Houshmand Beat Medina at Fiji Pro, Rejoined Top-22 Hunt
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 3, 2026
Houshmand’s Fiji win
Cole Houshmand beat Gabriel Medina in the men’s final at the Fiji Pro at Cloudbreak and moved back into the top-22 requalification range. Medina landed a perfect 10-point ride, but Houshmand answered with an 8.5 barrel score and then backed it up with an 8.37 score to close out the final. The win gave Houshmand his third career Championship Tour victory and lifted him from 27th to 17th in the rankings. It was the kind of result that changes the shape of a season. Houshmand did more than collect another win. He also turned a pressure final into a ranking surge, and that combination put him back in the hunt for requalification as the tour moved on.
Brooks’ women’s victory
Erin Brooks won the women’s event after Isabella Nichols withdrew with a high ankle sprain, and the result kept Brooks moving fast through the season standings. Brooks had already posted the event’s only other 10-point ride in round one, then added more quality heats to beat Caroline Marks, Vahine Fierro and Carissa Moore during the event. The victory gave Brooks her second consecutive Championship Tour victory and moved her from 18th to eighth in the season standings. That rise matched the strength of her performance. Brooks left Fiji with back-to-back wins and a stronger place in the women’s standings.
Title races shift
The Fiji Pro also changed the look of both title races. Italo Ferreira, Leo Fioravanti and Yago Dora were atop the men’s title race after the event, giving the men’s side a crowded fight near the top. Carissa Moore took the women’s lead heading into the Trestles Pro. The Fiji Pro ended with clear winners in both divisions and a standings picture that leaves several surfers in strong position as the tour heads to the Trestles Pro.
