[announcer] Good morning from Ericeira, Portugal.
The Challenger Series, back.
New order of business is trying to qualify for the 2025 Championship Tour.
It's the EDP Ericeira Pro.
I'm happy that I had a great first round,
and that my family is here to help me with my nerves.
[Sophia] Right now, I'm sitting in 10th place,
and I need to do really well in this heat
because if I don't win this season in top ten,
I won't even qualify for the Challenger Series next year.
And I'll have to start from the bottom.
[Sol] So excited to get an opportunity to surf against Sophia and Ēwe.
And we're good friends, but competing is competing.
It was nice to be home for one month to recharge.
My main goal is, live in the moment,
but I am hoping for a win.
Pray for me. [laughs]
[upbeat rock music playing]
[horn blows]
[announcer 1] It's pretty clean with a bit of wind.
There's loads of point-scoring opportunity.
[announcer 2] Wearing the red singlet,
representing La France,
it's Vahine Fierro.
[announcer 1] As we see the first wave of the year of Vahine.
[announcer 1] Fierro, bang!
That's a great turnout. Backhand's a weapon.
Meanwhile, picking her out in the backlit conditions,
it's the South American.
Aguirre.
And she's carving up a storm here.
So straight into this.
She waited a while in the heat earlier. This time...
Wow, that's really dynamic.
Bold finish.
Decent stuff. Second place.
[announcer 2] That wave was really well surfed.
It's Wong on a wave as well.
I think Ēwe was feeling a little nervous for this heat.
The waves are a lot bigger than they were yesterday.
I know she can handle it.
[Lu'ukia] Yeah, they're definitely tough conditions.
[Virginia] Yeah.
[announcer 2] Um, longer wave.
A lot of surf done.
Damn.
[laughs] Almost.
That's okay.
[announcer 1] All right, here goes the Peruvian.
Aguirre.
And mid-face, really, with that hook,
decides not to go all the way on that lip.
That's because the wave is softer there.
She doesn't have to get left high. And now on the face.
Now it's steeper.
She opens up with a snap.
Kind of pushes that tail out, uses the full height of the wave.
That was really nice.
She lays that one back.
She's showing something a little different there.
So each turn, she sort of felt her way into that and gave it a bit more.
Yeah, numbers just in: 6 for that. Her second wave.
Decent stuff. Second place.
[announcer 2] Sophia there.
[announcer 1] And swinging.
This is Medina.
Working this one down
towards an inside section.
It's a heavy section.
We've seen people go down in this heat.
Trying not to overcook it there,
but it looks like Medina will hang on.
[announcer 2] Just pressure moments for our surfers in third and fourth.
[announcer 1] Yeah, it's all about finding the right wave, isn't it?
The Hawaiian, Ēwe Wong.
Final 30 seconds here.
A smooth style.
She's looking for a 7.5.
It's a snap.
And through to an inside as she got finish.
I'm not sure she does that wave, which has kind of run out.
[sighs]
[announcer 1] She's just not really had quality sections,
apart from that maybe that very early fall
that offered her something.
Since then, it's been tough for everyone, really.
[clapping]
Freakin' sucks.
[man announcing indistinctly over loudspeaker]
[announcer 2] So Vahine is safe into the next round.
And joining her will be Sol Aguirre from Peru.
Unfortunately for Wong and Medina,
they end up losing this event.
At first, I was feeling lost.
I didn't know where I was.
[somber music playing]
[Sophia] Oh, that was really bad.
I just hope I didn't ruin all my chances
to be on top ten after that heat.
[applause]
[announcer 2] Sol finishing in second place.
[upbeat pop music playing]
Oh, my gosh.
See?
Just living the moment works.
Going home to reset between these two events really paid off.
I feel so much more connected to my surfing.
If you start well, you end well.
But I'm not gonna get to relax because Portugal is not over yet
and I need to bring it on the next heat.
I can't stop smiling.
[uplifting music playing]
We are in Sintra today.
Um, I went last year, but I haven't been back yet this year.
I'm pretty bummed I didn't make it further in Portugal.
I lost second heat.
It was a pretty tough loss,
but at least now I can enjoy my time touring Portugal with Mom and Tutu.
[upbeat rock music playing]
[Lu'ukia] Where are we?
[Ēwelei'ula] The Moorish Palace.
-[Lu'ukia] What kind of palace? -Moorish.
-[Lu'ukia] "Moorsh?" The Moorish? -[both laugh]
The "Moorsh" Palace? Come on.
Castle of the Moors. The Moorish Palace.
Okay, okay.
Before I was on the Challenger Series, I barely left Hawaii.
