Colapinto scores record 19.6 at Tahiti Pro
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 12, 2026
Colapinto’s record heat
Griffin Colapinto delivered the biggest moment of Day 3 at the Tahiti Pro at Teahupo’o. He beat Rio Waida with a 19.6 total, the top heat of the 2026 season at the event, and he did it with a perfect 10 and a 9.60. The surf did not fire nonstop through the day, but Colapinto made the most of one of the best waves on offer and turned it into a runaway performance that stood above everything else at Teahupo’o.
Colapinto said the heat was the best of his life, and the way he described it matched the scale of the result. He said Kelly Slater told him to “sit in and under” because wind chop made it difficult to paddle into waves. Colapinto said that advice helped him find the sets he needed and take waves under Rio Waida’s priority. He also thanked Slater for the guidance and said Slater’s performance inspired him. That connection gave the heat an extra layer, with the veteran offering the insight and the younger surfer turning it into a record-setting score. The result also reinforced how quickly a single decision can change a heat at Teahupo’o, where positioning and timing matter as much as raw talent.
Slater’s showdown
Kelly Slater also played a central role in another one of the day’s biggest heats, a high-scoring and highly emotional showdown with Gabriel Medina. The matchup drew attention because of the level of surfing and the emotion that came with it. Slater, who competed at the event as a wildcard, found himself in a heat that carried the kind of tension and energy that can shape the feel of an entire day. The facts from Day 3 point to that heat as one of the most talked-about contests at Teahupo’o, right alongside Colapinto’s record ride.
Slater said he briefly found himself rooting for a Medina comeback because of the story it would create. That line captured the unusual tone of the matchup. It was competitive, but it also carried an emotional edge that separated it from a routine heat. Medina’s presence added to the drama, and Slater’s own reactions made clear how much the moment meant inside the water. On a day when the surf was inconsistent, that kind of heat matters. It gave the event a focal point beyond the numbers and highlighted the ability of experienced surfers to turn a session into a memorable battle when the conditions and the bracket line up.
Teahupo’o’s bracket
Jack Robinson also advanced through one of the day’s notable heats, defeating Callum Robson. His result kept the bracket moving and set up a key path forward as the event tightens around its remaining matchups. Colapinto is scheduled to face Miguel Pupo in round three, and that heat now carries extra weight because of what sits on the other side of the draw. If Colapinto advances, he will face the winner of Slater’s heat against Robinson. That puts three of Day 3’s main names, Colapinto, Slater and Robinson, in the center of the event’s next phase.
The structure gives Day 3 a strong aftereffect. Colapinto’s record total raised the standard for the Tahiti Pro and gave him momentum heading into the next round. Slater’s wildcard run kept him in the mix and added another layer to the competition after his emotional exchange with Medina. Robinson’s win over Robson positioned him as part of the next decisive pairing. At Teahupo’o, where conditions can shift quickly and priorities can decide outcomes, the bracket now carries the same kind of intensity the surf brought to the day’s best heats.
