Israeli Anat Lelior rides high in Tahiti Pro final
In just the seventh event in her debut WSL Champions Tour season, Israel's Anat Lelior reached the final.
Israeli surfer Anat Lelior, in her debut World Surf League women’s championship season, reached her first final – the Tahiti Pro – last week, after beating Aussie Sally Fitzgibbons, world number one Gabriela Bryan of America, local Kelia Gallina, and Portugal’s Yolanda Hopkins.
And while she was edged 17.20 points to 16.33 in an epic final by Canadian Erin Brooks, Lelior still created Israeli surfing history.
Far from being daunted by facing Bryan in the second round – which may have been the case if they’d gone head-to-head earlier this year – the 26-year-old Tel Aviv native took a positive outlook, embracing the challenge.
Lelior sought the biggest waves, and charged into their impact zone several times, earning valuable points in the challenging conditions to earn a decisive 12.73 to 1.46 victory, after which she told WSL in a beachside interview, “It feels unreal!
“I keep telling Gabriela how big a fan I am of her surfing, and of her commitment to the sport, she said.
“But I’m happy to have taken her down today – it definitely is a boost in confidence for me.
“I give credit to my coach [Manuel Freire Gameiro] who is in Portugal right now, to my dad who is here, and to Kahea Hart for helping me out with understanding the local conditions.”
She added, it’s been a massive boost “to see the Israeli flag held [by fans] in the channel”, and that in between rounds, “my dad and I were dancing – just soaking it all in.
“I want to shout out to everybody back home – thank you. I love you all.”
After defeating young Tahitian wildcard Kelia Gallina 9.50 to 6.53 in the quarter-finals, and toppling Hopkins 12.50 to 3.43 in the semis, Lelior took on Brooks – the 2025 Champions Tour Rookie of the Year – in massive surf.
Lelior earned a substantial early lead by surfing through the tubes of two soaring, but clean, waves to score a total of 16.33.
But Brooks, to her credit, fought back in the final minutes with excellent execution when entering two barrels of her own, to score 8.27 and 8.93, and claim the trophy.
On Instagram, Lelior reflected that while it was painful to get so close to a Championship Tour event win, just being in “this contest is a dream come true.
“And I enjoyed every second I got to spend inside of the barrel”.
Now placed in the top 15 halfway through her first pro season, Lelior will next compete in the Fiji Pro from August 25.