Surfing legend Carissa Moore wins in New Zealand again on dramatic finals day in Raglan

Monday, 25 May 2026

Carissa Moore celebrates her win in the final of the New Zealand Pro in Raglan on Monday.

Surfing legend Carissa Moore’s love affair with New Zealand has continued, on a dramatic final day of the World Surf League Championship Tour event in Raglan on Monday.

The 33-year-old five-time world champion from Hawaii, who is back on the tour this year after stepping away from the sport in 2024 to start a family, prevailed in a gripping women’s final of the New Zealand Pro at Manu Bay, edging American 20-year-old Sawyer Lindblad 17.90 to 16.67.

It was a fitting way to wow the adoring crowd on a day where there had been a four-hour plus stoppage caused by a wildlife attack on one of the league’s official photographers.

Lindblad, who had found the famed Raglan left-hand point break very much to her goofy-foot liking, looked set to upstage Moore, but the youngster was instead made to wait for a maiden title (following two final defeats in 2024), as the 2021 Olympic gold medallist pulled off a 9.40 score with less than four minutes left and completed what was her first win of the season, and the 29th of her career (she sits second all-time to Australian Stephanie Gilmore), dating back to her very first triumph, in Taranaki, back in 2010.

Carissa Moore in action during her dramatic final win at Manu Bay.

Upon hearing she was victorious as the judges completed their final-wave scoring, Moore raised her arms aloft in the water, waved to the crowd, then came in and embraced her family, as her husband and father then held her aloft, and Moore clutched one-year-old daughter, Olena, and made her way through an adoring line of supporters.

“She probably won’t remember it, but I can’t wait to look back at the photos and videos and say, ‘Look what we did together, how cool is that?’” Moore noted soon after on the host broadcast, of the beautiful mother-daughter moment, after a victory that she said she would hold so dear.

“It’s better than I could have ever dreamed of. When I walked away two years ago I didn’t know if I’d ever get this feeling back, or this opportunity to surf perfect waves with only one other person out, in front of a beautiful crowd and a beautiful place with my family on the beach.

“And in that process you doubt yourself so much, so I think the win means so much to me.”

Brazil’s Italo Ferreira celebrates taking out the men’s final at the New Zealand Pro.

After notching an early 8.50 in the 40-minute final, Moore was looking good from the get-go, despite one fall, but Lindblad banked an early 9.0 to pile the pressure on.

“I was on the ropes for a good portion of that heat,” she admitted. When she dropped that nine I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, OK, I need a wave and I need to show up’. Sawyer’s been on point all event, I respect her so much and I think she’s really found her form this year, she’s had consistent results.

“This is such a fun left, it reminds me a lot of some of the waves we have at home. I’ve been inspired by a lot of the other performances from my peers. Honestly I haven’t been surfing backhand enough, so I was a little bit nervous coming here, but I’m really really grateful just to have found my groove.”

Meanwhile, the men’s final also saw a potential maiden winner made to wait a little longer, as Australian Morgan Cibilic was beaten 17.50 to 15.80 by Brazil’s Italo Ferreira.

Police were later seen escorting people out of the Manu Bay waters after a photographer was injured by some sea wildlife at the New Zealand Pro in Raglan.

The Aussie’s two counting waves (a 7.00 and 8.80) had come on his first two, but Ferreira, the 2019 world champ and 2021 Olympic gold medallist, who caught 11 waves to Cibilic’s five, netted an 8.17 then a 9.33 on his fifth to ensure he kept his nose in front, to complete an 11th tour win.

That had come on the back of an interrupted morning semifinal against fellow Brazilian and reigning world champ Yago Dora, who was coming off his stunning perfect-10 score in Sunday’s quarterfinals.

Their matchup came to a sudden halt around 15 minutes in, with the surfers making a quick exit out on the jet skis after it was later revealed one of the league’s official photographers, Ed Sloane, of Australia, had suffered “minor, small puncture wounds” while at work on the water.

Officials were unsure if it was either a shark or sea lion at the centre of the drama, and did not provide an update once the action resumed, but the WSL did share a statement from Sloane, who had received on-site medical attention then was taken to hospital and was in a stable condition.

“Thank you to everyone for all the well wishes after what’s happened,” his message read. “I am doing okay, I’ve had bites to my left foot and am getting medical attention. Massive thank you to our water patrol for the quick response, our medical team, and all the support from our teams for the immediate assistance I received. I love this place and can’t wait to watch an epic Finals Day. Cheering for everyone for a great finish to the event.”