NEWCASTLE, New South Wales, Australia (Saturday, April 10, 2021) – Today, Carissa Moore (HAW) and Italo Ferreira (BRA) won the Rip Curl Newcastle Cup presented by Corona, the second stop on the World Surf League (WSL) 2021 Championship Tour (CT), in three-to-five foot waves at Merewether. The event culminated in an action-packed Finals Day with both winners raising the performance bar as World Title points were collected in Newcastle for the first time in almost three decades.
Reigning four-time WSL Champion Moore built momentum through the event, most notably with her game-changing air reverse in the Quarterfinals and her event topping 17.74 heat total (out of a possible 20) in the Semifinals. Although a slower heat, Moore dominated the Final against CT rookie Isabella Nichols (AUS) to mark her 24th CT win, tying Wendy Botha for the most CT wins.
“I really want to dedicate this win to my family, and in particular, to my grandma,” Moore said “She passed away just before we came to Australia, so this one is for her. This just feels amazing to be standing number one at the end of this event. I really didn’t expect it. It was a really fun final with Isabella (Nichols). I want to congratulate her on such an awesome result in her rookie season. I’m looking forward to the next event, and hopefully, keep some momentum.”
Looking unstoppable in the first of four CT events on the Australian leg, Moore now wears the yellow Leader Jersey heading into the Rip Curl Narrabeen Classic pres. by Corona.
Rookie Isabella Nichols Kickstarts Career with Runner-up Finish
Although Nichols struggled to find a rhythm in the Final her performances all through the event were admirable and finishing second in a CT event in only her second appearance is a massive statement and a shot over the bow of the rest of the Championship Tour competitors. Nichols heads to the Rip Curl Narrabeen Classic sitting at World No. 3 on the rankings.
“This is crazy, I really didn’t expect to make it this far,” said Nichols. “Every heat I made was a bonus and to have a heat against not only Steph (Gilmore) but Carissa (Moore), my two idols, has been so surreal. This is the best job ever. I felt like I didn’t get a decent opportunity, which was a bummer, but only so many things can go your way. Carissa definitely outsmarted me tactically and it was really cool to see how she went about that heat. We were out there having a chat and a laugh so it was really fun. I’m looking forward to the next three events now.”
Reigning WSL Champion Italo Ferreira (BRA) now moves up the men’s rankings to World No. 1 after beating two-time WSL Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) in a heated Final. After losing to Medina at the Billabong Pipe Masters, Ferreira got one back on his compatriot to claim the event win.
“Wow what an event,” Ferriera said. “It’s been such a good few weeks competing here with all of these guys. It’s been such a good event. I love to surf heats with Gabriel (Medina). He is a machine and he pushes me so much, so it’s always fun to compete against him. I know I’m number one now but that doesn’t matter, as long as I have a spot for the Rip Curl WSL Finals at Trestles, then I have a shot at another Title.”
En route to his Final, Ferreira took down Brazilians Filipe Toledo in the Semifinals and Deivid Silva in the Quarterfinals. This victory marks the 26-year old’s seventh CT win.
Medina, who has historically struggled with his Australian leg campaign, is now one to watch in the next three events with an extended lead over current World No. 3 John John Florence (HAW). Heading into a predominantly left-hand beach break, Medina will again be in conditions that will showcase his surfing capabilities and will no doubt display the type of aerial antics that earned him a near-perfect 9.70 in the Semifinal against Morgan Cibilic (AUS).
“This was a fun event and another fun Final with Italo (Ferreira),” said Medina. “I felt good this whole event and had such a great time here in Newcastle. It was the first time I have been here and It has been great. The people are so friendly and the waves have been fun. I’m happy with my performance and can’t wait to compete again next week.”
Teammates Moore and Caroline Marks (USA) went head-to-head in the second Semifinal with Moore dominating the matchup with the highest two-wave combination of the entire event. Although Marks wasn’t able to put Moore under too much pressure, she leaves Newcastle in 3rd place and 5th on the rankings.
In the closest heat of the event, local hero Ryan Callinan (AUS) fell out of the draw during the second Quarterfinal to Morgan Cibilic (AUS). The competitors tied with 10.37 two-wave totals (out of a possible 20), but the tie-breaker went to Cibilic with the highest single-wave score, a 5.70. It was a bittersweet result for the Merewether locals as it meant one of their favorites was out of the event. Eventually, Cibilic went down to Medina and another major WSL event was run in Newcastle without a local winner.
