WSL in Portugal — History and Results
Partilha
Portugal hosts two World Surf League events every year: the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, a Championship Tour (CT) stop at Supertubos in Peniche, and the EDP Ericeira Pro, a Challenger Series (CS) event at Ribeira d'Ilhas in Ericeira. One is the elite tier of professional surfing; the other is the path to get there. Both have been running since 2021 with full men's and women's draws, and both consistently produce some of the most competitive surfing in Europe.
The World Surf League runs three main tiers of professional competition. The Championship Tour (CT) is the top level — around 10 events per year where the world's best surfers compete for the world title. Below that is the Challenger Series (CS), a six-event circuit that runs annually and determines who qualifies for the CT the following year. Below the CS is the Qualifying Series (QS), a global network of regional events. Portugal hosts one stop at each of the two top levels: Peniche for the CT, Ericeira for the CS.
Supertubos, Peniche
A powerful, hollow beach break on Portugal's central-west coast, approximately 90 km north of Lisbon. Supertubos fires up from October through March, producing some of the thickest barrels on the entire CT circuit. The wave is fast, critical, and unforgiving — which is exactly what makes it one of the most anticipated stops of the year. The event has been held here every year since 2010, except 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.
Inaugural edition — Kelly Slater wins
The Rip Curl Pro Portugal launched with Kelly Slater beating Jordy Smith in the final (13.33 to 11.43). Carissa Moore won the women's inaugural edition over Stephanie Gilmore. The wave made an immediate impression on Tour — nothing like the beach breaks in Australia or Hawaii.
Italo Ferreira's back-to-back — the first in event history
Brazilian Italo Ferreira became the first surfer to win in Peniche in consecutive years. His 2019 final score of 18.43 against Jordy Smith (6.17) remains the most dominant performance in the event's history. Women's competition also returned to Peniche in 2018 after nine years in Cascais.
Return after COVID — closest final on record
After two years of cancellations, the event returned with Griffin Colapinto beating Filipe Toledo by just 0.14 points — 14.34 to 14.20 — the smallest margin in event history. Tatiana Weston-Webb won the women's final.
Two first-time CT winners on the same day
João Chianca beat world number one Jack Robinson (17.57 to 15.14), becoming the first Brazilian to win in Peniche. On the women's side, 17-year-old rookie Caitlin Simmers claimed her first career CT win over Courtney Conlogue.
Yago Dora & Caroline Marks — most successful women's champion
Yago Dora won the men's final over Italo Ferreira (13.37 to 12.43). Caroline Marks won the women's title for the second time — alongside her 2019 win, making her the most successful women's champion in the event's history. The 2026 CT edition moves to October 22–November 1.
| Year | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 🇧🇷 Yago Dora | 13.37 | 🇧🇷 Italo Ferreira | 12.43 |
| 2024 | 🇺🇸 Griffin Colapinto | 17.94 | 🇦🇺 Ethan Ewing | 11.13 |
| 2023 | 🇧🇷 João Chianca | 17.57 | 🇦🇺 Jack Robinson | 15.14 |
| 2022 | 🇺🇸 Griffin Colapinto | 14.34 | 🇧🇷 Filipe Toledo | 14.20 |
| 2019 | 🇧🇷 Italo Ferreira | 18.43 | 🇿🇦 Jordy Smith | 6.17 |
| 2018 | 🇧🇷 Italo Ferreira | 15.93 | 🇫🇷 Joan Duru | 10.77 |
| 2017 | 🇧🇷 Gabriel Medina | 13.26 | 🇦🇺 Julian Wilson | 10.94 |
| 2016 | 🇺🇸 John John Florence | 16.67 | 🇺🇸 Conner Coffin | 9.93 |
| 2015 | 🇧🇷 Filipe Toledo | 17.83 | 🇧🇷 Italo Ferreira | 17.13 |
| 2014 | 🇦🇺 Mick Fanning | 15.50 | 🇿🇦 Jordy Smith | 7.67 |
| 2013 | 🇦🇺 Kai Otton | 12.23 | 🇺🇸 Nat Young | 11.03 |
| 2012 | 🇦🇺 Julian Wilson | 16.26 | 🇧🇷 Gabriel Medina | 15.37 |
| 2011 | 🇧🇷 Adriano de Souza | 15.67 | 🇺🇸 Kelly Slater | 14.73 |
| 2010 | 🇺🇸 Kelly Slater | 13.33 | 🇿🇦 Jordy Smith | 11.43 |
| Year | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 🇺🇸 Caroline Marks | 7.90 | 🇺🇸 Gabriela Bryan | 6.97 |
| 2024 | 🇫🇷 Johanne Defay | 10.83 | 🇦🇺 Tyler Wright | 5.50 |
| 2023 | 🇺🇸 Caitlin Simmers | 13.50 | 🇺🇸 Courtney Conlogue | 12.83 |
| 2022 | 🇧🇷 Tatiana Weston-Webb | 15.33 | 🇺🇸 Lakey Peterson | 14.27 |
| 2019 | 🇺🇸 Caroline Marks | 13.73 | 🇺🇸 Lakey Peterson | 6.27 |
| 2010 | 🇺🇸 Carissa Moore | 17.44 | 🇦🇺 Stephanie Gilmore | 8.60 |
* Women's competition was held in Cascais 2011–2018. Only Peniche editions listed.
