Five-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore of Hawaii surfs in the Final at the Oi Rio Pro on June 28, 2022 at Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Daniel Smorigo/World Surf League)

  • Filipe Toledo Earns His Third-straight Victory in Saquarema
  • Carissa Moore Clinches a Spot in the WSL Final
  • Toledo and Moore Also Win Inaugural Mano Ziul Award
  • More Available at WorldSurfLeague.com
Five-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore of Hawaii and Filipe Toledo of Brazil after winning the Final at the Oi Rio Pro on June 28, 2022 at Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Thiago Diz/World Surf League)

Carissa Moore (HAW) and Filipe Toledo (BRA) won the Oi Rio Pro Presented by Corona, Stop No. 8 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2022 Championship Tour (CT). The competition finished off in spectacular fashion in front of a huge crowd at Praia de Itaúna in Saquarema, Brazil. Five-time WSL Champion Moore defeated Johanne Defay (FRA) in the Finals, while Toldo took out rookie Samuel Pupo (BRA), to earn his third-straight event win in Saquarema and his fourth overall at the Oi Rio Pro. 

Carissa Moore Wins Oi Rio Pro, Clinches a Spot in the WSL Final 5

Current World No. 1 Moore has been consistent throughout the 2022 CT season with three 2nd place finishes in addition to her 1st place result in Saquarema. Today’s win marks the 25th CT victory of her career and she now has her sights set on another possible World Title at the Rip Curl WSL Finals at Lower Trestles from September 8-16, 2022.

In the Final, Defay got off to a strong start, earning a 7.50 (out of a possible 10) on solid backhand surfing on the predominantly lefthand waves in the 4-6 foot range at Praia de Itaúna. She followed with a 4.83 for a 12.33 total (out of a possible 20). Moore, on the other hand, had two mid-range scores of a 5.50 and a 5.93 with the clock ticking down. But on the last wave of the heat, Moore blasted consecutive backside hacks with speed and progression to earn a 9.50, the highest score of the event in the women’s division.

“This is one of my favorite wins in my whole career,” said Moore. “Coming up against my good friend Johanne Defay is always difficult. She got me in G-Land and I really feel like she’s the one to beat this year. I was behind in the whole heat and I thought that I was probably going to get another 2nd place here, but things went my way. I’ve just had such an incredible week at a house with all my friends, the crowds have been amazing, and I’ve felt a lot of love and support here, so I think that’s what made it even more special.” 

In addition to her victory, Moore was able to clinch a spot in the WSL Final 5, extending her lead in the rankings over Defay, Lakey Peterson (USA), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Brisa Hennessy (CRI). 

“Wow, I didn’t even know it was possible here, but I’m really, really stoked,” said Moore. “That’s really cool, it takes some pressure off. That’s awesome, sweet!” 

As was the case with the majority of the athletes competing at the 2022 Oi Rio Pro presented by Corona, there was an exhilarating feeling at the event brought by the energy and stoke provided by the most passionate and avid surf fans in the world.

“It’s great to make it to the Finals. But it’s the fans that make it so special,” said Defay from the Award Ceremony.

Toledo Earns Third-Straight Victory in Saquarema

Filipe Toledo of Brazil surfs in the Final at the Oi Rio Pro on June 28, 2022 at Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Daniel Smorigo/World Surf League)

Toledo is now being referred to as the “King of Saquarema” after winning his third-consecutive event in Saquarema and four total victories at the Oi Rio Pro. After two throwaway scores, Toledo boosted the biggest backside air rotation of the event for a perfect 10-point ride. Toledo also caught one of the longest barrels of the event and added a quick air-reverse on the closeout section for an 8.67. Toledo was unstoppable in the Finals and his torrid pace resulted in an 18.67 total, the highest of the event.

“I feel completely blessed for being in this position and sharing this moment with my family, friends and this amazing crowd,” said Toledo. “I want to congratulate Samuel (Pupo), Yago (Dora) and Italo (Ferreira) who all made it to the Semifinals. It was a historic moment for us Brazilian athletes and the crowd was a class act, showed love to everyone on Tour and made this one of the most magical events ever.”

With his victory today, Toledo has equaled the record set by Dave Macaulay (AUS), who earned four CT wins in Brazil in 1986, 1988, 1989, 1993. Toledo’s incredible three consecutive wins came in 2018, 2019 and 2022 in Saquarema, with his first coming at the Oi Rio Pro in 2015 at Barra da Tijuca.

