.26 DEF. Vahine Fierro (FRA) 10.60
HEAT 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 11.67 DEF. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 11.53
HEAT 5: Molly Picklum (AUS) 15.67 DEF. Yolanda Hopkins (POR) 11.50
HEAT 6: Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 14.83 DEF. Isabella Nichols (AUS) 14.50
HEAT 7: Lakey Peterson (USA) 13.27 DEF. Carissa Moore (HAW) 7.27
HEAT 8: Luana Silva (BRA) 14.33 DEF. Tyler Wright (AUS) 11.47

Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM Men's Round Three Results
HEAT 1: Kauli Vaast (FRA) 14.33 DEF. Marco Mignot (FRA) 13.97
HEAT 2: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 17.50 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 13.93
HEAT 3: Mateus Herdy (BRA) 14.33 DEF. Jake Marshall (USA) 10.87
HEAT 4: Liam O'Brien (AUS) 17.50 DEF. George Pittar (AUS) 10.93
HEAT 5: Connor O'Leary (JPN) 14.60 DEF. Callum Robson (AUS) 9.60
HEAT 6: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 12.43 DEF. Jack Robinson (AUS) 11.83
HEAT 7: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 18.94 DEF. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.56
HEAT 8: Samuel Pupo (BRA) 18.90 DEF. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 15.43

Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM Women's Quarterfinal Results
HEAT 1: Nadia Erostarbe (ESP) 15.67 DEF. Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 14.33
HEAT 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 14.73 DEF. Caitlin Simmers (USA) 10.83
HEAT 3: Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 14.76 DEF. Molly Picklum (AUS) 12.50

Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM Women's Quarterfinal Remaining Matchup
HEAT 4: Lakey Peterson (USA) vs. Luana Silva (BRA)

Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM Men's Quarterfinal Matchups
HEAT 1: Kauli Vaast (FRA) vs. Ethan Ewing (AUS)
HEAT 2: Mateus Herdy (BRA) vs. Liam O'Brien (AUS)
HEAT 3: Connor O'Leary (JPN) vs. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
HEAT 4: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Samuel Pupo (BRA)