The next stop of the Championship Tour is the Corona Open Mexico presented by Quiksilver, which will be held at the famous right-hand point break of Barra de la Cruz.
Sand-bottom points have a way of bringing out especially stylish surfing. There's all the shape and push without some of the consequence of a reef bottom, and when you pair them with warm water and warmer air, it's a laid-back blend which inspires some loose, aquatic dancing from some of the best surfers in the world.
The World Surf Weekly team breaks down what to expect at the Corona Open Mexico presented by Quiksilver kicking off August 10th.
It will be especially exciting to see the CT on a sand-bottom point again. We got the menacing perfection of Pipe, a unique experience at the Ranch, fun beach breaks and raw, open-ocean reefs in Australia, and hopefully we'll see Teahupo'o go inside out later in the year, but Barra is the lone right-hand point on a Tour which usually has three, with the inclusion of Snapper Rocks, Bells and J-Bay.
So in no particular order, here's 5 surfers we can't wait to see on this special canvass.
Okay, so maybe there is a bit of an order -- seven-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore grew up surfing the Gold Coast pointbreaks and now has a silky-smooth style unmatched on the Championship Tour.
Just watch her section from the recently released film "Surfing," which captured one of the best runs of waves on the Gold Coast points in recent memory. It's a region that breeds pitch-perfect, flowing point surfing and Gilmore and a right-hand point are a match made in heaven.
Toldeo is the fastest surfer on Tour, but he doesn't achieve this with frantic, twitchy or hurried movements -- it's easy to forget, since he's often busting huge airs or blowing his fins out -- but he's a bona fide style lord, with some of the most buttery transitions on the CT.
But, then there's the airs, and who could forget his pair of alley oops at J-Bay in 2017. This really ushered in a whole new movement on the Tour, with moves like this done at a wave that previously had been reserved for rail surfing. Plus, being based in California, he's spent plenty of time down south of the border. So, what's he going to pull at Barra?
Filipe Toledo doing whatever he wants on the wave at J-Bay - WSL / Kelly Cestari
At just 19 years old, World No. 6 Caroline Marks has one of the best backhands on Tour, and has many times been compared to one of the best goofy-foots ever, whose surfing at right-hand points is truly legendary, 1999 World Champ Mark Occhilupo.
Marks is based in California and has no doubt spent some time south of the border in Mexico, surfing its famous point breaks and honing her already whip-sharp backhand attack.
When she surfs in this event, she'll also been aiming to burst into the WSL Final 5, so expect big things.
There's a good reason Caroline Marks has been compared to Occy - WSL / Jack Barripp
Colapinto has a proven track record when it comes to right-hand point breaks, case in point being his perfect ten from the quarterfinals of the 2018 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast when he locked into one of the best barrels in recent memory at Kirra.
But beyond that, his surfing has ticked up a notch in recent months, not just in terms of power or progression but also in the deft, smooth way he's putting it all together -- it's sometimes easy to forget he's only 22 years old.
Griffin Colapinto and a barrel at Kirra that no one will be forgetting about any time soon - WSL / Kelly Cestari
Australia's Connor O'Leary has one of the most underrated backhands on the Championship Tour, which he reminded everyone of a few months ago, before the Tour resumed, when he released the below edit showcasing his surfing around his home near one of the best right-hand points on the planet, Lennox Head.
O'Leary needs a big result to try to stay on Tour, so expect to see him bring his all to Mexico.
Five Surfers We Can't Wait To See When The Championship Tour Lands In Mexico
Ben Collins
The next stop of the Championship Tour is the Corona Open Mexico presented by Quiksilver, which will be held at the famous right-hand point break of Barra de la Cruz.
Sand-bottom points have a way of bringing out especially stylish surfing. There's all the shape and push without some of the consequence of a reef bottom, and when you pair them with warm water and warmer air, it's a laid-back blend which inspires some loose, aquatic dancing from some of the best surfers in the world.
It will be especially exciting to see the CT on a sand-bottom point again. We got the menacing perfection of Pipe, a unique experience at the Ranch, fun beach breaks and raw, open-ocean reefs in Australia, and hopefully we'll see Teahupo'o go inside out later in the year, but Barra is the lone right-hand point on a Tour which usually has three, with the inclusion of Snapper Rocks, Bells and J-Bay.
So in no particular order, here's 5 surfers we can't wait to see on this special canvass.
Stephanie Gilmore
Okay, so maybe there is a bit of an order -- seven-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore grew up surfing the Gold Coast pointbreaks and now has a silky-smooth style unmatched on the Championship Tour.
Just watch her section from the recently released film "Surfing," which captured one of the best runs of waves on the Gold Coast points in recent memory. It's a region that breeds pitch-perfect, flowing point surfing and Gilmore and a right-hand point are a match made in heaven.
Filipe Toledo
Toldeo is the fastest surfer on Tour, but he doesn't achieve this with frantic, twitchy or hurried movements -- it's easy to forget, since he's often busting huge airs or blowing his fins out -- but he's a bona fide style lord, with some of the most buttery transitions on the CT.
But, then there's the airs, and who could forget his pair of alley oops at J-Bay in 2017. This really ushered in a whole new movement on the Tour, with moves like this done at a wave that previously had been reserved for rail surfing. Plus, being based in California, he's spent plenty of time down south of the border. So, what's he going to pull at Barra?
Caroline Marks
At just 19 years old, World No. 6 Caroline Marks has one of the best backhands on Tour, and has many times been compared to one of the best goofy-foots ever, whose surfing at right-hand points is truly legendary, 1999 World Champ Mark Occhilupo.
Marks is based in California and has no doubt spent some time south of the border in Mexico, surfing its famous point breaks and honing her already whip-sharp backhand attack.
When she surfs in this event, she'll also been aiming to burst into the WSL Final 5, so expect big things.
Griffin Colapinto
Colapinto has a proven track record when it comes to right-hand point breaks, case in point being his perfect ten from the quarterfinals of the 2018 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast when he locked into one of the best barrels in recent memory at Kirra.
But beyond that, his surfing has ticked up a notch in recent months, not just in terms of power or progression but also in the deft, smooth way he's putting it all together -- it's sometimes easy to forget he's only 22 years old.
Connor O'Leary
Australia's Connor O'Leary has one of the most underrated backhands on the Championship Tour, which he reminded everyone of a few months ago, before the Tour resumed, when he released the below edit showcasing his surfing around his home near one of the best right-hand points on the planet, Lennox Head.
O'Leary needs a big result to try to stay on Tour, so expect to see him bring his all to Mexico.
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