So now it's cool to travel and see the rest of the world.
Dinner.
Shrimp linguine.
And a glass of red wine.
That's-- Can't not have that.
[Ēwelei'ula] Taking this time to relax right now is a really good way to reset.
There's one more comp coming up, and I'm hoping to end this year strong.
Ten out of ten.
[upbeat rock music continuous]
-[waitress] For you. -[woman] Oh, my God.
Thank you so much.
That's so stunning. Thank you.
So you travel most of the year alone.
Yeah.
So my dad was supposed to come with me to all the events this year,
but then I didn't get any results, so we've run out of budget.
Even though I didn't, like, get results, it was so good to have him on tour
because he coaches me, like, he's my coach.
So technical coaching, I tap into other people for.
Do you get along with him?
Yes. Yes, we're so close. We're a very close family.
When I was younger, he naturally became my coach because he knew me so well.
I can't imagine working with someone else who doesn't quite understand me.
This year, I'm learning a lot about getting over my nerves
to surf smart and confidently,
because I need to be making heats
if I want to qualify for the Championship Tour
and have my family with me.
[Sol] Yeah, it's hard to travel with your dad.
I mean, the budget part, like...
I wanted him to come here in Portugal,
but it was too expensive.
But I'm excited because he's going to Brazil.
Does your dad coach you, or have you got a different coach that you work with?
He has been coaching me for, like, since baby days
till I was like 18.
But then I realized, like, I needed to travel alone
because I needed to be independent
and, like, push myself, develop.
It was a little hard, but that year that I started traveling,
I went to Chile on my own.
I won the QS 3000
and I won the Junior the same day.
-Wow. That's huge. -Yeah.
Yeah, that's-- That's super interesting.
I mean, I think in the Challenger especially,
everyone is so good.
And surfs so good, that the big difference, it's...
the mind control and the mindset.
So, South Africa,
I kind of was like very anxious...
and scared
because after South Africa, I was going to the Olympics.
And I couldn't get the Olympics out of my mind.
Mentally, I was in South Africa.
Like, I competed and I couldn't think straight.
Like, it was crazy. I've never felt that thing before.
Like, do you think that you were ready for the Olympics?
I don't think I was ready at all, mentally.
It was crazy.
Like, is this mountain, like. the top of the hill?
The higher you go, the stronger the winds are.
-Mm. -And it's like,
you have all these expectations.
And I just couldn't handle it.
It's so good to get to know people who are competing more
and hearing like a bit more of in-depth--
what's going through their minds and what they're working on.
Because I always perceive you from the outside, like before I knew you,
that you're calm and you're confident.
You look like you're clearheaded.
-[laughs] That's what people tell me. -Yeah!
It's interesting to hear that there's more behind the scenes.
-Everyone has their own battles. -Mm.
It's about living day by day.
-Yes. -And, like, enjoy every single moment.
-Live in the moment. -Yeah.
And you got a big opportunity to end the year strong.
I'm so motivated.
That's amazing. I'm excited for you.
Thank you for reminding me that.
[both laugh]
[upbeat pop music playing]
[announcer 1] Once again, from Portugal, it's the Challenger Series.
And we're getting close to the point in the competition
reaching a climax at the end of the week here in Ericeira.
At the moment there's still so much up for grabs.
[Sol] This is the fifth stop of the Challenger Series.
It's been a long year that went super fast,
and I have lots of ups and lots of downs.
But I've had my great result here.
A little nervous, but I'm looking forward
to end this season the best I can.
[announcer 1] Welcome back to the shores of Portugal.
We are rifling through the round of 16 of the women.
[horn blows]
Kirra Pinkerton in the water with Sol Aguirre.
Kirra comes around the edge,
and there is a big turn.
Kirra, going to town.
Here's Sol.
So she's driving down the line.
Oh, there's a nice little layback snap in the pocket.
Just waiting for a finish, if you can.
A little sweeping carve with the arms out.
This wave just not really delivering.
And a last little finish.
Here goes Pinkerton with a nice-looking face.
There's a little down-carve.
That left means she can hit the loop on the second turn.
She likes it.
And here goes Sol on the priority.
Gets a little miniature sort of foam climb.
Here, hits the loop there with a badder turn, a bit of spray.
And there's a third. A little bit sticky.
She gonna aim for a finish. So there's a nice finish.
So there's two waves ridden in a few minutes.
We're happy about that.
Yes.
I think that's better than her last.
[announcer 1] Pinkerton just keeps racking them up.
She's been busy.
I just feel like the American, Kirra Pinkerton,
is getting way more drive and speed.