Next Stop: Rip Curl Narrabeen Classic Pres. by Corona
The next stop on the 2021 WSL CT will be the Rip Curl Narrabeen Classic pres. by Corona. The event waiting period will open on April 16 and run through April 26. All the action will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners.
The Rip Curl Newcastle Cup pres. by Corona is proudly supported by our partners Rip Curl, Corona, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, The City of Newcastle, Red Bull, Oakley, Hydro Flask, Harvey Norman, Bonsoy, Boost Mobile, Dometic Outdoor, Bond University, BF Goodrich, Burton Automotive, and Oakberry.
Rip Curl Newcastle Cup pres. by Corona Women’s Final Results:
1 – Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.73
2 – Isabella Nichols (AUS) 8.34
Rip Curl Newcastle Cup pres. by Corona Women’s Semifinals Results:
HEAT 1: Isabella Nichols (AUS) 13.20 DEF. Keely Andrew (AUS) 12.13
HEAT 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) 17.74 DEF. Caroline Marks (USA) 10.17
Rip Curl Newcastle Cup pres. by Corona Men’s Final Results:
1 – Italo Ferreira (BRA) 14.94
2 – Gabriel Medina (BRA) 13.27
Rip Curl Newcastle Cup pres. by Corona Men’s Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.77 DEF. Morgan Cibilic (AUS) 14.07
HEAT 2: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 16.10 DEF. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 11.57
Rip Curl Newcastle Cup pres. by Corona Men’s Quarterfinals Results:
HEAT 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 10.27 DEF. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 10.07
HEAT 2: Morgan Cibilic (AUS) 10.37 DEF. Ryan Callinan (AUS) 10.37
HEAT 3: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 12.67 DEF. Deivid Silva (BRA) 12.40
HEAT 4: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 13.83 DEF. Conner Coffin (USA) 13.0
2021 WSL Women’s CT Leaderboard Top 5:
1 – Carissa Moore (HAW) 17,800 pts
2 – Tyler Wright (AUS) 12,610 pts
3 – Isabella Nichols (AUS) 10,410 pts
4 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 9,490 pts
5 – Caroline Marks (USA) 8,695 pts
5 – Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 8,695 pts
5 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 8,695 pts
2021 WSL Men’s CT Leaderboard Top 5:
1 – Italo Ferreira (BRA) 16,085 pts
2 – Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15,600 pts
3 – John John Florence (HAW) 11,330 pts
4 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 8,065 pts
4 – Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 8,065 pts
4 – Ryan Callinan (AUS) 8,065 pts
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
COVID-19 Updates
The WSL will implement a robust and thorough COVID-19 health and safety plan for each event during the Australian leg of the CT in accordance with federal and state guidance. The WSL’s health and safety plan includes physical distancing measures, enhanced high-touch cleaning at the event site, contact tracing procedures, sanitizer stations throughout the event site, and minimal personnel on-site.
All traveling athletes and support staff completed the mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine and received medical clearance from public health officials before entering the general community.
Due to COVID-19, the Australian CT events will run based on state border closures, strictly adhering to federal and state government guidelines and restrictions. All tour stops and dates subject to change due to applicable COVID-19 related restrictions, including global travel restrictions.
About the WSL
Established in 1976, the World Surf League (WSL) is the home of the world’s best surfing.
A global sports, media and entertainment company, the WSL oversees international tours and competitions, a studios division creating over 500+ hours of live and on-demand content, and via affiliate WaveCo, the home of the world’s largest high performance, human-made wave. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, the WSL has regional offices in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.
The WSL annually crowns the men’s and women’s surfing World Champions. The global Tours and Competition division oversees and operates more than 180 global contests each year across the Championship Tour, the development tiers, including the Challenger, Qualifying and Junior Series, as well as longboard and big wave properties.
Launched in 2019, WSL Studios is an independent producer of unscripted television projects, including documentaries and series, which provide unprecedented access to athletes, events, and locations around the world. WSL events and content are distributed on linear television in over 743M+ homes worldwide and across digital and social media platforms around the world, including WorldSurfLeague.com.
WaveCo includes the Surf Ranch Lemoore facility and the utilizing and licensing of the Kelly Slater Wave System.
The WSL is dedicated to changing the world through the inspirational power of surfing by creating authentic events, experiences, and storytelling to inspire a growing, global community to live with purpose, originality, and stoke.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.