Carissa Moore Wins New Zealand Pro 2026 — First CT Victory as a Mother

Image courtesy of redbull.com

Carissa Moore Wins New Zealand Pro — First Victory as a Mother

Carissa Moore is back. Not just competitive — winning. On May 25, 2026, the five-time World Champion from Palolo Valley, Honolulu claimed the Corona Cero New Zealand Pro at Raglan’s Manu Bay, her 29th career Championship Tour victory and her first since returning from two years away to start a family.

She was carried up the beach by her husband and father holding her daughter ‘Olena in her arms.

The Win

Moore dominated from the opening round, posting the highest heat totals of any surfer in every round of the event. In the semifinals she faced fellow Hawaiian Bettylou Sakura Johnson in an all-Hawaii heat, delivering a near-perfect 19.00 out of 20 — the highest heat score of the 2026 women’s season — to advance to the final.

The final against Sawyer Lindblad of the United States came down to the closing minutes. Lindblad led with a 16.67 combined total when Moore, with six minutes on the clock, drove into a powerful backhand carve and posted a 9.40 to take the lead. She didn’t look back. Final score: Moore 17.90, Lindblad 16.67.

What It Means

Moore stepped away from the WSL Championship Tour after 2023 to welcome daughter ‘Olena into the world. She returned to competition in 2026 with competitive results through the first three stops but no wins. Raglan changed that.

The victory is her 29th career CT win, cementing her position at No. 2 on the all-time CT win list. She is now the most recent woman in the tour’s 50-year history to win a CT event as a mother, joining fellow Hawaiian Melanie Bartels — who won twice after giving birth — and four-time World Champion Lisa Andersen.

She dedicated the win to the late surf filmmaker Greg Browning, who passed away from ALS in April 2025.

“It’s better than I could have ever dreamed of,” Moore said after the final horn. “And it means so much to me.”

The result moves her to No. 6 in the world rankings with the El Salvador Pro next up on the 2026 CT calendar.

Full Circle

There is a particular symmetry to Moore winning in New Zealand. Her first career CT victory came at Taranaki, on the North Island’s west coast, in 2010 — a 17-year-old rookie, her father present on the beach then too. Sixteen years later, different beach, same coastline, father still there. This time with a daughter in her arms.

For the full story of Carissa Moore’s place in Hawaii surfing history, read our Carissa Moore legend feature.

Sources

1. World Surf League — NZ Pro Final Results
2. Honolulu Star-Advertiser — Moore Celebrates Comeback Victory
3. KHON2 — Carissa Moore Claims WSL Win in New Zealand

Last Updated: May 2026