One and a half events into the 2026 WSL Championship Tour and there hasn’t been a lot to shout about so far. This is mostly due to the conditions which haven’t played ball. Other than the opening day at The Margaret River Pro, which offered up clean six foot walls and 28 heats of competition, the waves haven’t lived up to the ‘dream tour’ label which is being loosely thrown around again after some positive changes to this season’s format.
Mother nature has given the world’s best two days off as onshore winds continue to plague the forecast. So far in WA, George Pittar and Ethan Ewing have put on searing displays of forehand precision. On the women’s side Molly Picklum and Caroline Marks have shone brightest with power and intent in their rail games.
The Brazilians have looked in fine form. Spearheaded by the return of 3x World Champ Medina, whose looked back to his best so far in 2026, and the inform Pupo brothers, Miggy and Sammy, the surfers with yellow and green on their shoulders make up half of the men’s quarter-finals in WA.
The other standout story line from Main Break was Crosby Colapinto’s Round Three victory over his older brother Griffin. The younger sibling evens the score after he lost in their only other CT match-up at Bells in 2024.
We caught up Crosby, Sammy Pupo and Medina after their Round Three victories. Check out those conversations below.
Crosby Colapinto
Importance of winning this heat against Griffin?
Yeah, it was really important. I mean, every point matters in these contests, so it was pretty crucial. It was a bummer to knock my brother out, but it is what it is. This is a long season and we both want to be world champions.
How to improve from a solid year in 2025 and what do you learn from previous experiences including today?
I think I’ll just keep doing my best surfing, showing up, believing in myself and just keep going.
Favourite Format?
I like this year’s format. It gives everyone the opportunity to surf throughout the whole year, so that’s great.
Samuel Pupo
How important is it to have a strong start after coming back from the CS?
Yeah, it’s really important. I think a strong start is essential to build confidence in my surfing. Of course, there’s always room to improve, but watching my brother win at Bells was the best day of my life. So I think we’ve got a really good energy right now, not just me and him, but the whole team traveling with us. I’m happy with my surfing, which is the main thing. If your surfing isn’t there and you’re not confident, everything changes. So I feel really confident, I just need to keep making the right decisions and hopefully the results will come.
You’ve been surfing well for years, but the results weren’t always there. Now that everything is clicking, performance and results, how important is that for 2026?
It’s kind of crazy, to be honest. I feel like I’ve been surfing well over the past few years, but the CT isn’t just about surfing. You’re competing against the best surfers and competitors in the world, so you need to be sharp competitively and have good strategy. That’s something I’ve really changed this year, having my coach with me and building specific strategies for each heat, and bringing my surfing into that. That combination makes a big difference. Making the right decisions, knowing there’s a top competitor in the other jersey, and not underestimating anyone.
Talking about his coach:
We’ve had a long-time relationship. He was the team manager at Rip Curl when I joined the brand at 13, so I’ve known him for a long time. He was at Bells when I competed there as a wildcard for the first time, and eventually he became my coach. It took us a while to actually start working together, but when it happened, everything clicked. I really trust him in everything he says. I listen a lot, and I’m also able to express what’s going through my mind, my doubts, and we make decisions together. It’s making a huge difference for me.
Challenge of facing an Aussie in the next round?
Whenever you face an Australian here in Australia, it’s a very different environment. They have a lot of support. Joel is a great surfer, we’ve known each other since we were kids and he’s a great aerialist. For me, it’s about sticking to my strategy for the heat, continuing with my good surfing, and that’s it. Just surf.
Gabriel Medina
In really tough conditions, against a hometown favorite and one of the top contenders on the rankings, what was it like to surf out there today and come away with the win after having to watch him surf the last wave?
Honestly, it was survival mode out there. I was more focused on the waves because I had to choose wisely today, it was really hard to surf. So I focused on myself. I didn’t even hear my scores, I don’t even know what my heat total was. In my mind, I just knew I needed another wave to put more pressure on him. I was trying to find a slightly better one, but it’s really hard to surf out there, super bumpy. So yeah, I’m happy with the win. It was a tough heat and hopefully we will get better conditions in the next rounds.
It’s been a really strong start to the year. How do you keep that mindset going for the rest of the season?
It’s always good to get good results. I want to stay consistent, but step by step. I’m feeling good, you know? I feel like I’m in a good rhythm. I’ve been surfing a lot, I’m surrounded by people I like, so I think that helps. Things happen naturally. I’m in a good headspace, so I just want to keep surfing, finding a magic board, testing boards. Hopefully I can keep finding better boards for the next events. I’m motivated for what’s coming.
A couple of lay days before this round and more waiting periods ahead – how do you stay active?
I’ve been surfing and training, more surfing than training here. There’s not much time, you never know when they are going to run because they use every window the ocean provides so you have to stay ready. But I kept my routine, stayed active. My girlfriend helps me a lot day to day, so it’s been good here.
You can see Crosby, Sammy and Gabriel back in action when the Margaret River Pro resumes on 22 April.
