Women’s Championship Tour Surfers Take Over Lexus Pipe Challenger

At December’s Florence Pipe Pro, Gabriela Bryan laid down serious tracks at Gums, but ultimately came runner-up to a surging Carissa Moore. Today, at her second Pipeline contest in less than two months, the 23-year-old from Kauai would not be denied an event win at the fabled reef. 

The WSL ran 15 heats today in head-high-plus sets, mostly concentrated at Backdoor. Though the final featured more turns than tubes, it was loaded with talent. Three out of the four finalists were Championship Tour surfers: 2025 world champion Molly Picklum, 2025 Rookie of the Year Erin Brooks, and Bryan, who won three Championship Tour events in 2025 and finished third in the world. The lone wolf was rising Challenger Series standout Anat Lelior.

For Gabriela, the win was a statement victory. Because as good as she is, she’d not had competitive success in barreling reef breaks, but that changed today. 

“It feels so good to start the year off with a win after so much time off,” Gabriela said. “Getting back in the jersey, feeling the nerves, and everything that comes along with competing. It gets me so fired up for the rest of the year. It’s a long year ahead, and we’re just beginning, but there’s no better way than to start with a win, especially at Pipe. That was a very talented final to say the least. It’s not ideal Pipe, but you never know what you’re going to get so every heat out here in onshore, incoming swell, windy or if it’s perfect, it’s worth it. Anat is probably looking good to qualify, but I know me, Erin, and Molly are doing everything we can to get extra time out here, so it feels great to get the win.”

In her post-final speech, Gabriela honored another Kauaian surfer who imprinted his legacy at Pipeline, the late Andy Irons. 

“It’s so special to feel that spirit of Andy and I love to represent Kauai and where I come from,” she said. “It’s so awesome to have Lyndie [Irons] here. My first-ever contest was the Irons Brothers. I have a photo of me when I was little with Andy and it’s so cool. We came from the same hometown, and I’m following my dreams, and I have amazing inspirations to look up to.”

As for CS storylines, the lede here is Sally Fitzgibbons, the longtime tour veteran and three-time world runner-up, who officially requalified for the 2026 CT. You may recall Sally’s emotional breakdown after barely finishing under the mid-year cut at Margaret River in 2025. But Sally simply refuses to quit. This is the third time the 35-year-old has been cut from the CT and requalified via the CS. 

With Sally officially joining Tya Zebrowski and Yolanda Hopkids, four more women will clinch a CT roster spot in Australia next month. By making the final, a breakthrough result for her, Anat leapt eight spots to ninth on the CS rankings ahead of the last event of the season in Newcastle, Australia. 

One last note. Although Erin finished runner-up to Gabriela, her surfing in the earlier rounds was exceptional. In the quarters, she locked into a deep right on her backhand, a difficult feat for anyone at Backdoor, let alone a pint-sized 18-year-old. Yet she wove under and through it for a 9.43 , the best women’s score of the event, and totaled 16.26 in the heat. 

On both finals days for the men and women, the actuall finals were a bit of a let down wave-quality-wise, compared to the sets that had rolled in over the past few hours. But all in all, the Pipe Challenger is such a needed and welcome additon to the Challenger Series. Please WSL, run it back next year.

Lexus Pipe Challenger Presented by Billabong Women’s Final Results:

1 - Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 12.70

2 - Erin Brooks (CAN) 10.47

3 - Molly Picklum (AUS) 9.43

4 - Anat Lelior (ISR) 3.13

Lexus Pipe Challenger Presented by Billabong Women's Semifinal Results:

HEAT 1: Molly Picklum (AUS) 9.37 DEF. Anat Lelior (ISR) 8.80, Tya Zebrowski (FRA) 6.70, Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 4.80

HEAT 2: Erin Brooks (CAN) 9.50 DEF. Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 7.17, Alyssa Spencer (USA) 5.24, Francisca Veselko (POR) 4.07

Lexus Pipe Challenger Presented by Billabong Women's Quarterfinal Results:

HEAT 1: Anat Lelior (ISR) 8.83 DEF. Molly Picklum (AUS) 7.23, Nadia Erostarbe (EUK) 5.64, Moana Jones Wong (HAW) 2.60

HEAT 2: Tya Zebrowski (FRA) 12.00 DEF. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 7.10, Isabella Nichols (AUS) 6.86, Laura Raupp (BRA) 5.83

HEAT 3: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 9.57 DEF. Francisca Veselko (POR) 9.50, Sophie McCulloch (AUS) 5.70, Sierra Kerr (AUS) 3.37

HEAT 4: Erin Brooks (CAN) vs. Eweleiula Wong (HAW) vs. Caitlin Simmers (USA) vs. Alyssa Spencer (USA)

Lexus Pipe Challenger Presented by Billabong Women's Round of 32 Results:

HEAT 1: Molly Picklum (AUS) 16.06 DEF. Laura Raupp (BRA) 8.83, Leilani McGonagle (CRC) 6.17, Chesney Guinotte (HAW) 2.97

HEAT 2: Anat Lelior (ISR) 9.83 DEF. Tya Zebrowski (FRA) 9.67, Yolanda Hopkins (POR) 8.67, Vahine Fierro (FRA) 4.93

HEAT 3: Isabella Nichols (AUS) 12.10 DEF. Nadia Erostarbe (EUK) 6.43, Arena Rodriguez (PER) 1.83, Sanoa Dempfle-Olin (CAN) 0.57

HEAT 4: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 13.50 DEF. Moana Jones Wong (HAW) 13.17, Annette Gonzalez Etxabarri (EUK) 10.33, Vaihitimahana Inso (HAW) 4.77

HEAT 5: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 10.07 DEF. Eweleiula Wong (HAW) 4.00, Amuro Tsuzuki (JPN) 3.40, Zoe McDougall (HAW) 0.90

HEAT 6: Sophie McCulloch (AUS) 10.20 DEF. Alyssa Spencer (USA) 9.00, Luana Silva (BRA) 7.73, Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 6.50

HEAT 7: Erin Brooks (CAN) 7.33 DEF. Francisca Veselko (POR) 5.50, Teresa Bonvalot (POR) 3.97, Anon Matsuoka (JPN) 1.03

HEAT 8: Caitlin Simmers (USA) 10.73 DEF. Sierra Kerr (AUS) 5.77, India Robinson (AUS) 5.40, Sophia Medina (BRA) 2.47