Upsets and Glory in the Thalassia Pro Surfing Finals

Olivia Hart
Nov 25, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Mar 14

November 25, 2024

By Olivia Hart, Surfing Correspondent

Thalassia, Arcandias - What a ride it has been at the Thalassia Pro this year. This weekend's competition was thrilling and with the sun finally setting on the event, it was clear that some surfers were obvious favorites while others were left wondering what went wrong.

Men's Finals

The men’s final saw Jack Rivers come out on top with a near-perfect performance, further securing his place as the winner in the Lands End Surfing League. With a strong heat finish and an impressive semifinal showing, Rivers entered the final with confidence, and it showed. “It’s all about being in the moment,” said Rivers, in an interview after the final. “I just focused on reading the waves, staying calm, and doing what I know works... I’m really pleased with how things went.” While Rivers was the clear winner, the battle for second place was equally thrilling.

Max Hunter, who has had a strong season, continued his impressive run. Hunter's consistent wave selection secured him a well-deserved spot in second place, while Chris Fields, despite his excellent start, couldn’t quite edge Hunter out and finished third. "It's a tight competition, and I know I’ll be chasing Rivers for the rest of the season," said Hunter. "He’s a machine, and I’ll keep working to catch up.”

Max Hunte riding a wave in the Thalassia Pro (Photo by Johnathen Hartman)

Women’s Finals

In the women’s competition, Emma Watts dominated the final heat. The Thalassia Pro saw Watts return to her best form, proving once again why she is one of the most skilled surfers on the circuit today. “I’ve had a few rough patches this season, but today was different,” Watts said, “The waves were perfect... I just let my instincts take over.”

Isabelle Ross came in a close second, she made some spectacular rides in the final, but despite the dramatic flair, she couldn’t quite match Watts’ perfect wave technique. Behind them, Mia Thompson had to settle for third place, but her perseverance in the semifinals showed growth from last season, and she expects to be in contention for the championship next season. “It’s a bit frustrating to come so close, but I’m happy with my performance,” Thompson admitted “There’s always next time.”

Surprises, Upsets, and Unexpected Results

While Rivers and Watts were expected to do well, some of the competition’s biggest upsets came from those who didn’t make the final rounds. Leo Johnson, after a strong opening heat, fell short in the semifinals, finishing fifth overall, while Eric Wolfson showed flashes of brilliance but couldn’t maintain his momentum..The real surprise, though, was Mason Steele. Despite a strong performance throughout the event, Steele failed to secure his place in the final and ended up exiting in the semifinals, barely holding onto his position in the season rankings.

As the waves settles in Thalassia, the competition heads into the next phase with the LDSL’s premier surfers aiming to outdo each other in the final leg. With the men's top surfers holding onto razor-thin margins in points, every wave, every heat, and every performance is going to matter in the final companion. Stay tuned, because the best is yet to come.