The Ballito Pro Presented by O'Neill 2026: FINALS DAY Challenger Series Highlights

We have our 2026 Ballito Pro presented by O'Neill champions, and they leave Willard Beach as the frontrunners of the entire Challenger Series. Cole Houshmand capped off a brilliant run to the title, getting past Ian Gouveia, 2022 World Junior Champion Jarvis Earle, and finally event standout Weslley Dantas in a commanding Final. It's his second Ballito Pro title, making him the first surfer to win this event twice in the Challenger Series era, and after a tough start to his CT year, he now heads home to the Lexus US Open of Surfing sitting top of the rankings. The women's Final was an all-Portuguese showdown, and Teresa Bonvalot held her nerve to claim her first Challenger Series win since 2022, edging out CT rookie Francisca Veselko. Bonvalot earned every bit of it in Ballito, seeing off rookie phenom Eden Walla and South American contender Sol Aguirre along the way. Next stop, Huntington Beach, with CT qualification firmly in her sights. Thank you Ballito. What a week.