Fiji's Cloudbreak is every pro surfer's favourite wave. Here's how to visit it in 2025

INTERNATIONAL SPORTING EVENTS are great occasions to book holidays around. Wimbledon coincides perfectly with summer in London. Host cities come alive during the Olympic Games. Then there’s the Tour de France through the French countryside, offering an excellent excuse to eat cheese and drink wine in the sun for weeks. And one of the best ways to see – and surf – Fiji is by booking a trip to Viti Levu and boarding a bus to Cloudbreak, to watch the world’s best surfers battle it out at the World Surf League (WSL) Fiji Pro.

Fiji is known for its world-class surfing; the country is made up of hundreds of islands, many of which are hemmed by reef breaks suitable for surfers of every experience level, depending on the size of the swell. But the last time a WSL Championship Tour event was held in Fiji, it was 2017 – despite the show it repeatedly put on (Cloudbreak is one of the biggest, heaviest left-hand reef breaks in the world), the event was dropped due to difficulties securing a sponsor. A lot has happened since then. Professional surfing isn’t the niche it used to be, with the Paris Olympics shining a particularly bright spotlight on the sport – that photograph of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina and his board levitating above a wave at Teahupo’o went viral in a way few surfing photos ever have. Meanwhile, the WSL has spent years working with the Fijian government and its tourism marketing arm to get its competition back up and running. At the end of 2023, it was announced that the Fiji Pro would return to the tour from 2024-26. Months later, it was revealed the iconic wave would also host the WSL Finals in 2025.

After a seven-year hiatus, finally, the surfing world was headed back to Fiji. And I was tagging along for the ride.

“Our waves and warm hospitality await surf enthusiasts from around the world. This event boosts our global visibility as well as uplifts communities and inspires our local surfers,” says Brent Hill, CEO of Tourism Fiji, noting that in partnership with the Fiji Surf Association, the WSL is also running its Rising Tides development program for local female surfers throughout the Fiji Pro. “We are stoked that the World Surf League has chosen Cloudbreak, Fiji.”

Cloudbreak is situated on the west side of Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu, about eight kilometres off the coast. The region isn’t just popular with surfers – due to its year-round warmth, low rainfall and access to snorkelling, fishing and diving spots, holiday goers in search of paradise travel here from all over the world.

When I arrive at the Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay, which is a short boat ride to Cloudbreak, I’m greeted by a gentleman in a traditional straw skirt who beats his Lali drum before letting out an enthusiastic, “Bulaaaa!” (Impressively, he repeats the process every time a new guest arrives). Bula means ‘hello’ and ‘welcome’, but its most direct English translation is the word ‘life’. Behind me, the resort’s postcard-perfect overwater villas are basking in the morning sun – the weather isn’t meant to deviate from a top of 28 degrees the entire week I’m here, which, having come from the Australian winter, suits me just fine.

From Pipeline in Hawaii to Margaret River in Perth, every event on the WSL Championship Tour has its own opening ceremony, and every opening ceremony pays homage to the local community and Indigenous customs. The Fiji Pro is no different, with groups of traditional dancers greeting the biggest names in competitive surfing – John John Florence, Caity Simmers, Medina, Kelly Slater (who has one of the competition’s wildcards; Perth-born Fijian local Tevita Gukilau has the other), Molly Picklum, Jack Robinson and Ethan Ewing – as they arrive at the resort.

“I think it’s the best wave in the world. If you’re talking about a ‘dream tour’ for the surf world, Cloudbreak is on top of the list,” Kelly Slater tells me when I approach him for a quote. The proceedings here are extremely relaxed; after the official part of the ceremony is over, the dancers pull some of the pros out of their chairs to perform the meke (traditional Fijian dance). The sight of Slater shuffling around on the grass to Fijian music will live rent-free in my mind for years.

The competition is meant to begin the following day, but due to a lack of swell, it’s postponed until the day after. So I spend the day exploring the resort, where the WSL crew, commentators and judges are also staying. There’s yoga and HIIT classes on offer, and a swim-up bar at the main pool. The sultry day calls for a handful of plunges into the clear blue water of the Momi Bay lagoon.

The sunsets here are so vivid, they demand to be witnessed every night. The best vantage point is the infinity pool beside Fish Bar, where you can enjoy fresh seafood for dinner afterwards – each dish seasoned with a bespoke flavoured salt, harvested at the nearby South Seas Salt farm.

The following morning, the forecaster makes ‘the call’: the swell is building, and the Fiji Pro is set to begin. I board the resort’s catamaran, which will anchor within viewing distance, in the channel across from Cloudbreak. On board, I meet honeymooners from the Gold Coast. They didn’t realise the competition was taking place when they arrived at Momi Bay, but they were able to nab a spot on the resort’s catamaran to watch the action unfold up close – as the Fiji Pro’s accommodation and international broadcast partner, Marriott Momi Bay’s guests are able to book a spot on board throughout the competition.

In the channel, we watch Medina soar through two barrels to beat Japan’s Connor O’Leary and American Crosby Colapinto. “It felt good, I got some nice waves, it’s a perfect day,” says the Brazilian surfer, shortly after leaving the water. “It’s good to have a left, you know, for the goofys.” Picklum wins her heat; as does Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy. After lunch and refreshments are served on the catamaran, and most of us have had a dip, we head back to the resort. That evening, dinner is a traditional Fijian buffet, with meat cooked for hours in a lovo. It might be part of a global chain of resorts, but Marriott Momi Bay does well to incorporate local culture into its offering, and, for the brave, a traditional kava ceremony is also an option.

While you can’t surf Cloudbreak while the competition is on – that would be like trying to play kick-to-kick while an AFL game is in progress – there are a number of top-notch surf breaks a short boat ride from Momi Bay that guests of the Marriott can access. Restaurants is a friendly wave that breaks right off the nearby Namotu Island Resort, while Frigates – otherwise known as Fiji Pipeline – is a more challenging hollow reef break further out to sea. For those used to the claustrophobic line-ups of Sydney’s beach breaks, perhaps the biggest appeal of these waves is that, often, you can have them all to yourself. Those staying at Marriott Momi Bay can book private or group surf charters to both spots, including lessons for beginners, through KaiWai Watersports, which also operates parasailing, fishing, e-foiling and diving tours.

Though Cloudbreak wasn’t at its biggest during the Fiji Pro (the wave can grow to 20 feet when the swell is big), it still turned it on for the final rounds of the comp. California’s Griffin Colapinto took out the men’s division, while Canada’s 17-year-old Erin Brooks – a wildcard – won the women’s. The closing ceremony was just as vibrant as the opening; the winners and runners-up trophies were embellished with traditional Fijian carvings and shells.

The locals don’t say moce (goodbye); instead, they say sota (see you later). The next time the WSL returns to Momi Bay, it will be to decide the 2025 world champion. And yes, the Marriott Momi Bay catamaran will be running.

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