Five-time World Surf League champion Carissa Moore of Hawaii greets her daughter after winning her semifinal at the New Zealand Pro at Raglan, May 24, 2026.
Photo: World Surf League
Five-time world champion Carissa Moore has made the World Surf League’s New Zealand Pro women’s final at Raglan, while Brazilian world champion Yago Dora is into the men’s semfinals after registering a perfect 10.
Dora pulled off the ultimate surf in his quarterfinal against American Cole Houshmand to advance to Monday’s semifinals, while Moore hit the high numbers in putting paid to fellow Hawaiian Bettylou Sakura Johnson’s final hopes.
Moore scored a sizzling 9.8 in one of her surfs and compiled an overall score of 19, the highest heats score of the WSL season, which is holding its fourth stop of the tour at Manu Bay.
Moore, 33, a shortboard gold medallist at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, will take on American Sawyer Lindblad in the final tomorrow, weather permitting.
Lindblad had the tougher semifinal, just edging out fellow American Alyssa Spencer 15.76 to 15.73.
Moore managed to wave to her one-year-old daughter while on the water and had an emotional catch-up after her final surf.
“That was way too much fun. I think it’s going to be one of those heats that I look back and I cherish for the rest of my life,” she said.
“I’m literally living my dream. I’ve always wanted to have my family and have my daughter on the beach and waving at me and learning how to clap for me is the coolest thing, really that is the win. I can’t believe I’m into the finals day and in the final with Sawyer.
“It’s going to be a great battle. Hopefully we keep getting waves and we can put on a good show. This is so cool.”
Lindblad’s huge three-turn combo put her on the way to victory over Spencer.
Lindblad, 20, the 2024 Rookie of the Year, is chasing her first Championship Tour win in what will be her third final.
“It feels really good to finally make it out of the semis. In the last two events, I came super close, which was pretty hard, but I’m so happy that I made it to the final, just one more heat,” Lindblad said.
“We’re both goofy-footers, so I think we were just having a lot of fun out there, and it’s perfect conditions right now. It was dreamy, really dreamy. I worked really, really hard this off-season. Since I didn’t make the cut last year, I had an extra three months longer than everyone else to practise. I went on a lot of surf trips, and really worked on my surfing; I’m happy it’s paying off.”
Dora stuns with his perfect score
Reigning men’s champion Dora struck just when he needed to pull out something amazing. His quarterfinal opponnent Houshmand had delivered a pair of 8.5s and Dora needed a 9.5 to triumph.
World Surf League champion Yago Dora surfs a perfect 10 in a quarterfinal heat of the New Zealand Pro at Raglan. (
Photo: World Surf League
Paddling into a wave with three minutes remaining on the clock, the Brazilian launched a gigantic full rotation on the opening section before seamlessly driving into a huge layback, followed by a series of solid turns down the line.
The judges were quick in declaring a perfect score, which locked in a 17.5 two wave total. The only score higher in the men’s competition came from Dora himself in round two.
“I’m just thanking God for that opportunity for a moment,” Dora said.
“Everything seemed like it was lost. Cole was surfing the perfect heat, he just picked the right waves. My waves were definitely a little smaller than his waves and not as steep and I was just praying for an opportunity, really.
“I knew I could get the 9.50 that I needed, I just needed a wave to really go for it. The last wave, when I popped up, I saw that little pocket forming and I was like, ok, this is it, I’m going to throw it. I went all the way to the flats and stuck it perfectly. I knew I just had to finish the wave after that. It feels so good.”
In the semifinals, Dora will take on fellow Brazilian Italo Ferriera, who posted a 9.0 surf in beating another Brazilian, Miguel Pupo, while the other clash will see American Griffin Colapinto will surf against Australian Morgan Cibilic.
Organisers are aiming for a 7.35am start on Monday morning.
New Zealand Pro results
Men’s quarterfinals:
Griffin Colapinto (USA) 17.10 beat Filipe Toledo (Brazil) 15.83
Morgan Cibilic (Australia) 13.60 beat Rio Waida (Indonesia) 13.50
Yago Dora (Brazil) 17.50 beat Cole Houshmand (USA) 17.00
Italo Ferreira (Brazil) 16.63 beat Miguel Pupo (Brazil) 12.17
Women’s semfinals:
Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 15.76 beat Alyssa Spencer (USA) 15.73
Carissa Moore (Hawaii) 19.00 beat Bettylou Sakura Johnson (Hawaii) 13.70
Monday’s action, weather permitting
Women’s final: Lindblad v Moore.
Men’s semfinals: Colapinto v Cibilic
Dora v Ferreira
