Igarashi Banks Third Place at Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro as Ferreira Retains Title Lead
- wgclients01
- May 13
- 4 min read
Japan's Kanoa Igarashi banked third over three-to-four-foot surf at the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro event on Saturday to boost his 2025 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) chances as Ítalo Ferreira retained the men's title lead with Caitlin Simmers and Molly Picklum staying in the top three overall on the women's side.
After finishing runner-up at the last Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach event behind friend Jack Robinson, Igarashi knew another good showing at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast of Queensland would help move him up the 2025 standings as the 2020 Olympic silver medallist looks to win his first CT title.
This time around, the 27-year-old edged out Brazil's Ian Gouveia 12.86 to 12.67 in a Round-of-32 thriller, then upped his game to sneak past veteran Jamie O'Brien - who had beaten American Griffin Colapinto in the last 32 - 17.17 to 15.54 to book a quarter-final spot against South African Jordy Smith, who had seen off Brazilian João Chianca in the last 16.
Igarashi dug deep in the last-eight clash to get past recent Surf City El Salvador Pro champion Smith 14.34 to 13.84, however wildcard Julian Wilson was a different proposition in the semi-finals as the Australian - who defeated Ferreira in the Round of 32 - got the upper hand with a great performance to book his final spot against Brazilian Filipe Toledo.
With Robinson defeated in the Elimination Round and Lexus Pipe Pro runner-up Leonardo Fioravanti also out early in the last 32, 2022 and 2023 WSL champion Toledo took his chance to bag his first 2025 victory thanks to a brilliant final showing of 17.60.
It came on the back of a long barrel to giant hack that earned an 8.53 and an aggressive two-turn combo that collected a 9.07, which helped him to just eclipse Wilson's valiant 17.20 in a rematch of the 2015 final that Toledo also won.
After sitting out the 2024 season, Toledo, 30, said: "I took the year off to take care of myself, to take care of my family, just like [Julian] did, but I came back a little earlier than him. It feels damn good to be back. The rematch again after so many years, we want to win so bad every time we're in a final. As Julian said, it just brings the fire out of us."
2019 WSL champion Ferreira still leads the title race from compatriot Yago Dora with Smith just behind in third place and Igarashi up two spots to fourth place with momentum now behind him.
In the women's event, American Caroline Marks could not replicate her MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal win from earlier in the season as she was bundled out in the last 16 by France's Vahiné Fierro with reigning WSL champion Simmers unlucky not to progress herself in the Round of 16 after a 12.84 to 12.50 loss to eight-time WSL champion Stephanie Gilmore.
Australian Picklum did manage to make it through the last 16 after a win over American Bella Kenworthy, but came up short against Hawaiian Bettylou Sakura Johnson 15.33 to 13.37 next time out.
Canadian Erin Brooks excelled on the other side of the draw to defeat American Lakey Peterson in the Round of 16, then produced a masterclass in the last eight to see off Gilmore 17.76 to 14.27.
Brooks revealed: "That heat was so crazy, I'm so lucky that I was able to surf against Steph. I've looked up to her my whole life and right when I got on Tour her and Carissa [Moore] kind of took time off, which is fair because they've put in so much effort to this sport, but I was like, 'No, I want to surf against you guys.' I'm just glad to get the win off of her because she's so amazing."
Australian Sally Fitzgibbons, though, was too classy for Brooks in the semi-final as she booked a final spot against Sakura Johnson, who claimed a maiden WSL title in a one-sided contest 15.33 to 7.83.
After thrilling thousands of fans who lined the famous surfing headland, Sakura Johnson, 20, said: "This is the best feeling in the world. I'm over the moon to have my first win on the Gold Coast. It's taken so much hard work and a lot of patience and perseverance to put everything together. This year was a really hard year for me, dealing with injuries and a whole bunch of other things."
Hawaiian Gabriela Bryan retained a narrow lead over Simmers and Picklum in the women's title race with Marks down one place to seventh overall and Brooks moving up two spots into eighth place.
The 2025 Championship Tour now moves on to the Western Australia Margaret River Pro event, which starts on May 17 with Robinson and Bryan looking to win again just like they did in 2024.
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