Like the business end of a Championship Tour comp, the pressure is on as the WSL Fan Favorite voting is coming down to the wire.
We have two epic clashes on our hands this week in the Brazilian heavyweight matchup of Gabriel Medina vs. Filipe Toledo and the Hawaiian Island duel of Carissa Moore vs. Tatiana Weston-Webb.
We're putting national pride on the shelf and want to know, who do you got? Vote now!
Follow Medina through four rounds of commanding scores in as he wins his second World Title and his first Pipe Masters in 2018.
Gabriel Medina vs. Filipe Toledo
This is a dream pairing that could potentially be a preview of the World Title race later this year. Medina is the two-time World Champ and a bonafide sports star celebrated around the globe. Toledo is perhaps the most explosive and unpredictable surfer in the water today, rewriting the book on how to surf iconic breaks such as J-Bay.
Medina and Toledo went first and second at the inaugural Surf Ranch Pro last year and by the time the Billabong Pipe Masters rolled around, the two were embroiled in a fierce Title race.
The Brazilian small wave specialist nails three airs to earn an 9.80 wave score at the 2018 Surf Ranch Pro.
The passion doesn't seem to have diminished at all in the off season. Both surfers have been training in the gym and spending ample time in the water. Distancing themselves from the competitive mindset temporarily, they've both used the down time to take a couple of surf trips and rekindle the stoke for another long, hard-fought year.
It's hard to pick a favorite when you're talking about Medina and Toledo, but that's the fun of all this. So who is your choice?
Carissa Moore vs. Tatiana Weston-Webb
Coming up as a grom on Kauai, Weston-Webb learned early on who Carissa Moore is. Claiming her first two World Titles before Weston-Webb joined the elite CT ranks, Moore is four years Weston-Webb's senior and has long been the face of women's surfing in the Hawaiian Islands.
Carissa Moore came to win the 2019 Beachwaver Maui Pro ... and dropped a perfect wave score in the process.
And while Moore was shown the spotlight from a very early age and had to live up to expectations and hype, Weston-Webb's battled for her well-earned stature. Finishing fourth in the world in 2018, she has blossomed into a massive World Title threat. She has the competitive savvy, grit and talent to keep her in the Title race for years to come. Representing Brazil, she is also looking to become one of the first women to compete in the Olympic Games in 2020.
Tatiana Weston-Webb battled against Malia Manuel in the Final at Surf City USA.
Meanwhile, the question surrounding Moore is how many more Titles does she have in her? She's already earned three, with four more to go if she wants to catch Steph and Layne. That's a tall order, but settling into married life, comfortable with her life in Hawaii, she's surfing better than ever, with more freedom and fluidity. Once she clicks into the competitive zone, who knows what's she capable of.
Vote now!
WSL Fan Favorite Finals
Jake Howard
Like the business end of a Championship Tour comp, the pressure is on as the WSL Fan Favorite voting is coming down to the wire.
We have two epic clashes on our hands this week in the Brazilian heavyweight matchup of Gabriel Medina vs. Filipe Toledo and the Hawaiian Island duel of Carissa Moore vs. Tatiana Weston-Webb.
We're putting national pride on the shelf and want to know, who do you got? Vote now!
Gabriel Medina vs. Filipe Toledo
This is a dream pairing that could potentially be a preview of the World Title race later this year. Medina is the two-time World Champ and a bonafide sports star celebrated around the globe. Toledo is perhaps the most explosive and unpredictable surfer in the water today, rewriting the book on how to surf iconic breaks such as J-Bay.
Medina and Toledo went first and second at the inaugural Surf Ranch Pro last year and by the time the Billabong Pipe Masters rolled around, the two were embroiled in a fierce Title race.
The passion doesn't seem to have diminished at all in the off season. Both surfers have been training in the gym and spending ample time in the water. Distancing themselves from the competitive mindset temporarily, they've both used the down time to take a couple of surf trips and rekindle the stoke for another long, hard-fought year.
It's hard to pick a favorite when you're talking about Medina and Toledo, but that's the fun of all this. So who is your choice?
Carissa Moore vs. Tatiana Weston-Webb
Coming up as a grom on Kauai, Weston-Webb learned early on who Carissa Moore is. Claiming her first two World Titles before Weston-Webb joined the elite CT ranks, Moore is four years Weston-Webb's senior and has long been the face of women's surfing in the Hawaiian Islands.
And while Moore was shown the spotlight from a very early age and had to live up to expectations and hype, Weston-Webb's battled for her well-earned stature. Finishing fourth in the world in 2018, she has blossomed into a massive World Title threat. She has the competitive savvy, grit and talent to keep her in the Title race for years to come. Representing Brazil, she is also looking to become one of the first women to compete in the Olympic Games in 2020.
Meanwhile, the question surrounding Moore is how many more Titles does she have in her? She's already earned three, with four more to go if she wants to catch Steph and Layne. That's a tall order, but settling into married life, comfortable with her life in Hawaii, she's surfing better than ever, with more freedom and fluidity. Once she clicks into the competitive zone, who knows what's she capable of.
Vote now!
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