Photo: Domenic Mosqueira
Carissa Moore, five-time surfing world champion and universally hailed as the “nicest human on earth,” is back. Sorta. Following her retirement from the WSL’s Championship Tour, Moore will compete at the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy, aka “world’s most luxurious surfing event,” going down August 29th-September 5th.
The Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy is more than just a mouthful of a name. It’s a specialty event, now in its 12th edition, and taking place at Sultans – one of the most impossibly perfect waves in the inconceivably idyllic Maldives Island chain. Oh yeah, and contestants stay at the Four Seasons, one with bungalows over the water, fish swimming beneath them as they lay their noggins on high thread count sheets.
In recent years, the event has become a staple for former CT elite. Last year, 2012 world champ Joel Parkinson swept the single fin, twin fin, and thruster divisions. He matched up against 2015 world champ Adriano de Souza in the final and took home the win there. This year, other competitors locked in so far include Owen Wright and Mikey February.
“The Surfing Champions Trophy looks like the dreamiest competition you could ever be a part of,” said Mikey. “My first ever international surf trip was to the Maldives, and I loved it, so to finally go back and do it this way, staying at the Four Seasons with my family, will be epic. Surfing a bunch of different boards and seeing everyone else do the same in great waves just looks so fun. I’m really excited.”
Related: Carissa Moore Is Retiring at the Top of Her Game; Here’s Why.
Before Riss heads off to the Maldives, she’ll be competing at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and attempting to defend her Tokyo 2021 gold medal, at Teahupo’o, Tahiti. Going from Tahiti to back home in Hawaii to the Maldives…not too shabby.
Retirement’s looking pretty good for Riss, eh?
Stay tuned for the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy, going down August 29th-September 5th.
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