When the 2026 CT kicked off there was a lot of huff and puff about an Australian men’s contingent that would rival the fabled Brazilian Storm. With nine Brazilians on tour and eight Australians the stage seemed set for a monumental clash between the two, proud surfing nations. In the first event the Brazilian storm continued to produce thunderbolts and lightning, registering three surfers in the semi-finals and propelling Miguel Pupo onto a somewhat unexpected victory. Meanwhile the Australian team couldn’t blow out a candle after only George Pittar made it as far as round three.
In Margaret River, the Brazilians once again boasted three surfers in the semi-finals and the smart money was on an in-form Gabriel Medina to take out the event. However, George had different ideas. Aware of Medina’s devastating form, Pittar no doubt knew he needed an inspired performance to topple the resurgent Gabriel. Ultimately Pittar produced a career-best display to finish almost three-points in front of Medina in the final, sealing victory with a scintillating nine-point ride, the highest single wave score of the event. Pittar’s surfing is a mix of full-rail power with the precision of a champion axeman – in the final he swung his Channel Islands blade as hard as he could but almost always got the placement of his turns just right. At 6’1” he’s tall, but in no way awkward, with a knack for making his lanky frame bend and flex with surprising suppleness. Medina may have been his match for power but was nowhere near as graceful.
Speaking exclusively to Tracks’ on the ground reporter after the final, Pittar suggested he was up against stiff, green and yellow opposition on all fronts. “There were a lot of Brazilians fans in the event and in the semifinals, it was all Brazilians and me. I just wanted to win it for everyone supporting me here. The crowd was incredible, and to do it in front of all my friends makes it such a special experience.”
Pittar also admitted that he’d far exceeded his own expectations by claiming the event. “To be honest, I just wanted to stay relevant on Tour. I didn’t want to be one of the guys at the bottom. And now to be sitting second in the world – it’s a pretty crazy feeling.”
The victory for Pittar also marks the first time in over a decade a male surfer from Sydney’s Northern Beaches has won an event and been ranked in the top three. Male surfers from Sydney’s Northern Beaches dominated the rankings and world title race in the mid 80s and early 90s and continued to be a force into the early 2000’s. However, in recent years Sydney’s northside crew have struggled to make a dent at the highest level. Some say Sydney’s sky-rocketing Real Estate makes surfing too much of a high-risk option for aspiring pros who can make guaranteed money in a trade, while others suggest it’s merely a cyclical element of pro surfing. Whatever the cause, Pittar has pushed through like a welcome southerly change and broken the drought. The challenge now will be to see if the style-king from Manly can keep the hopes of OZ fans alive and maintain a presence at the pointy end of the rankings, which are stilled dominated by the Brazilians.
Four of the top five positions are held by Brazilians with Medina once again wearing yellow. Surfers will have a hard time prizing the coveted jersey off Gabriel, particularly going into Snapper Rocks where he has won before (2014) and will have every opportunity to unleash his lip-crushing backhand. Speaking to Tracks after the Margaret River final he was happy to be reacquainted with ‘old yeller’ but also cautious about getting ahead of himself. “I’m really happy to be wearing yellow again. It’s still the beginning of the year, we’ve only had two events, but I’m feeling good and I’m happy with my surfing. This wave is very difficult, so I’m glad I was able to make the final here. Now we head to the Gold Coast—it’s an amazing wave, I’ve won there before and I have great memories. But that’s it, just keep working. Everything happens in God’s time. I’ll stay in my lane, focused, and hopefully I’ll be blessed with a win soon. It’s a good jersey to wear – it means you’re leading the rankings. But like I said, I’m not focused on that – competitors, jerseys, none of that. I’m focused on taking it step by step. It’s only the second event, and I just want to keep that focus going.”
As the tour turns its attention to Snapper Rocks, fans will be desperately hoping for some decent waves. After two events there hasn’t really been a day when you could say it’s firing. However, in the month the CT tour has been in Australia all three of the contest locations have had at least one day with fantastic conditions – except it always fell outside the window for the events. Is it about time the WSL thought about going mobile in Australia with three or at least two sites available over a six-eight-week period. Competitors could then fly in for a one or two-day swell at whichever location was turning on. It would require a radical re-think of the way the tour Down Under is run but it’s not impossible, as was proved in 1979 when finalists flew to Bells after it went flat in Sydney for the Coke Surfabout. Or we could stick with relying on dumb luck and this is as good as the Pro Tour in Oz will ever get.
