- Rounds 3 and 4 lock in the top 24 competitors on a day with perfect conditions and heavy maneuvers.
NITERÓI, RIO DE JANEIRO (May 24, 2026) – After yesterday’s massive, heavy swell, things calmed down quite a bit this morning at the beautiful Itacoatiara beach. The smaller, more manageable conditions were the perfect setup for the tour leaders to find their positioning and pull off their best tricks.
Today marked the highly anticipated debut of the IBC World Tour Top 16, who went head-to-head against the 16 qualifiers from the trials in Rounds 3 and 4, putting on a world-class show.
Round 3: The Heavy Hitters Set the Pace
In this non-elimination round, the world’s best battled it out to skip straight to Round 5. The top two from each heat advanced directly, while third and fourth place were sent to the repechage round for another shot.
• Tristan Roberts (South Africa): The current IBC rankings leader was the standout rider of the day. Linking up two crazy waves with barrels and rolls, he locked in the highest scores of the day (a 9.00 and an 8.10) for a massive 17.10 total. Roberts, who is fresh off back-to-back wins in Morocco and Chile, proved he is in peak form and has a real shot at clinching the world title right here in Brazil. Right behind him was Frenchman Louka Zaninotto, the reigning Junior World Champ.
• Moisés Silva (Chile): Proved once again he’s in insane shape, advancing with the second-highest total of the day (15.50 points) and cementing his spot as one of the most dangerous riders in these conditions.
• Sócrates Santana (Brazil): Was another hometown hero today, racking up 15.25 points. He stoked out the crowd with a barrel-to-backflip combo (scoring an 8.25) and backed it up with a heavy backflip and roll on his second wave.
• Lucciano Campos (Peru): The current world No. 1 in the Junior Division proved he can hold his own with the big dogs, taking first in his heat ahead of established elites like Gabriel Braga and young gun Joaquín Soto.
• Isaías Ravyc (Brazil): Just like last year, he looked totally in sync with the Itacoatiara wave, taking first place in his heat and avoiding the elimination round entirely.
• Armide Soliveres (Canary Islands) & Uri Valadão (Brazil): The 2024 World Champ and defending Itacoatiara Pro winner put on a masterclass, showing off his flawless technique. In that same heat, local legend and former world champ Uri Valadão locked down second place after getting the crowd on their feet with a deep left-hand barrel.
• Gabriel Castro (Brazil): Shined in the air, landing a massive inverted air that the judges rewarded with a 7.50.
• Chari Badr Eddine (Morocco): Last year’s breakout rider proved he belongs at the top, winning his heat thanks to a flawless right-hand backflip with a heavy landing.
Round 4: High Drama in the Repechage
Riders who fell short in Round 3 got one last chance to stay alive in the main event during a high-stakes repechage round.
• Sergio Machado (Brain) & Hugo Naude (South Africa): Put on the most competitive and thrilling heat of the round. Both did an incredible job to squeeze into the top 24. Naude also walked away with the wave of the day—a super deep barrel that scored a 9.00.
• Michaell Yancce (Peru): The former Junior World Champ brought his A-game to take first, with Spain’s Lionel Medina following closely in second.
• Cristopher Bayona (Peru) & Mikelle Arriagada (Chile): The Peruvian looked incredibly solid to win his heat, with the young Chilean right behind him. Both made it clear that Latin America’s next generation is coming in hot.
• Matías Díaz (Chile): The veteran rider put on a clinic, securing his spot in first place after dropping a spectacular backflip. Second place went to Tahiti’s Tahiri Tehei, who once again wowed everyone with his trademark radical style.
Next Call
Event organizers have scheduled the next call for Tuesday, May 26, at 6:30 AM local time. The contest is entering the business end with the top 24 athletes on the planet ready to face off in 3-man heats—a fast-paced format that guarantees an awesome show for the fans and a smooth flow for the riders.
Live Stream: You can catch all the action from the Itacoatiara Pro 2026 live on the official streaming platform at: www.ibcworldtour.com
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