Two Olympians Take Huge Wins at WSL Vans Jack’s Surfboards Pro

Originally posted on Outdoors on SI | By Maria Aldrich | Last updated Apr 8, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The World Surf League (WSL) Vans Jack's Surfboards Pro graced the Huntington Beach community in California over the weekend. As always, the athletes shone while shredding the waves. This event marked the eighth annual Vans Jack's event at the beach where, in previous years, big-name surfers have taken center stage, including Caitlin Simmers, Nat Young and Kirra Pinkerton.

With the 2025 event now behind us, it's time to unpack all the success and stories that unfolded during the awesome competition. Two Olympic athletes, Lucca Mesinas from Peru and Sanoa Dempfle-Olin from Canada stole the spotlight with extraordinary performances that yielded victories.

During the final round, Mesinas went head-to-head against American surfer Taro Watanabe, who earned a 12.93. However, it just wasn't enough to defeat Mesinas, who landed a 13.04 after his heat scores 7.17 and 5.87.

"It feels amazing. That was a really crazy ending there and I was really nervous if it was going to be the score for Taro or not," said Mesinas, per Jake Howard of SURFER Magazine. "I had priority in the wave before and even though they could be small they can be good sometimes so when I saw him going on that wave I just thought oh no. I really enjoy the place and I'm really happy to go back-to-back."

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Dempfle-Olin dominated in the women's event with a whopping 12.84 from heat scores of 7.17 and 5.67, and defeated American Ella McCaffray, who landed a 3.17 - good for second place.

"I was super happy to get a podium to start the year, and then to win feels good," said Dempfle-Olin, further reported by Howard. "Winning a QS 4,000 going into the Challenger Series helps me feel confident. My biggest win so far was in Pismo so this is amazing."

Mesinas has years of experience, but Dempfle-Olin is a younger competitor. However, as we've seen, age isn't a significant factor in talent in the surf world. She has the natural skill and passion to thrive in her sport. Dempfle-Olin and Mesinas set high standards for themselves and their fellow athletes. Time will tell if the duo can keep up the momentum.

This article first appeared on Outdoors on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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