BARRA DE LA CRUZ, Oaxaca, Mexico (Thursday, July 29, 2021) - The Corona Open Mexico presented by Quiksilver, the seventh stop on the World Surf League (WSL) 2021 Championship Tour (CT), will open on August 10 and run through August 19, 2021. This event marks the first time in 15 years that the world's best surfers will be competing at the iconic right-hand break located on the edge of the Sierra Madre in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Olympic Surfers To Compete in Upcoming Mexico Championship Tour Event
After making history in Tokyo this week and winning surfing's first-ever Olympic gold medals, reigning WSL Champions Carissa Moore (HAW) and Italo Ferreira (BRA) will now focus their attention to 2021 CT and their respective World Title campaigns. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) and Owen Wright (AUS) also came away with success at the Olympic Games, with Igarashi winning silver and Wright winning bronze.
Moore, Ferreira, Igarashi, and Wright will get back to competing on the CT for the World Title at the Corona Open Mexico presented by Quiksilver. Gold medalist Moore is currently No. 1 in the world, and has already clinched a spot in the WSL Final 5, while Ferreira currently sits as World No. 2, and will go to Mexico with the extra confidence of an Olympic medalist.
Wildcards and Trials Winners To Join World's Best Surfers In Mexico
Long-standing CT competitor and World Title contender, Julian Wilson (AUS) recently announced an indefinite break from professional surfing, withdrawing for the remainder of the 2021 CT. With that, WSL replacement Mikey Wright (AUS) will be competing in the remaining CT stops for this season before the Rip Curl WSL Finals, the Corona Open Mexico presented by Quiksilver and the Outerknown Tahiti Pro pres. by Shiseido.
Currently ranked seventh on the North America QS Regional Rankings, local surfer sensation Jhony Corzo (MEX) has been awarded the event wildcard through long standing partner, Corona. Corzo was the first Mexican to ever win the ISA Surfing Games in 2017, and will join the world's best surfers competing in his backyard.
"To compete at home with the world's best has been my childhood dream," said Corzo after receiving the event's wildcard news. "The return of the Championship Tour to my lovely country Mexico, and to the magical Barra de la Cruz, is a great way to showcase my surf in the CT right at home. I'm thankful to God, my family, and especially to my sponsor, Corona and to WSL for making this possible. Time to shine!"
The two remaining wildcard posts for women and men will be decided by the local trials event. The trials are scheduled for August 3 at Barra de La Cruz and will be contested by 24 Mexican surfers selected by the Mexican Surfing Federation and the Oaxaca State Surf Association. A total of 16 men and 8 women will fight for one spot in each division:
Corona Open Mexico Presented by Quiksilver Men's Trials:
- Alan Cleland (Colima)
- Dylan Southworth (Nayarit)
- Luis Rey Hernández (Guerrero)
- Diego Cadena (Nayarit)
- Kevin Meza (Baja California)
- Adrian Rodriguez (Nayarit)
- Martin Olea (Baja California Sur)
- Vicente Trujillo (Guerrero)
- Roger Ramirez (Oaxaca)
- Jafet Ramos (Oaxaca)
- Nahúm Corzo (Oaxaca)
- Cesar Petroni (Oaxaca)
- Jimel Corzo (Oaxaca)
- Sebastian Williams (Oaxaca)
- Jesús Leyva (Barra de la Cruz, Oaxaca)
- Cristian Yael Ruiz (Barra de la cruz, Oaxaca)
Corona Open Mexico Presented by Quiksilver Women's Trials:
- Maya Larripa (Oaxaca)
- Valeria Peconi (Oaxaca)
- Summer Sivori (Oaxaca)
- Regina Pioli (Oaxaca)
- Shelby Detmers (Mexicanos en el exterior)
- Isabelle Leonhardt (Colima)
- Alexia Ceballos (Sinaloa)
- Mariana Valencia (Baja California)
Corona Partners with WSL To Continue Fight for Ocean Health
Corona and the WSL will continue their fight for ocean health by working together to ensure that the event site is left unharmed. Corona's commitment to protect paradise goes beyond awareness and clean-ups efforts. The brand is removing remaining plastics across its supply chain, launched the Corona Plastic-Free Challenge and just became the first Global Beverage brand to achieve a net Zero Plastic Footprint, meaning it recovers and recycles more plastic than it uses across the entire supply chain. This milestone was achieved through a 5 year commitment with a local recycling center, Mexico Recicla.
Watch LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and WSL App
The event window for the Corona Open Mexico pres. by Quiksilver opens August 10 and holds a competition window through August 19. The event will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL's broadcast partners.
COVID-19 Updates
The health and safety of athletes, staff, and the local community are of the utmost importance and there are a robust set of procedures in place to keep everyone safe, including rolling out extensive testing protocols, maintaining a protected bubble zone for athletes and staff, and closing the beach to the public.
The WSL encourages fans to watch the event online at WorldSurfLeague.com, which will broadcast live in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
The Corona Open Mexico pres. by Quiksilver is proudly supported by our partners Corona, Quiksilver, Jeep, Red Bull, Oakley, Hydro Flask, Expedia and DraftKings.
Corona Open Mexico Women's Seeding Round 1 Matchups:
- Heat 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Keely Andrew (AUS), Macy Callaghan (AUS)
- Heat 2: Johanne Defay (FRA), Malia Manuel (HAW), Lakey Peterson (USA)
- Heat 3: Carissa Moore (HAW), Bronte Macaulay (AUS)
- Heat 4: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), Courtney Conlogue (USA), Brisa Hennessy (CRI)
- Heat 5: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Isabella Nichols (AUS), Sage Erickson (USA)
- Heat 6: Caroline Marks (USA), Tyler Wright (AUS), Nikki Van Dijk (AUS)
Corona Open Mexico Men's Seeding Round 1 Matchups:
- Heat 1: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN), Owen Wright (AUS), Alex Ribeiro (BRA)
- Heat 2: Griffin Colapinto (USA), Matthew McGillivray (ZAF), Mikey Wright (AUS)
- Heat 3: Morgan Cibilic (AUS), Kelly Slater (USA), Adrian Buchan (AUS)
- Heat 4: Filipe Toledo (BRA), Jadson Andre (BRA), Kolohe Andino (USA)
- Heat 5: Italo Ferreira (BRA), Deivid Silva (BRA),
- Heat 6: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Jeremy Flores (FRA),
- Heat 7: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Caio Ibelli (BRA), Connor O'Leary (AUS)
- Heat 8: Conner Coffin (USA), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), Jack Freestone (AUS)
- Heat 9: Yago Dora (BRA), Ethan Ewing (AUS), Michel Bourez (FRA)
- Heat 10: John John Florence (HAW), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Wade Carmichael (AUS)
- Heat 11: Frederico Morais (PRT), Seth Moniz (HAW), Jack Robinson (AUS)
- Heat 12: Ryan Callinan (AUS), Adriano De Souza (BRA), Peterson Crisanto (BRA)