Tatiana Weston-Webb and Ethan Ewing Win Corona Open J-Bay

Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) and Ethan Ewing (AUS) won the Corona Open J-Bay on Friday, Stop No. 9 on the World Surf League 2022 Championship Tour, after three days of competition at the world-famous Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

The competition embraced two new winners, Weston-Webb, the first female goofy-foot to claim victory, and Ewing, who earned the first CT win of his career.

Ethan Ewing Wins Maiden CT Title in J-Bay

Ewing had a stellar run through the early rounds in J-Bay, facing major opposition in South African Matthew McGillivray (RSA) and Jordy Smith (RSA) as well as Yago Dora (BRA) to reach his first-ever Final on the CT.

“The stylish regular-foot from Stradbroke Island peaked at the right time on Finals Day where he posted his biggest scores of the event,” according to the WSL. “In his third year on tour, Ewing seems to have finally found his recipe for success as he posts a huge result that will see him move into third on the rankings.”

“I’ve been so inspired by Jack (Robinson) this year, he’s had really an incredible year,” Ewing told the WSL. “I hadn’t had a win yet but coming here I didn’t put any pressure on myself. Jack started well and I tried to keep my composure. I still feel like I had a lot left in my tank, but this event is one of the dream events to win, so it feels incredible.”

“It’s been such a good year for me,” Ewing said. “My first year on tour I got so smoked and last year was kind of a warm-up but I feel like this year I’m really showing my surfing and feeling comfortable. Going to Chopes next, I haven’t spent too much time there but I’m looking forward to the rest of the year.”

Robinson’s sophomore year on tour is described by the WSL as “a dream run,” collecting back-to-back wins in his home state of Western Australia and G-Land, as well as a handful of good results that see him cement his second spot on the rankings and clinch his ticket for the Rip Curl WSL Finals.

“It’s nice to hear that,” Robinson told the WSL. “We keep working for it and trying to get the best position I can, so I’ll keep on working. It felt good to be back in South Africa, I just had a good feeling as soon as I got here.”

Weston-Webb Earns Second CT Win for 2022

Tatiana Weston-Webb of Brazil comes off her strongest showing yet in seven seasons, ranked second in the world in 2021, and trying to make the Top 5 for a fighting chance at the World Title again. 

“I love surfing on my backhand, a lot of people know that, but it’s just been a while since I’ve put it all together and had things go my way,” Weston-Webb told WSL. “This event I just really felt in rhythm and flow and the whole time I was just having a blast, maybe that’s what set me apart.”

Friday’s result will see her move up to third on the rankings before the CT’s final stop.

“We had such perfect waves for this event and I’d like to thank the locals for sharing their lineups with us for a week, it was just phenomenal,” Weston-Webb said. “I’m really excited for Teahupoo but right now I’m just living in the moment here at J-Bay.”

Former J-Bay Winners Moore, Gilmore Drop-out on Finals Day

Wright had previously eliminated the 2018 J-Bay winner and seven-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) in their Semifinal matchup. Gilmore’s wave selection was uncharacteristically off. She eventually ran out of time to try to overcome Wright’s lead and placed equal third but held onto her position as No. 4 on the rankings.

In the second Semifinal, five-time World Champion Carissa Moore of Hawaiʻi made a priority error midway through the heat and with a discarded second score, her mission to overcome Weston-Webb quickly became impossible. Weston-Webb increased her lead and shut down the heat, advancing to the Finals and perhaps got revenge over Moore who defeated her at the Oi Rio Pro. Moore will continue to wear the leader’s yellow jersey heading to the Outerknown Tahiti Pro.

Corona Open J-Bay Women’s Final Results:
1 – Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 17.50
2 – Tyler Wright (AUS) 15.67 

Corona Open J-Bay Men’s Final Results:
1 – Ethan Ewing (AUS) 16.80 
2 – Jack Robinson (AUS) 16.30

Corona Open J-Bay Women’s Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Tyler Wright (AUS) 14.26 DEF. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 11.00
HEAT 2: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 9.60 DEF. Carissa Moore (HAW) 5.50

Corona Open J-Bay Men’s Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Jack Robinson (AUS) 15.80 DEF. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 13.17
HEAT 2: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 17.04 DEF. Yago Dora (BRA) 16.87

Corona Open J-Bay Men’s Quarterfinal Results: 
HEAT 1: Jack Robinson (AUS) 12.83 DEF. Samuel Pupo (BRA) 7.83
HEAT 2: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 15.43 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 15.00
HEAT 3: Yago Dora (BRA) 15.00 DEF. Connor O’Leary (AUS) 10.83
HEAT 4: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 11.50 DEF. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 7.03

The next stop on the 2022 Championship Tour will be the Outerknown Tahiti Pro, which opens on Aug. 11 and holds a waiting period through Aug. 21, 2022. The Outerknown Tahiti Pro will be the final stop on the 2022 CT ahead of the one-day Rip Curl WSL Finals to decide the 2022 World Champions.

The competition will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL app, and on WSL’s YouTube Channel. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners.