George Pittar and Lakey Peterson Win the Margaret River Pro

But the men's final was the main event and a day that George Pittar will never forget: his first-ever CT win at the expense of one 3x World Champ, Gabriel Medina.

Conditions on Finals Day were clean and glassy, but the ocean wasn't exactly firing. Waves were smaller and sometimes gutless, making it a cerebral, tactical heat rather than a showcase of raw firepower. In those conditions, where good waves are few and far between, mistakes cost you.

George Pittar got the first high score with a 6.17 on his opening wave, but missed his second and handed priority back to Medina who already had two backup scores. Gabriel responded with a 6.83 to take the lead, cool and composed, exactly what you'd expect. For a moment it looked like the Medina comeback narrative was writing itself.

Then Medina paddled into a wave he didn't want, pulled back, and surrendered priority. Pittar didn't miss a beat and pounced on the very next wave. The resulting ride — a 9.00 — was the decisive score of the heat (and the highest score of the event), and from that moment the momentum never shifted back.

George Pittar must have woke up with an appetite for Brazilian food because he won the Western Australia Margaret River Pro by eating up Brazzo heavies. First, it was Yago Dora, the defending world champion. Then Italo Ferreira, the fierce bulldog of a surfer who's also a world title holder. Finally, it was Gabriel Medina, the three-time champion making his long-awaited return to the tour. Three Brazilian world champions, eliminated one by one, by an Australian surfer on home turf. I imagine the pints are going down real smooth tonight in West Oz.

In tricky, unforgiving conditions where patience and precision mattered more than power, Pittar read the ocean better than anyone, struck when it counted, and walked away with the result. He surfed like he was in his own backyard.

For Medina, a runner-up finish in just his second event back from a torn pectoral muscle is hardly a defeat, he's already well-positioned in the 2026 title race and just getting warmed up. But today belonged to Pittar.

Two events in, the Championship Tour has its first Australian winner of the season and a leaderboard that's wide open. With the next event window running from May 1-11, let's see what happens on the Gold Coast.