Ryan Kainalo Wins in Maresias and Takes the Lead in the Challenger Series
The Banco do Brasil São Sebastião Pro 2026, the third stop on the Challenger Series, wrapped up on Saturday, October 3, at Maresias Beach in São Sebastião (SP). It was the first time the state of São Paulo hosted a CS event, with 80 men and 48 women competing between September 26 and October 3.
Finals Day had the best conditions of the week: waves of about 1.5 metres, good shape and offshore wind. Ryan Kainalo, 20, was the only Brazilian in the final stage, and he won the title in his first CS final, beating Alister Reginato 14.50 to 5.83. In the semifinal he landed a full-rotation aerial worth 8.50, the highest men's score of the day.
In the women's event, Australia's Charli Hately, 17, beat Portugal's Francisca Veselko 14.33 to 10.67 in the final. Hately trailed for the first 20 minutes of her semifinal against Anat Lelior but turned it around near the end. Veselko scored 7,800 points and moved into second place in the rankings, behind only Sierra Kerr.
With the 10,000 points from the win, Kainalo took the lead of the Challenger Series. The top ten men and top six women earn spots on the 2027 Championship Tour, so every event carries a lot of weight.
It was great to see such a young Brazilian surf with steady progress in front of a home crowd, at an event that also shows how the CS is growing in the country.
Source: Waves
Finals Day had the best conditions of the week: waves of about 1.5 metres, good shape and offshore wind. Ryan Kainalo, 20, was the only Brazilian in the final stage, and he won the title in his first CS final, beating Alister Reginato 14.50 to 5.83. In the semifinal he landed a full-rotation aerial worth 8.50, the highest men's score of the day.
In the women's event, Australia's Charli Hately, 17, beat Portugal's Francisca Veselko 14.33 to 10.67 in the final. Hately trailed for the first 20 minutes of her semifinal against Anat Lelior but turned it around near the end. Veselko scored 7,800 points and moved into second place in the rankings, behind only Sierra Kerr.
With the 10,000 points from the win, Kainalo took the lead of the Challenger Series. The top ten men and top six women earn spots on the 2027 Championship Tour, so every event carries a lot of weight.
It was great to see such a young Brazilian surf with steady progress in front of a home crowd, at an event that also shows how the CS is growing in the country.
Source: Waves
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