You know, this next one is gonna be the crucial one for Sol.
She needs an 8.53.
So it's the last wave probably of the whole event, to be honest.
There's a lovely turn.
Again, just shows flashes of brilliance.
[man announcing indistinctly over loudspeaker]
She surfed incredible. She really did.
[horn blows]
[announcer 1] So big, big heat win there for Kirra Pinkerton.
[dramatic music playing]
I was feeling mad and sad but...
I just gotta accept that
she surfed better.
So I just gotta get better.
I just want to compete and get the chances I have to, like,
keep pushing my surfing.
And I want to finish this year right.
[upbeat rock music playing]
Good one, Soph.
My family is so competitive in everything.
So I played tennis,
I played basketball,
and I used to play soccer with the boys at school.
And I used to be so competitive.
They would look at me and be like,
"That girl is scary. She's gnarly."
You guys are in cahoots!
[excited shouting]
Good one!
My brother Gabriel, he's been always my biggest supporter.
I feel like I've been needing more of him as a big brother
and not just be competing all the time, and he knows that.
It's nice that we can spend some time together.
-We love it when we are together. -I love it.
It feels-- Feel safe. Feels-- Feels home a little bit.
Feels like home.
Time goes so fast.
Would you imagine I would be competing?
-Not as good. -Aw!
-Stop. -[both laugh]
No, you're too good.
Yeah.
That was really sweet.
But I-I-I truly love this life.
And it was because one day I watched you, like,
I could travel and see how is it.
-Yeah. -And I was like, "I want to do that."
Yeah. Yeah.
Girls' surf is growing so much, you know.
I've never seen so many girls in the water.
And the way they surf and put themselves in situations
in the water used to be different back then.
Your generation is strong.
-So strong. So many. -Yeah.
-Many girls. -Many girls.
-That's why you got to work so hard. -Yeah.
You know, it is what it is.
You know, when you feel like it's not gonna work...
-Yeah. -...but you don't want to accept
that you feel that?
So I was feeling that, but I was like, "No, I can't feel that," you know?
And so I was so lost.
-Yeah. -Like I wasn't connected with the ocean.
-It happens. -Yeah.
When I was 18,
I almost fell off.
-Really? -And then I got a good result,
and then I requalified, and then...
-No way. I didn't know that. -Yeah.
Did you, like, used to think a lot about everything?
-Yes. -Yeah?
Maybe put more pressure on myself.
Yeah. Yeah.
I feel like you handle it so much better with pressure than without pressure.
-Yeah. -Coming to this event,
I-I kind of felt nervous.
Like a little bit of pressure.
And so, like, before going to Saquarema,
I don't want to make the same mistakes.
-You know what I mean? -Yeah.
You're gonna make a lot of mistakes,
but you're gonna fix after, you know?
Yeah. It's crazy.
But I have the faith one day you're gonna make it.
So I'm gonna keep working.
Yeah.
I used to not appreciate your love too much.
-Yeah. -Because I wouldn't--
Yeah, but now I get it.
[laughing] I love you so much.
-I love you. -Mwah.
Always, forever.
-Always. Forever. Yeah. -Let's get going?
[Gabriel sighs]
It was nice!
I sweated a lot, my shirt is soaked.
Good thing you have some cologne on.
[upbeat pop music playing]
To be a professional surfer,
it's really expensive and it's really hard.
I'm sponsored by Roxy.
As a kid, they were my dream sponsor,
and I was super happy to be sponsored when I was ten years old.
Each year, they gave me money so that I can buy their clothes.
This is the biggest store we have in Portugal,
and also one of the biggest in Europe.
I have a budget for winter and for summer.
I can just pick whatever I want and, yeah, I'm pretty spoiled.
It's awesome being fortunate enough to just come into the store
and grab things that I like.
I love clothes, so it's really good
that I just can come and pick what I want.
It's pretty fun.
I always get excited to see what's new.
Okay, I'm gonna go check the wet suits.
In Portugal, the water is really cold,
so I want to make sure I get them fast before they sell out.
Trying to look for a size 4.
A little old-school back-zip.
Are you paying with your card?
-Yeah. -Please.
Thank you!
See you next time.
[uplifting music playing]
This place looks cool.
Oh, cute.
-Hello. -Hello.
Welcome to our restaurant.
-How many you are? -Just three.
-Just three? This table, please. -Thank you.
Hawaii has a lot of Portuguese influence,
and Tutu is part Portuguese, part Hawaiian.
And she's never been out of the country before.
So this trip's, yeah, really special.
Okay. Cheers. You can cheers with your water.
