Massive Shake-Up at 2025 Margaret River Pro as Big Swell Forces Championship Tour Cuts
The 2025 Margaret River Pro delivered one of the most explosive days of action the Championship Tour (CT) has seen this year, as monstrous 10-15 foot waves at Main Break led to chaos, injuries, and major eliminations. With the mid-season cut looming, pressure was sky-high—and the surf didn’t disappoint in raising the stakes.
The day began with dramatic conditions. Willow Hardy’s first wave in the women’s elimination round scored only a 1.17, but it was a huge 15-footer that demonstrated just how serious the swell was. Early heats were wild, with athletes getting slammed by heavy sets, boards snapping, and leashes breaking. Barron Mamiya even got temporarily trapped underwater when his leash wrapped around the inside reef ledge.
Throughout the men’s Round of 32, top surfers were eliminated in surprising upsets. Big names like Italo Ferreira, Yago Dora, Filipe Toledo, Ethan Ewing, and defending event champion Jack Robinson were all knocked out. Most of them fell to lower-ranked competitors or wildcards, such as Jacob Willcox and Mikey McDonagh.
As the dust settled, ten men confirmed their place above the mid-season cutline: Rio Waida, Jake Marshall, Griffin Colapinto, Connor O’Leary, Joao Chianca, Seth Moniz, Cole Houshmand, Alan Cleland Jr., Joel Vaughan, and Marco Mignot. On the other hand, ten surfers will not continue on the CT for the rest of the season, including Ryan Callinan, Deivid Silva, Ian Gentil, George Pittar, Liam O’Brien, Samuel Pupo, Ian Gouveia, and Edgard Groggia. Two others—Ramzi Boukhiam and Gabriel Medina—remain below the cut due to injury, though Medina has already secured a wildcard spot for 2026.
The situation remains uncertain for Alejo Muniz and Matthew McGillivray, who are currently just above the cut but were eliminated early. Their fates depend on the outcomes of two key heats involving Crosby Colapinto, Jackson Bunch, and Imaikalani deVault. Because Colapinto and Bunch will face off, only if the winner of that heat and deVault both advance will Muniz be pushed out. DeVault must beat Alan Cleland for that scenario to unfold.
Cleland himself had one of the most emotional wins of the day. Sitting barely above the cut, he needed to defeat Rio Waida in his Round of 32 heat to guarantee his spot. With solid, aggressive surfing, Cleland secured a 13.40 to 10.50 win, marking a major personal milestone.
The day was filled with emotional highs and lows. Joao Chianca clutched a win that kept his tour dreams alive while sending Matthew McGillivray into uncertainty. Rookie Jackson Bunch scored a massive upset against Filipe Toledo, and Connor O’Leary edged out Liam O’Brien, whose consistently strong surfing this season wasn’t enough to keep him on tour.
O’Leary spoke candidly about the emotional toll of the day, highlighting the importance of sports psychology in high-pressure moments. His ability to push through nerves and focus on aggressive surfing paid off.
In the final heat of the day, Imaikalani deVault shocked the crowd by defeating Jack Robinson, the local favorite and reigning champion. DeVault had lost to Robinson in a close heat the year prior, but this time he found the right waves and delivered precise surfing to come out on top.
Crosby Colapinto also stepped up with one of his strongest performances this season, taking down Ethan Ewing with dynamic turns and well-timed wave choices. His victory keeps his CT dreams alive heading into the next round.
Leonardo Fioravanti was another standout, earning the day’s highest heat total with a 17.13, including a daring 9-point ride where he attacked steep, critical sections with confidence and control.
Two wildcards, Willcox and McDonagh, proved they belonged on the big stage by eliminating two of the world’s best. Meanwhile, the women’s side of the draw saw four elimination heats run, with Bettylou Sakura Johnson and Erin Brooks advancing. Lakey Peterson and Sally Fitzgibbons, both veteran competitors, now face elimination with just one woman set to be cut due to next year’s CT expansion.
The drama isn’t over yet. The WSL has prepared to move competition to The Box—a powerful, barreling reef break—at first light. If conditions permit, it will be the first time CT competition has run there since 2019, and it could determine the final spots on the Championship Tour for the rest of the season. The first call is set for 7:15 a.m. AEST on May 21.
As the pressure builds, every heat going forward will define careers, reshape the rankings, and determine who survives the cut—and who will have to battle their way back via the Challenger Series.