Samuel Pupo made it to the first Final of his career on the Championship Tour against Toledo. As a rookie, the young high-flyer had spectacular performances throughout the Oi Rio Pro, taking down big names such as Caio Ibelli (BRA), Mateus Herdy (BRA), and Italo Ferreira (BRA) on his way to the Finals. 

“Filipe started with a 10 on a wave that I could have blocked because I had priority. He went  left and I ended up going to the right,” said Pupo. “Afterwards, it was difficult to recover because the sea calmed down and not many waves came through, so it seemed that everything was going in his favor. But I’m really happy I made the Final. For sure, this is the best day of my life, but the year is not over and I already really want to compete again. I can’t wait to go to J-Bay and do my best there,” completed Pupo.

Toledo and Moore Also Win Inaugural Mano Ziul Award

In what was one of the most emotional moments of the Oi Rio Pro, the inaugural Mano Ziul Award was presented to honor a visionary and pioneer in the sport of surfing. The recently deceased Mano Ziul was able to provide the first webcasts for contests, bringing the most remote locations into the audience’s living room. His creation of the scoring system has been a fundamental part of competitive surfing ever since it was created. To honor his memory, the Mano Ziul Award was given to the men’s and women’s athletes with the highest heat total of the event at the Oi Rio Pro.

Mano Ziul’s family, represented by his wife Sandra and his children Luiza and Ziul (Ziulzinho) Andueza presented the trophies to Carissa Moore for her 15.43 total and Filipe Toledo, who earned an 18.67 total, both in the Finals.

“I want to dedicate this victory to Mano Ziul, who is up there watching us all right now. This win should be celebrated by all of us for everything he has done for the sport of surfing,” declared Toledo from the award ceremony.

2022 Oi Rio Pro presented by Corona Women’s Final Results:
1 – Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.43
2 – Johanne Defay (FRA) 12.33

2022 Oi Rio Pro presented by Corona Men’s Final Results:
1 – Filipe Toledo (BRA) 18.67
2 – Samuel Pupo (BRA) 10.73

2022 Oi Rio Pro presented by Corona Women’s Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Johanne Defay (FRA) 12.16 DEF. Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 9.67
HEAT 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.60 DEF. Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 11.77

2022 Oi Rio Pro presented by Corona Men’s Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Samuel Pupo (BRA) 11.44 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 10.83
HEAT 2: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 17.36 DEF. Yago Dora (BRA) 15.34

Contest Site during the Final at the Oi Rio Pro on June 28, 2022 at Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Thiago Diz/World Surf League)

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

Next Stop: Corona Open J-Bay
The next stop on the WSL 2022 CT will be the Corona Open J-Bay, which opens on July 12 and holds a competition waiting period through July 21, 2022. The competition will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.comWSL’s YouTube channel, and the free WSL app. Check local listings for coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners. For fans watching in Brazil, coverage of the competition’s Quarterfinals and beyond will continue exclusively on WorldSurfLeague.com and SporTV.

The Oi Rio Pro Presented by Corona is proudly supported by our partners Oi, Corona, Secretaria de Estado de Esporte e Lazer do Rio de Janeiro, City of Saquarema, Havaianas, Pura Vida, Red Bull, Havaianas, Oakley, Hydro Flask, True Surf, Expedia, Apple, BF Goodrich, Localiza, Enel, Oakberry, Australian Gold, 51 Ice, Banco do Brasil, BB Asset, and TikTok.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com

About the WSL
Established in 1976, the World Surf League (WSL) is the home of the world’s best surfing. A global sports, media and entertainment company, the WSL oversees international tours and competitions, a studios division creating over 500+ hours of live and on-demand content, and via affiliate WaveCo, the home of the world’s largest high performance, human-made wave. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, the WSL has regional offices in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.

The WSL annually crowns the men’s and women’s surfing World Champions. The global Tours and Competition division oversees and operates more than 180 global contests each year across the Championship Tour, the development tiers, including the Challenger, Qualifying and Junior Series, as well as longboard and big wave properties.  

Launched in 2019, WSL Studios is an independent producer of unscripted television projects, including documentaries and series, which provide unprecedented access to athletes, events, and locations around the world. WSL events and content are distributed on linear television in over 743M+ homes worldwide and across digital and social media platforms around the world, including WorldSurfLeague.com

WaveCo includes the Surf Ranch Lemoore facility and the utilizing and licensing of the Kelly Slater Wave System.

The WSL is dedicated to changing the world through the inspirational power of surfing by creating authentic events, experiences, and storytelling to inspire a growing, global community to live with purpose, originality, and stoke.  

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

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