Road To The Rip Curl WSL Finals: Corona Open J-Bay Aftermath
Marquee victories from Lakey Peterson and Filipe Toledo wrapped competition at the pristine venue of Jeffreys Bay, with just one stop remaining on the 2023 WSL Championship Tour. This marks an incredible third J-Bay win for Toledo as he establishes his dominance over the rankings. Peterson earned her first win since 2019 to keep her fight for the Final Five alive. Plus, runner-ups Ethan Ewing and Molly Picklum locked in their spots for the Rip Curl WSL Finals, alongside Griffin Colapinto and Caroline Marks.
With the Corona Open J-Bay coming to an end, just three spots remain in the WSL Final Five, let’s take a hot minute to take a look at where we’re at and where the road to the Rip Curl WSL Finals is going to take us this summer.
Current Championship Tour Rankings:
| Men’s Rankings: | Women’s Rankings: |
|---|---|
1: Filipe Toledo, BRA (CLINCHED)  |
1: Carissa Moore, HAW (CLINCHED) |
| 2: Ethan Ewing, AUS (CLINCHED) |
2: Tyler Wright, AUS (CLINCHED) |
| 3: Griffin Colapinto, USA (CLINCHED) |
3: Caroline Marks, USA (CLINCHED) |
| 4: Joao Chianca, BRA | 4: Molly Picklum, AUS (CLINCHED) |
| 5: Yago Dora, BRA | 5: Caitlin Simmers, AUS |
| ----------------------- | ----------------------- |
| 6: Gabriel Medina, BRA (THREAT) | 6: Lakey Peterson, USA (THREAT) |
| 7: John John Florence, HAW (THREAT) | 7: Stephanie Gilmore, USA (THREAT) |
Let’s start with the Men’s… we have finally seen some athletes clinch a spot in the Rip Curl WSL Finals. Filipe Toledo secured his position first, leading the rankings for the past three events. Toledo continued his form with his third win of the season at the Corona Open J-Bay. Ethan Ewing clinched his spot with a convincing runner-up finish, locking in number two on the rankings heading to Tahiti.
Griffin Colapinto was our final clinch on the Men’s side, the San Clemente local will be looking to claim his first World Title at his home break.
With just two spots still up for grabs, Gabriel Medina and John John Florence are at reach to overtake current occupants, Yago Dora and Joao Chianca. After a Semifinal appearance at J-Bay, and the CT heading to Tahiti next, Medina has a high chance to clinch a spot in the Final 5. Besides Kelly Slater, he has claimed the most wins at Teahupoo out of anyone on Tour today.
Over on the Women’s side, the rankings remain unchanged following J-Bay. Molly Picklum and Caroline Marks are two new contenders who will be joining Tyler Wright and Carissa Moore for a chance to claim a World Title. One spot remains, currently occupied by rookie Caitlin Simmers but closely followed by Lakey Peterson and 8x World Champion Stephanie Gilmore.
Lakey Peterson claims her first CT win since 2019, which has her climb up the rankings to sixth place. If she carries this momentum forward at the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro - she has a good chance at stealing the last spot in the WSL Final Five.
Both Tyler Wright and Molly Picklum had solid performances at Jeffreys Bay. Tyler featured in yet another Finals Day, making it seven appearances out of nine events this year. Picklum is looking just as good, clinching her spot in the Final 5 and narrowly losing to Lakey Peterson in the final at J-Bay.
Now, the ultimate test of commitment hangs in the balance at the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro, the next stop on the road to the 2023 Rip Curl WSL Finals. Tune in live at WorldSurfLeague.com and keep it locked here for more post-event analysis to decide who will solidify their place for a chance at World Title glory.
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro | Teahupoʻo, Tahiti, French Polynesia | August 11-20, 2023 |
| Rip Curl WSL Finals | Lower Trestles, San Clemente, California, USA | September 8-16, 2023 |
