[rock music playing]
I love surfing.
It's my life, and it's my favorite thing in the world.
I am Ēwelei'ula Wong. I am 19 years old.
I am native Hawaiian and a competitive professional surfer.
[crowd cheers]
[announcer] Ēwe Wong looking loose and radical.
[all cheering]
Ēwe Wong drills it again.
[Ēwelei'ula] I learned a lot about what it means
to be in the world of pro surfing.
[girl] Ēwe!
She got a pep in her step!
[Ēwelei'ula] A ton of support.
Ride. Ride!
[Ēwelei'ula] Training.
and ohana in my corner has gotten me through many competitions.
[announcer] Ēwe Wong.
[cheers and applause]
[Ēwelei'ula] Bringing me closer to my dream of becoming world champion.
I think you're gonna, like, have the coolest trajectory to watch.
-I'm stoked for you. -Thank you.
Bye, ohana.
[Ēwelei'ula] And now, for the first time ever,
I'll be taking on the international stage
on the Challenger Series without my mom
or my hoi crew with me.
However, this season, I've gotten to know a group of women
from all around the world, and we formed a strong support system.
[Tasha] The Challenger Series is the battlefield.
A lot of champions from around the world competing.
And that's just what makes it so exciting.
Every heat is red-hot.
[Ēwelei'ula] There's 48 women from around the world competing,
and only top five get a chance at becoming the next world champion.
[Sophia] My brother Gabriel
was the first Brazilian to become a world champ.
But I want to be known as Sophia,
not just Gabriel's little sister.
I just want to write my own history.
I see myself as an inspiration for my country.
[Jessie] My family feels strongly
that surfing is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.
So, my parents are doing everything they can
to support me financially to surf.
[Francisca] People joking, calling me "the bull."
They think that in the water I look like a bull.
[Ēwelei'ula] In 2022, I felt the rush
of being crowned the World Junior Champion.
Now I want to ride that wave to become world champion
at the highest level.
Being Hawaiian and ʻŌlelo, that's part of my identity.
I am pursuing surfing as a cultural practice.
My goal is to make the world tour and also represent Hawaii.
[Jessie] There's six events on the Challenger Series.
The Challenger Series is so stacked.
It's 48 of the top surfers from every region,
and every is a fight for everyone's lives.
The Challenger Series is a whole different beast to the qualification gate.
The stakes are higher, the pressure's higher.
You need to be top five to make the Championship Tour.
[Jessie] Obviously, that factors into every surfer's mind
because that is the highest level of achievement.
[Ēwelei'ula] This season's competition is tougher than ever,
and with only the top five spots up for grabs,
it's truly anyone's game.
I'm ready to do what I need to do to win a world title.
We had a dynasty with Steph Gilmore, Tyler Wright, and Carissa Moore.
They've dominated world titles for over a decade.
But I see change in the air
with this new generation of women's professional surfing.
[funky beach music playing]
[Travis] We're in Ballito.
This is the third stop on the Challenger Series.
This is a super important event.
We only count the best four results out of six,
and this is the halfway mark.
A lot of surfers haven't had great results in the first two in Australia.
So this is kind of it for them. They need to start climbing up the ranks.
[Jessie] Ballito's a very high-quality wave.
It's very heavy and can be pretty dangerous.
It breaks into a very shallow sandbank and then a few rocks.
So there's a lot of risk, and injuries can happen.
[Ēwelei'ula] Last year, the waves were definitely sizable
and we were breaking boards during free surf.
Also, South Africa is known for having sharks.
[Jessie] I love the spirit in South Africa. So much love, so much life.
The greatest food, the best of surf.
You can do everything all in one place.
-Hi, babe. -Hi, Mom.
How are you doing?
I'm good.
How's it been traveling without Mommy?
Especially on the really long plane.
Yeah, I know. I, like, barely slept that flight
because I was, like, stressed about...
getting around
'cause I didn't have to worry about anything last year
because you were here.
It's a good growing, learning experience,
and I feel confident you can handle it.
Yeah, me too.
How about the time difference? Are you getting used to it?
Yeah, slowly.
It's pretty hard.
-[tap water running] -I mean, yeah, 12 hours is...
as bad as it gets.
No, for sure, that's a long time.
So how are you feeling about the contest coming up?
Ēwe, his is stop three.
You definitely are doing better than you were last season.
You look much more comfortable on heats than you did before.
You seem more confident.
Yeah, I mean, I'm excited.
The last two events went a lot better than they did last year,
so I feel a lot better about that.
The goal is to get a good result at this one, right?
Yeah, I really want to drop one of my Australia events.
First stop on the Challenger was Australia
at Snapper and Narrabeen.
In both events I ended up making a heat.
I think you've made a lot of improvements since last season.
[Ēwelei'ula] Although I felt really good about my surfing,
results-wise it wasn't the best.
And you can only drop two events.
