Jackson Bunch takes provisional Challenger Series lead with highest score on Day 2 of Competition

The Banco do Brasil São Sebastião Pro continued on Tuesday with the Men’s Round of 64 at Praia de Maresias on the coast of São Paulo. Stop No. 3 of the World Surf League (WSL) 2026 Challenger Series (CS) brings some of the world’s best surfers to the region through Oct. 3. This marks the first time São Paulo has hosted a Challenger Series event. The next call is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 a.m. local time, with a possible 7:35 a.m. start.

Men’s Round of 64 Completes 16 Heats at Maresias Beach

Competition at the Banco do Brasil São Sebastião Pro resumed on Tuesday following two consecutive lay days due to inconsistent conditions, while entertainment and activations continued on shore. The Men’s Round of 64 featured 16 four-surfer heats, each lasting 35 minutes.

The morning began with softer waves in the one-to-two-foot range with larger sets. As the day progressed, the dropping tide and more favorable winds improved conditions over the sandbanks at Maresias. The matchups featured some of the sport’s leading names, with valuable points on the line in the race to qualify for the Championship Tour (CT).

Bunch Posts an 8.83 to Take the Lead in the Live CS Rankings

Despite the small conditions and the strategic demands of managing priority, Jackson Bunch (HAW) made the most of his opportunity to deliver the standout performance of the event so far. Bunch entered the day ranked No. 2 on the Challenger Series behind Weslley Dantas (BRA). Early in Heat 5, he found a wave that allowed him to link six powerful maneuvers for an 8.83, the first excellent-range score of the event. Backed up by a 6.17, the score secured his place in the Round of 32 alongside Lennix Smith (AUS), who advanced in second despite posting a 7.17.

Bunch won one of the day’s most competitive heats, eliminating Shion Crawford (HAW) and Jarvis Earle (AUS), and moved into the provisional lead in the Challenger Series rankings. The result builds on the Hawaiian’s recent momentum following his victory at the REMA Saquarema Surf Festival, a QS 6,000 International event held in Saquarema earlier this September.

“The waves are small, but when they come through, they’re really fun. It’s super hard to find the best waves out there. I think I got lucky because the other competitors were sitting farther outside, and I thought the inside was breaking a little better. Luckily, the wave opened up and let me surf it as well as I could.”

Reflecting on his recent results and the experience he gained on the Championship Tour, Bunch emphasized the lessons he has taken from the season:

“Everything is a learning experience for me. All the experience I had on the CT, and all the losses I’ve had in QS and Challenger events. Of course, coming off that win in Saquarema gives me more momentum to keep going in this event,” Bunch told the WSL. He also posted the day’s highest heat total, a 15.00.

Banco do Brasil São Sebastião Pro Results and Upcoming Matchups

Men’s Round of 64 Results
HEAT 1: Charly Quivront (FRA) 12.83 DEF. Joel Vaughan (AUS) 10.10, Guilherme Ribeiro (POR) 7.76, Oliver Zietz (NLD) 7.60
HEAT 2: Reef Heazlewood (AUS) 12.24 DEF. Jacob Willcox (AUS) 12.20, Rafael Barbosa (BRA) 9.83, Jordan Lawler (AUS) 9.33
HEAT 3: Oscar Berry (AUS) 10.93 DEF. Kade Matson (USA) 10.27, Ben Lorentson (AUS) 10.00, Caleb Tancred (AUS) 9.84
HEAT 4: Shohei Kato (JPN) 11.80 DEF. Douglas Silva (BRA) 10.77, Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 10.06, Vitor Ferreira (BRA) 8.87
HEAT 5: Jackson Bunch (HAW) 15.00 DEF. Lennix Smith (AUS) 13.60, Shion Crawford (HAW) 10.93, Jarvis Earle (AUS) 9.83
HEAT 6: Yago Dominguez (ESP) 11.97 DEF. Lucca Mesinas (PER) 11.17, Luke Thompson (RSA) 11.10, Rylan Beavers (HAW) 8.67
HEAT 7: Ryan Kainalo (BRA) 10.80 DEF. Winter Vincent (AUS) 10.67, Ian Gouveia (BRA) 10.10, Joshua Moniz (HAW) 8.10
HEAT 8: Jake Marshall (USA) 13.66 DEF. Hiroto Ohhara (JPN) 11.20, Rodrigo Saldanha (BRA) 10.60, Mikey McDonagh (AUS) 10.53
HEAT 9: Jack Robinson (AUS) 12.50 DEF. Beyrick De Vries (NLD) 11.43, Hayden Rodgers (USA) 9.94, Riaru Ito (JPN) 8.47
HEAT 10: Deivid Silva (BRA) 10.50 DEF. Kei Kobayashi (JPN) 10.43, Jorgann Couzinet (FRA) 9.57, Gabriel Klaussner (BRA) 6.83
HEAT 11: Mihimana Braye (PYF) 12.24 DEF. Jett Schilling (USA) 11.73, Taro Watanabe (USA) 10.67, Mateus Herdy (BRA) 10.36
HEAT 12: Connor Slijpen (RSA) 12.20 DEF. Alonso Correa (PER) 10.20, Samuel Pupo (BRA) 9.34, Xavier Huxtable (AUS) 8.27
HEAT 13: Alister Reginato (AUS) 12.00 DEF. Eli Hanneman (HAW) 9.53, Lucas Vicente (BRA) 8.93, Taj Lindblad (USA) 4.70
HEAT 14: Levi Slawson (USA) 11.73 DEF. Ian Gentil (HAW) 11.50, Ido Hagag (ISR) 10.66, Josh Burke (BRB) 9.56
HEAT 15: Dimitri Poulos (USA) 14.33 DEF. Adin Masencamp (RSA) 13.60, Weslley Dantas (BRA) 12.10, Teva Bouchgua (MAR) 8.30
HEAT 16: Crosby Colapinto (USA) 12.30 DEF. Owen Moss (USA) 10.90, Michael Rodrigues (BRA) 10.10, Edgard Groggia (BRA) 8.67
 