Ribeira d'Ilhas, Ericeira
A long, reeling right-hand point break set beneath dramatic cliffs, 28 km north of Lisbon, inside Europe's only World Surfing Reserve. Ribeira d'Ilhas is fast, consistent, and holds waves from two to twelve feet — qualities that make it ideal for competition. It has hosted WSL events since 2019 and became a permanent Challenger Series fixture in 2021. As a penultimate stop on the CS calendar, it's where CT qualification is won and lost every October.
The Challenger Series is the WSL's second tier — a six-event circuit that runs in parallel to the CT season. At the end of the CS, the top 10 men and top 7 women in the final rankings earn a spot on the Championship Tour the following year. For surfers outside the CT, Ericeira is one of the last chances to qualify. For CT surfers who missed the mid-season cut, it's a way back in. The stakes at Ribeira d'Ilhas every October are as high as they get in professional surfing.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 🇫🇷 Kauli Vaast |
| 2024 | 🇧🇷 Samuel Pupo |
| 2023 | 🇧🇷 Deivid Silva |
| 2022 | 🇮🇹 Leonardo Fioravanti |
| 2021 | 🇺🇸Ezekiel Lau |
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 🇵🇫 Tya Zebrowski |
| 2024 | 🇦🇺 Sally Fitzgibbons |
| 2023 | 🇺🇸 Alyssa Spencer |
| 2022 | 🇦🇺 Macy Callaghan |
| 2021 | 🇧🇷 Luana Silva |
No Portuguese surfer has won either of the two Portugal events — at Peniche or Ericeira. Tiago Pires, who grew up in Lisbon surfing Costa da Caparica, was the first Portuguese surfer to qualify for the Championship Tour, competing on the CT from 2006 to 2014. Frederico Morais followed, qualifying for the CT in 2017 and remaining on Tour until 2021. On the women's side, Yolanda Hopkins and Teresa Bonvalot have both competed at the Ericeira CS event as locals in front of a home crowd, with Hopkins consistently among the top competitors in the Challenger Series rankings.
Portugal hosts two WSL events annually: the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, a Championship Tour (CT) event at Supertubos beach in Peniche (typically March), and the EDP Ericeira Pro, a Challenger Series (CS) event at Ribeira d'Ilhas in Ericeira (typically late September to early October).
The Championship Tour (CT) is the top tier of professional surfing — roughly 10 events per year where the world's best surfers compete for the world title. The Challenger Series (CS) is the second tier — a six-event circuit that determines who qualifies for the CT the following year. A strong result in the CS, like at the Ericeira Pro, can earn a surfer a spot on the elite tour.
At Supertubos beach in Peniche, a powerful hollow beach break approximately 90 km north of Lisbon. The event has been held there every year since 2010, except 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At Ribeira d'Ilhas beach in Ericeira, a right-hand point break inside Europe's only World Surfing Reserve, 28 km north of Lisbon. The event has been a CS fixture since 2021 and typically takes place in late September or early October.
No Portuguese surfer has won either the CT event in Peniche or the CS event in Ericeira. Tiago Pires and Frederico Morais are the only Portuguese men to have competed on the CT. Yolanda Hopkins and Teresa Bonvalot are the most prominent Portuguese women on the Challenger Series.
Italo Ferreira and Griffin Colapinto share the men's record with 2 wins each. Caroline Marks leads the women's with 2 wins (2019 and 2025).
Explore more from The Surf Index — Board Exchange's guide to surf culture, schools, spots, and competition in Portugal and Europe.
Results sourced from the World Surf League official website. All CT scores are combined two-wave totals out of 20.