If you can get a good result at this contest,
it'll be a good setup for the rest of the events.
[in Hawaiian] My name is Ēwelei'ula Wong.
I am 19 years old.
[in English] I'm from Hawaii, and this is my second year
on the Challenger Series.
My first year was definitely very challenging.
[announcer 1] We're at the Ballito Pro.
Ēwe Wong looking to advance.
[suspenseful music playing]
[announcer 2] Not the strongest turn of the heat so far.
Kept losing first round, and I kind of got stuck in that.
-[announcer 2] Oh! Another little error.
[Ēwe] It was very discouraging,
and I had a really hard time getting out of that.
I wasn't really happy with myself
and my surfing.
My mindset was the biggest challenge to overcome.
So far this year, I already feel so much better and stronger mentally.
This is my first year traveling by myself without my mom.
I really like my mom being by my side,
but I also like having the independence.
I do want to work on my competition surfing.
I feel a lot more confident just free surfing,
but I want to start surfing, like, myself in competition.
I get performance anxiety when I'm chasing scores
Surfing is such an individual sport
that every decision you make comes with a lot of pressure.
If I'm gonna have a future in professional surfing,
I need to learn how to overcome that anxiety.
[Lu'ukia on phone] Stay focused and keep progressing,
and make sure your head is in the right place.
-Yeah. -You know, just keep-- Keep that up.
Yeah, I feel a lot more confident,
so probably go for another surf later on today.
Good.
We miss you.
I miss you too.
I'll be watching.
Bye.
[upbeat pop music playing]
[Ēwelei'ula] Wow. This is so hard. Like, I don't even know where to start.
[Sophia] I say salad.
[all laugh]
Thank you.
[Sophia] Do you guys usually have these, like, for lunch
before you guys leave?
-Yeah. -[Sophia] Yeah?
In Brazil, we also have, like, some beans, too.
We eat beans at lunch.
The food in Brazil is really good. Would you like some?
Yes, thank you.
[Sophia] Oh!
Pumpkin.
[all laugh]
[Jessie] This is so fun.
I don't know if it's for you guys too,
but surfing used to be super social at that young age.
And then as you get older, like your friend group,
some of them stop surfing, and then you have to, like,
find new friends that live internationally.
We see each other six times a year. We don't see each other that often.
And then it's kind of pretty lonely.
It is.
So how old were you when you learned to surf?
-Seven years old when I started surfing. -Me too.
Really? Yeah, my parents surf.
It's so sick. Like, surfing with my mom.
Wait, your mom surfed?
Yeah, my mom was one of the first Portuguese women surfing...
-Wow. -...in Portugal.
That's special.
[Jessie] How long have each of you been on the challenges?
[Ēwelei'ula] This is my second year.
This is my third year.
-My third. -[Jessie] Okay.
So, yeah, we're all still newish to the challenges,
compared to some of those girls that, like, you...
-[Ēwelei'ula] Been doing it for a while. -Yeah.
You've all seen for years and years on the challenges.
I remember when I was younger, watching heats with them in them.
Yeah, and now you're, like, competing against them.
Yeah.
My name's Jessie Van Niekerk.
I'm 22 years old.
I'm from Cape Town, South Africa.
I was raised on the beach from a very young age
and started surfing around the age of five,
and did my first competition when I was about six years old.
My parents saw that my brother and I just clicked straightaway
into the ocean and into surfing,
and that we loved it and we were super competitive.
So they just kept feeding us what we were loving.
The girls who surf in South Africa, they are usually very gnarly,
very hardcore and tough people.
So it produces very good surfers.
I think what sets me apart from other competitors
is the support that I have from my parents.
My dad is my coach.
He has been my coach the last, like, 15 years.
We are so close, and it just makes things so good
having him because he knows me so well.
I do take it seriously as like a job because it's always been our lifestyle,
and my parents had a vision of: if it's what you love,
then why would you go any other way?
I'm currently right at the bottom of the rankings on the Challenger Series
because I've had two first-round knockouts so far
in the first two events of the year.
So there's no more throwaway results. I can't lose another first round.
I need to make every first year and beyond.
Testing, one, two.
[upbeat pop music playing]
[announcer] The Challenger Series touches down in Africa.
Welcome to the Ballito Pro,
where the best aspirant surfers from across the planet
will be looking to put in big performances.
Tide's coming in, so you're gonna have to move.
You're gonna have to be mobile. And you've been sitting deep.
The shallower you sit, the better you can see what's going on
and then you can move deeper, but it's not a problem.
Kay.
[woman] Each contest on the Challenger Series starts with 48 women
progressing through rounds of 48, 32, 16, and finals.
Advancing improves your chances of finishing in the top five,
and securing a spot on the Championship Tour.
This event last year, I made three heats,
which is what I hope to get to this year.
Have fun.
Everyone's pushing to make rounds here, so everyone's very focused.
