Italo Goes Super, Ethan Locks In, Kelly Gets Knocked at Lexus Trestles Pro

Dan Mann, the sandy-haired scientist behind many Slater Designs and Firewire sticks, said he looks for the “swagger between turns” when assessing Kelly Slater’s performance. For a few fleeting moments during day one of the 2025 Lexus Trestles Pro, Kelly was in his swag bag. There were moments when his snaps and hacks had his trademark fluidity. At 53, he can still swivel just fine. 

But ultimately, Kelly, like others in the draw today, fell victim to a lully south swell and didn’t maximize his rides. He caught six waves today (two in his first heat, four in his second), and while his turns were good, they didn’t hold up to the rest of the field. 

In the first opening round heat, Italo Ferreira ran rampant, greasing a superman air on the left and clean full rotations on the right. His surfing was so fast, so energetic, that it was a reminder that had it not been for John John Florence’s layback in last year’s WSL Finals, Italo likely would have pulled a Stephanie Gilmore and gone from fifth to world title. 

“For the goofy, it’s pretty good to surf both sides,” Italo said. “All the surfers are looking for their rights. Then I can get the left and the right, whatever I want, and then I can mix it with my surfing. So that is what I really like. I always have fun here. Especially when we surf against only two guys in the water because in a free surf, it’s 100 guys. It’s pretty hard to find good waves but just keep the flow. The last two events at Trestles, I got second-place, and that hurt, so I’m trying to do it differently this year.”

With Air Italo cleared for takeoff, Kelly had to wait out the back for a bigger set. He got it, but was only able to hack a 4.03 out of it. A few hours later in his Elimination Round heat with Barron Mamiya, Kelly switched from a pod-looking thing that looked sensational under his feet at Snapper for a more conventional thruster, his trusty FRK. Kelly led for most of the heat, milking the rights that were crumbling from the onshores. 

He looked fast and true. But Barron played the patient game, then something strange happened. With 3 minutes left, Barron took off on a clean wall and belted it several times before grabbing his right knee and grimacing in pain mid-wave. Needing a 4.53 to beat Kelly, Barron received a 6.10 while a medical staffer assessed him on shore. After the buzzer, Kelly caught a left, snapped thrice and landed a backside rotation just to give the fans something else to remember. 

In the next ER heat. Rio Waida had a shocker and fell on the end section that would have turned the heat against João Chianca. The Brazilian launched a big air rev just for good measure. Then Ethan Ewing paddled out and did his thing on the last heat of the day. Alejo Muniz, the last surfer to make the last mid-year cut, surfed very well, even blasting eight turns and an air reverse on a single running right for a 7.70. Alejo’s 14.37 heat total would have won any of the five ER heats that day, but not against Ethan. After an off-heat against Griffin Colapinto, the Australian’s timing was on point on one of the best waves of the day. Clean wrap flowed seamlessly into a nasty tail blow. The criminally smooth cutbacks into a fins-free reverse were sublime. 

“Alejo’s really like a veteran and knows the game and a super good surfer so I knew it was going to be a tough heat,” said Ewing. “This morning was kind of rough. I didn’t get as many opportunities as I liked, so I was kind of bummed on that, but I just wanted to just ride waves and do my thing. The last few years I’ve loved coming here, but it’s a different feel now, like mid-season coming here. I love this wave, and everyone’s been treating me really well. I just love being here and looking for a bigger result, so let’s get it going.”

The rough morning Ethan referenced was against Griffin Colapinto, whose 15.40 heat total was the highest of the day. This air rev clinched it. 

“After being on the road in Australia for almost a month and a half, just being home and seeing all the friends and family feels amazing,” said Griffin. “Then to have a contest on top of it is the perfect storm. We’ve just been having so much fun and the change of energy. Obviously, in Australia, you’ve got everyone going for the Aussies. It’s a hometown feeling and everyone on the beach is backing you. It definitely goes a long way, but I noticed that I was a bit more nervous with that. You want to perform for everyone so badly and I don’t know, it’s just Lowers is one of my favorite waves in the world, so a little more nerves, but yeah, I’m enjoying it.”

