[waves crashing]
[announcer 1] It's the Ballito Pro semifinal number one.
Vahiné Fierro of France taking on Sophia Medina from Brazil.
Medina's got a lead early on in this.
Slightly safe snap to finish-- and that isn't safe.
She gets washed over the rock wall.
Oh, this is nasty. Oh, no.
Sophia Medina straight up the rocks there.
Wow.
[Sophia] The way I hit the rock was very strong.
I hurt my back,
and it wasn't going away, the pain.
[announcer 2] Certainly, she has been smashed on those rocks.
That definitely hurt.
Definitely, a little bit of pain in the back there.
[Sophia] My dad always teaches me
that the strongest surfer is the one that always stands up.
So, like, when you fall, you've got to stand up again.
[announcer 1] Sophia.
It's good to see her making her way back out.
[announcer 2] Thankfully, she looks okay.
[announcer 1] Sophia, she's back.
She's got a lead here in this semifinal.
[Tasha] Time check, surfers. Eight minutes remaining.
[announcer 1] All right, another crack for Fierro here.
First turn, just banks one, whips it off the top
and then sets up with a slice.
Nicely surfed.
Here's Medina with a bit of drive.
And she's got a sectioning--
Great hit from her. But she gets exploded.
Still gonna get a number in. Let's see where this puts us.
[announcer 2] And it's gonna be a tough battle yet.
[announcer 1] Medina, she'll use it to get two, which will look cool,
but it won't make completion and it won't add to her score.
Fierro will go here.
Nice-looking wave, first crack is good.
If she hits this, which she does, and she completes it,
it'll be the highest score of the heat for Vahiné Fierro.
Medina hammers a section.
It's a big popped-out all-out section.
[horn blows]
[Tasha] Last of red, it's a 7.07.
Waiting for last of blue.
Sophia Medina held the lead throughout that 35-minute semifinal.
Her requirement has jumped up.
Not easy to be on the beach here.
Not easy to be in those rash rifts.
We are waiting for scores. Last of blue.
Judges are reviewing the replay for blue.
Sophia Medina, you're looking for 5.57.
This is career-defining moments for some of our athletes.
And last of blue, it does come in.
It's not enough. A 5.1, last of blue.
So we see a change in situation
in the dying minutes of that first semifinal.
Congratulations, Vahiné Fierro.
Finding the 7.07,
taking the win ahead of blue, Sophia Medina,
finishing in second place.
Hi.
I really wanted it.
Yeah. But you did good.
You were third, right?
I cut myself all over, I... I must have...
I must be covered in cuts on my back.
I slammed into everything.
Yeah, it tore the wetsuit.
I gave it my all, you know?
I know.
Am I injured here?
It was close. You're not. It's just the wetsuit.
[Sophia] That third wave I got a little injured.
My back hurts really bad right now.
It's my best result yet so, like, I'm grateful, but I really wanted--
So just, like, hard to take it because I gave everything I had.
And I really wanted to win, really. Really.
Until the semifinal, until the last minute,
she could have made it to the final.
Although she didn't make it to the final today,
third place is very honorable.
I am very proud of her, of having Sophia as my daughter.
[pop music playing]
[announcer 1] Welcome, surf fans.
We are all systems go.
[Jessie] The U.S. Open is the fourth stop on the Challengers,
and it's a huge event.
There's a big crowd, there's heaps of sponsors.
The industry is huge. Everyone's there.
Everyone's looking to get a result because they're over halfway through the year.
So Huntington's really a turning point for people.
Anyone who can get a result there might be on their way to the Championship Tour.
My whole family is making sacrifices
for me to live this dream, and I take that really seriously.
and it's so important for me to keep focused and my eye on the prize.
[announcer 1] Opening rounds for our Challenger Series.
[announcer 2] This is what we've been waiting for.
[Ēwelei'ula] I know I love surfing and that I always wanted to surf,
and I'm definitely very competitive,
even though I try to play off that I'm not.
But I need to work on improving my competition surfing.
I'm hoping to use this event to reset,
to get my mental game back on track,
and just feel really good about my surfing and myself.
Mom has always been here with me to encourage me and support me.
And now, being out here on my own
and having a second chance on the Challenger,
I really do want to give it my all and see how far I can take this.
[crowd cheering]
[Francisca] Just hoping for a lot of waves, a lot of opportunities.
Both of my parents competed,
but they never made it on tour, and that's where I'm focused.
Make it even further than they did.
[Sophia] The U.S. Open's a huge event.
There is a bit more pressure.
When I was in the semifinals in Ballito,
I hit the rock and then I lost.