I haven't even made a heat this year,
so to make a heat at Ballito would be definitely a good breakthrough.
It's gonna be a very "heated" event.
But the focus right now is Ballito,
stop number three on the Challenger Series.
[announcer 1] Looks like we got our first wave of the event.
We're up and going.
It is Ēwe Wong.
Turns beautifully.
Good job, babe.
[announcer 1] It's Jessie Van Niekerk. Still no ride from her.
What's she thinking? She's being too selective?
I think she's identified, Greg, that sitting out there
and waiting for the perfect little triangle to come through,
that's not gonna happen.
At the moment, Ēwe Wong with the lead.
Look at this. Open left-hander.
And a combo of moves.
[announcer 2] Opening up with that first score, 3.2.
-She's in the game. She's in the heat.
It's so tight out there.
[horn blows]
[Tasha] We are still waiting for a last score to drop in for white.
We saw last of green come in at a 5.93,
but last of white is 6.07.
Jessie Van Niekerk moving up to first place.
You made it.
What a relief.
Sign up again.
I managed to jump up to first right, like, after the buzzer went.
[Ian] That was a game for one.
Unbelievable.
Mom's freaking out right now.
-Yeah! -[Ian laughs]
This is actually my first win on the challenges.
-What's your name? -Oscar.
Oscar. Nice to meet you. I'm Jessie.
Hopefully, I can get some more heats going.
[Tasha] Ēwe Wong in blue, the Hawaiian in second.
[Ēwelei'ula] I made my heat.
Really happy about that because the waves are really grimy and small.
I'm really excited for round two.
Winning my first heat helps calm my nerves and makes me less stressed.
[upbeat pop music playing]
It was a short one for Sophia Medina.
[announcer 1] Medina again.
That was nice, using the rail.
Giving it some back-foot welly and get some nice release as well.
[announcer 2] Really cool to see. She's coming into her own,
and she doesn't really draw any comparisons to her brother.
It's her own unique style.
[announcer 3] Yeah, they surf really different, don't they?
[announcer 1] Sophia Medina with the lead right now.
Oh! Beautiful turn there.
Flaring the tail out for Sophia Medina.
[horn blows]
She never really looked to have her feathers ruffled at all in that heat.
She just looked confident pretty much throughout.
[Sophia] I could see that the judges really like powerful maneuvers.
I got a set, and I only did one turn, and it was a good score.
So now I'm going to the second round,
just like trying to keep the momentum going.
And I'm just feeling confident for my heat.
I'm gonna FaceTime Mom. I'm sure they were watching.
It's nice to know my mom's always watching my heats
on the WSL live broadcast.
She makes me feel confident
and she keeps me on track.
Hi, Mom.
Oh, I like your sweater.
Thanks. It's freezing.
Good job. That was just tough.
You stayed busy, you got a ready start, caught plenty of waves.
Caught a lot of waves
What's your thinking based upon this heat or the next heat?
Staying busy paid off, so I'll probably keep doing that
if the conditions stay the same.
I mean, this heat,
the girl who's staying the most busy is getting the best scores.
-So... -Okay.
Well, just wanted to give you a call after my heat.
[muffled speech over phone]
-Daddy says, "Good job." -Thanks, Dad.
-Okay, love you, sweetheart. -Okay, love you too.
-Bye. -Bye.
[upbeat pop music playing]
[food sizzling]
[Charles, in Portuguese] When the meat is defrosted quickly, it's more tender.
[laughs]
-Really? -Yeah.
[sizzling]
[in English] He always cooks chicken every competition.
He's known-- Like, on the tour,
he's known for cooking chicken and rice.
[in Portuguese] It's always nice to travel with you.
It's great to be on the road with you.
Not every dad gets that privilege.
[Sophia, in Portuguese] I feel like you're more of a dad
than a coach most of the time.
You balance it well.
[both laugh]
[in Portuguese] I am Sophia Medina.
I am 19 years old and I'm from Brazil.
[in English] This is my third year on the Challenger.
Growing up, most of the people in the water...
weren't girls.
It would just be me. And even, like, my wet suit,
was, like, a boy's wet suit.
The moment I knew I wanted to a professional surfer
was when I was ten and I did my first competition
And then I lost.
So that was kind of like,
I don't like losing this.
Like, I want to win a contest.
Since that time,
something changed in my mind.
I was like, I really want to, like,
put everything I have in this.
Hello!
I want to be the first Brazilian female world champion.
My dad now is my coach.
He's an amazing dad and, like, he really supports me.
He's like a best friend, really.
The oldest brother, Gabriel,
is a professional surfer as well.
Since I was little, I used to watch him surfing and winning contests.
He was the first Brazilian to become a world champion.
I always wanted to just not be in his shadow.
I want to write my own history.
Sophia's a real athlete.
She's got the genes. She's got this raw talent.
