Gilmore and Ewing claim titles at Snapper Rocks

Stephanie Gilmore has claimed the women’s crown at the WSL Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro at Snapper Rocks, while Ethan Ewing won the men’s title on Finals Day.

After days of rain, the event broke through with sunny skies and solid surf, with a low tide delivering some of the best conditions of the window.

Competition was briefly halted earlier in the week after a shark sighting within 500 metres of the break forced officials to suspend heats under WSL safety protocols.

Low tide exposed the sand at Snapper Rocks, forming a packed amphitheatre as crowds streamed in from both sides of the NSW–Queensland border.

Gilmore secured her seventh title at Snapper Rocks, returning to the break where she won as a 17-year-old wildcard in 2005.

The final saw Gilmore take on 21-year-old Brazilian Luana Silva, who entered the decider after defeating American Sawyer Lindblad to claim a career-first world No.1 ranking.

Gilmore delivered the defining moment of the heat with less than eight minutes remaining, posting a 9.50, the highest single-wave score of the day.

Silva responded with powerful vertical turns to close the gap, but Gilmore held on to win 17.33 to 14.07.

The men’s final saw Ethan Ewing take on Japan’s Connor O’Leary.

Ewing set the tone early with an 8.33, combining compact turns, strong rail work and floaters to control the heat.

He carried that momentum through the final to secure the title after a strong run through the elimination rounds, winning 14.56 to 14.17.