As a powerful storm formed in the South Atlantic, the pulse it sent out in front became one of the largest swells of the South African winter. What began with a finicky, shifty lineup at the start the recent Natural Selection Tour (NST)'s Surf competition quickly transformed as the swell filled in and offshore winds cleaned wave faces. By NST Surf's final rounds, the waves were pumping. The conditions became all time epic including clean, powerful and spitting waves which a handful of the world's best surfers tore into to showcase their progressive skills.
Pinkerton's Out-the-Back Hunting Ground Proves Successful
The women’s division, as has been happening across the world's stage, became the most significant story of the entire event.
During the opening rounds, Kirra Pinkerton, Eden Walla, Sanoa Dempfle-Olin and defending champion Milla Coco Brown pushed each other deeper, harder and further into the barrel. And as the swell developed, so did the women's surfing. Returning finalist Pinkerton revealed herself as a significant threat, taking three of the five session wins, and finding several of the best waves of the event, including a standout double barrel.
Seventeen-year-old Eden Walla, also from San Clemente, matched her stride for stride out in the South African surf. Composed beyond her years, Walla combined decisive wave selection with powerful, committed surfing. Dempfle-Olin brought her own brand of power and progression to the NST event, while Brown continued to challenge the title despite surfing in booties and a thicker wetsuit for the first time.
Then came the unexpected. After sustaining a head injury in the third round, Brown was assessed by the medical team and advised to step aside. The title fight came down to three.
Pinkerton, Walla and Dempfle-Olin entered the final three-woman round in which every wave mattered. With Pinkerton and Walla both carrying two session wins, there were few points separating them. Then Pinkerton found her wave. Her knowledge of the lineup and willingness to hunt the biggest sets out the back proved decisive as she locked in the 2026 title.
“I actually could not believe I made that wave,” Pinkerton said of one of her standout barrels. “It almost felt like a gift because I had my eyes closed and I was literally just feeling it with my hand. Then I just felt white water, everything. And then I just popped out, and I was just like, oh, my God.”
Her wave was more than just a score. Pinkerton knew immediately it was something special.
“I knew that that wave was definitely one of the better waves of my life,” she said. “So I’m so grateful.”
Fierce Competition, Tight-Knit Camp for NST Surf
For all the intensity in the water, the mood on land was different. As is part of NST's formula, the surfers spent long days together in this South African remote setting sharing waves, watching each other surf, and checking in when someone took a heavy fall.
“We were all kind of vibing each other, but at the same time, rooting for each other,” Pinkerton said.
Even with a title on the line, there was an comprehensive understanding that each athlete was there to push the standard to new levels.
“The girls are obviously so good,” she continued. “Even when I knew I had a good one, I wouldn’t tell anyone because I didn’t want them to start pushing themselves too hard.”
Wright Wins the Long Game
On the men’s side, Mikey Wright played the long game. Across all five rounds, Wright stayed near the top of the leaderboard as the conditions evolved. Barrels, power turns and aerials were all part of his winning formula and Wright delivered a stellar performace across the board.
“I’m just taking each wave as it comes, searching for an air out of a tube,” Wright said. “It’s an all-star cast out here, the best of the best. Stoked to get the call-up from NST. Camping in the desert, pumping waves, surfing heats. It’s good.”
But, like the women, there was no runaway leader going into the event. Eithan Osborne, Jarvis Earle, Hughie Vaughan and local standout Eli Beukes all claimed session wins, keeping the race wide open deep into the event. Heading into the fifth round, Wright, Vaughan, Osborne and Beukes were all still in contention. Vaughan finished with the final-session win, threading the deep barrels that had been a signature of his surfing all week.
But Wright provided something no one else could match: consistency across all five rounds. And that was enough to secure the overall 2026 title.
Watch the full competition on YouTube:
Five Rounds. No Easy Wins.
With the margins as tight as these, the championship for both men or the women could have turned on a single wave. One more barrel. One more big section. One different decision. That's the beauty of the NST Surf format. Instead of allowing one standout heat to decide the champion of the event, surfers are judged across five sessions, with overall performance, consistency and adaptability carrying the most weight.
“The unique format celebrates overall performance, consistency and the ability to adapt to a wide array of conditions,” said Jason Murray, GM of NST Surf.
“The leaderboard changes dynamically from round to round, and our judging panel has five sessions to assess the surfers. In the end, the combination of flawless tube riding, power surfing and above-the-lip progression proved to be the winning formula.”
The end result delivered an event that was decided not by one perfect heat, but by which athletes could keep delivering as the ocean—and the pressure—kept changing. That is what separates NST Surf apart from the rest.
RESULTS
Men
- Mikey Wright
- Hughie Vaughn
- Eithan Osborn
- Eli Beukes
Women
- Kirra Pinkerton
- Eden Walla
- Milla Coco Brown
- Sanoa Dempfle-Olin
About Natural Selection Tour
Founded by pro snowboarder Travis Rice, the Natural Selection Tour produces a new evolution in adventure sports competition with events across snowboarding, skiing, freeride mountain biking, and surfing. With Mother Nature as the lead character, the Tour pushes the limits of what’s possible in spectacular natural venues, showcasing the skills and resilience of the world’s most exciting athletes.