If Sophia doesn't qualify for the CT this year, it's gonna come soon.
I can see it.
[Sophia] This year, I decided to not compete the QS regionals events.
For me, it's a big risk because on the Challenger Series,
if I don't make it to the top rankings,
if you're not on the top ten,
I will have to do it all again.
And I've never been on the top rankings,
so that's a big risk.
But I feel like I belong here.
I really have faith if I work hard, I will get there.
[Jessie] Let's call Mom.
She's been waiting to hear from us.
[exhales]
-Hi, Mom. -Hello.
-So... -I have to tell you,
your sunshine and palm tree...
-In the backyard. -Ballito's pretty good.
This is the best place for an event in winter.
[Ian] So, number one, we are well.
Um, Jess...
Sorry, we need money. We need cash.
[both laugh]
-Flying on fumes. -Yes.
Fortunately, there's breakfast at the accommodation in the mornings.
That's actually our main meal.
And we have the biggest breakfast they can cook us.
Yeah, well, don't stress. Listen, I will send $200 tonight.
-[Ian] Two hundred dollars? -[Jessie] Thank you.
[Ian] Yeah.
Everyone has obviously got major expenses.
Traveling on tour is expensive.
When you qualify for the Challenger events,
you do earn prize money per round.
And each round it probably doubles, roughly.
So I put pressure on myself to get good results.
I need the prize money to continue to do this.
Some of my QS prize money came through for the local camp,
so I'll book some...
South African local flights to get us to the airport.
And we've already booked our flights onto the US.
Yes, just don't book the flight back to France and then Portugal.
Jess, will that come out of your Ballito money?
[Jessie] Yes. I wish we could fly you out,
I wish we could buy you your...
So, that's the whole deal, is we need to try and get you out here
on tour with Jess.
And sooner rather than later, because...
[Jessie] We are but incomplete. We're struggling without you.
-[Ian] Severely. -You're missed.
You're very missed by everyone.
It would be amazing if you can come back between the US.
Otherwise, you know, 12 months a long time.
-[Ian] Yeah. -So, love you.
-I'll send you that money. -[Jessie] Awesome.
I love you very much.
Speak to you. Speak to you soon.
-Bye. -Bye.
[Jessie] Bye.
[announcer] It's on. Women's round of 32 surfing.
[horn blows]
[Tasha] It's game on.
[announcer] There goes the South African Jessie Van Niekerk.
[Tasha] Yeah, nice turn from Jessie.
[announcer] Lovely pace to the combination for Isabella Nichols.
She's just surfing to the conditions on hand.
South African Jessie Van Niekerk, maybe a little bit of urgency.
Now needs to get the heat moving forward.
They all seem to be struggling a little with the line up this morning.
It's very important for Jess to make her round.
It will do her very, very good to know
that she can actually beat some of the big names.
[announcer] Jessie Van Niekerk will have to find
close to the best wave of the heat,
reaching her requirements of 5.97.
Oh, the South African will not find the number on that.
Back to the drawing board.
[horn blows]
Perhaps not the answer to her requirements of the 5.97.
[dramatic music playing]
I think I got a bit too selective in the second half.
Just turn around and look at that wave.
That wave there is giving the two or three turns.
You were just missing them.
The smaller waves you need to try and go, but go hard.
Yeah.
[waves crashing]
[Francisca] I skipped the round of 48 this time
because I finished 12th in the Challenger Series last year,
and if you're ranked high enough, you get to skip the first round.
[in Portuguese] They were all breaking that way, but they have moved back again.
[in Portuguese] What about the intermediate waves in this set?
You like staying active, so let's keep it active.
[Francisca, in English] I have a surfing coach.
His name is Rodrigo Sousa.
We've known each other since I started surfing,
when I was seven years old.
As a coach, he always kind of did the father part too, in a way,
because when I was nine years old, my parents divorced
and my dad went back to the US,
and I stayed in Portugal with my mom.
He's more than a coach for me.
I want to win the event. I need good results.
And if I want to be on tour, these four events are really important,
and I need the points.
[announcer 1] And a big heat coming your way.
Let's go.
[announcer 2] There goes the World Junior Champion,
Lisbon's Francisca Veselko.
Nice two-ten combo from her.
It's a good start.
You want to start strong, and, you know, the last turn was really strong.
[announcer 1] Nice tight pivot on the first turn for Leilani McGonagle.
She sets the pace for the heat now,
with quite a bit of time still left.
Young Portuguese surfer. Nice, strong surfing.
[announcer 2] Unfortunately, she'll go down.
Let's go. Come on.
[announcer 1] This is an important wave for young Francisca Veselko.
[announcer 2] What's she got here?
[announcer 1] Sweet turn combo for the young Portuguese surfer.
It's game on with 3:20 on the clock.
[man on loudspeaker] Okay, so Francisca Veselko,
there is a score dropping in.
[Rodrigo] Taking so long.