But the more we get hit, the more we stand up.
So keep going and never stop.
[pop music playing]
It's crazy that I'm here for a contest.
And I don't know, it's good to be around you.
Like, feel peaceful.
It's so good to be here. I'm like, your number one fan.
I always knew that you were gonna be so great
because you, like, fully committed like 100%.
When you were a kid,
I just remember you surfing all the time.
-I always gave my time to surfing. -Yes.
You had the mentality like,
"If I want to be somebody, I got to do this."
-So true, yeah. -That's very mature of you.
-Thank you. -And nobody forced you.
Your dad was very, like, "Do you want to keep playing soccer
or do you want to go surfing?"
-"No, I want to go surfing." -Yes!
There was a time that he asked me, yes.
He was like, "Okay, you gotta choose between soccer or surfing."
-And you were like, "Yeah, surfing." -Yeah!
I always say I'm proud of you because I'm very proud.
Congratulations.
Oh, thank you!
-How are you? -Good, how are you?
Good, thank you.
I'm so happy that you're in the competition.
[Sophia] This is so nice! Thank you! What's your name?
-Camille. -Camille?
-Yeah. -It's nice meeting you.
-Nice meeting you, too. -[man] She's starting to surf.
[Sophia] Really? Oh, that's so nice!
And how old are you?
-I'm ten. -[Sophia] Okay.
And when did you start surfing?
Um, by myself,
probably just this year.
That's amazing, because my dad used to push me
in the wave when I was six,
and when I was about your age, I started going by myself too.
-Oh, that's very cool. -[Sophia] That's so nice.
Keep going and keep practicing because it's so much fun.
You're gonna be a great surfer,
I'm pretty sure she's gonna be--
-Commitment. -Yes. Commitment.
That's so important.
-Could I take a picture? -[Sophia] Yes, of course.
[laughs]
Let's see.
I think surfing is not only surfing,
it's way more than that.
It's crazy to think that I'm starting to influence
and inspire young women around the world the way that I was inspired.
Camille, I'll be hearing your name in surfing, I'm pretty sure.
[laughs]
That's my biggest goal, like, to inspire other little girls
to just be themselves and go surfing.
Even in Brazil, there are not many women, girls surfing.
The little... it's just, I hope we inspire them.
-[man] Congratulations. -Thank you.
-Nice meeting you. -Nice meeting you, too.
-I love... I love it. -That was the sweetest thing.
I know. So cute.
[uplifting music playing]
Oh, there's Kika. Look at her.
-So cute. -Beach baby.
I didn't know we had all these photos. See? It's good to go through the album.
[Joey] Memory Lane, for sure.
[Francisca] It's great being able to stay with my dad during the Huntington event.
I don't get to see him that often,
since I live in Portugal and he lives in California.
But we keep in touch,
and I even stayed with him for a year when I was in high school.
[Joe] It's been great all these past years
in the sense that, you know, Kika,
you've been able to come here and visit me.
You guys were more or less growing up in Portugal.
I remember Kika, she was like, "I'm not going to America."
"I don't want to go to school there."
And I had to convince her a little bit, "It's gonna be a great experience."
And then I know that after it all went down,
you were thankful and you were like,
"Dad, that was like one of the best things that ever happened."
Then you did all the contests on the weekends
and you always did really well.
Huntington Beach had a city surf contest, which is like an iconic event.
So Kika was in the contest, in one of her heats.
She had just leapt into the pier and did two huge moves.
-Was that a nine or a ten? -No, she got a ten-point ride.
And then so, that was just amazing.
You just, like, took that contest out.
That was kind of cool,
and that was Kika coming into Huntington Beach--
[Joey] It was a good welcome for her.
[Joe] Like, the recognition that she got off of that,
everyone is sort of knowing who she was at that point.
Then from there, yeah, we were chucking you around,
up and down the coast to all the different contests.
[Francisca] I remember Seaside Reef and that's where I won the World Juniors.
You're pretty unbeatable.
[laughs]
-She's like, "Yeah." -[all laugh]
[announcer 1] Veselko on the Challenger Series
gets the title, and now has her name
on one of the most prestigious lists of surfers ever compiled.
[announcer 2] So well deserved. Let's watch her do her victory run.
Wow.
My name is Francisca Veselko.
"Kika" is my nickname.
I'm 21 years old.
I'm from Caravelos, Portugal.
Caravelos, it's a really special place for me and my family,
and it's known for some of the best waves in the world.
I started surfing when I was seven years old.
Both of my parents were surfers.
My mom was one of the first Portuguese women surfers,
and my dad is an American surfer.
