Ethan Ewing defeats Kauli Vaast at the 2026 Rio Pro after a decisive final set
Kauli Vaast came very close to pulling off a major upset against Ethan Ewing in the quarterfinals of the VIVO Rio Pro, but the Australian ultimately drew on his experience and precision on his turns to secure his spot in the next round after a hard-fought heat.
Kauli Vaast came very close to pulling off an upset against Ethan Ewing at the VIVO Rio Pro.
In a very close heat, the Frenchman stayed neck and neck with the Australian until the final minutes.
The difference was made with 2 minutes left in the heat when Ewing caught a clean wave and strung together three fluid rail maneuvers to score a 6.07, which was enough to take the lead and advance to the semifinals.
Despite the loss, Vaast showed that he could compete with the world's best.
In the end, only a few tenths of a point separated the two surfers in a intense heat that went down to the wire.
Kauli Vaast scored a 6.67 on that wave, the second-highest score of the heat
Ethan Ewing scored a 7.0 on that wave, the highest score of the heat
Statistics
: Kauli Vaast vs. Ethan Ewing
Event Appearances 3–5
Average Heat Score 8.95–11.82
Heat Win 0%–50%
Best Heat Score 11.30–15.50
Best Wave Score 6.83–8.17
Heat Wins 0–8
Quarterfinals 0–3
Semifinals 0–2
Finals 0–1
WSL Rio Pro
The WSL Rio Pro is being held at Praia de Itaúna beach in the city of Saquarema, about 100 km east of Rio de Janeiro. Since 2017, it has been the main venue for the Championship Tour event.
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