Set Your Fantasy Surfer Selects Before the MEO Rip Curl Pro

We're two events into the 2024 Championship Tour and a few things have become evident.

First, a major shakeup is happening on the women's tour. Carissa Moore and Steph Gilmore are out of the draw, and vaulting themselves right into their spots are Molly Picklum and Caitlin Simmers. If you're still able to get good odds at an online betting site, maybe lay down a few quid on those two to be the last women standing at Trestles in September.

Second, on the men's side, after two events we've learned that there are some sleeping giants outside of the top 10. Gabriel Medina, Italo Ferreira, and Griffin Colapinto are all chalking up the Hawaiian events as probable throwaway scores. That means their season really begins in Portugal. Anyone currently ranked within the top 10 should be nervous to see them in their heat draw–they can't afford to have any more bad results and will be leveling up their intensity.

So pick your Fantasy Surfer team with those facts in mind. Portugal has become an intense destination for the upcoming event.

WHO: The Men's WSL Championship Tour Top 34 + 2 wildcards, & the Women's WSL Championship Tour Top 17 + 1 wildcard.

WHAT: Event no. 3 of 10 on the 2024 World Championship Tour.

WHEN: Event waiting period begins on March 6th, at 8am local time. Event waiting period ends on March 16th, 2024.

WHERE: Supertubos, Peniche, Portugal

HOW TO WATCH: Tune in to WorldSurfLeague.com for live event coverage and come back here to Surfer.com for daily event wrap-ups.

PAST EVENT WINNERS COMPETING:

Men's - John Florence (2016), Gabriel Medina (2017), Italo Ferreira (2018, 2019), Griffin Colapinto (2022)

Women's - Caroline Marks (2019), Tatiana Weston-Webb (2022), Caitlin Simmers (2023)

INJURY UPDATE: As of today (March 1) Joao Chianca is the only injured surfer to withdraw from the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal.

WILDCARDS: Kelly Slater and Brisa Hennessey have been given season-long wildcards for all of 2024. On the men's side, Marco Mignot, Joan Duru, and Joaquim Chaves have been given event wildcards. On the women's side, Francisca Veselko has been given the event wildcard.

HEAT DRAW:

MENS 2024 MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal

Heat 1: Connor O'Leary, Jake Marshall, Cole Houshmand
Heat 2: Barron Mamiya, Imakalani deVault, Deivid Silva
Heat 3: Griffin Colapinto, Callum Robson, Kelly Slater
Heat 4: John Florence, Jacob Willcox, Marco Mignot*
Heat 5: Ethan Ewing, Rio Waida, Joan Duru*
Heat 6: Jack Robinson, Crosby Colapinto, Joaquim Chaves*
Heat 7: Jordy Smith, Matthew McGillivray, Kade Matson
Heat 8: Kanoa Igarashi, Seth Moniz, Eli Hanneman
Heat 9: Ryan Callinan, Miguel Pupo, Ramzi Boukhiam
Heat 10: Leo Fioravanti, Gabriel Medina, Samuel Pupo
Heat 11: Ian Gentil, Italo Ferreira, Caio Ibelli
Heat 12: Yago Dora, Liam O'Brien, Frederico Morais

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WOMENS 2024 MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal
Heat 1: Caitlin Simmers, Isabella Nichols, Alyssa Spencer
Heat 2: Molly Picklum, Luana Silva, Sophie, McCulloch
Heat 3: Caroline Marks, Gabriella Bryan, Francisca Veselko*
Heat 4: Bettylou Sakura Johnson, Lakey Peterson, Sawyer Lindblad
Heat 5: Johanne Defay, Tatiana Weston-Webb, India Robinson
Heat 6: Tyler Wright, Brisa Hennessey, Sally Fitzgibbons

* - Wildcard
** - Injury replacement