John John Florence and Caitlin Simmers claimed the 2024 WSL World Title’s on a day that alternated between riveting wave for wave action and agonisingly long lulls at Lower Trestles. John John claimed his third world title and Caitlin her first (of what may be many), in an event which brings to an end Trestles’ run as the venue for the WSL Finals Day – something likely to make many fans happy.
It was the pair’s titles to lose as John and Caity came into the Final Five day in the Jeep leader yellow jerseys. Their 2024 seasons were to come down to somewhere between one and two hours of surfing.
John has looked a different beast in 2024, making four finals and winning the one event in El Salvador. Usually a calm and subdued figure, the raw emotion he displayed after each wave on finals day was an indication of just how much this third world title meant to him. Even JJF, a notorious non-claimer, was fist-pumping after favoured rides. He hadn’t won a world title since 2017 and he has been plagued by injuries over the last seven years, which have hampered many of his campaigns.
The Hawaiian is now on par with sparring partner Gabriel Medina, with the pair holding three world titles a piece, and he made that clear in his interview on finals day. “I’m stoked that I’m tied with Gabe because he is such a fierce competitor,” said an elated John.
Caity made history as the youngest ever WSL World Champion. The 18-year-old has been dominant this season. It’s only her second year in the big leagues and she won three events leading up to finals day.
It’s been a full circle year for the stylish regular footer, having won the first event of the season at Pipe with her iconic ‘Pipeline is for the fucking girls’ tagline. There had been questions over her slightly blasé and laidback approach to heats and many wondered if she could grind out scores or put it together when it mattered most. However, that conversation has been well and truly put to bed as she displayed flawless and radical surfing on the Lowers walls. She is a unique character, a one-of-a-kind enigma who is a breath of fresh air, not just to women’s surfing, but professional surfing as a whole. She may also have single-handedly made the F-bomb an approved term for mainstream athletes.
Whether you agree with the final five format or not, and I’ll be the first to hold my hand up and say I’m not a fan of the concept, you have to admit it does manufacture a setting for entertainment and drama; elements pro-surfing often lacks. The buzzer beaters and those moments where each competitor is waiting for scores have extra importance on finals day. It really adds to the atmosphere and emotion, something you can actually feel through the broadcast.
Men’s final five
The men kicked off proceedings with Italo Ferreira surfing off against Ethan Ewing. The two are complete contrasts in style and approach. The Brazilian is all about quantity of waves and surfs at 100mph. Whereas Ethan is more methodical, calculated and focuses on wave quality. This was evident in the fact that Italo caught ten waves, in comparison to Ethan’s five during the heat.
While Ethan stayed on rail, Italo, as expected, took to the sky and it paid off. His pair of high sevens was enough to oust Ethan who, despite having the highest wave of the heat with an 8.33, could only back it up with a 6.50.
Italo then went on to match up against Jack Robinson which was a fiery affair, but not because of the surfing. On one particular paddle back out the pair were neck and neck and as they tussled to win priority, Robbo, who is known to be a fierce competitor (despite naming his kid after his mind state – Zen), employed UFC-like tactics to seemingly push in front of Italo and pull him back. This caused Italo to slap the water and complain to the judges, but there was no consequence.
However, on the feet, Jack was never really in the heat as he could only manage a 9.94 heat total, a long way off Italo’s 14.57.
Along with Molly Picklum’s early exit in the women’s final five, the Aussies will be disappointed that their heroes were unable to make a heat when it mattered most. The last men’s Australian world champ was Mick Fanning in 2013 and the previous Aussie women’s world champ was Stephanie Gilmore in 2022. The only bragging rights to the Australians belonged to Tom Whittaker who coached Caity to victory, getting the better of Luke Egan who was in Caroline’s corner. So far Steph is the only Australian – mens or womens division – to win a title in the Finals-Day format and the only surfer to win from fifth spot.
I always thought if Italo could win the first two heats, he would be really difficult to beat. Much like Gabriel Medina, when Italo gets on a roll he is often unstoppable. His energy is contagious to himself; he feeds off his own antics.
Italo’s semi-final heat against Griff was a nail biter. Both surfed well throughout and while neither did anything extraordinary, both looked comfortable on the Lowers walls. With ten seconds to go, Italo was leading and in priority. A two-wave set forced Italo to take the first one, and he bettered his situation with a 6.87, leaving Griff needing a 7.15.
Local-boy Griff was given a chance on the second, being roared on by his friends and family, but he came up just short. While he surfed the wave well, it lacked the opportunity for flair.
As the pair waited for the scores to drop, Italo could be seen pacing around the Red Bull Athlete Zone, bouncing up and down like a fully charged Duracell bunny.
Women’s final five
The day started with Women’s match one where Tatiana Weston-Webb took on Australian Molly Picklum. Tati came into Trestles off the back of a second-place in Fiji which catapulted her into the final five conversations. While Cloudbreak is a different beast entirely, it was clear the added confidence from that result transferred into the Brazilians surfing at Lowers.
The right hand walls were perfect for Tati’s powerful backhand approach, which along with her frontside tube riding, is a stand out in her repertoire. She earned herself a pair of sixes which was enough to beat Molly who couldn’t find the longer more tapered walls to gain any scores of note.
Women’s match two was a closer affair as Tati went up against the power game of regular footed Brisa Hennessy. However, the goofy-footer’s backhand approach was too much for the Costa Rican.
It looked like Tati was going to emulate the energy from her Brazilian counterpart Italo and go on a rampage from fifth to first. However, in the battle of the backhands Caroline Marks was too strong for Tati. Caroline’s backhand is slightly more powerful and critical than Tati’s and that was evident in their match three heat. Marks’ experience at Lowers, having won the world title here last year, were all factors that played in her favour too.