He lived in Portugal.
And then when I was nine years old,
they divorced and my dad went back to the U.S.
I entered my first surfing school when I was eight,
and I started competing when I was nine.
I won the World Juniors in 2022.
Best day of my life.
You remember when we did the painting,
it was like right before you got the title right?
They asked to paint you, and some months later you got the title.
And this is really cool.
[Francisca] Now my goal is to be the first Portuguese woman
to make it on the world tour and be a World Champion.
In the water, I'm a super competitive person.
Everybody wants to win and be the best,
and everyone has that desire.
At least I do, and that's why I compete.
Winning all these contests in Portugal and having good results
in the European QS's,
and feeling good with my surfing.
And then I got on the first year of the Challenger Series,
and I don't even think I made one heat.
Yeah, I was sad and just frustrated.
I just felt nervous, and just getting a lot in my head and figuring it out.
Looking back at it, I felt like that was a really good experience
cause I've improved a lot since then,
and I feel like every year now I feel more comfortable on this tour.
It's hard, and there's a lot of up-and-downs,
but mentally I feel strong.
[rock music playing]
[Francisca] I feel like Huntington is a second home to me.
This wave in Huntington, it's pretty challenging
because it's a soft wave and it breaks kind of randomly,
and you just have to read the wave and be quick on the board.
But I think it's gonna be a good event, and I'm excited.
[Ēwelei'ula] I think Kika's an amazing surfer.
She's got a really good front-hand and a really strong back-hand as well,
which you don't always see.
She's definitely one to watch.
[horn blows]
[announcer 1] We got some great action.
These are opening rounds for our Challenger Series.
[announcer 2] It's gonna be a good start.
Kika having a look here... she's up.
[announcer 1] Francisca Veselko, a World Junior Champ.
Let's go Kika!
[announcer 1] Nanaho Tsuzuki.
Good surfing here. Mafalda Lopes tying it all together.
Love it, love it.
She needs to be this way.
Yeah. There's something coming. She gets a big one over there,
it's gonna be a high score.
[announcer 1] Okay, watching red. Here we go. Francisca.
[announcer 2] She spent a transfer year here as a high school student.
Scored a ten-point ride at the HP Summer Surf comp in September
a few years ago.
So, has a lot of experience at this wave.
Tsuzuki once again right here.
[announcer 1] And a nice move to finish for the Japanese surfer.
Nanaho, the 4.93.
But that slight improvement was enough to move
Nanaho up into the lead.
[announcer 2] And right now, pressure's on Kika in second place,
looking for a 5.04 to move up into first.
I'm stressed out, but she's got a couple of scores.
But I think she's got to build upon what she's got now.
[announcer 1] A really competitive heat here.
Everybody in that 9, 10-point range.
[announcer 2] That's right. Just a point separating our leader
from our fourth place, just a little over a point.
[announcer 1] Second place is our surfer in red,
Francisca's low is a 4.77.
That's the one she wants to better. That last one won't do it.
[announcer 2] Here's Ochoa. Last wave.
[announcer 1] Big opportunity.
Needs to make it happen.
Forcing it there, and...
-[announcer 2] No. Don't think that's it.
-[announcer 2] No, the wave let her down. That's gonna be it for her.
So it's gonna be Nanaho Tsuzuki,
as well as Francisca Veselko.
[Rodrigo] Well, she made it. Good job.
Yeah, Kika!
[laughs]
[Francisca] That was a stressful heat.
Not many waves.
And I felt like, "Oh, what am I doing? Where do I go?" I was kind of lost.
By winning the World Junior Championship,
I proven myself that I have the potential to go all the way.
But it's been difficult moving into the top ranking
of the Challenger Series,
I know I have what it takes to get there.
I just need to continue to push myself and keep my head in the game.
[rock music playing]
Hi! Aloha!
Aloha.
How are you?
-So good. How are you doing? -Good.
[Ēwelei'ula] Maluhia is a good friend of mine from Hawaii.
She's also a fellow competitive surfer.
I look up to her like my older sister,
and she's always there to give me really great advice.
So you're here for a reef event.
It's like a collection of people who are either, like,
surfers or, like, environmentalists.
Like academics.
And I'm really excited because I think it'll do a lot of help for my research.
I know you're still working on your PhD, how is that going?
Yeah, so I'm studying how the health of our coral
can help to protect us.
-So you're based in Anahola? -Yeah.
So I go back and forth between Oahu and Kauai.
-I get to surf, like, pretty frequently... -Nice.
Yeah, with less pressure now.