It's bad for the heart.
[man] The loss of blue dropping in at a 7.83
Yeah!
A 7.83.
So, surfers, we have a situation change.
Blue now in the lead.
Red, you are in second.
Red to go, looking for a 6.74.
[announcer 1] Just one snap opportunity there
[man on loudspeaker] We're counting down, in four, three, two...
[in Portuguese] Let's go!
[horn blows]
Yeah! Needed this.
[announcer 1] Quite a performance from the young surfer
from Lisbon, Portugal.
Francisca Veselko, watch for the future for this young lady.
[in Portuguese] I was really nervous.
[in Portuguese] We're here, we accomplished so much!
Good one.
[Tasha, in English] Wow. So, exciting heat.
It was surfer in blue taking the win.
[Francisca] On the first year of the Challenger Series,
I don't even think I made one heat.
I just felt nervous and just getting it a lot in my head.
I've improved a lot since then.
Mentally, I feel strong, so bring it on.
[rock music playing]
This event is really important because although I felt really good
about my first events, the results weren't great.
So if I do want to move up in the rankings,
like, I have to start doing well now.
[horn blows]
[announcer 1] Here goes Wong.
Nice turn.
Ēwe exchanges. Sort of quick wave. A decent one, cut the turns.
Fierro is in rhythm from her nice wall in front of her.
[announcer 2] Ēwe's second wave.
Medium-sized wave. Two nice turns. Good control.
[announcer 1] Riding under the second one. Got some foam on.
She does pretty well just to add a little extra to that.
Well, a little spicy there, huh?
[announcer 1] Meanwhile, Etxabarri.
And that's a bit better from her.
5.93, and jumps up to second.
Wong now in a little bit of trouble.
They're chasing the number, 5.81.
She just needs a little more of an improvement.
This will be Etxabarri here.
She got under control the lineup now.
Particularly control Ēwe Wong. They'll be chasing her down on the 5.81.
As we get to the end of the clock.
[horn blows]
Ugh! Damn.
[Ēwelei'ula] I'm hard on myself when I lose.
I haven't really met any of my expectations.
The biggest challenge that I've faced this year
is just getting out of my own head.
[announcer 1] Here in beautiful Ballito.
It's the round of 32, heat 4.
And here comes Erin Brooks, Zoe Benedetto,
Sophia Medina and Minami Nonaka.
[horn blows]
Sophia Medina off to a quick start.
Zoe Benedetto.
Nice snap for her.
Sophia Medina is in the lead.
Nice big open turn.
She has showed remarkable steps in improving over the last 18 months.
[Tasha] Sophia has been working on her "A" game,
like going to the wave systems
and really trying to figure out that element of her surfing.
[announcer 1] Two-ten combo for Sophia Medina.
Ten minutes to go.
Nonaka, nice and sound fundamentals to that lip line.
We see a new heat leader now.
Slipping under five minutes.
Sophia Medina will just climb up into the lip.
Just keeping that scorecard turning over.
-[horn blowing] -Two surfers advance.
Medina, second place position.
Onto the round of 16.
[uplifting pop music playing]
-[in Portuguese] I didn't think I'd do it! -[in Portuguese] You were in first place.
I hit the water and I thought, "Damn it!"
No, you passed!
Ah!
[Sophia, in English] I'm just glad to make it through.
It was a tough heat, but we made it.
So on to the next round.
[chirping]
-Daughter. -Mother.
Is it going to be fun?
[Ēwelei'ula] My mom is really helpful.
I call my mom every day, and she talks me through things.
So. [sighs]
Thoughts?
What are your thoughts?
You got the first wave. Excellent.
You need to carry that early start momentum through the whole heat.
But you handled yourself with composure.
You didn't seem particularly nervous.
All the things that kind of were in the hang-ups of last year.
-Yeah. -And I think that's, like, a positive
move in a good direction.
It's a learning process.
It's not any kind of indication on your talent.
But you definitely have things that you have to work on,
and you have to decide whether or not you're willing to work on them.
I mean, what are your takeaways?
My surfing felt good.
Like, I didn't feel disconnected.
But I definitely was playing it safe.
I do have a fear of failure.
Um, I feel like I even go into heats,
like, hoping to not lose and just wanting to make it through.
And I'm not thinking about actually winning,
which is part of the mental game
that comes with being a competitive athlete.
Literally, everybody who watches you surf knows what your talent level is.
It's whether or not you're willing to commit
to what it takes to be a competitive surfer.
That is in question.
And it's fine if that's not what you want.
Like, if you want to be a free surfer,
I'll back you 100%.
Like, I think you do all the things for the most part necessary
to be the best surfer that you can be.
I don't think you do all the things that are necessary
to be the best competitor that you can be.
Does that seem like a reasonable sort of assessment?
[Ēwelei'ula] Yeah, that is very reasonable.
