Mahina Maeda (HAW) and Dane Reynolds (USA) have been tagged as wildcards for the 2015 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tours (CT) events in Fiji. The local trials have been run and won by Aca Ravulo (FJI), who scored a perfect 10 with this incredible tube.
Set to run at the world-class reef passes of Cloudbreak and Restaurants, the Fiji Pro and the Fiji Women's Pro epitomize the WSL mantra of "putting the world's best surfers in the world's best waves," and the event will see this season's electric hunt for the World Crown. Up first will be the WSL Top 17 contesting the Fiji Women's Pro from May 31 to June 5.
Mahina Maeda at the famed break of Praia do Norte.
Maeda, the reigning WSL Women's Junior Champion, will take on the world's best female surfers, beginning with two-time World Champion and current frontrunner on the Jeep Leaderboard Carissa Moore (HAW) and 2014 rookie of the year Johanne Defay (FRA) in Round 1.
Moore has had a sensational start in 2015, claiming back-to-back wins at the opening events of the year on the Gold Coast and at Bells Beach as well as a runner-up finish at Margaret River and a third-place finish at the Oi Rio Women's Pro.
Reynolds, a former CT competitor and celebrated innovator of high-performance surfing, has been allocated the wildcard for the 2015 Fiji Pro, which runs June 7-19. Reynolds will face three-time WSL Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) and rookie sensation Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) in Round 1 of competition. This will be Reynolds' second CT event of the season. He competed in the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast and was eliminated in Round 2 by his upcoming Fiji opponent, Fanning.
Dane Reynolds fires a warning shot to Mick Fanning with big airs and signature freesurfing.
Adriano de Souza (BRA) and Filipe Toledo (BRA) currently sit at the top of the WSL Jeep Leaderboard heading into the Fiji Pro. Leading the charge of the 'Brazilian Storm' phenomenon, De Souza represents experience and power surfing while Toledo champions youth and aerial prowess.
Alejo Muniz (BRA) will also be joining the world's best as a replacement for Michel Bourez (PYF), who withdrew from competition due to a lingering freesurf injury.
Watch all elite action LIVE on the WSL homepage or the WSL app. The Fiji Women's Pro kicks off May 31.
Maeda, Reynolds, Ravulo Join World's Best in Fiji
WSL
Mahina Maeda (HAW) and Dane Reynolds (USA) have been tagged as wildcards for the 2015 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tours (CT) events in Fiji. The local trials have been run and won by Aca Ravulo (FJI), who scored a perfect 10 with this incredible tube.
Set to run at the world-class reef passes of Cloudbreak and Restaurants, the Fiji Pro and the Fiji Women's Pro epitomize the WSL mantra of "putting the world's best surfers in the world's best waves," and the event will see this season's electric hunt for the World Crown. Up first will be the WSL Top 17 contesting the Fiji Women's Pro from May 31 to June 5.
Maeda, the reigning WSL Women's Junior Champion, will take on the world's best female surfers, beginning with two-time World Champion and current frontrunner on the Jeep Leaderboard Carissa Moore (HAW) and 2014 rookie of the year Johanne Defay (FRA) in Round 1.
Moore has had a sensational start in 2015, claiming back-to-back wins at the opening events of the year on the Gold Coast and at Bells Beach as well as a runner-up finish at Margaret River and a third-place finish at the Oi Rio Women's Pro.
Reynolds, a former CT competitor and celebrated innovator of high-performance surfing, has been allocated the wildcard for the 2015 Fiji Pro, which runs June 7-19. Reynolds will face three-time WSL Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) and rookie sensation Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) in Round 1 of competition. This will be Reynolds' second CT event of the season. He competed in the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast and was eliminated in Round 2 by his upcoming Fiji opponent, Fanning.
Adriano de Souza (BRA) and Filipe Toledo (BRA) currently sit at the top of the WSL Jeep Leaderboard heading into the Fiji Pro. Leading the charge of the 'Brazilian Storm' phenomenon, De Souza represents experience and power surfing while Toledo champions youth and aerial prowess.
Alejo Muniz (BRA) will also be joining the world's best as a replacement for Michel Bourez (PYF), who withdrew from competition due to a lingering freesurf injury.
Watch all elite action LIVE on the WSL homepage or the WSL app. The Fiji Women's Pro kicks off May 31.
Fiji Pro
The Australian became the first person ever to score two perfect heats in a single event.
The big man scored not one, but two perfect 20-point heats on his way to winning the Fiji event in 2015.
The world's best surfers are gathering in the South Pacific to meet up with some solid swell on the horizon. Get a head start of your Fiji
Don't miss the Fiji Pro on ABC's World of X Games July 4 at 2:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT.
See some of the greatest moments from the historic 2015 Fiji Pro, through the lenses of Surfing Magazine.