Upcoming Men’s Round of 32 Matchups
HEAT 1: Charly Quivront (FRA) vs. Reef Heazlewood (AUS) vs. Kade Matson (USA) vs. Douglas Silva (BRA)
HEAT 2: Joel Vaughan (AUS) vs. Jacob Willcox (AUS) vs. Oscar Berry (AUS) vs. Shohei Kato (JPN)
HEAT 3: Jackson Bunch (HAW) vs. Yago Dominguez (ESP) vs. Winter Vincent (AUS) vs. Hiroto Ohhara (JPN)
HEAT 4: Lennix Smith (AUS) vs. Lucca Mesinas (PER) vs. Ryan Kainalo (BRA) vs. Jake Marshall (USA)
HEAT 5: Jack Robinson (AUS) vs. Deivid Silva (BRA) vs. Jett Schilling (USA) vs. Alonso Correa (PER)
HEAT 6: Beyrick De Vries (NLD) vs. Kei Kobayashi (JPN) vs. Mihimana Braye (PYF) vs. Connor Slijpen (RSA)
HEAT 7: Alister Reginato (AUS) vs. Levi Slawson (USA) vs. Adin Masencamp (RSA) vs. Owen Moss (USA)
HEAT 8: Eli Hanneman (HAW) vs. Ian Gentil (HAW) vs. Dimitri Poulos (USA) vs. Crosby Colapinto (USA)
 
Women’s Round of 32 Matchups
HEAT 1: Bella Kenworthy (USA) vs. Amuro Tsuzuki (JPN) vs. Sierra Kerr (AUS) vs. Isla Huppatz (AUS)
HEAT 2: Tya Zebrowski (FRA) vs. Anat Lelior (ISR) vs. Moana Jones Wong (HAW) vs. Kiara Goold (PYF)
HEAT 3: Vahine Fierro (FRA) vs. Sol Aguirre (PER) vs. Charli Hately (AUS) vs. Talia Swindal (USA)
HEAT 4: Brisa Hennessy (CRC) vs. Laura Raupp (BRA) vs. Eweleiula Wong (HAW) vs. Anon Matsuoka (JPN)
HEAT 5: Francisca Veselko (POR) vs. India Robinson (AUS) vs. Eden Walla (USA) vs. Maria Salgado (POR)
HEAT 6: Teresa Bonvalot (POR) vs. Sophie McCulloch (AUS) vs. Lucy Darragh (AUS) vs. Ziggy Aloha Mackenzie (AUS)
HEAT 7: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) vs. Ellie Harrison (AUS) vs. Sophia Medina (BRA) vs. Daniella Rosas (PER)
HEAT 8: Alyssa Spencer (USA) vs. Kirra Pinkerton (USA) vs. Sanoa Dempfle-Olin (CAN) vs. Kana Nakashio (JPN)

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.