Simmers off to a hot start in Siargao surf

CEBU, Philippines — World No. 6 Caitlin Simmers is off to a hot start in one of her favorite surfing destinations on the planet.

Fresh off a dominant victory in Heat 1 of the inaugural WSL Championship Tour Philippines Pro at the iconic Cloud 9 reef break in Siargao, the American surfer could not hold back her praise for Siargao’s premier wave and its unique technical challenges.

“Honestly, I keep telling people it’s one of my favorite waves on the planet because it’s just really tight, and you kind of have to do some exciting things in the spaces you get. It’s pretty hard to just do your stock-standard couple of turns on it,” Simmers shared.

Simmers highlighted how Cloud 9’s rapidly shifting sections demand split-second precision, forcing surfers to abandon routine maneuvers.

Looking ahead in the draw, she singled out the break’s end section as an ideal launching pad for aerial maneuvers.

“I think I’m just hoping all the girls do airs because these are the best surfers in the world, best women in the world. And I know every single one of them can do an air on that end section. It’s just a matter of timing, really,” she added, confident that the venue will showcase the absolute best of women’s surfing as the event progresses.

Simmers has a sharp performance in heat 1, handily dispatching fellow American and World No. 11 Caroline Marks.

Simmers dropped a 9.00 single wave score alongside a 6.17 for a dominant 15.17 heat total.

Marks struggled to find high-scoring opportunities, finishing with a 9.00 total (5.50 and 3.50) to bow out in ninth place with 2,000 championship points.

While Simmers took care of business in the opener, Heat 2 delivered the biggest shock of the day.

World No. 14 Yolanda Hopkins pulled off a massive upset by knocking out World No. 3 Gabriela Bryan.

Navigating the four- to six-foot waves under calm lineup winds, Hopkins logged a combined 10.10 (5.27 and 4.83) to outpoint Bryan, who collected a 7.00 total (4.00 and 3.00) and finished ninth overall.

With the victory, Hopkins sets up a marquee quarterfinal matchup against Simmers.

The WSL Championship Tour Philippines Pro is presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) with support from Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers, General Luna Mayor Johnson Sajulga, Vice Mayor Romina Sajulga, PAGCOR, DOT, DPWH, TIEZA, and NEA/SIARELCO. — (FREEMAN)