That's fun, enjoying being in the water.
Definitely love surfing.
I think that's what sustains me.
Yeah.
I feel really good in free surf.
-Yeah. -And then, like,
something switches when I'm in contests, like,
I get really nervous.
Yeah, I definitely have, like, performance anxiety,
especially when I really need a score.
I don't know how to explain it. Like, I just...
Other than I don't feel like myself,
or like I'm even in my own body. Like, I kind of...
-Oh, like full disassociate. -Yeah.
Oh, okay. Yeah.
I know. It makes me sad, though, that I feel like it's been my goal
since I was, like, five years old
to be the first Kaiapuni grad...
female surfer to make it on tour, so.
This year has been filled with a whirlwind of emotions.
I was really excited at the beginning of the year,
really wanted to compete.
And then it wasn't working out
and I just want to restart and reset everything.
When I was in high school,
I had such bad social anxiety
that, like, I couldn't even call and order a pizza on the phone.
I relate to that.
And one thing I always did when I was having that
was, like, breathing really helps me come back to center.
-Breath work's really important. -Mm-hmm.
Also community.
Like, I realize for me that I struggle
when I'm not in my community with, like, friends, family.
And you're halfway across the world, like in Ballito.
-Right. -You're like,
-"What, am I doing here?" -I was definitely homesick in Ballito.
-So homesick. It's hard. -It is hard.
But, like, you're so powerful.
And as the waves get bigger
and, like, the mahna gets more powerful, you always rise to match it.
And I think to me, that is like one of the coolest, most badass things ever.
-Oh, my goodness. -And, like, you draw so much
from your ‘a ina, so much from your family,
so much from the ocean.
Like, I just, like... just unleash it.
You're reminding me of where I'm from as well,
because I've been away from home for so long.
You're beautiful on the outside, on the inside, and you're powerful.
-You're making me blush. -Aww.
You can do it. Just keep trying and keep pushing.
Take that power and be like...
-Ah! -[both laugh]
I'm really happy that you're here.
Aww. I could just hug here. It's so nice to see you.
So nice to see you.
[upbeat pop music playing]
[announcer 1] We've got a new heat just starting.
[announcer 2] Sol Aguirre from Peru,
one to watch out for.
[Travis] It's so good to see great talent coming out of Peru.
And it's good to see Sol coming through representing that region.
She's so good when the waves get good.
It's mind-blowing to see how explosive her surfing is.
My name is Sol Aguirre.
I'm 20 years old.
I'm from Piura, Peru.
And I'm a professional surfer.
When I was growing up,
surfing wasn't a sport where a lot of women could practice.
So I've always competed against boys,
and I think that's why I became so competitive.
I never felt intimidated by men.
I knew I was as strong as them.
The first competition
that made me realize that I wanted it was when I was 13.
It was the Junior in Brazil,
and I competed, and I won.
And if you won that contest, you were South American Champion.
But I also see myself as an inspiration for my country.
I'm so proud of being a Peruvian.
Surfing has grown so much in our country
because we're bringing so many titles and results.
So it's a lot of nerves
and expectations and pressure,
and I'm ready to handle that
as much as I can.
[Jessie] Sol is so fun.
Her surfing is incredible.
Like, she's got amazing angles, great speed and just a unique low.
I love watching her surf.
[Sophia] She has a really good backside and she's a regular footer,
so she surfs back side to the left.
And she's very competitive.
This year, I qualified in Puerto Rico for the Olympics,
but not the best result I was hoping for.
So my main goal after the Olympics
is have the best result in the Challengers.
Be on the top five, if I can.
So it's a lot of pressure.
[announcer 1] Got a new heat in the round of 48 for the women.
Sol going for it.
-[announcer 2] Uh-oh. Oh, no.
I like the intent, though.
Sarah Baum on the backhand this time.
Oh, that's a beautiful turn off the top...
Two.
That was well, well timed.
This is Sol Aguirre.
She needs to get going to get back into this heat.
Currently needs a 7.5 to get to second place and advance out.
Sol, you still need 7.5 to go up into second place.
Here comes Sol.
Looking down the line, is gonna throw it up there.
And you can see the frustration, actually, in her body language.
[announcer 2] You know, Sol put up a good fight
with a couple of fours.
It just didn't work out in their favor.
[horn blows]
[Sol] I don't think I surfed good.
Every time I lose, no one can feel as much as I'm feeling right now.
Like, no one can feel what
the athlete, the one that competes,
feels when they lose.
I'm gonna cry.
I don't want to cry.
[dramatic music playing]
[Ian] I mean, this is fun.
This is really good.