[all laugh]
To family trips to Portugal.
Family trips.
Yay, cheers.
Tutu, it's been so nice having you here.
You excited for your first, uh, out of the country trip?
Yes. It's a lot more than I was expecting.
-Yeah. -There's so much to see.
It's been so much fun.
-Yeah. -It is really beautiful.
It's been really beautiful.
Most of my Portuguese comes from you.
I don't know much about my Portuguese side,
so, yeah, I think it's really cool that you got to come.
And I'm really happy that you're here for this event.
It's been wonderful.
And it's pretty cool that we've got to have
three generations of women on this trip together.
Yeah.
That is super awesome.
[Lu'ukia] It's been fun.
Being able to come out here and watch this
has been really, really wonderful.
And we get to spend a little time together, since I never see you anymore,
You're like, "Yup."
I'm on my own now.
No, it's actually been so much better.
Yeah, it's been so much better. So I'm so much more mellow.
-Yeah, you were so aggro last year. -Hey, take it easy. I'm a mom, okay?
When you dedicate your life to something, we're dedicating our lives to it as well.
This trip has been really good. We've been super chill.
We haven't even gotten into one single fight.
[laughs]
We're super excited to...
see how you do for the last contest.
Obviously, I want you to do the best that you can do,
but I really do think grow, learn, progress.
-Yeah. -But overall,
like, you guys are the top 50 female surfers in the world,
-and that's definitely something to be... -Very proud of.
-Yeah. -Very proud of.
-[Lu'ukia] So... -Thank you.
-[Virginia] We'll definitely be watching. -[Lu'ukia] Yeah.
-So yeah, I'll be stalking you, too. -[all laugh]
[uplifting music playing]
Ay, ay.
This is the only thing I don't like about traveling, is packing.
It's very stressful.
I got to be prepared for everything.
This...
The next step is Brazil.
It defines a lot of things.
CT qualification,
re-qualification to the challengers.
So it's hard.
You just have to, like...
fight for it.
I think we're good to go.
[upbeat rock music playing]
Hi. So we're leaving Portugal and we're going to Saquarema.
Uh-oh, last call. Got to go.
[speaking foreign language]
Good morning. We're off to Brazil.
[Jessie] There she is. She only just arrived.
And I've been here the whole time waiting, and she goes straight to the front.
She's premium platinum.
Putting my plane snacks together.
I went to get food at the lounge,
and now we're running to make our boarding.
Whoops.
Bye, Portugal!
We almost missed our flight.
But we made it because we're professionals.
I got lucky.
[uplifting pop music playing]
Eating is very important.
[Jessie] Sol's bags made it, and I'm still waiting for my first one!
Oh, there it is.
There it is.
So we just arrived in Brazil.
Now I have the right passport, too.
We're gonna get the car to go to Saquarema.
See you.
[mellow acoustic music playing]
Room tour in Brazil.
Some dirty clothes I haven't washed yet.
And this is my room.
It has a patio outside where we can barbecue.
Make some pizza.
And then we have a swimming pool, too.
It's pretty sick.
It's very windy!
-Wow! -Wow!
Let's sit here a bit.
It's nice to be here, and I know it's just beautiful.
It's all special, and I think it's a beautiful town.
Brazil is my favorite place.
It's my home country, and it's just beautiful.
It's full of colors, full of life, and full of happiness and joy,
People here are happy.
I love being Brazilian, and I'm really proud to say I'm from here.
This place is the the best place to...
To do a contest in Brazil.
It's more calm.
The waves are very good.
-It's very consistent. -Yeah.
[Sophia] You remember 2021 when we came here?
It was my first QS win of my life.
[rock music playing]
We didn't expect winning a QS here, right?
We were just starting. It was my second year on the regional QS.
And we came here, and we were watching the sunset right here.
Just looking back, it's amazing to...
Like, we're sitting in different situat--
Like, different positions right now, different rankings.
No, I'm happy to be here, but we understand
the responsibilities that we have with the championship...
The level is higher, and it's a little bit more serious.
Sitting on top 15 of the Challenger Series
after three years.
But at the same time, I feel like we...
We still have the same reflections, and we're still the same...
Same people with different experiences.
And it's a special place
where special things happen for us, I think.
-Yeah. -And I really don't say
that I'm proud of me or proud of us.
I usually say I'm proud of you.
But I'm literally, like... I'm proud of us.
I'm proud of what we've been working, and just to get here.
It's scary that I put all my eggs in one basket on the Challenger Series.
I'm not only trying to make it to the top five
to qualify for the Championship Tour,
but I need to make at least top ten
to qualify for the Challenger Series next year.