I see the other competitors and what they're doing
to be the best competitive surfer that they can be,
and I definitely don't do that.
Like, working out, working with a coach,
all that stuff that typically athletes do.
I guess I do fear that if I do put in all the work
that everyone else does, get a coach,
all that stuff and I still don't do well,
I just feel like I would feel even more not great about myself.
You've got three more contests to go.
That's lots of opportunity
if you want to grasp it.
Yes.
I'm excited for those events.
Okay, well, I will talk to you later.
Have fun. Support your friends if they're still in the contest.
-I love you so much. -Love you too.
Bye, Mom.
[dramatic music playing]
[upbeat pop music playing]
-[Sol] It's firing. -[Francisca] Getting bigger.
You guys want to go surf?
-Maybe after this coffee. -Same.
So are you guys really competitive, like even outside the competition?
[Francisca] Always.
Like, when I was small and I used to play...
Before I started, like, actually surfing,
like, I used to play tennis
-Really? -[Francisca] And before tennis,
I was also, like, in karate.
And I was so competitive.
Like, I have videos of me, like in the karate.
We were just warming up and I was running
trying to be the fastest one.
I'm very competitive, but now I managed
to be a less out of the water
-[Sophia] Yes. -You know?
-[Sophia] You're managing that well. -Yeah.
I never was very competitive, like...
But now I see that I really need to be competitive.
I think it's important to just, like,
now bring that out of the water as well.
Sometimes we surf so much and we compete so much
that you kind of forget, like...
-Why you really want it. -...why you really surf.
Sometimes I'm, like, in the water, like, frustrated.
Or I'm like, I don't want to even be in the water sometimes.
But I'm like, just tired. I'm like, "Ugh, I don't want to..."
I don't want to even surf.
And then I think, like, why am I-- Why am I not happy about it
if this is like what I actually love the most?
But then if I go free-surf with my brother, like,
all those feelings, like, come back
like, "Ah, I love surfing."
[Sophia] I think surfing's very much like that
because, like, everyone has doubts and everyone has days that is just, like--
It's not made for me, or, like, those deep thoughts comes.
[Sophia] When you need to do well,
you automatically put pressure on yourself.
And the mental part is very important.
It's the thing that we all struggle with.
-You lose more than you win. -For sure, 100%.
And all the hard work, you're like-- You lost and you're like,
"Wow, but I'm doing everything right."
I'm doing... I'm surfing so many hours.
Like, I'm going to the gym.
I'm doing all the things I need to do to be a professional surfer.
And when you lose, it's so painful.
[Sophia] There are a lot of mental obstacles in surfing.
We are all fighting the same battles.
We're all losing or winning.
We're all trying to improve.
I just try to do everything I can to be in a good mindset.
When you win, it's like it's all worth it.
Introducing heat number one, round of 16 for the Women's Division.
[announcer 1] The World Surf League's Challenger Series
gearing up for a day of competition.
This is the round before the quarterfinals.
[Sophia] In this contest, you got to be careful about your choices.
You need also to get waves.
And some people really, like, just wait for so long.
And maybe you won't get that wave you're waiting for
because here is very inconsistent,
and you've got to take any opportunity you have.
[announcer 1] Our first round of 16 heat.
[announcer 2] You've got to have different strategies
once you are person on person.
You're only focusing on one other athlete.
[announcer 1] It's time to get this contest underway for the day.
[announcer 2] It's gonna be a very exciting heat.
Let's have a look at Sierra Kerr, if she could belt anything of her own.
There she goes into the lip.
[suspenseful music playing]
Straight back, Sophia Medina.
So both surfers just striking the lip.
Front-foot surfing from her,
and she gets into another quick two-ten combo.
Big smile on her face as well. She's liking that.
[Ēwelei'ula] I think Sophia's a very powerful surfer.
She's getting better at surfing, skill-wise.
I really admire her work ethic and dedication.
[announcer 1] And under priority.
She's just gonna keep that scorecard moving.
And, again, nice, clean combination she's surfing.
Nice and fluid.
Fifteen seconds.
[announcer 1] Young Sierra Kerr will just pack the bags
and just think it's been a--
You can see the visual frustration there.
[horn blowing]
Sophia Medina on her way to the quarterfinals.
[in Portuguese] I thought she might throw an air, you know?
I was like, "She's going for an air, I gotta stop that!"
[in English] Can they take a photo with you?
You're welcome.
[Sophia] Feels so good.
I just can't believe I've been here, like, for the past three years,
just trying to make the round two, and now I'm in the quarterfinals.
That's an amazing feeling.
I'm going for everything.
Like, you know, it's nothing or everything.
Feels so good to be in the quarterfinals for the first time.
Woo!
[announcer 1] Welcome you to the last heat to decide the quarterfinal,
as we greet you with Francisca Veselko,
the young Portuguese surfer, current World Junior Champion,
taking on rising star Bella Kenworthy.
