Hawaii surfers rise in WSL rankings after Bells Beach
Over the weekend, Hawai'i surfers made waves at the World Surf League's Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in Australia, with standout performances from Gabriela Bryan and Seth Moniz.
Kaua'i's Bryan climbed to No. 1 in the world rankings following a fifth-place finish, earning the yellow jersey at the halfway point of the Championship Tour season. It marks a major milestone for the 21-year-old, who has been consistently strong in 2024.
On the men's side, O'ahu's Moniz vaulted four spots in the rankings to No. 18 after a season-best, ninth-place finish. His performance was highlighted by a full-rotation aerial in the Round of 16 that earned a 15.70 — one of the highest-scoring waves of the event.
'Yeah, I was kind of just having a shocker in the beginning,' Moniz said. 'I knew I just had to go for it. Everyone is really good right now. I've been having pretty good free surfs and kind of working on my airs a lot, so I felt pretty confident.'
'It's been a tricky year for me,' he added. 'I feel like I've been surfing really well but just not putting it together in heats. So that felt really nice — kind of a big confidence booster.'
Next up for Bryan, Moniz and the rest of the Hawai'i contingent on tour is the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro, set for May 3–13 in Queensland, Australia.
Stay with KHON2 on-air and online for continuing coverage.
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