More Opening Round highlights: world No. 1 Jordy Smith clinched a buzzer-beater over Crosby Colapinto and Dimitri Polous, Filipe Toledo won without getting out of second gear, local goofyfoot Cole Houshman won the first heat of the day, and Jack Robinson spun past Alan Cleland and Leonardo Fioravanti. 

On the women’s side, three out of the top five surfers went to the Elimination Round: Caitlin Simmers, Caroline Marks and Isabella Nichols. Only Gabriela Bryan and Molly Picklum won their opening round heats. Meanwhile, Californian Lakey Peterson held it down, earning the highest score of the round (15.53) thanks to several crisp hacks. 

Lexus Trestles Pro Men’s Opening Round Results:

HEAT 1: Cole Houshmand (USA) 13.80 DEF. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 13.20, Rio Waida (INA) 10.24

HEAT 2: Yago Dora (BRA) 11.54 DEF. Connor O’Leary (JPN) 10.93, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 9.63

HEAT 3: Italo Ferreira (BRA) 15.17 DEF. Marco Mignot (FRA) 8.77, Kelly Slater (USA) 7.53

HEAT 4: Jordy Smith (RSA) 11.86 DEF. Crosby Colapinto (USA) 11.84, Dimitri Poulos (USA) 9.53

HEAT 5: Jake Marshall (USA) 13.24 DEF. Barron Mamiya (HAW) 12.90, Seth Moniz (HAW) 8.20

HEAT 6: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 15.40 DEF. Joel Vaughan (AUS) 11.04, Ethan Ewing (AUS) 10.10

HEAT 7: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 12.40 DEF. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 11.77, João Chianca (BRA) 11.13

HEAT 8: Jack Robinson (AUS) 11.74 DEF. Alan Cleland (MEX) 10.33, Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 6.87

Lexus Trestles Pro Men’s Elimination Round Results (Heats 1-5):

HEAT 1: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 13.73 DEF. Dimitri Poulos (USA) 10.50

HEAT 2: Joel Vaughan (AUS) 12.13 DEF. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 6.27

HEAT 3: Barron Mamiya (HAW) 11.97 DEF. Kelly Slater (USA) 10.40

HEAT 4: Joao Chianca (BRA) 12.93 DEF. Rio Waida (INA) 11.70

HEAT 5: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 14.93 DEF. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 14.37

Lexus Trestles Pro Men’s Elimination Round Matchups (Heats 6-8):

HEAT 6: Connor O’Leary (JPN) vs. Alan Cleland (MEX)

HEAT 7: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) vs. Seth Moniz (HAW)

HEAT 8: Marco Mignot (FRA) vs. Crosby Colapinto (USA)

Lexus Trestles Pro Women’s Opening Round Results:

HEAT 1: Lakey Peterson (USA) 15.53 DEF. Isabella Nichols (AUS) 10.70, Tyler Wright (AUS) 10.50

HEAT 2: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 15.17 DEF. Kirra Pinkerton (USA) 12.77, Luana Silva (BRA) 9.27

HEAT 3: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 14.47 DEF. Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 13.80, Caitlin Simmers (USA) 10.50

HEAT 4: Molly Picklum (AUS) 12.67 DEF. Erin Brooks (CAN) 12.26, Caroline Marks (USA) 11.80

Lexus Trestles Pro Elimination Round Matchups:

HEAT 1: Caitlin Simmers (USA) vs. Kirra Pinkerton (USA)

HEAT 2: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Erin Brooks (CAN)

HEAT 3: Isabella Nichols (AUS) vs. Sawyer Lindblad (USA)

HEAT 4: Caroline Marks (USA) vs. Luana Silva (BRA)