Ella McCaffray and Rafael Castro Win Afulu Pro 2025 APSS Shortboard Divisions

Wave conditions today were excellent, with super glassy waves and sets of up into the solid 5 foot range rolling down the point, offering up long walls and the occasional barrel opportunities on both the outside and the inside sections.

The first Women’s Semifinal saw the waves slow down after a busy free surf, which required a re-start, but once the waves starting coming it was On! Ella McCaffray (USA) with her dangerous backhand surfing was rewarded with first an excellent 8.17 and then a backup of a 7.17 to breeze into a win against Dhea Natasya Novitasary (IDN), who on her forehand was on a mission to get barreled but couldn’t find any exits.

Semifinal 2 was a battle between two Indonesian competitors, Taina Angel Izquierdo and Aura Zeflin, which closely contested until the more experienced Izquierdo on her forehand earned a high score of 6.17 to put the win out of reach for the younger Zeflin.

The 30 minute Women’s Final between McCaffray and Izquierdo was a well fought battle, with similar scores being exchanged, natural footer against goofyfooter, and the final score tally not that far apart at 11.40 to 10.17, but in the end it was McCaffray’s greater power and aggression on the well-formed lefthand walls that got her the Afulu Pro win.

This was McCaffray’s first time to Afulu, but she is a frequent visitor to Nias having won the Nias Pro QS5000 Women’s event just last year and earned an equal 3rd place at this year’s Nias Pro QS6000. She is from California and competes on the WSL Qualifying Series.

“I absolutely love this island,” exclaimed McCaffray after her win today. “But this is my first time to Afulu, as I’ve always just gone to Sorake before. It was so amazing to come up here as it’s so natural, and it’s so nice to surf a lefthander to switch things up! This is a really good wave and I’ll definitely come back again,” she added. When asked about her experience in the final she answered, “It was definitely a bit stressful and down to the wire, but what a great feeling it was when the horn blew and I knew I won. It was super cool also to get ride in on the Jet Ski, that was something different that I haven’t experienced before also. So stoked to be here…I’m staying at the same place with Rafa (Rafael Castro) so with him winning also, it’s going to be a big celebration at the house!”

Men’s Shortboard Division Champion Rafael Castro (USA) is also a newcomer to Afulu, and having seen last year’s event decided that after the Nias Pro he would come to Afulu and join the competition. Castro, 21 years old, was born in America and raised in America and Brazil until moving to Bali 7 years ago.

“This is my first time to Afulu and I just love it, it’s so beautiful” said Castro. “I was just out there in the final with my friends, having such a good time. The waves were firing, and when I got that first wave at the beginning of the heat and got two barrels, that’s all I really wanted and was looking for the whole comp… I was so stoked! I wasn’t focused on winning in the beginning but with an 8 point wave it got me thinking I could actually win it. I’m definitely coming back here next year…125% for sure!

In the runner up spot was two-time defending champion Pajar Ariyana’s (IDN), whose performance in yesterday’s Quarterfinal with a 9.5 point score and his consistent heat winning track record likely presented a psychological challenge to his competitors. However, in today’s Final, the wave he needed to post one of his big scores just didn’t appear during the allotted 30 minutes…but about a minute after the horn sounded, his perfect wave came rolling through and he glided into arguably the longest barrel of the event and came out with his hands up, shaking his head but smiling. He’ll be back next year to do it again.

1) Rafael Castro (USA)

2) Pajar Ariyana (IDN)

3) Dylan Wilcoxen (IDN)

4) Ash Jenner (AUS)

1) Ella McCaffray (USA)

2) Taina Angel Izquierdo (IDN)

3) Dhea Natasya Novitasari (IDN)

3) Aura Zeflin (IDN)

Tomorrow will see a change of venue, with the competition moving to the beachbreak for the Longboard Divisions, as the wave conditions there are much more suitable. A 7:30 am call is out to the competitors, and tomorrow will see the conclusion of the Afulu Pro 2025 APSS competition, with a Closing Ceremony with Prize Presentation scheduled for 1:00 pm.

Check Liveheats Afulu Pro 2025 scores and schedule at

Also check out the ASC Instagram at @asiansurfco to view the action as the event progresses.

All APSS competitions will be on LiveHeats, the official scoring and ranking platform of the APSS Tour, as Liveheats provides the most accurate live scoring, seamless heat management, and real-time ranking updates across all tour events together with the official ranking.

The Afulu Pro 2025 starts off the 2025-26 APSS season, which runs from June of 2025 and will finish at the end of May 2026. The second stop on the APSS tour will be in October at Zhoushan, China before heading to Jialeshuei, Taiwan. Other events will be announced as they get confirmed, so keep your eyes on the ASC website and the ACS socials for updates.

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