This is the comp that typically people will take a turn.
Either, like, they're high in the rankings and suddenly they drop,
they lose it for the last three events,
or they're low in the rankings and they can make a bit of a break
and they can get themselves even into a requalifying position.
So I do have to kind of adjust.
That's exactly it.
So you're gonna have to learn to surf and change and adjust.
You're very selective,
so you'll go for a really nice wave like that, or a peak, or a peak like that,
and you won't really take a wave that is not the best wave to surf.
Unfortunately, in a heat like this,
you might not get anything but average to poor waves
and you've got to learn to score on it.
-Scrappy, messy, ugly. -It's a level of, like, desperation.
-Yeah. -Aggression.
Yeah.
[Jessie] Having my dad is really good
because I crave the training and the mission,
and having him there to work things out is so helpful.
I love it.
What do you want to work on?
I've got ideas, but I want to hear your thoughts.
[Jessie] My dad's been my coach for so many years,
and we work together so well.
My mom has to stay back in Australia, hold down the fort and earn the money.
My parents have to chip in and support me,
because they know this is where I should be.
Part of my job here is to not...
Part of my heart is to just, you know, make sure you're okay...
because I worry about you.
I want you to compete well because you want to compete.
And I want you to surf well because you want to surf well.
And if that makes you happy, we make you happy.
[upbeat pop music playing]
-We're on tomorrow. -Yup.
How many times have you ridden this board?
Three times. This one, I have really good paddle power.
I took it to Brazil and it worked really well there.
Yeah, and you get that, like, initial glide in.
-Yeah. -I like your self-belief on that board.
-I felt really confident on it. -Yeah.
[Ēwelei'ula] I've been with Channel Island for just over a year,
and they're the new board sponsor that I'm riding for.
Definitely one of the perks about being with Channel Islands is that
Brent's there as the global team manager,
I love him, feel like he understands me,
and I think that's really important when you're working with a coach.
We'll break it down, make it real simple.
There's certain pivotal parts in the heat
that, like, will make a heat.
Right.
If you're here, you need a score.
You just break down in your mind what that score is based on what you've done.
You know, if you've done one big turn and then you fell
and you still got like a four, you're like, okay.
Two of them...
-Two of those will get me over the line. -Yeah.
If you can win that moment
and just push through to the next level part
rather than thinking of it as a whole, you're just doing what's in front of you.
That will help you get through
and just be you, really.
-Knowing that you can win this thing. -Yeah.
Because you can.
I feel like I get, like, really stressed out
and I get overwhelmed when I'm in heats
because I am thinking about the bigger picture
and getting too far ahead of myself.
A lot of time, if you go out and you have like a preconceived idea
of how you want to do it, it doesn't go the way you want to go.
And it starts unraveling, and you freak out and you lose.
But if you kind of go out knowing that the ocean's constantly moving
and tide's changing and people are moving around
and you've just got to go with them and kind of stay in the moment,
and win the little moments that you're in.
Those are the things that will add up. At the end of the heat you'll be first.
I think that Ēwe can make it to the CT.
I know that she can do it.
I just need her to understand that she can do it,
which is sometimes the hardest part.
But she has such a special gift,
and she needs to understand that she can do that.
She can win.
It's all up to her.
What's your goal here?
To make it past the second heat.
-Don't you want to push it further? -Yes.
I would like to make it farther than the second heat, but...
Because if you really want to, like,
put a dent in this and go up the ratings higher, like,
I think you got to stop aiming at your toes and look a little further.
-Manifest. -Manifest.
-[laughs] -Exactly.
[uplifting music playing]
[energetic rock music playing]
[Jessie] The conditions are always really tricky at this break
because it's such a weak wave.
You've got to kind of change up what kind of turns you do
and make sure that you're not thinking too hard on one turn,
remembering there could be three or be two turns linked together.
Listen, the nice wave's coming through, so that wave stood up really nice.
[announcer 1] It's been a fun day of surfing so far, but guess what?
We still have more action up ahead.
Ēwe Wong out there in the red.
Ēwe from Hawaii, what a talent.
What a young next generation-level surfer.
Her competitive savvy is getting better and better every single event.
We know she has the skills to do it.
And it'll be exciting to see in these next couple of years
and contests how she puts that all together for herself.
Okay, babe.
Bye, Ēwe.
[Ēwelei'ula] I feel good. I'm excited.
First heat's always, like, I'm pretty nervous.
But I'm used to it at this point.
Now we pray for waves.
Gotta go to church Sunday or there won't be anything.
[horn blows]
-[announcer 1] Ēwe is up and riding. Yeah, Wong going right.
