BURLEIGH HEADS, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia (Sunday, May 4, 2025) – A short day of competition at the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM, Stop No. 6 on the 2025 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), saw its first competitors knocked out with the completion of the men’s and women’s Elimination Rounds. Burleigh Heads offered up super clean surf in the two-to-three-foot range before onshore winds and dropping surf forced the event to go on hold after six heats of the competition. The next call will be tomorrow, Monday, May 5, at 7:15 a.m. AEST for a possible 7:35 a.m. start.
Julian Wilson Winds Back The Clock at Burleigh, Knocks Robinson
The opening heat of the men’s Elimination Round looked like a Final on paper as Jack Robinson (AUS) and Julian Wilson (AUS) matched up with replacement Morgan Cibilic (AUS). Wilson, a former CT competitor and Gold Coast Pro winner, is fresh off winning the Trials, while Cibilic recently finished third at Bells Beach, the same event where Robinson won. In a slow heat for waves, it was all about taking what opportunity you could get, and Wilson did exactly that, launching a massive air-reverse to post an 8.17 (out of a possible 10). Cibilic looked ominous but was unable to catch Wilson’s heat total of 15.47 (out of a possible 20) while Robinson finished in third place and was a shock elimination in equal 33rd place.
“I feel like in that heat I was coming up against two of the in-form surfers from Bells,” Wilson said. “I feel like yesterday I was just surfing into feeling my way back into this environment, then by the end, I was looking for opportunity, so I wanted to bring that in my heat today, and I feel like I brought a lot more energy. Those are the heats you want, but damn they’re hard, so I was really happy to come out on top with that one. I’m loving it, to be honest. It felt nice to land three from three then and throw in some variation with a grab. I was pretty amped up after that. It’s nice to be here again and feel at home in this very uncomfortable environment.”
Lakey Peterson Carries Bells Momentum to Gold Coast
After a slower-than-usual start to the season, Lakey Peterson (USA) earned a solid result at Bells Beach with an equal 5th-place Quarterfinal finish. Today, Peterson found herself in the Elimination Round here on the Gold Coast but regained some momentum, taking down 2025 CT Rookie Bella Kenworthy (USA), who progressed in second, while Brisa Hennessy (CRC) was eliminated in equal 17th place. Peterson’s sharp, fast turns were the perfect match for the smaller, cupped-out walls on offer as she now shifts her focus to the Round of 16, where she will take on 2025 CT Rookie Erin Brooks (CAN).
“I was really bummed on my heat yesterday,” Peterson said. “I feel like I just didn’t surf that well and wasn’t on good waves. This is actually my first time surfing at Burleigh, so it felt good to get some more time out there and get to know the bank. It felt good to open up out there and feel like I was clicking in out there. I’m definitely doing my best, and I feel like I’m my old self a bit and out of that fear zone.”
Luana Silva (BRA) also bounced back from her disappointing Opening Round loss yesterday, stringing together a series of decent waves to overcome goofy-footers Sawyer Lindblad (USA) and Nadia Erostrabe (ESP). Silva will move into the Round of 16 and take on World No. 1 Gabriela Bryan (HAW), while Lindblad will match up with Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW). Erostrabe has been eliminated from the event.
Griffin Colapinto Top Scores Elimination Round
Another top performer at Bells who found themself in the Elimination Round was Griffin Colapinto (USA), who is looking to climb the rankings after a less-than-ideal start to 2025. Colapinto came up against CT Rookie Joel Vaughan (AUS) and Imaikalani deVault (HAW) in the last heat of the day. All three surfers came out swinging, but it was Colapinto’s polish, landing two air-reverses on one wave, that earned him an 8.50 and eventually a 15.73 two-wave total that would see him take the win and progress into the Round of 32.
