Picklum Surfs to Victory at Vivo Rio Pro While Colapinto Banks Second Place
- wgclients01
- Jul 9, 2025
- 3 min read
Molly Picklum jumped up two places to top spot in the 2025 World Surf League's women's rankings after wrapping up victory on Sunday at the VIVO Rio Pro stop as American Griffin Colapinto enjoyed an impressive week to finish second in the men's event. Here is all you need to know:
- Picklum is looking to land her first World Surf League title this season and, after second places at the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro and previous Lexus Trestles Pro events, she was in form and out to shine.
- She topped her first heat from American Caroline Marks with Canadian Erin Brooks first in Heat 1 as reigning WSL champion Caitlin Simmers got ousted by Brazilian Luana Silva in the elimination round.
- The bracket stage saw Picklum ease past Peruvian Arena Rodríguez in the last eight, Marks cruising past home hero Tatiana Weston-Webb and Brooks edging a tight battle with American Lakey Peterson.
- Marks came up short in the first semi-final thanks to home surfer Silva, losing out 10.43 to 6.57, however Picklum was class personified in the second semi to defeat Brooks by 13.06 to 7.60.
- Sunday's final saw a clean, three-to-four-foot swell build throughout the day - focusing its energy on the right of Praia de Itaúna initially - before the left came to prominence as the tide and swell grew, Picklum reeling off a strong single backhand hit for a 6.83 (out of a possible 10).
- She then posted the highest single wave score of the event for the women, an 8.17, thanks to a dramatic finish to a critical two-turn combo on the right. Her 15.00 score (out of a possible 20) heat total was also the highest of the event for the women as Silva failed to impress on the day.
- After moving into first place overall, Picklum, 22, said: "I've worked so hard this year to really put my best foot forward. Actually, before I was going out I felt nearly emotional because I was just like, 'OK, I get another chance to try and get a victory'. I've dreamt so much of winning here in Rio, too. I'm a real energetic person, I love the Brazilian energy."
- The men's event saw Brazilian João Chianca bow out in the elimination round, two-time 2025 runner-up Kanoa Igarashi of Japan exiting in the Round of 16 alongside Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach winner Jack Robinson and Italian Leonardo Fioravanti, who lost out in a thriller to Colapinto.
- Colapinto followed up with an excellent showing to remove South African Jordy Smith - who retained his overall men's lead - in the quarter-finals with 2019 WSL champion Italo Ferreira unable to get past Australian Ethan Ewing in the final last-eight clash after a 14.43 to 13.40 showing.
- American Cole Houshmand booked his final place after defeating home hope Miguel Pupo with Colapinto edging Ewing by 14.84 to 14.20, Houshmand stepping up a gear in the final to grab the title following a brilliant performance against friend Colapinto that ended a near decade-long Brazilian win streak.
- Colapinto, who found the biggest wave of the event to snap a huge backhand hit and 8.23 score, said: "Congratulations to one of my best friends for taking the win. I think [this week was about] just trusting life and not getting too stressed out about the results, and just letting the ocean call the shots because that's really what it comes down to."
- With nine stops done, the surfers now move on to the JBay Open from July 11-20 in South Africa.
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