EP 239: Mitchell Salazar – Picklum takes #1!!, Cole, Griffin, and a San Clemente surge in Saquarema, …Lost Surfboards all but 3-peating the Vissla CT Shaper Rankings, Fantasy leaderboard and Listener Q’s

Reporting live from Brazil, part-time cohost and WSL commentator Mitchell Salazar rejoins Dave on The Lineup to break down all the action, drama, and implications from the 2025 VIVO Rio Pro presented by Corona Cero. California’s Cole Houshmand and Australia’s Molly Picklum claimed breakthrough victories at Stop No. 9 of the 2025 Championship Tour, but the event was anything but predictable. Dave and Mitch dive deep into the biggest Winners and Losers from Saquarema–from Griffin Colapinto’s title surge to Filipe Toledo’s late-season stumble, and from the brilliance of Molly Picklum to the heartbreak for Brazilian fans hoping for a hometown champion. They break down the complexity of forecasting the wave, the challenges of Saquarema backwash, and the mental game of adapting on the fly. They check in on the Vissla CT Shaper Rankings, where Matt Biolos and …Lost Surfboards have all but cemented a three-peat as Shaper of the Year after a dominant Rio showing. The duo also answer Fantasy League and Instagram questions from fans around the world, including whether the women’s surfing is officially more exciting than the men’s, and drop hints about the final stretch of the CT season leading into J-Bay and beyond.

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Watch the highlights from the VIVO Rio Pro Presented by Corona Cero.

Catch the next generation of surfers compete for a spot on the CT at our second Challenger Series event of the year, the Ballito Pro Presented by O'Neill, June 30 - July 6.

Stay tuned for CT Stop No. 10, the Corona Open J-Bay Presented by O'Neill, July 11 - July 20th.

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