Right now, I'm in 13th place,
so I have to do really well.
It's a lot of added pressure
on top of performing well in my home country.
And now, that's it. Work, have fun, be happy...
-And enjoy each moment. -And enjoy.
We love Saquarema.
[both laugh]
[funky music playing]
-Ready for the competition? -Yes.
You're gonna crush it.
[Sol] Saquarema is my second home on the regionals.
My mom always comes to Saquarema,
and I really wanted my dad to experience this challenger and Brazil.
I kind of miss having my dad on my corner.
So I'm very happy and excited that he's here.
My mom and I always come here because we have a friend.
-Beach house. -Beach house.
I like little towns, like home.
Yes. Here, I get my favorite acai.
This is the best acai in town.
-Shh! -Yeah, let's go.
Let's check it out.
[Sol] Hola.
-With fruit. -Yes, I'll add some fruit.
[gasps]
Thank you! Come over here. Best acai in the world.
-Thanks. -Thank you, Sol.
Mm.
Do you like it?
-It even makes my teeth hurt. -It's delicious.
Acai of luck.
This will give me power for, like, the contest tomorrow.
Hopefully.
-There it is. -[Sol] Oh, it's so fun.
Beautiful place.
I'm so happy you're here.
[laughs]
Me too.
-Yeah. -We'll get along, okay?
[laughs]
If you do a good job.
Yes.
[announcer 1] Bom dia. Good morning, here in Saquarema
for the Corona Saquarema Pro.
Our focus right now is on the women's rankings.
It's all gonna come down to this event.
This is the last stop of the Challenger Series.
This will tell us who will qualify for the Championship Tour next year.
This event is big, so I'm feeling a little nervous.
Every heat matters here.
Because of my higher rankings, I skipped the round of 48.
But it's still gonna take a lot to advance all the way through the finals.
Saquarema is a pretty challenging wave,
but it's really fun and it has a lot of power.
I think it fits my surfing pretty well.
[Jessie] It's just the craziest place. There's so much going on.
There's so many people.
There's photos being taken, and sweating.
It's just the craziest setup.
[Sol] Conditions in Saquarema change so fast.
I've had my worst and my best moments in Saquarema,
competing on the Juniors, QS, CT events.
And, for me, advancing through as much as I can here,
it's really important.
So I'm really focused, and I'll give everything I can.
Overall, everyone's pretty, like, excited to be here.
There's only ten women who, at the end of Brazil,
know they're gonna be back on tour next year.
So we're all fighting to be here again.
[upbeat pop music playing]
[announcer 1] A lot of preparation already happening this morning.
[announcer 2] When you look at pressure, this is one of those catalyst moments
for a lot of these people looking to qualify.
[announcer 1] The waves are gonna provide cheers
and/or tears.
[announcer 3] It's gonna be for sure a very tough competition.
[upbeat pop music continues]
Look for any openings, even if it's not perfect.
Create your opportunities.
[Francisca] The last few competitions, I got pretty disappointed with my results.
Thought I would do good in Portugal, in my hometown,
and I ended up losing in the first round.
But last year, this was my best result out here.
So I'm just gonna take the same mindset
as I did last year, and it went pretty well.
Very bumpy with this tricky wind.
Should I take it easy?
No, you can try. They are scoring well on just one maneuver.
Today's a tricky one.
The wind picked up. The tide is really high.
The waves are really hard.
It looks like the wave waits for you, right? Because of the wind.
It seems like it's coming this way, but then it shifts over here.
So we're going to try to adapt.
With determination, let's do this like warriors.
Let's do it.
[horn blares]
[announcer 1] New heat out of the water with a former World Junior Champ
in the way of "Kika" Francisca Veselko.
[announcer 2] Francisca Veselko there.
Swooping around.
[announcer 3] Challenging conditions.
It's really hard to be on the lineup and choosing the right ones,
because there's a lot of wind and bumps.
[announcer 1] Daniella.
[announcer 3] Nice big turn right there.
[announcer 2] So this turns into a competition
of one or two big turns.
[announcer 3] ...here comes Kika.
[announcer 1] Battling for some open face and she's gonna find none.
[announcer 3] Yeah, look how chunky the wave is.
[announcer 1] Now that's frustrating.
You can see she's gonna make a swift paddle back out.
Hopefully she will get one wave with less bumps and do two big turns.
[announcer 1] On the inside here,
looks like it's gonna be Leilani McGonagle.
Gonna get a little inside runner.
Builds up some speed down the line, oncoming section.
She meets that with a beautiful turn right there.