[in Portuguese] You've been surfing nonstop.
Find your spots, be proactive.
You can't control the rest. Control yourself and let it be.
Be proactive, right?
Let's do this.
[horn blows]
[announcer 1] This is the final heat of the round of 16,
as we cut the field in half.
One more surfer to add to the quarterfinals,
and the field at the Ballito Pro will be down to eight.
Big section here for Francisca Veselko.
She is leading this one at the moment.
Come on, Kika.
[announcer 1] That's Bella Kenworthy.
And stick to that, nice and strong.
Softer section,
and incomplete for the young Portuguese surfer Francisca Veselko.
It's not a great run.
She just needs to find one section to hit hard and get the seven points.
[announcer 1] Nothing really standing out at us yet in the final heat
before the quarterfinals get underway.
[announcer 2] Getting scores is not-- because you've got a lot
of these one-maneuver waves.
But that's a little bit of an opportunity lost.
[announcer 1] Number in favor of Bella Kenworthy,
and that exchange brings her into the lead.
Ten and a half on the clock.
Ah, this might be a good one.
[announcer 2] This first-- lots of spray off that.
And then a little sniff there,
but a bit indecisive with that oncoming section and what to do.
[announcer 2] Bella Kenworthy looking to hold on to this lead here.
She's certainly trying to nudge her scorecard ahead of herself.
Under 90 seconds remaining.
[announcer 1] Can the young Portuguese surfer
find the opportunity for the number?
A bump approaches, but the clock is on the countdown.
It looks like the clock may just beat the opportunity
for Francesca Veselko to find another ride.
-[horn blows] -And that is gonna be the story.
[sighs]
So... so unfortunate.
[in Portuguese] I tried to pick up speed with the closeout wave.
Be proud.
It wasn't there.
Look ahead.
[Francisca, in English] It's tough. This is my third year on the Challenger.
It's a learning process, but maybe I'm just getting ahead of myself
and I just want to qualify so bad.
And it's hard like...
not having the results.
I don't know how to explain it.
[upbeat pop music playing]
Let's call big brother.
[in Portuguese] Let's call Bi.
-Hey, Bi! -What's up, little one?
[laughs]
Were you sleeping?
Uh, no.
[both laugh]
[Gabriel chuckles]
[in English] Good job. You made a heat.
-Thank you. -Tomorrow, you're gonna make again.
Hopefully, the waves are better.
[Sophia] Yes, hopefully.
It was so nice because, this heat, I waited for the right wave.
That's-- That's a good sign.
-[Charles laughs] -Yeah.
-Let's try to improve. -[Sophia] Yes.
If I could ask you one advice
you would give me here for my next heat.
Yeah, follow your heart
and enjoy your time in the water.
Surf is so fun, and you love it.
Uh, you know Dad is there on the beach.
-Yes. -Go surf for him.
[Sophia] Yes. I'll do that.
Tomorrow, I'm gonna be rooting for you here.
Thank you, my brother.
[Charles, in Portuguese] Kisses Bi, I love you!
I'll sleep some more.
-[Sophia] Always sleeping. -Love you guys! Smash it, okay?
[Sophia] Love you so much, Bi!
[Gabriel] I love you too. Take care.
-[Sophia] Love you too. -I love you!
[Sophia, in English] Oh, I miss him.
[in Portuguese] Talking to Mom and Bi is hard because now I miss them even more.
[in English] You miss more when you speak more.
-It's real, yeah. -But we have each other.
Yeah.
Sacrifices we make.
-Very good. -Yeah, we're here.
-Let's make it worth it. -Yeah.
[announcer 1] Welcome to quarterfinals stage of competition.
Eight ladies remain in these surfer-on-surfer heats.
[Sophia] Today's a big day.
I haven't been to quarterfinals yet.
I've come this far.
Quarterfinals, it's a really good spot to be.
My strategy is just focusing and believing
that I can adapt
and really improvise out there.
[announcer 1] Sophia Medina taking on Ellie Harrison.
[horn blows]
Here it goes.
Yeah, look at this quick start there, Medina.
So, clear statement from her.
Harrison...
[announcer 2] Ellie really utilizing a good bottom turn there.
Putting a lot of board on the rail.
[announcer 1] Medina again off the bottom.
Snaps one.
And pushing hard here.
Another hit off the rail.
Try to get the third turn in and it wasn't really there.
Time check, eight minutes.
[announcer 2] Ellie also this wave, a little bit bigger now.
What's gonna happen on the inside?
Very similar to her last wave.
But that one she just goes up a little bit late.
[announcer 1] Four on the clock.
Medina, nice turn.
Still a tight heat, though. A tight contest.
Harrison having a look at that.
Here she goes.
Nice first turn.
She'll still be chasing Medina now with priority.
Final minute here. Crucial wave.
This one, Medina will take this, and bang.
