San Clemente surfer Griffin Colapinto earned a massive win in Portugal on Saturday, March 16, and younger brother Crosby, who just started his rookie year on the World Surf League World Tour, also delivered a stand-out performance.
Griffin Colapinto’s win is his second at the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, a title he also clinched in 2022. The win also earned him valuable points that will go toward end-of-the-year rankings – the top five surfers will compete at Lower Trestles, just south of San Clemente, in a one-day, winner-takes-all world championship in September.
Last year, Colapinto made the cut for the WSL Final 5, but came just shy of clinching the championship title.
But if he keeps up his momentum, he may get another shot. Colapinto is now the top-ranked surfer on this year’s World Tour heading into the next event, the Rip Curl Bells Beach in Australia.
The Rip Curl Pro Portugal was the third stop on the World Tour, which kicked off in Hawaii last month and goes to 10 spots around the world.
On the women’s side, France’s Johanne Defay earned the win over Australia’s Tyler Wright in the 4- to 6-foot surf during final’s day.
The event was close to being a San Clemente sibling showdown, with Crosby Colapinto making it all the way to the semi-finals before going down to Australia’s Ethan Ewing, who would match up with Griffin Colapinto in the finals.
San Clemente’s Crosby Colapinto made it to the semi-finals at the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, a huge result for the rookie surfer on the World Tour. (Photo by Damien Poullenot/World Surf League)
“It was really nice watching Crosby surf his heats. I was so invested in what he was doing that I felt like I was surfing twice as many heats,” Griffin Colapinto said in a WSL interview.
Colapinto took down Brazil’s Gabriel Medina in the semi-final match up to make it to the finals.
Colapinto just had a hip surgery that kept him out of the water for nearly three months. Ninth place results at both opening events in Hawaii had him worried, he said, but after his win in Portugal, he knew his hard work rehabbing his injury paid off.
“Sometimes you just have to trust it, now I have a win so I’m psyched,” he said.
Colapinto posted a near-perfect 9.67 during the final heat with a backside barrel.
San Clemente’s Griffin Colapinto won the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal for the second time on March 16, 2024, following a win at the same spot two years ago. (Photo by Damien Poullenot/World Surf League)
It was a fourth career win for Colapinto since he joined the tour in 2018.
The competition window for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach opens on March 26 and closes April 5.
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