And we have Daniella Rosas, our Peruvian surfer.
Daniella attacks the lip
with that nice opening ride in a back of a 4.9.
She's currently in the lead.
[announcer 2] Francisca Veselko, who is our top seed in this heat,
is searching for a score.
So Kika hasn't found a good one yet.
She's trying to...
to be where the good waves are,
but it's always so bumpy.
[announcer 1] Take a look here at the 24-year-old
Leilani McGonagle from Pavones, Costa Rica.
That was nice.
And Leilani currently in second place.
[announcer 3] Now Taís just making an effort right there.
Using her priority.
[announcer 1] She finds a nice wave with three turns on the backhand.
Priority sitting with Francisca Veselko.
Francisca needs a mid-range score
to take that second place position off of Leilani.
[whistles]
And Francisca.
Okay, she's on her way.
Just needs a mid-range.
Combos two.
Veselko comes in with a big number.
She goes all the way to first. Take a look at the numbers here.
A 7.67.
We thought it was a mid-range score all day long.
She went way past that, and she's into the lead.
She looks like she's onto round of 32.
I'm all goosebumps, dude.
It was like, celebrating like I freaking won the event.
I was like, "Yes!"
I'm really stoked. I... I'm, like, really happy.
Even though it was just the first round, I don't know.
I'm just super happy, and I still-- I still feel the adrenaline
because I was like stressing out there.
You know, Portugal, I lost for such a little score
and it's been just such a hard, like, year for me
that being able to, like, handle it until the end,
and being able to turn it around.
Just means everything to me.
[upbeat music playing]
Just checking to see which wet suits are dry.
Only brought two this time.
I usually bring a lot more,
but I didn't want my bags to be that heavy.
I feel like my biggest struggle on the Challenger Series this year
was, um, my mindset in competition.
I'm gonna try this board out today.
I really struggle with my anxiety and doing well during heats.
But this is what I want to do, and I love surfing.
So I'm hoping to move past that
and do well so I can make it back here next year.
And we're ready to surf.
[suspenseful music playing]
[announcer 1] We're on to another heat. Look at this setup.
Ēwelei'ula Wong, Taina Hinckel,
Talia Swindal and Alexia Monteiro.
[horn blows]
Talia Swindal out of Malibu, California.
The 18-year-old.
Looking sharp so far.
Alexia Monteiro.
Lacking the finish there.
[announcer 2] This is Ēwe Wong.
[announcer 1] Finding her first ride.
And some smooth face in the wind on this wave.
And Ēwe able to time the backwash there
and gets a tidy finish.
And Ēwe with a 5.83 on her first effort.
[announcer 3] Now she will need to find another gem to back it up.
[announcer 1] Oh, let's pay attention here to Alexia, though.
I feel Alexia did enough to get into the top with that effort.
Alexia momentarily takes the lead.
Ēwe Wong searching for some open face here.
She got a couple of S-turns.
[announcer 3] Really well served.
-[announcer 1] Talia Swindal, though. Wow.
[announcer 1] Talk about a power snap right there.
That could take her into a top two position.
[announcer 2] We'll see if Swindal is able to displace Ēwelei'ula Wong.
[announcer 1] Taina Hinckel trying to answer back in a rally here,
and Taina also finishes off her ride.
Gosh, so this gonna be all over the place in this final minute.
[announcer 3] Yeah, very tight heat.
[announcer 1] Ēwe Wong goes down.
[announcer 3] Taina Hinckel still chasing a 5.17.
[announcer 1] Feeling like she's on her way.
A little snap there.
And things just closed out on her.
Wong.
Ēwelei'ula Wong throws it up there
and just chops the top off of that right-hander.
[horn blows]
Alexia Monteiro taking a win.
Ēwe's gonna move on as well into the round of 32.
[Ēwelei'ula] I went that whole heat with two actual scorable waves,
and one in and out.
So I was kind of worrying the whole time.
Definitely was never comfortable during that heat.
I don't know, the conditions are really challenging.
Being from Hawaii, I'm not used to water this cold,
so, happy I made it through that one.
[upbeat pop music playing]
Do you like coconuts?
Yeah, love it.
We should get a coconut water.
[Sophia] They have really good fish here too.
This coconut is much better!
It's all natural.
Mm!
Do you usually, like, get used to being away from home?
Yeah. I don't know.
I feel like I've been really kind of independent from a young age,
and I started traveling, and when I was 13 years old,
I went by myself for the first time to Australia.
And I don't know, I've kind of...
I'm used to being kind of away.
And it's good, I'll have the opportunity
to bring my coach with me,
which even if you're far away from home,
it feels like home because we've-- We have such a good connection
and we've known each other for so many years.
