Day Four saw another morning session of high-performance surfing at the Manokwari Pro World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) 2000 and Pro Junior event that decided the final matchups in the men’s and women’s QS. Clean morning conditions shifted to a higher tide and strengthening winds mid-morning, which caused some lulls, but the competitors rose to the challenge, delivering a mix of powerful rail surfing and committed aerial maneuvers in their quest for a Finals berth tomorrow.

After completing the remaining two men’s QS Quarterfinals, it was straight into the women’s QS Semifinals, where the competitors were given 30 minutes. In the first Semifinal, Anon Matsuoka (JPN) delivered a dominant performance to secure her spot in the Final. Matusuoka delivered to rides in the 7-point range to defeat Renon Matsuyama (JPN) with a two-wave total of 14.50 (out of a possible 20).

“I’m so excited that I won that heat and I’m into the Final,” Matsuoka said. “It was slow, but the waves when they came in were perfect and I love surfing on my backhand. I was hoping for some good opportunities and lucky I got them. All my other heats I’ve struggled to get any big scores, only like 4.5’s and 5’s I think, so getting two scores over 7 this time felt really good and gives me confidence going into tomorrow. I really want to win the QS and the Pro Juniors this time, and so excited to surf tomorrow in the Finals.”

Matsuyama opened with a left on her backhand before switching to the right, but opted for smaller waves that failed to break above the 5-point line until late in the heat. Meanwhile, Matsuoka chose bigger waves and unleashed her powerful backhand on the rights. Matsuoka earned a 7.00 for three big turns and a finishing carve, before increasing with a 7.50 that featured another series of precise and powerful turns to leave her competitor needing an 8.33 as time ran out.

The second Semifinal delivered a tight all-Indonesian battle that saw Kya Heuer (INA) open with a solid 4.00. But Jasmine Studer (INA) quickly moved to establish control with a 5.50 for two deep backside turns on the right. Both surfers tried the left with Studer getting the better of the exchange, but Heuer kept the pressure, earning a 6.00 for two strong forehand turns to stay in contention. A sudden beach power outage knocked out the PA system for the final minutes, leaving both surfers unaware of the exact situation. With seconds remaining, Heuer caught the first wave of a set needing a 5.33-but her score came in at 4.77, allowing Studer to advance and meet Matsuoka in tomorrow’s Final.

“Really, I made it? Wow, that was brutal,” exclaimed Studer after being told she had taken the win. “I’m super happy to have won of course, but Kya [Heuer] is my best friend and it’s really hard to totally get into the competitive zone when you have your best friend in the heat. Yesterday I lost my heat in the Pro Juniors, which I was really really depressed about, but it made me want to come back stronger to win the QS.”

After a 30-minute delay due to an electrical outage, conditions changed dramatically as the tide filled in and onshore winds picked up. Indonesia national teammates and good friends, I Made Ariyana (INA) and Ketut Agus (INA) surfed a low scoring heat, with the highest score of 5.00 coming from Ariyana, the defending event winner. Agus picked off early opportunities for small scores, including a 3.80 for two strong turns. Then after 10 minutes of waiting, Ariyana blasted two crisp backhand turns for a 5.00 to claim the lead. Agus answered back with a 4.10 on a left, briefly reclaiming the top spot. But as the winds strengthened, wave quality dropped and Ariyana managed two small scores-a 2.70 and a 3.60-to move back into the lead. Needing a 4.51 in the final minutes, Agus waited for a set that never arrived, sending Ariyana into Men’s Final, to keep his title defense hopes alive.

“I was pretty nervous out there, to be honest,” Ariyana said. “Ketut [Agus] is one of my favorite surfers, and he was even my coach growing up, so I grew up surfing with him. The waves were pretty slow out there, so I’m lucky to get that first wave, a 5-point one. I was looking everywhere, trying to find a good opportunity, but there weren’t that many really. So stoked to be in the Final tomorrow.”

The second men’s Semifinal turned into an aerial showdown, with I Made Mahendra (INA) opening with a couple of clean turns showing off his patented rail game. Soon after, Dylan Wilcoxen (INA) went to the air, landing the first major score of 5.50 for an air reverse to take the lead. Mahendra replied with an air of his own, complete with a couple turns to earn a 6.67 and take the lead, before Wilcoxen countered with yet another aerial, a 6.00, swinging momentum back his way. Mahendra then stomped a tidy air reverse of his own for a 5.07, putting the pressure back on Wilcoxen. With five minutes remaining, Wilcoxen required a 5.75-and delivered, completing yet another clean aerial for a 5.93 to regain the lead. Mahendra needed a 5.26 to retake the lead, but the ocean stayed quiet, with Wilcoxen moving onto the Final where he will meet Ariyana in what promises to be a high-flying showdown.

“I’m super happy to make it through that heat,’ said Wilcoxen. “It was pretty slow at the start, but then I got a couple of scores, then Dera [I Made Mahendra] got a score, and I needed a score, so it was pretty hectic. There were a couple of sets, but it wasn’t easy to choose which one would give me the ramp I needed, and sometimes there would be bumps and stuff. But the wind was good, so that was helpful. Anyways, I’m really happy to be in both QS and Pro Junior Finals tomorrow, and hope to be bringing home both trophies.”

Rising tide, light morning winds, and the perfect peak at Amban Beach is expected to deliver great conditions for the Manokwari Pro Finals tomorrow as Asia’s best prepare to battle for ranking points, prize money, and the Manokwari Pro titles.

The 2025 Manokwari Pro QS 2000 and Pro Junior will run at Amban Beach in West Papua, Indonesia, from November 26 – 30.