Cloudbreak, Fiji — September 3, 2026 — The 2026 Fiji Pro reached its conclusion at Cloudbreak with two very different finals, as Cole Houshmand secured the men’s title over Gabriel Medina while Erin Brooks claimed her second consecutive Championship Tour victory after Isabella Nichols was forced to withdraw from the women’s final.
In pumping six-to-eight-foot Cloudbreak, the men’s final delivered a dramatic conclusion. Medina, a three-time World Champion, opened the decisive heat with a ride that would define the contest — a perfect 10, threading a deep barrel through the reef.
Houshmand, however, refused to be unsettled.
The Californian built his scoreline with an 8.50 followed by an 8.37, giving him a winning total of 16.87. Medina’s perfect 10 was backed by a 5.17, leaving him on 15.17 at the final horn.
The result marked a significant turnaround for Houshmand. After struggling through the opening rounds of the season, including six first-round exits, he produced one of the most important runs of his campaign at Cloudbreak. His route to the title included a quarterfinal victory over reigning World Champion Yago Dora, before overcoming Medina in the final.
For Medina, the defeat came despite one of the most spectacular rides of the event. Needing a substantial score late in the final, the Brazilian found the barrel he needed and received a unanimous 10.00. It briefly changed the complexion of the final, but Houshmand’s earlier scores proved enough to withstand the challenge.
The runner-up finish nevertheless strengthened Medina’s position in the Championship Tour standings. He moved into fourth, with his campaign for a fourth World Championship continuing into the remaining events of the season.
The women’s competition ended without a final being surfed.
Erin Brooks advanced to the scheduled final after defeating five-time World Champion Carissa Moore 11.84–9.97 in the semifinals. Her opponent, Australia’s Isabella Nichols, was unable to compete after suffering a ligament injury.
That made Brooks the 2026 Fiji Pro women’s champion, adding another title to the Tahiti victory she secured only weeks earlier.
The 19-year-old’s Fiji campaign had begun with one of the event’s defining performances: a perfect 10 and an 18.00 heat total. She carried that momentum through the later rounds before completing a remarkable back-to-back run of Championship Tour victories.
Brooks’ consecutive victories also transformed her position in the season rankings, moving her into eighth place after what she described as a difficult start to the season.
For Nichols, the injury brought an unfortunate end to an otherwise outstanding Fiji campaign. She had reached the final after producing one of the standout performances of Finals Day, but ultimately made the decision not to enter the water in the heavy Cloudbreak conditions.
The 2026 Fiji Pro delivered exactly what Cloudbreak is known for: powerful reef waves, deep barrels and a stage where a single ride can change the entire contest.
Houshmand’s composure ultimately earned him the men’s crown, while Medina’s perfect 10 became one of the defining images of the event.
For Brooks, Fiji represented the continuation of an extraordinary run — two consecutive CT victories in the South Pacific, establishing the teenager as one of the season’s most significant emerging forces.
The Championship Tour now turns toward Lower Trestles, California, for the next stage of the season, with the title race and qualification battles continuing.