Drifts a nice turn off the top.
And a smile from her.
I think she's just kind of saying, "What else can I do?"
[horn blows]
[upbeat music playing]
[indistinct chatter]
Just can't believe I'm in the semifinals of the Challenger Series.
And I take every advice my brother and my Dad give to me.
I tell him, "We're going to do this."
And he's like, "Yes, we are. I know that already. We're doing it."
It's quarterfinals and then semifinals.
And then let's hope for the final.
Whoo!
[upbeat music swelling]
Last year, I came here every single day with my mom.
-Wow. You came with your mom? -Yeah.
Here? You guys had that?
-I had that. -Oh.
So good.
[Ēwelei'ula] I needed this.
I met Sophia, like, six or seven years ago.
She's always been super cool and sweet.
We're very supportive of each other.
It's nice to talk to someone about the struggles
of competing and being on the Challenger.
-So you surfed yesterday? -Yeah.
[Ēwelei'ula] The first heats are the hardest.
After I, like, made it past the...
-Then you're just like-- -Yeah.
-I'm like, okay, I'm happy. -Yes.
That is true. You're already satisfied.
-Yeah. -Yes.
Do you have, like, sometimes you have a bad surf
-and you're just like... -Yes.
And it dictates my mood for the rest of the day.
I used to do well with the loss.
Like, I lost. Okay, I'll get better and better.
But then, like, the last couple events that I lost at home,
it was really hard to deal.
Like, I don't know.
Sometimes you're even more experienced, but somehow, the losses are just...
-Really hard. -Yes.
-Especially the regional ones too. -Mm-hmm.
Those 30-minutes heat,
sometimes we think it means that we're like-- It means everything.
-Like life or death. -Yes, exactly.
But I think it's good to be a little hard on yourself sometimes,
-because that's when you get better. -Right, for sure.
So, like, if you're always like, "Oh, that's okay."
-It won't go... -You can't be complacent.
-You have to push yourself. -Yes. Yes, exactly.
Surfing and competing really teaches you how to be resilient...
True.
...and overcome adversity.
Yes. And I think, like, the ones that are most strong and stay
and is very, like, resilient are the ones that are gonna get there.
I agree.
This year, I'm really trying to...
if I do have a bad result, try to push it aside
and just enjoy where I am.
Yes. I really get that that.
-That's like... -Power of the mind.
Power of the mind, yeah.
[both laughing]
[suspenseful music playing]
[Tasha] So we have under ten minutes to start, surfers.
Under ten minutes to start.
It is finals day here at the 2024 Ballito Pro.
It's a big semifinal to start.
Vahiné Fierro against Sophia Medina.
So find your seats in the sand
and let's watch some exciting surfing here.
[rock music playing]
[horn blowing]
[announcer 1] Let's check out semifinal number one.
Vahiné Fierro of France taking on Sophia Medina from Brazil.
[announcer 2] Oh, gets this layback. Very quick start here for Sophia.
[announcer 1] Fierro off the bottom. Bang.
There's that radical approach.
Medina has got a lead early on in this.
There's a slightly safe finish.
Oh, she gets washed over the rock.
That isn't safe.
Wow.
[announcer 2] She has been smashed on those rocks.
[announcer 1] Sophia Medina.
[announcer 2] Definitely pain on the back there.
[announcer 1] Oh no. This is not good.
[Ēwelei'ula] I want to be a world champion surfer,
and the only way to do that is to win.
[woman] You draw so much from your ohana, from your family, from the ocean.
Take that power and be like, "Ah!"
[laughs]
[announcer] Kika.
[Ēwelei'ula] Three stops left on the Challenger tour.
[announcer] Hits it off the lip.
-[cheering] -[man] Love it, love it.
[Ēwelei'ula] That's three chances that could make or break
-my surfing career... -[announcer] This heat's fired up.
[Ēwelei'ula] ...and my championship dreams.
[announcer] That's a great combo.
Oh, that was nice!
[exclaiming]
[Jessie] I'm here to collect some prize money. Also...
[announcer] Okay, so now we're on.
Everything matters. I'm not here just for fun.
[speaking in foreign language]
You guys are awesome people to hang out with.
[girl 1] Despite the incredible highs...
I'm happy. [laughs]
[announcer] Oh, no.
[girl 2] ...and the devastating lows.
[man] ...just made a mistake.
[Sophia] ...I've got to stay focused and keep my head in the game.
Obviously, I have a lot of things to work on.
Challenger isn't just something you breeze through.
Everything in surfing is such a fine line.
-Don't overthink it, be instinctive. -Yeah.
But then also, like, you want to be focused
and use your brain.
[Ēwe] This isn't just about a trophy.
I really want to qualify for the tour.
This is my life.
We're just fighting for a spot on the world tour.
-See you in the heat. -See you in the heat.
[upbeat pop music playing]
[percussive music playing] you in the heat.