Being able to bring him everywhere,
um, it's great as a coach and as, like,
also like an emotional support.
-Aw. -Yeah.
Yeah, I know that.
-So... -I love that because it's exactly
how I feel like with my dad, too.
And I think we we make our own home while we're traveling.
I actually got so used to this life where we are always traveling
that when I get home, I'm just like, "Okay, like, what's next?"
Like, I can't stay home too long.
I'm home, I recharge. I'm with my family, my brothers.
Do you guys surf together all the time or, like, do you usually...
Weekends, yeah. My mom still surfs.
-Your mom still surfs? -Yeah.
-Really? -Yeah.
-You guys surf together? -Yeah.
-That's sick! -I push her into waves now.
-No way. -Yeah, yeah.
-She catches waves by herself, of course. -That's so cool.
But sometimes she's like, paddling, and I...
I just paddle harder and I give her that extra push.
- I love that. -It's so funny
because she used to do it and now, like, I'm helping her out.
-She still surfs good, actually. Yeah. -Really?
How did, like...
you and your brother start surfing?
[Sophia] My dad opened a surf shop, and my mom used to work at the surf shop.
And my mom and my dad got married when Gabriel was, like, nine.
My dad kind of introduced surfing for Gabriel.
They both had, like, surfing lifestyle, and they loved surfing,
but they never really, like, told us, like, "Oh, go surf."
Or like...
I asked for my surfboard.
My mom wanted us to have surfing in our lives.
Not professionally or not something that we would make our life out of it,
but just like to have surfing in our lives.
And Gabriel just became what he became.
And I got inspired by that.
I saw him winning and I was like, "Huh!"
-Hmm. -"I want to win, too."
Surfing is way more than just surfing. Like, all the places you get to travel.
Like, the moments you live with, the people you love.
You share laughs.
Like, everything's just...
so different than any other sport.
I don't know. It just molds us as human as well.
[Francisca] Super sick.
[Sophia] Yeah.
[upbeat pop music playing]
[squawking]
-Feel good? -Yeah.
Now it's time to get things done in Brazil.
Now the waves are different. Have you practiced already?
I surfed a couple days with Jessie.
It was good, but I know Saquarema changes so much.
Yeah, because it's a tricky wave here
and tricky beach breaks are always tricky for us, you know?
But you can do it. Just be smart.
Well, we'll work it out.
I'm glad you came.
I really miss the dad/coach relationship.
Yeah, so I got the job again?
-Since you fired me? -Yes.
No, we'll see if I hire you again...
-[both laugh] -...after this week.
Since you fired me a few years ago...
[laughing]
And you were too young.
I say something and you, "Ah!"
Do the drama fit, no? So...
I did drama,
but I'm more mature now, so...
But if I look when I was like 15 or 16,
when we travelled together,
I couldn't manage connecting with you as a dad and a coach.
But now, since I'm older,
I realize those things
really weren't a problem.
Like, I could handle them, you know?
You're 21 now.
You're not 13 anymore, so.
Because I got to tell you the truth, you know?
I always tell you to surf pretty good.
You surf so nice.
You have power.
But still, you have to change a little bit, your tactics and...
And you're surfing for the judges.
Not for you.
Judges is different. They are waiting for the scores,
and they want to see...
some things that you need to give to the judges.
It's not like free surfing.
So, um, yeah, we gotta...
-Adjust? -Adjust.
Now you need to hear the truth, because I don't have time to reflect.
Sometimes I go from one comp to another,
and sometimes it's hard to remind yourself
and have someone that knows you so much.
So you know me very well.
The truth is the truth. Black and white.
You make a heat because you did this. You didn't make it because you did this.
This is your mistake. You fix this or you win or you lose.
Easy.
Well, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you
who told me to surf.
So I'm very grateful
for all your patience with me and moments you were with me.
And, yeah, for showing me this new way of living,
surfing, enjoying, competing.
I'm very grateful for you to have been on my way.
It's not easy.
But I can tell you love it.
So keep going.
Keep going. That's what we're here for.
I didn't come all this way--
[laughs]
I gotta finish strong.
Let's get to work.
-Let's get ready. -Get ready.
[upbeat music playing]
[Sol] Coming from that ninth place in Ericeira,
I feel like I'm in a good spot and a good momentum,
and I just want to keep using that energy from Portugal to Brazil,
and finish the year off strong.
You see the bowl?
Catch one of those, it's more bowl-shaped.
That's your wave, and the one behind is even better.
Yeah? Yeah.
Good luck. I'll stay here.
