Philippines Pro heats set as Simmers, Marks meet in women’s draw
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 31, 2026
Day 1 called
Day 1 is set for the Philippines Pro Presented by the Philippine Sports Commission at Cloud 9 in Siargao, and the opening call gives the World Surf League Championship Tour event a live start in solid early conditions. The waves are clean and hollow in the three- to four-foot range, the kind of setup that can reward surfers who move quickly and stay precise through the opening exchanges. The conditions are workable, which is enough to get women’s Round 1 moving and keep the men’s draw on alert. The event has the look of a straightforward opening day on paper, but surf contests can turn fast at a spot like Cloud 9, where wave quality and timing often shape the first round more than name recognition or seedings. Here, the board is set for competition to begin with a field that has already been arranged and a lineup of heats that puts several of the sport’s biggest names in the water right away.
Women’s Round 1
Women’s Round 1 is set to open with a marquee matchup between Caitlin Simmers and Caroline Marks, a heat that immediately places two of the event’s biggest contenders on the same schedule. Simmers against Marks gives the draw a strong first-round anchor, and it sets the tone for a day built around established names and high expectations. Carissa Moore is also slated to surf early, and she will meet Sierra Kerr in another women’s heat that adds depth to the opening round. Moore brings a championship pedigree into the event, while Kerr arrives with a chance to measure herself against one of the most accomplished surfers in the field. Molly Picklum rounds out the top line of women’s matchups mentioned for the day, and she is set to face Philippine trial winner Mara Lopez. That pairing carries a different kind of significance, with Picklum bringing elite tour experience and Lopez entering as the Philippine trial winner. Together, those heats give the women’s side of the draw a strong opening rhythm, one that combines proven tour talent with a trial winner and a new competition setting that should reward smart, efficient surfing. With the waves described as clean and hollow, the opening round figures to hinge on execution, wave selection and how quickly each surfer can settle into the pace of the lineup.
Men’s draw
The men’s Round 1 remains on standby, but the matchups already lined up give the draw an international look with local interest built in. Connor O’Leary is scheduled to meet Callum Robson, a pairing that brings two established competitors into the same opening heat and gives the men’s side a strong first-round edge. John Mark Tokong, the local surfer in the field, is set to face World No. 10 Samuel Pupo in another notable heat. That matchup gives the home crowd a direct rooting interest and places Tokong against one of the more recognizable names in the draw. For the men, the hold does not change the shape of the competition already in place. It only delays the first chance to see how the field handles the conditions at Cloud 9. The waves are workable, the surf is in the three- to four-foot range and the event has enough quality in the water to support a full day of heats once the men get the go-ahead. With the opening call already made for the contest, the focus now shifts to how the schedule unfolds and whether the water holds up long enough to keep the day moving without interruption.
