This Way In: A Preview of the 2026 Fiji Pro
The WSL Championship Tour returns to Cloudbreak for the first full Fiji Pro since 2017, with Monster Energy athletes including Gabriel Medina, Yago Dora, Ethan Ewing, and Bettylou Sakura Johnson looking to capitalize on one of the world's most iconic waves.
Location, Location, Location
Cloudbreak sits about a mile off Tavarua island in the open Pacific Ocean. No beach, no shoreline, just Fiji-blue water, a few boats and a judging tower. Southern Ocean swells arrive with nothing in their way and detonate on a shallow reef, producing a left that’s widely considered one of the best waves in the world. From the outside to the “Shish Kebabs” section on the inside, it’s the wave the world tour has always measured itself against, and it hasn't hosted a full CT field since 2017.
Yes, they ran the final Final 5 here last September, when Yago Dora clinched his world title, but 10 surfers in a single day isn't the same thing as 48 with a waiting period and a schedule to keep. Nine years is a long time to leave a wave like this off the calendar, and surfers and fans couldn’t be more excited to have it back.
The 2026 Fiji Pro presented by Corona Cero runs August 25 – September 4. Cheer on the Monster crew at worldsurfleague.com!
Monster Threats
Gabriel Medina: He has two contest wins at Cloudbreak and a heat-win rate above 70 percent. He’s the guy to beat.
Yago Dora: Won the world title on this reef in September. Enough said.
Seth Moniz: Coming off his maiden CT win at Teahupo'o, Seth welcomes another heavy reef pass left and looks to go back to back.
Ethan Ewing: The best rail game on tour, pointed at a wall that runs for 300 yards. Ethan will find the parts of the wave nobody else is looking at.
Filipe Toledo: Cloudbreak's open faces give Filipe room to do damage between barrels.
Crosby Colapinto: His warm-up clips look out of this world. Crosby has never lacked for commitment.
Al Cleland Jr.: With a Bruce Irons-like confidence and style, plus a fast-developing heat IQ, Al could do damage at Cloudy.
Joel Vaughan: He’s drawn Medina in Round 2. If he can find a win versus Gabe, he can go all the way.
Bettylou Sakura Johnson: Sitting 13th and needing a result. Fortunately, she's a Hawaiian who grew up surfing serious water, and this is the venue where that stops being a talking point and starts being an advantage.
Three Questions
What's the forecast? Good. A south-southwest groundswell fills in late on day one and builds through day two, peaking around six feet, with reinforcing pulses in the 4-6 foot range behind it. Trades look manageable and it shouldn't drop below head high all window.
Who are the local wildcards? Teo Degei won the men's Trials, and Tea Kurop won the women's, making her the first Fijian woman to compete in a CT event.
How’s the Monster team looking in the title race? We’ve got a few dogs in the hunt. Yago, Gabe and Ethan sit third, fifth and sixth, respectively — and are gaining momentum.