Solid carve right there in the pocket for Ēwe.
Looking for one more section down the line.
She's gonna find it. Throws a tail around.
[announcer 1] Nice time to approach there.
Not bad.
[announcer 2] Tsuzuki draws off of the bottom well.
Big snap in the pocket.
And fits in three consecutive maneuvers right there.
So should be a strong score right there for Tsuzuki.
Now, we're waiting for Jessie Van Niekerk to get her first wave.
Not much on offer right there from Van Niekerk.
[inhaling sharply]
[sighs]
Ēwe now up and riding.
It's a quick one right there.
Currently, it's green first, blue second.
Red needs a 3.85.
White needs a 5.31.
I think Jess, um,
maybe missed a wave or two she should have gone with.
[announcer 1] We're watching white paddle into this one right here.
A little right-hand slingshot. Let's see what she can do.
Jessie, first turn.
She's gonna get back out on the open face.
-Nope. She'll kick out. -Not good.
[announcer 1] White Jessie, you are in fourth.
You need a 5.31.
So Jessie needs a single wave.
Five is not a high score.
She just needs to get in the wave. She's sitting on the peak.
[announcer 1] It's Ēwe Wong now up to second flick.
Her last score comes in as a 3.87.
It was just enough for second place.
Good score for that wave.
Stay busy, kid.
[announcer 1] Tsuzuki up and riding, needs a 3.3.
That's a good start to the wave right here.
The one carve a little setup.
And make sure, just to finish this wave off.
It's gonna be close, but it seems like she might have done just enough.
[announcer 2] Situation change. Blue has gone to second.
Red drops to our third position.
Ēwe, you need a 4.38.
White, you're in fourth. You need a 5.84.
One minute remaining, ladies.
[Ian] Jess just made a mistake. She should have gone for that wave.
It's tense.
Everyone stays out there at the moment.
Okay, Come on, Ēwe. Go, go, go.
[man over loudspeaker] Five, four, three, two, one.
[announcer 1] So Ēwe Wong and Jessie Van Niekerk
are eliminated from competition here in the round of 48
Bad heat.
Toughie.
The first time she's knocked out in round one this season.
She looks bummed.
[Ēwelei'ula] I think this is like the hardest loss of the year so far,
just 'cause this is the first event that I lost the first heat.
So that definitely adds to the frustration.
But I've gotten some great advice here in Huntington from Maluhia and Brent
that I think paid off, because I just feel like
I'm losing better, if that makes sense.
I feel like I performed
to the best of my ability for those circumstances.
So I'm just comfortable with that,
that I was able to serve, like, myself.
Sorry, baby.
-Oh, it's good. -So sorry.
-Hey? -I blew it.
[Jessie] Being on the road this much is... major sacrifice.
My parents were so committed to giving us opportunities.
We didn't have sponsors growing up.
Our parents paid every cent to take us to comps.
It was just sacrifice, sacrifice.
So there's always pressure.
Never happy to lose a heat, but we are on a long road, long journey.
[ethereal music playing]
What do you think, honey?
No.
[in English] Smile. Smile change all.
[humming]
It heals us.
It heals. We heal.
I'm tired of crying because I cry so much.
Because sometimes you are a little hard, you, on you.
[sniffles]
Oh, my love.
[in English] But it's difficult. It's just not for you, you know?
It's, like, for all the athletes.
All of you make the best effort you can.
And it's just one person who wins.
Relax.
[lips smack]
Don't cry.
I think it's expectation of myself,
and I don't think I surf good in the Olympics, and not in South Africa,
and not now.
Like, I'm trying, but it's not working.
It takes a lot, I know. It's not that easy.
-Get up, come on. -No, I'm crying.
[in English] Yeah. You're 21.
Just 21.
You know, life goes on and you can keep moving.
You'll see before, it comes.
Sometimes takes more time, but it comes.
We love you, and it doesn't matter your results, you know?
You are a great daughter.
Confident.
And no more dealing with what happened, no?
Keep going.
Cheers.
[glasses clink]
[in English] Cheers and no fears.
Give me a hug.
[rock music playing]
How's your back been since you got injured on the rocks in Ballito?
I've been getting better.
We weren't sure what was happening, and so the x-ray was clean.
-Oh, I'm glad you didn't break anything. -Yeah.
So how is the training here, like, at Huntington?
My first round was pretty grindy. You surf straight on the second.
And actually, since I passed my heat in second,
-so we're gonna surf together, so...
-Yes! -...that's gonna be an interesting one.
Like, friends-- Well, we say it in Portuguese.