“That was a scary heat for sure,” Colapinto said. “I was a little nervous at the start. The bank was changing where the good waves were, and we ended up way down the point. Joel [Vaughan] got a good score down there, so we all went to follow him down there, and the other was throwing heat, so it was on from the start. I got that good wave, and after my first turn felt good, I thought I could do one more good one and get a decent score or put it to bed with something big. I’ve lost a few heats this year surfing like that, so I’m glad I learned from that.”
Rio Waida (INA) and Connor O’Leary (JPN) were the other two standouts in the Elimination Round, with Waida posting a 15.17 to win his heat and O’Leary a 14.00 to progress into the Round of 32.
For more highlights from today’s competition at the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM Women’s Elimination Round Results:
HEAT 1: Luana Silva (BRA) 12.60 DEF. Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 11.87, Nadia Erostarbe (ESP) 10.17
HEAT 2: Lakey Peterson (USA) 13.76 DEF. Bella Kenworthy (USA) 11.33, Brisa Hennessy (CRC) 11.20
Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM Men’s Elimination Round Results:
HEAT 1: Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.47 DEF. Morgan Cibilic (AUS) 13.33, Jack Robinson (AUS) 7.06
HEAT 2: Connor O’Leary (JPN) 14.00 DEF. Barron Mamiya (HAW) 11.17, Jordan Lawler (AUS) 8.50
HEAT 3: Rio Waida (INA) 15.17 DEF. Edgard Groggia (BRA) 12.96, Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 12.30
HEAT 4: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 15.73 DEF. Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 13.90, Joel Vaughan (AUS) 13.14
Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM Women’s Round of 16 Matchups:
HEAT 1: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) vs. Luana Silva (BRA)
HEAT 2: Caroline Marks (USA) vs. Vahine Fierro (FRA)
HEAT 3: Molly Picklum (AUS) vs. Bella Kenworthy (USA)
HEAT 4: Sawyer Lindblad (USA) vs. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW)
HEAT 5: Caitlin Simmers (USA) vs. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
HEAT 6: Lakey Peterson (USA) vs. Erin Brooks (CAN)
HEAT 7: Isabella Nichols (AUS) vs. Sophie McCulloch (AUS)
HEAT 8: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM Men’s Round of 32 Matchups:
HEAT 1: Yago Dora (BRA) vs. Edgard Groggia (BRA)
HEAT 2: Connor O’Leary (JPN) vs. Alan Cleland (MEX)
HEAT 3: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Crosby Colapinto (USA)
HEAT 4: Jake Marshall (USA) vs. Samuel Pupo (BRA)
HEAT 5: Ethan Ewing (AUS) vs. Morgan Cibilic (AUS)
HEAT 6: Seth Moniz (HAW) vs. Jackson Bunch (HAW)
HEAT 7: Barron Mamiya (HAW) vs. Callum Robson (AUS)
HEAT 8: Rio Waida (INA) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
HEAT 9: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Julian Wilson (AUS)
HEAT 10: Marco Mignot (FRA) vs. George Pittar (AUS)
HEAT 11: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Ian Gentil (HAW)
HEAT 12: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) vs. Deivid Silva (BRA)
HEAT 13: Jordy Smith (RSA) vs. Imaikalani deVault (HAW)
HEAT 14: Cole Houshmand (USA) vs. Joao Chianca (BRA)
HEAT 15: Griffin Colapinto (USA) vs. Liam O’Brien (AUS)
HEAT 16: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) vs. Ian Gouveia (BRA)
Watch LIVE
The Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM will hold a competition window through May 13, 2025. The event will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, and the free WSL App. Check out more ways to watch from the WSL’s broadcast partners.
The Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM is proudly supported by Bonsoy, Tourism Events Queensland, Experience Gold Coast, GWM, YETI, Surfline, Red Bull, True Surf, Apple Watch, Stone & Wood, Oakberry, Hydralyte, Burleigh Pavilion, mophie, Bioglan, Boost Mobile, Bond University, Coastal Real Estate, Florence Marine X, Vissla, Fatboy, I-SEA, S&S Group, Ultimate Ears, Gold Coast Bulletin, Sea FM, Triple M, and Surfboard Empire.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
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