The action recommenced at the Western Australia Margaret River Pro, Stop No. 2 of the 2026 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT). Blustery, onshore conditions greeted the world’s best for the second day of competition, with the completion of women’s Round Two and men’s Round Three seeing the Quarterfinalists decided in bumpy four-to-six foot surf at Main Break.
With a strong weather front expected to lash the South West of WA over the coming days, the event will be put on standby for the next two days, Monday, April 20 and Tuesday, April 21, with the next call to resume competition coming before the morning of Wednesday, April 22.
Picklum Leads the Way as World Champions Advance to Quarterfinals
The four women’s World Champions left in the draw set the standard for Round Two, with Molly Picklum (AUS), Caroline Marks (USA), Caitlin Simmers (USA) and Carissa Moore (HAW) all claiming heat wins.
The reigning World Champion, Picklum’s, combined two-wave total of 15.50 (out of a possible 10) was the highest of the event for the women, and included the first excellent score for the division, an 8.50 (out of a possible 10). Having not matched up against Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) head-to-head on the CT prior to 2026, Picklum defeated the Australian veteran in the same round for the second event in a row. Picklum opened strong with a 7.00, earned largely from a driving carve on the right, before looking to the left. The 23-year-old delivered a powerful two-turn combo from her backhand vertical attack against big sections to leave Fitzgibbons in a combination situation for much of the heat.
“Out there, it’s a bit of a victory at sea, and then you get a section, and you commit to it,” Picklum said. “I just got asked about my claim. You let it all out because it feels the best, and you’re smacking lips and putting everything in there, each section and each moment, it’s like the magical moments. A lot of things are clicking in at the moment, and some of them are uncontrollable. So when those things are happening for you, you’re just loving it and taking the ride. I’m just rolling with it. I’ll take it for sure. Let’s see if it keeps going my way.”
The first surfer of the day to open up the scale was Caroline Marks (USA), who was able to find clean sections on the right to drive into from her deep bottom turns. An early 5.77 met an additional 6.50 after the 2023 World Champion delivered the single most critical turn of the heat to earn its high point and eliminate CT Rookie Francisca Veselko (POR). Marks was happy to earn her first heat win of the season and move into the Quarterfinals.
“I feel like Bells, I didn’t even surf. I feel like I finally got some opportunities to open up [today] and so I was really stoked on that,” Marks said. “It’s super tricky out there. It’s not really defined, Margaret’s; it’s kind of all over the place, and you also get washed in a lot, so a lot of cat-and-mouse. I’m stoked I found a few. I was trying not to overthink it and just ride a bunch of waves. I’m glad it worked out. I’ve been having some great free-surfs, so hopefully the next heat I can just keep opening up more.”
Moore and Simmers Set for Blockbuster Quarterfinal
Carissa Moore (HAW) and Caitlin Simmers (USA) will meet in the Quarterfinals after the pair won their respective heats. The five-time World Champion and 2024 World Champion will go head-to-head for just the second time in their careers, with Moore yet to defeat Simmers. The defending Western Australia Margaret River Pro runner-up, Simmers, posted a pair of rides in the 5-point range thanks to smooth surfing punctuated by perfectly-timed laybacks in the lumpy swell to defeat Vahine Fierro (FRA).
“I just want to surf,” Simmers said. “I feel like the last event, I didn’t really get to surf that much. So this event, I was like, there are so many waves out there, and it’s not really defined as good ones. You kind of just have to go and hope it has an end section to get a 5. That’s what you try to do, just do as well as you can with what you’ve got. That goes beyond surfing or waves or anything, but I think just for today, I’m glad to do a couple of laybacks. I wish I could get above a five. I still haven’t got above a five this year, so I’m kind of pissed about that. But next heat, next heat.”
Carissa Moore (HAW) had the trickiest road to victory, taking out a low-scoring heat against fellow former event winner Isabella Nichols (AUS). A rematch of their exciting battle in the same round at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, which Nichols won, today proved to be the opposite. The Hawaiian scraped through ahead of the Australian, with a last-second score from Nichols coming in just under the required number.
“I don’t think Bella [Isabella Nichols] or I would like to put on performances like that too often,” Moore said. “I’m luckily on the other side of the whole thing, and I made it through, but I was this close to walking up the beach and not smiling. So I’m just grateful it worked out, and Margaret River was on my side today. I’m just really enjoying this place. It’s one of my favourite places in the whole world. I’m a huge fan of Caity [Simmers’] surfing and her as a person. Getting to sit back and watch as a fan the last two years has been really cool. She’s a world champ, and she’s someone who is really inspiring me and pushing me. I feel super honoured and fortunate to get to put a jersey on with her again.”
Western Australia Margaret River Pro Women’s Round Two Results
HEAT 1: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 9.67 DEF. Yolanda Hopkins (POR) 8.44
HEAT 2: Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 9.60 DEF. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 7.60
HEAT 3: Caroline Marks (USA) 12.27 DEF. Francisca Veselko (POR) 10.17
HEAT 4: Lakey Peterson (USA) 10.10 DEF. Erin Brooks (CAN) 8.34
HEAT 5: Molly Picklum (AUS) 15.50 DEF. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 9.30
HEAT 6: Luana Silva (BRA) 10.97 DEF. Sophie McCulloch (AUS) 10.07
HEAT 7: Caitlin Simmers (USA) 11.40 DEF. Vahine Fierro (FRA) 7.40
HEAT 8: Carissa Moore (HAW) 9.16 DEF. Isabella Nichols (AUS) 8.47
Western Australia Margaret River Pro Women’s Quarterfinal Matchups
HEAT 1: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) vs. Sawyer Lindblad (USA)
HEAT 2: Caroline Marks (USA) vs. Lakey Peterson (USA)
HEAT 3: Molly Picklum (AUS) vs. Luana Silva (BRA)
HEAT 4: Caitlin Simmers (USA) vs. Carissa Moore (HAW)
