Queensland’s own Reef Heazlewood has delivered another exceptional performance on the international stage, taking out the 2025 Taiwan Open of Surfing QS 6000 at Jinzun Harbor. The win marks his second QS 6000 victory of the season and launches him to No. 1 on the WSL Australia/Oceania rankings, placing the Sunshine Coast surfer in a commanding position as he targets qualification for the 2026 WSL Challenger Series.
Returning to an event where he has a long history of success, Heazlewood looked sharp from the opening rounds. A former runner-up at the Taiwan Open, the powerful goofy footer once again thrived in the clean, high-performance walls of Jinzun Harbor. Throughout the week, he showcased his trademark combination of power and flow, making the most of both the lefts and rights on offer.
In the Final, Heazlewood faced Japan’s Riraru Ito (JPN) and stayed composed under pressure. Reading the conditions with confidence, he shifted his focus to the running lefts and laid down a series of precise frontside turns to secure a 12.83 two-wave total and claim a well-deserved victory.
After the win, Reef reflected emotionally on the journey behind this result:
“I’m just thinking of my wife, Maddie, right now. I wish she were here. I had such a bad start to the year and wasn’t really sure if I was going to keep going, so to get two wins, it feels like I’m back. I checked the rankings yesterday and knew a win would put me on top, so I’m pretty stoked. Locking in a Challenger Series spot is really important to me. I love coming to Taiwan, the waves are super fun, and to get a win here is definitely special.”
The victory continues an impressive late-season surge from the Queenslander, who has rebuilt momentum and confidence after a challenging start to the year. With two major wins now locked in, Heazlewood has firmly re-established himself as one of Australia’s most exciting talents on the QS.
While the spotlight belongs to Reef, the event also saw strong performances across the board. Fellow Aussie Lucy Darragh claimed the women’s QS 6000 title, also her second major win of the season, solidifying an all-Aussie sweep at one of the most prestigious stops on the Asia Pacific QS calendar.
Both surfers now shift their focus to the final events of the season, carrying significant confidence and critical ranking points as they push toward the 2026 Challenger Series qualification cutoff.
The 2025 Taiwan Open of Surfing QS 6000 ran from November 5 to 9 at Jinzun Harbor in Taitung. Full results, highlights and replays are available at WorldSurfLeague.com or through the free WSL app.