It's weird in English, but it's like, "French friends wave apart."
So, like, everybody, you can be friends and stuff, but when you're in the water,
it's just like it's your moment, and this is why we work so much.
It's towards that moment.
We all, like, work separately to be at that moment,
and it's a very individual sport.
And, like, you got to focus on your own.
Even though we're friends and in the water,
we're gonna do everything possible to go through the heat, you know?
-Yeah, it's gonna be fun. -Yeah.
And there's gonna be some swell.
Waves are gonna pick up a lot.
So be ready to paddle for your life.
We're all gonna be ready!
[both laugh]
-See you in the heat. -See you in the heat.
Hopefully, we both make it.
-Yes. Let's hope. -Yeah.
[upbeat pop music playing]
Follow your instinct.
Your instinct is never wrong, okay?
Don't think too much.
Okay? Simple, you got it.
Let's go. Don't think too much, and you'll do fine.
-I'm going in. -Let's go!
[horn blows]
[announcer 1] All right. Heat number four has started.
Francisca Veselko.
Nice draw up the bottom, and going for the combination.
She'll get lost on the close-out.
Sophia Medina.
Wow, what a cool backside snap that was.
Whoo!
[announcer 1] Eric Brooks rolling in.
She likes to go as fast as she can.
Lights up the first section with a big first turn
and shuts it down.
How cool is that combo?
Erin Brooks just earned a 6.33 to build her lead out front.
Veselko right behind her in second.
Blue. Here we go. Sophia Medina.
Oh, that was nice!
Wow!
Okay, so Sophia is gonna move on to second.
[announcer 1] Sophia did get to jump into second on that right.
She got a 5.17.
Veselko now needs a 5.8 to go back into the top two.
I'm just hoping that Kika gets this clear opportunity to score
because she just doesn't have anything good on the scoreboard.
[announcer 1] Looking now is Francisca Veselko.
Gets through her first turn off the top.
A little whip on the softer shoulder.
Scores from Francisca Veselko:
2.5 on her wave previous.
But that kept her in third.
Sophia is still hanging on to second.
Let's go, Kika. Time to shine.
[announcer 2] Francisca looking to answer back.
Here she goes.
We'll see what the judges think about that.
[announcer 1] Score in: a five-point ride.
It was not enough.
Nice.
Nice!
-That current really got you. -Yeah.
We thought you were heading toward the pier.
It took me straight out the back.
Such a shame about that right.
If you'd caught it out the back, it could've been a solid 7.
Next time.
Conditions were tricky today.
[Sophia] Kika is one friend that, like,
It's just hard to go against a friend. It's hard.
I shouldn't have ridden that wave.
-I couldn't make it back. -You couldn't make it back.
And I needed another five, I think.
But that's it! Keep going! You rock!
I know how it feels to lose. You know, it's very hard.
And you don't want that for a friend that you really consider.
[upbeat pop music playing]
[Jessie] Call Mom still?
[Ian] Let's get some sandwiches and stuff, and then phone Mom.
Okay.
Happy to get in the water now, afterwards.
Um, yeah. I'll call Mom.
Yeah, I'm ready for another surf, probably.
A little low energy.
[Ian] Yeah.
Hi, Mom.
-Hello. How are you? -How are you?
By the way, this is our 28th... 28th anniversary.
Happy anniversary.
-This is-- -It is!
I think that's really funny.
[Ian] So Jessie's got a bombshell.
I'm looking at that flight,
eyeing down that flight to come back home for the three weeks before Portugal.
[laughs]
I know you like the idea.
One way home, and then I will reset at home,
then go to Portugal.
I think Jessie's instincts are usually spot-on, Ian.
So I think she'll be able to kind of swap straight into a routine of being home,
not having to worry about food, not having to worry about washing.
She can get solid, solid sleep in her own bed.
And I agree with everything you say.
I think this is very good for Jessie.
My family is so close, and we're always, like, talking.
We're always working on things, so we need to be together.
That is the goal, to have us all on tour.
But we know this is part of the process, and it's already a huge privilege
that I get to do this because it's expensive.
It's all family commitment,
but ultimately we want to all be on the road together.
Okay, Mom, back with you before you know it.
I can't wait.
Okay, I love you, Mom. We'll speak soon.
Enjoy. Love you.
Hopefully speak to you before I go to bed.
-Bye. -Bye.
Bye.
[rock music playing]
[Marcos] Okay, so let's organize the next post
that you have to do for your sponsors.
So right now, our sponsor is Vivo,
-Mãe Terra, Petrobras. -Yes.
