Rio
Pro Wrap
Beachbreak, backwash, and the boards that handled it
Rio was a funny one.
We started with clean, fun-looking Saquarema and finished in rain, sideshore wind, backwash, and the kind of waves where finding one clean section felt like winning half the heat. But that's pro surfing. You don't always get perfect. You get what's in front of you, and the best surfers still find a way.
Yago Dora was the standout on the men's side. Sharp all event, then a big backhand full rotation in the Final against Leonardo Fioravanti sealed it. Sawyer Lindblad got a huge breakthrough on the women's side, winning her first CT event.
For us, it was a really strong week. Ethan Ewing finished equal 3rd, Callum Robson and Liam O'Brien both finished equal 9th, and Nadia Erostarbe pushed through to the semis again. Four riders, four strong results. All on the Juliette.
Ethan Ewing
Equal third and a proper rankings jump
Photo: WSL/Ana Catarina
Ethan had a strong week at Saquarema.
He moved through the event with purpose, putting together consistent heats without needing to rely on one big moment. A 13.60 average heat score across the event tells you he was surfing well from start to finish. Not one good heat surrounded by average ones. Proper output, round after round.
His best single wave came in Round 3 against Kanoa Igarashi. A 7.50 in conditions that were already deteriorating. That's the kind of score that separates the field when the waves aren't giving you much to work with.
His event ended in the Semis against the eventual winner, Yago Dora. Yago was sharp all week and finished the Final with a big backhand full rotation. That's the surfer who stopped Ethan. No shame in that result.
The bigger picture is the rankings. Ethan moved up to 7th in the world. That's a solid jump, and it puts him in a strong position heading into the back half of the year. After the early exit in El Salvador, this was exactly the kind of reset he needed.
Riding the Juliette Squash Tail. From Snapper's open faces to El Salvador's long points to Rio's punchy beachbreak, the board keeps translating. Different waves, same platform, and Ethan keeps finding what he needs underneath him.
Callum Robson
An 8.00 air reverse to take down Filipe in Brazil
Photo: WSL/Ana Catarina
Callum's event came down to one moment early on, and he nailed it.
His opening heat was against Filipe Toledo. Three-time champion at Saquarema. Always one of the favourites in Rio. That's the kind of draw that can either set the tone for your whole event or end it before it starts.
Callum chose to set the tone. A huge air reverse for an 8.00 took Filipe down. That was one of the best individual moments of the entire event. Not just the score. The intent. Going to the air against Filipe in his backyard, landing it clean, and moving on.
He averaged 13.55 across the event and finished equal 9th. After his quarter-final run in El Salvador, that's back-to-back strong results. The consistency is starting to build.
Same board. The Juliette Squash Tail gave him the speed to set up the air and the hold to land it. In Rio's punchier conditions, that combination matters. You need a board that generates its own speed between sections, because the wave doesn't always give it to you.
Liam O'Brien
Another 9th, now sitting 10th in the world
Photo: WSL/Thiago Diz
LOB backed up his year with another equal 9th in Rio.
After the tough priority situation in El Salvador, this was the kind of result that shows the maturity in his surfing right now. No drama. Just good, solid performance when the conditions demanded it.
His heat average of 13.63 was actually the highest of the three DHD boys at the event. His best single wave was a 7.40 against a very in-form Leonardo Fioravanti. When conditions got tricky with rain, wind, and backwash, Liam found a way to keep putting scores on the board.
He's now sitting 10th in the world. That's a strong position heading into the next run of events. The body of work he's put together across 2026 speaks for itself. Consistent results, no bad events dragging the average down.
Riding the Juliette Squash Tail. The board gave him what he needed in Rio's punchier conditions. Hold through the steeper sections, speed through the flat spots, and enough release to finish turns cleanly when the wave shut down quickly.
Nadia Erostarbe
Another semi, another statement
Photo: WSL/Ana Catarina
Nadia's breakout year kept rolling in Rio.
Another Semi Final finish. Another result that says she belongs at the top end of the women's Tour. She's now sitting 10th in the world rankings, which is a massive effort for a surfer who started the season outside the conversation.
Her best heat came in the Quarters, where she put up a 15.83 to dust Caity Simmers. That's not scraping through. That's a statement heat. Her highest single wave was an 8.33 in that same quarter-final. When you're posting 8s against that level of competition, you're not just having a good day. You're surfing at a different standard.
Her event average of 10.80 was steady across the board. Not relying on one big heat to carry the whole event. Building through each round.
Nadia was riding the Juliette Round Tail. Different tail to the boys, but same family. The Round Tail gives her more hold and flow through longer turns, which suits the way she surfs. Smooth, committed, and strong through the rail. It's the kind of board that rewards good technique, and Nadia has plenty of that.
The Juliette Squash Tail
Three events. Three different waves. Same board underneath the team.
Snapper was fast, open walls. El Salvador was long, drawn-out right-hand points. Rio was punchy beachbreak with backwash, rain, and conditions that kept shifting through the week.
The Juliette handled all of it.
That's what stood out most. When the waves turned tricky at Saquarema, the boys didn't need to change their approach. The Squash Tail gave them speed through the flatter sections, hold when it steepened up, and enough release to finish turns cleanly when the wave shut down quickly.
Ethan used it to build through to the semis. Callum used it to launch an 8.00 air reverse against Filipe Toledo. LOB used it to grind out another consistent result in challenging conditions.
Three different surfers, three different reads on the same wave, one board underneath all of them. That's not a coincidence. That's a design that works.
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Generate
Speed through flat sections where the wave doesn't give you much to work with
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Holds
When it steepens up. No drift, no chatter, even in backwash and chop
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Releases
Clean finishes when the wave shuts down. No board getting sticky at the end of turns
From Snapper to El Salvador to Rio. Different coastlines, different conditions, same outcome: the Juliette keeps translating.
The Juliette Squash Tail
Looking Ahead — Tahiti
The rankings heading into Tahiti tell the story.
Ethan at 7th.
Liam and Nadie both at 10th.
Callum building momentum with back-to-back results.
Molly has been consistent all year. She's waiting for that breakout moment, and Tahiti might provide the conditions she really excels in.
Equipment is dialled heading into Tahiti. The team will rely on the Juliette and Sweet Spot to get through the various conditions on offer. Heavy water, reef break, and a wave that asks different questions to anything else on the Tour this year.