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Lakey Peterson and Filipe Toledo have won the 2023 Corona Open J-Bay, Stop No. 9 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2023 Championship Tour (CT), in perfectly groomed, three-to-five foot surf at Supertubes in Jeffreys Bay.
Slightly slower conditions proved challenging for some of the surfers on Finals Day, but the cream rose to the top as the world’s best picked apart the long rights of J-Bay in exciting matchups all day.
Lakey Peterson is officially back to winning form as she claimed a career-fifth event title on the Championship Tour, her first win since 2019. Peterson’s road to the Final in South Africa was anything but a walk in the park as she faced some of the toughest draws this week. She successfully dispatched up-and-coming rookie Caitlin Simmers, former runner-up in the world Caroline Marks, and two-time World Champion Tyler Wright before besting Molly Picklum in the last heat.
Lakey Peterson
Molly Picklum came firing right out of the gates in 2023 with renewed confidence after a short-lived first CT season last year. She finally broke her Quarterfinal exit trend in South Africa when she defeated the eight-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore before advancing past Carissa Moore into the Final
Molly Picklum
In the Final, a tough start with multiple falls and minor scores didn’t stop the American from believing and the powerful regular foot came back in the fight midway through with a 6.27 before catching the best wave of the heat with an excellent 8.50 that secured her victory.
The reigning World Champion and current rankings leader Filipe Toledo continued to demonstrate his superiority with a near-perfect display of progressive, technical surfing in the Final against defending event winner Ethan Ewing. The result marks the Brazilian’s 15th CT win and the third at the famed South African point break after back-to-back wins in 2017 and 2018.
Filipe Toledo
The defending event winner in South Africa, Ethan Ewing reached the Final again on a tricky day, only to be denied a second win by an untouchable Toledo. The North Stradbroke Island surfer’s clean, powerful carves once again scored high as he defeated the likes of Jordy Smith, Connor O’Leary and Gabriel Medina on his way to the Final.
Ethan Ewing
His third win in 2023 further cemented Toledo’s spot atop the rankings as the tour heads to the last event of the season before the Rip Curl WSL Finals. Impeccable on the long rights of J-Bay where he surfed to an incredible 18.76 heat total in the Final, nothing could stop the Brazilian as he peaked right at the perfect time when it mattered most.
Corona Open J-Bay Women’s Final Results:
1 – Lakey Peterson 14.70
2 – Molly Picklum 13.50
Corona Open J-Bay Men’s Final Results:
1 – Filipe Toledo 18.76
2 – Ethan Ewing 12.60
Corona Open J-Bay Women’s Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Lakey Peterson 11.47 defeated Tyler Wright 10.00
HEAT 2: Molly Picklum 10.00 defeated Carissa Moore 9.40
Corona Open J-Bay Men’s Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Ethan Ewing 13.50 defeated Gabriel Medina 12.04
HEAT 2: Filipe Toledo 15.33 defeated Kanoa Igarashi 10.50
Photos by Alan van Gysen and Beatriz Ryder / WSL.
