San Clemente’s Bella Kenworthy earned a big win at the Ballito Pro in South Africa, a stop on the World Surf League’s Challenger Series. It’s a victory that puts her in contention for next year’s World Tour.
The event, the third stop of the Challenger Series, comes just ahead of the competitors gearing up in Huntington Beach for the Lexus US Open of Surfing, a spot where many local surfers, including Kenworthy, grew up competing on the amateur circuit.
Long Beach’s Nolan Rapoza came in second spot at the event, finishing just behind Ian Gouveia, of Brazil, a high placing that now also puts Rapoza into striking distance of making next year’s World Tour cut.
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For Kenworthy, it was a first-ever Challenger Series win, earned after beating France’s Vahine Fierrro.
“It feels so good, I did not come into this event expecting this,” Kenworthy, 17, said in an interview with WSL. “I’m so excited going into the US Open now, it’s so close to home, so hopefully I can carry the momentum.”
Her win catapulted her to the fourth spot on the Challenger Series rankings.
San Clemente’s Bella Kenworthy wins the Ballito Pro, a Challenger Series event that punts her up the rankings for a chance to land on the 2025 World Tour. (Photo by Kody McGregor/World Surf League)
Rapoza jumped up to the eighth spot on the rankings heading into the US Open at his home break, where he’s previously made it to the semifinals twice at past events. The top 10 at the end of the six-stop Challenger Series make it to the elite World Tour to compete against the world’s best.
The Lexus US Open of Surfing runs Aug. 6 to 11. More information: worldsurfleague.com