Maui News

Picklum, Bryan, Nichols and Peterson find success on opening day of Corona Cero Open J-Bay

Play
Listen to this Article
3 minutes
Loading Audio... Article will play after ad...
Playing in :00
A
A
A

Isabella Nichols of Australia prepares to surf in Heat 1 of the opening round at the Corona Cero Open J-Bay on July 11, 2025, in Jeffreys Bay, Eastern Cape, South Africa. (Credit: Alan Van Gysen/World Surf League)

The Corona Cero Open J-Bay, Stop No. 10 on the World Surf League 2025 Championship Tour, kicked off its opening day in three-to-five foot surf at Supertubes.

The women’s Opening Round was completed yesterday and started in cleaner conditions, but then saw a more challenging lineup with strong west winds and a delayed swell, leading to an early finish to the day’s competition.

With the swell expected to fill in overnight, the next call will be July 12 at 7:15 a.m. GMT+1 for a possible 7:33 a.m. start.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

*Note the time zone difference: Next call is Friday, July 11 at 7:15 p.m. in Hawaiʻi Standard Time.

Molly Picklum flies through Opening Round with 9.33 and spot in the WSL Final 5 

World No. 1 Molly Picklum (AUS) officially clinched a spot in the World Surf League (WSL) Final 5, securing her place for the Lexus WSL Finals to compete for the World Title at Cloudbreak, Fiji in September. 

“I got a good result from Brazil leading into this,” Picklum said. “I’m stoked it’s confirmed. The girls are so good, and they’re going to keep pushing. I’d love to get my chances higher by going into Fiji in the number one spot.”

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

Picklum got off to a great start in Jeffreys Bay, finding the flow at Supertubes to weave together a creative combination of powerful turns and smooth transitions. Picklum, finding extra motivation in the Yellow Leader Jersey, cranked out an excellent 9.33 (out of a possible 10), matching the power and tempo of the wave with three solid turns and taking the win with a total of 16.83 (out of a possible 20).

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

“I had priority when that wave came, so I’m stoked,” Picklum said. “It’s so nice when the ocean does that for you. It’s one of those nice elements of our sport, you don’t know if you’re going to have priority when the best wave comes.”

Molly Picklum of Australia surfs in Heat 2 of the opening round at the Corona Cero Open J-Bay on July 11, 2025, in Jeffreys Bay, Eastern Cape, South Africa. (Credit: Kody McGregor/World Surf League)

Isabella Nichols feeling right at home, debut heat win At Supertubes

After suffering an early exit at the VIVO Rio Pro, Isabella Nichols (AUS) came straight to J-Bay to get in as many reps as she could. It showed, with the current World No. 5 stitching together a winning heat with a combined total of 14.00 to send Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) and Luana Silva (BRA) to the Elimination Round.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD

“I’ve been spending a lot of time out here after I got knocked in Brazil,” Nichols said. “I guess it’s paying off. I feel really comfortable here, I feel like I’m home. I have Dylan Lightfoot in my corner, and he understands all the intricacies of this wave, and it helps so much.”

In a last-minute exchange, World No. 2 Gabriela Bryan (HAW) found excellence in her Opening Round (Heat 3) to take the win ahead of Tyler Wright (AUS) and event wildcard Francisca Veselko (POR). Bryan scored an 8.00 with her trademark powerful snaps and pushing hard on her turns to get the score to jump into first and skip the Elimination Round.

The ocean slowed down for the last heat of the day, which saw 2023 Open J-Bay winner Lakey Peterson (USA) win a low-scoring affair ahead of World Champions Caroline Marks (USA) and Caitlin Simmers (USA).

The next call will be on Saturday, July 12, at 7:15 a.m. GMT+1, or Friday, July 11, 8:15 p.m. HST.

The event will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app. For more information, visit WorldSurfLeague.com.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sponsored Content

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Stay in-the-know with daily or weekly
headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Cancel
×

Comments

This comments section is a public community forum for the purpose of free expression. Although Maui Now encourages respectful communication only, some content may be considered offensive. Please view at your own discretion. View Comments