Nescau, Ocean Drop, Dove...
-[Charles] Rip Curl. -Rip Curl.
Surfboards.
I think now we are pretty good.
I have to give social media posts for those.
Okay. This is the... This is the briefing.
What they want to show is, like, your beach lifestyle.
[Sophia] Yes.
So I think we'll be very nice.
[Sophia] You need a sponsor when you are in surfing,
and you have to have support to pay your travels.
And when you subscribe to a contest, you got to pay.
So if you do a good result, you get a good amount
just to afford your travels.
So surfing is an individual sport,
but you need people around you.
It's a fun journey. I like it.
-Yeah. -Yeah, I like it too.
[Charles] This life is amazing.
[all laugh]
Perfect.
-Work, surf. -[Sophia] Yeah!
[laughing]
[announcer 1] Round of 16 action this afternoon.
Little bit of breeze, but still rippable out there.
[Sophia] After the second round,
it's just head-to-head heats, woman to woman.
If you win, you win. And if you lose, you lose.
You're out of the contest.
[Robin] Sophia Medina. Wow, What a talent.
What a last name.
Truly one of the most up-and-coming next generation women
that I'm certainly interested to see how high she goes.
We all know about the success that her brother has had,
and now it's time for her to take that and translate that and be inspired.
Her name has really come up quite a bit in these last couple years,
and I'm excited to see where she goes next.
[announcer 1] Introducing in the water
Tessa Thyssen in red and Sophia Medina in blue.
[announcer 2] Blue. Sophia. Nice.
It looks small, but she's being really patient, waiting for it to wall up.
She really wants to find that energy source.
[industrial music playing]
Nice! Let's go!
[announcer 1] Little roll-in opportunity for Tessa Thyssen for France.
I love how cool she just rips right into the pocket,
leans on that toe side edge,
and always fades back down to the wedge and keeps her speed up.
[announcer 2] Red, your score came in at a 5.33.
It was enough, so red in the lead.
So that means Sophia in the second position.
So now, Sophia, you need a 7.66.
[announcer 1] About four, wow. Little drop while in layback carve.
Whoo!
[announcer 1] I like how she's extending the bottom turn,
finds the power source.
Wow, that's a beauty.
-Whoo! -[woman] Whoo-hoo!
[spectators cheer]
[announcer 1] Wraps it back a bunch.
She needs a 7.66.
But what that's gonna do is possibly increase
on her low of a four.
[announcer 2] And a fired-up Charlie Medina.
[announcer 1] Last up, blue has 6.83.
So that is her best.
And now, Sophia, you're looking for a 4.83
to get into first.
[announcer 2] This is Medina out on the face.
Carves it back.
Banks it off that white water.
Judges definitely taking their time.
[announcer 1] Medina's not waiting for the outcome.
She's gonna keep on swinging.
[announcer 2] Sophia Medina turns and gets a 5.17, and she needed a 4.86.
Sophia in the lead.
Tessa, you need a 5.68.
[announcer 1] And the celebration already beginning
for Sophia's support crew.
-[horn blows] -Great sports.
Moment here as they both talk it over,
even though it was a close battle,
giving each other a lot of props.
Scores coming in for Tessa, not enough.
Sophia Medina gets a big win
and will compete on finals day tomorrow.
[woman cheers]
[energetic rock music playing]
[Sophia] Now I'm going to the quarterfinals.
I can't believe it.
That was incredible to live. It was such a good experience.
It was just amazing.
So that's my second time
going to the finals day, and it's in a row.
So I'm just glad I could keep this momentum.
[excited chatter]
Oh, I swear my heart is pounding!
Let's just try to keep going.
[announcer 1] Welcome back to finals day here in Huntington Beach, California.
Sophia Medina taking on Sally Fitzgibbons.
[Sophia] Sally is one of the best surfers in the world.
To be the best, you got to beat the best. So it's a huge heat.
[Francisca] Looking forward to our next stop in Portugal.
I'm excited to be returning home.
I know these waves, I know this break.
I have the home court advantage, and I'm planning on using it.
Because it's my home, I feel like I have more eyes on me.
So the pressure is on to win.
[Ēwelei'ula] I'm taking what I learned from Huntington
and I'm excited to apply it to my performance in Portugal.
And it'll be nice having Mom and Tutu there
to help me feel more comfortable and connected to my roots,
and help me feel more like myself when I'm surfing these heats.
[announcer 2] Incredible, stacked heat.
-[announcer 1] Wong-- Oh, that's a great turn.
Oh! Got it, girl. Go, go, go.
[percussive music playing] o.