Men’s final
While Italo kicked off the day, John spent the morning away from the contest site as he wasn’t required to surf until later. While every other competitors in the draw would’ve been difficult to surf against, John will have been extra nervous coming up against a fully-charged Italo who was brimming with confidence.
John had to wait even longer than expected to get his finals day campaign underway as neither him or Italo caught a wave in the first ten minutes of their heat.
Eventually Italo got things started with two waves in quick succession. On his second wave he took to the sky with a lofty backside full rotation. However, he seemed to fall in the white wash but was able to pull himself up to his feet using incredible core strength. Despite the theatrics, I think many agreed it wasn’t worth a 7.33.
In comparison, John put together a variety of turns and a reverse on his first wave for a 7.17. Again, I think many would argue the score should’ve been higher. Even Strider seemed puzzled when they threw it down to him in the water.
Italo took to the sky again for another huge full rotation, this one was clean and completed with greater finesse. Eight point ride, fair score.
Then John, on only his second wave of the day, put together another combination of major maneuvers on the outside. However, he didn’t get a finish and his body language would suggest that he hadn’t got the eight point ride he needed. However, the judges awarded him an 8.33 which gave him the win in the first heat.
The score was slightly surprising. However, on balance throughout the heat I think it was fair to say John won the first match up with a greater variety of turns, airs and cleaner surfing.
The second heat was a lot cleaner cut. John had peaked at the perfect time.
Italo got things started with an 8.17 for a series of huge backhand snaps. The Brazilian displayed just how good his fundamental game is and took a different approach to the hail mary attitude he displayed in the first heat. Perhaps a sign of tiredness considering he had already surfed four heats throughout the day.
John replied with a 9.70, the highest score in finals day history, for a huge trademark JJF layback and series of other turns. It was the kind of surfing we’ve come accustomed to seeing him do out at big main break Margeret River, rather than small Lowers.
John backed up the 9.70 with an assured 8.43 where he looked like he could do no wrong. He was bullet-proof with confidence and that oozed into the raw emotion he was showing with claims at the end of each wave.
While Italo picked up another eight as a back-up, it looked like he had run out of gas at the final hurdle. However, his effort throughout the day was extremely commendable.
Women’s final
And then there were two. Many predicted it would be Caroline against Jeep leader yellow Jersey Caity, and those calls were correct.
The first heat in their best of three final was a tale of two halves. The first half was methodical and predictable. Caroline leant on her lethal backside attack for a pair of high sevens. Caity, whose title it was to lose given that she came into finals day with three event wins this season, showed more variety on her forehand for an 8.50 and 6.50.
Drama then unfolded with 30 seconds to go. Caity needed a score and with priority took off on a set wave and held her nerve to tee off with a number of forehand slices and fins out, getting her the score.
It looked like she was heading into heat two with the lead. However, with eight seconds left, mother-nature gifted Marks a set wave and she tore the things to shreds on her Mayhem sub-driver, displacing buckets of water with ease for a 9.60.
A dejected Caity could only look on from the back of the ski. She had just about caught her breath from the drama of her previous wave.
The clear point of difference in the first heat was the power Marks was able to display, whereas Caity’s smaller stature lent itself to smoother surfing but without the added spray that Caroline’s lower centre of gravity helped her to produce.
The theatrics continued into the second heat as Simmers opened with a 9.17. It was clear she had just levelled up. The regular-footer displayed her full repertoire with a big layback, that wafted significant amounts of spray, an old school type roundhouse with a huge rebound and numerous fin throws. That was world title caliber surfing.
Caity went even better on her second attempt with a 9.20. She displayed a lot more power in the second heat and it looked like she was surfing stress free and had perhaps loosened up given that her first heat against Caroline was the first time she had competed all day.
Caroline spent the rest of the heat in combo land and the world title was to be decided in a third heat.
The final showdown was slightly anti-climactic, but it was no fault of the surfers. The ocean was significantly quieter. However, Caity got things underway with a 6.33 for a combination of routine cutbacks. Caroline replied with her trademark backhand hooks for a 7.17.
Caity then clicked up into another gear for an 8.83, with her full repertoire on show once again. Much to the delight of Simmers, and the dismay of Caroline and her support crew on the beach, the ocean went flat for the rest of the heat and the last of the 2024 season counted down, with Caity claiming the world title. “It was a good dance off,” Caity later stated, paying tribute to the tenacity of Caroline as a competitor.
With the 2024 CT season now done and dusted, I think it’s fair to say the most-deserving surfers won the world titles. There are question marks over John’s future, he recently became a father and many wonder if he’ll sail into the sunset on his catamaran. Or will he join his brother Nathan on the quest to surf the world’s heaviest slabs? At 31, John could now be considered a veteran on tour. However, with the surfing he displayed this season, I think he still has another few world title’s under his belt and with the final five heading to Fiji next year, he will fancy himself in big left-hand barrels.
As for Caity, I think this is the start of something special. She is leading the Gen-Z charge in women’s surfing which is consistently being pushed to new heights year-on-year. Any doubts over the competitive fire in Simmers’ belly have been put to rest. However, I think the 18-year-old can do whatever she wants. She has the ability to win more world titles, she’s got the style and editing skills to become a free surfer and she has the bravery to push women’s surfing to new heights in waves of consequence.
Even though she’s not old enough to legally drink in the US, I’m sure she’ll celebrate with a few beers tonight.
