CLOUDBREAK, Fiji — Cole Houshmand produced one of the biggest turnarounds of his 2026 season at Cloudbreak, overcoming a perfect 10 from three-time world champion Gabriel Medina to win the Fiji Pro, while Canadian teenager Erin Brooks completed a remarkable run of back-to-back Championship Tour victories.
The American defeated Medina 16.87–15.17 in a dramatic men’s final in powerful six-to-eight-foot surf, securing his third Championship Tour victory.
For Brooks, the celebration came with a bittersweet twist. The 19-year-old was crowned women’s champion after Australian finalist Isabella Nichols was forced to withdraw because of an ankle injury suffered in the semifinals.
Houshmand answers Medina’s perfect 10
The men’s final appeared to be tilting dramatically toward Medina almost immediately.
The Brazilian three-time world champion opened with a perfect 10-point ride, setting up what looked like an enormous challenge for Houshmand in the pumping Cloudbreak conditions.
Instead, the Californian remained composed.
Houshmand built a 16.87 total to Medina’s 15.17, preventing the Brazilian from finding the second major score he needed and claiming the Fiji Pro title.
Houshmand’s reaction afterward reflected just how unexpected the victory was.
He had endured a difficult start to the season, losing in the opening round six times before his breakthrough run in Fiji. He then defeated reigning world champion Yago Dora in the quarterfinals before eliminating Medina in the final.
The result gives Houshmand his third Championship Tour win in three years, according to Reuters’ report carried by the Taipei Times and The Straits Times.
Medina loses despite a perfect score
Medina’s second-place finish was nevertheless significant.
The Brazilian moved up to fourth in the Championship Tour standings, closing to within 6,840 points of compatriot and current leader Italo Ferreira, according to Reuters.
His performance in Fiji also reinforced the impression that the former world champion is back among the leading contenders after his difficult period away from competition.
Medina had already eliminated Kauli Vaast in the quarterfinals and Griffin Colapinto in the semifinals before meeting Houshmand in the championship heat.
But one perfect wave wasn’t enough.
That was the cruel reality of the Cloudbreak final: Medina produced the day’s headline score, while Houshmand produced the stronger overall result.
Brooks makes it two straight
On the women’s side, Erin Brooks continued an extraordinary turnaround.
The 19-year-old Canadian entered Fiji after winning the Tahiti Pro, and she followed that victory with another championship at Cloudbreak.
That makes it back-to-back Championship Tour wins for Brooks.
Her Fiji campaign included a perfect 10 during the opening stages of the competition and victories over a field that included major names such as Caroline Marks, Vahine Fierro and Carissa Moore.
Brooks defeated five-time world champion Carissa Moore 11.84–9.97 in the semifinals.
She was then crowned champion after Isabella Nichols was unable to surf the final because of the ankle injury sustained during her semifinal victory over Brisa Hennessy.
A painful ending for Isabella Nichols
Nichols’ second-place finish was arguably one of the most difficult runner-up results of the season.
The Australian had reached the final — her best result of 2026 — but could not compete after scans revealed a high ankle sprain, according to the World Surf League’s event report reproduced by Carvemag.
Nichols reportedly said there were no broken bones but that she could barely stand on the injured foot.
The result was especially emotional because of her relationship with Brooks. The two surfers are close friends, making the circumstances surrounding the final particularly difficult for both competitors.
Brooks herself expressed disappointment at seeing her friend injured.
From a difficult season to a stunning revival
Perhaps the biggest storyline from Fiji isn’t simply who won.
It is how dramatically both champions changed their seasons.
Before her victory in Tahiti, Brooks had not finished better than ninth during the 2026 Championship Tour season, according to SURFER. Her two consecutive wins have now completely changed the trajectory of her campaign.
Houshmand’s turnaround was similarly dramatic.
Aside from a fifth-place result in New Zealand, he had repeatedly failed to advance beyond the opening round before Fiji, according to SURFER.
Cloudbreak changed everything.
Both surfers arrived under pressure. Both left Fiji as champions.
Cloudbreak delivers another unforgettable contest
The Fiji Pro also reinforced why Cloudbreak remains one of surfing’s most spectacular competition venues.
The powerful reef break produced long barrels, heavy sections and multiple perfect scores during the event. The Inertia reported that the competition featured three perfect 10s, including Medina’s in the men’s final and Brooks’ earlier in the women’s draw.
The World Surf League’s event recap described Finals Day as an intense conclusion featuring heavy Cloudbreak surf, broken boards and high-level performances.
For Houshmand, however, the biggest memory will be overcoming a perfect 10 from one of the greatest surfers of his generation.
What’s next for the Championship Tour?
The Championship Tour now moves to Southern California for the Lexus Trestles Pro, scheduled for September 11–20.
Medina will be looking to close the gap on Ferreira, while Brooks arrives with enormous momentum after winning consecutive events.
And Houshmand will have something perhaps even more valuable than the Fiji trophy: confidence.
After repeatedly falling in the opening round earlier in the season, he has now proven that he can defeat a reigning world champion and a three-time world champion on one of the world’s most demanding waves.
Cloudbreak didn’t just produce two champions. It produced two dramatic comebacks — and suddenly, the final stretch of the 2026 Championship Tour looks a lot more interesting.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D
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