Western Australia’s Ruby Berry has delivered a standout performance at the prestigious 2026 Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang, scoring a perfect 10-point ride on her way to a runner-up finish in pumping conditions at Bali’s famed reef break.
Berry was one of the stars of the women’s division, charging through flawless Padang Padang barrels against an elite international field before taking the fight to eventual champion Lucy Darragh (AUS) in the final.
The West Australian stamped her authority on the event during the opening round, earning the only perfect 10 of the women’s competition after pulling into a long, hollow barrel.
The perfect ride helped Berry finish the preliminary rounds third on the leaderboard with a 17.17 two-wave total (out of 20), behind Darragh on 18.06 and defending champion Jasmine Studer on 17.50. Hawaii’s Vaihitimahana Inso rounded out the top four to secure the final spot.
Berry came out firing in the Final, getting the better of Darragh in an early back-to-back exchange with an excellent 8.17 (out of 10) to Darragh’s 7.50.
With Berry unable to find the back-up score she needed and opportunities becoming harder to come by, Darragh responded with a 9.00-point ride to take control and secure the Rip Curl Cup crown.
Berry’s result continues a strong run for Western Australian women at Padang Padang, following Willow Hardy’s runner-up finish in 2025. Hardy also finished third in 2024, putting a WA surfer on the women’s podium at the prestigious tube-riding event for three consecutive years.
In the men’s division, 16-year-old Indonesian Rajo ‘Barrel’ Saputra produced a remarkable performance in front of a home crowd, posting a perfect 10 and near-perfect 9.73 in the Final to defeat defending champion Westen Hirst.
The victory carried extra significance for Saputra, coming 20 years after his father finished runner-up at the same event.
Fellow 16-year-old Darragh’s victory capped an impressive day for Australia, with the teenage champions taking out the 23rd edition of Indonesia’s longest-running and most prestigious surfing competition.
Photo: Nate Lawrence/Rip Curl
About Rip Curl
Founded in Torquay, Australia, in 1969, Rip Curl remains a company built by surfers for surfers. Regarded as The Ultimate Surfing Company, for over 50 years Rip Curl has endeavoured to make the best products, run the best events, support the best athletes, deliver the best customer service, and have the best crew of people. The Search is the driving force that led to the creation of Rip Curl, and it lives in the spirit of everything the Rip Curl crew do.
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