Right here.
Right here. Look.
I'm here for a reason, and I want to be the best
and I want to keep going as much as I can.
[announcer 1] Opening rounds for the women out in the water.
Sol Aguirre, Nanaho Tsuzuki,
Vera Jarisz,
and Malia Moana Lima.
[horn blows]
Here we go.
And this is gonna be the start here for our Japanese competitor,
who is Nanaho Tsuzuki.
Sharp first turn for Nanaho.
[announcer 2] Oh!
[announcer 1] Combos it up. Big smile on Nanaho Tsuzuki's face.
And she gained a 6.67 on her first effort.
Malia Moana Lima.
And just some sticky rails right there from the surfer from Kauai
in her first Challenger Series event here in Saquarema.
No waves ridden by Sol Aguirre.
It's coming, pay attention.
[announcer 1] Nearing the halfway point of this heat.
[announcer 2] Sol hasn't caught a wave yet, which I'm really surprised about.
She's usually a very quick starter.
Traveling with her father, German, who's a former pro from Peru as well.
And 17 minutes to go.
She's been successful in the past year, but wants to get things going soon.
[announcer 1] And here goes Sol.
Banks off the top. She's gonna rely on a single turn
for her opening score.
She needs a good one.
[announcer 1] So Sol opening up with a four-point ride.
Just checked in.
Vera Jarisz on the backhand.
Couple of taps on the back, and goes complete there.
So that's gonna help her effort. Already has a 4.33.
Sol Aguirre behind her.
Sol lining up this inside.
We know she's got a vicious layback,
-but-- Ah, mistimed that. Yes, she does.
And unfortunately for her, that wave just not offering up
a lot of scoring potential.
It's gonna be a throwaway.
Come on.
[announcer 1] Here's Vera.
Currently second. Oh, nice timing on that one.
And a finish.
So that's really good for her cause.
She's gonna ditch that 3.17 she has on her score line
and increase her margin over Sol Aguirre.
And there she is. I mean, she's a smart compet--
And lookit, she's not rattled at all. Almost with a little grin on her face.
Go there!
[announcer 1] Vera and Sol very close, but it's gonna be decision time.
If there's multiple waves in a set, there's enough for two waves
to hit the sandbank right now.
Here we go. On the move.
Sol Aguirre is gonna force the issue.
And Vera's gonna use her priority.
All right, so that got done.
Now, Sol just needs to catch a wave in the next 20 seconds
and surf for a mid-range score.
Get in! Damn.
[announcer 2] Oh, one more.
I mean, she might be able to get into this in time.
[announcer 1] Yeah, she's gonna have time.
It's just that if this wave will have shape.
Looks like it's doubling up on the inside here.
It's gonna be a struggle. There she goes.
Sol Aguirre.
And...
finally finds open face.
-[horn blows] -Pretty vicious snap there.
But had a lot of downtime to get into that open face.
[announcer 2] You could just see when she set up,
there were already probably many different emotions
coming down on her right there.
And, you know, outside of qualifying for the Olympics--
the ninth place finish in there.
To say that this has been, you know, by her standards a year that she--
-[announcer 1] Tough year. Doesn't want to remember.
She wants to forget about it and look towards 2025.
[announcer 1] Sol Aguirre and Malia Lima eliminated from competition.
[dramatic music playing]
I don't know what to say.
All I know is I don't want to feel bad
because I gave everything, and the waves during...
Didn't cooperate so much.
[laughs]
[cries]
[wistful music playing]
I don't know what I...
I don't know.
I did my best, and that's all I can say.
Like, I'm happy with how it turned out, even though I didn't...
advance...
my year has been amazing.
And, yeah, nothing can define me,
so I'm just gonna keep moving forward
and just enjoy surfing.
I think I've done good enough,
and I just have time to relax now.
[sniffles]
[announcer 1] Welcome back to the Corona Saquarema Pro.
Big round out there for the women right now.
It's the round of 32.
[Francisca] It's been a tough year for me competitively,
but I've finally hit a turning point.
I'm not letting anything get in the way
for me to make it to the top.
[Ēwelei'ula] I feel like the last few events
I've been surfing more like myself, and it feels really good.
This is the last event of the season to prove to myself
that I can make it to the Championship Tour.
[Sophia] I need to make it to the top ten.
If I don't, I won't be able to qualify for the Challenger Series next year,
and all the career momentum that I worked so hard for
will stop.
-[horn blows] -[crowd cheering]
[announcer] I don't know who's more nervous,
whether it's Sophia or Charlie.
But he does seem a bit concerned.
[percussive music playing] erned.