Filipino wildcard Alciso shocks Olympic champ Vaast in WSL Pro

Filipino surfer Jayuard Alciso competes in the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour Philippines Pro, November 1, 2026 at Cloud 9 in Siargao. PSC Media.MANILA — Filipino wildcard Jayuard Alciso pulled off a stunning upset over French Olympic gold medalist Kauli Vaast to advance to Round 2 of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour Philippines Pro at Cloud 9 in Siargao on Sunday.

The Asian Games bronze medalist topped Round 1, Heat 8 with a two-wave total of 12.93 points, highlighted by a 7.33 on his seventh wave and a 5.60 on his ninth, to outscore Vaast, the world No. 9 surfer.

The victory marked a breakthrough moment for Alciso, who was competing in the prestigious event for the first time.

“I’m so happy to win this heat. This is my first time competing here, and beating an Olympic gold medalist is not easy. I’m really proud of myself,” Alciso said.

The Filipino surfer credited the support of his family, friends, and girlfriend for helping him stay composed throughout the heat.

“I’m 100 percent focused because all my friends, my family and my girlfriend were there watching me. Their support helped me stay focused, and I was able to come up with big scores,” he said.

Alciso also expressed gratitude to the local crowd in Siargao, whose cheers fueled his memorable performance.

“I’m so happy to make it to Round 2. I just want to thank my supporters, my family, friends, my girlfriend and all the locals here in Siargao. Thank you all for supporting me,” he added.

Surfers eliminated in the opening round are guaranteed US$13,000 (around P830,000), while the tournament champion will take home US$80,000 (approximately P5.1 million).