CONGRATS MELANIE BARTELS!

She just won her second World Tour event ever in the most exciting women’s semifinal ever (no offense to fellow finalist, Sofia Mulanovich, but Melanie had the win in the bag when she demolished World Champ, Steph Gilmore in a ridiculous, absurd, high scoring semi). I honestly didn’t really think she’d be showing up to events anymore … until she did. But that’s how Melanie is. M.I.A. one month, on fire the next. It’s probably what makes her such an exciting athlete and personality for us women’s surfing groupies.

So good on ya, Melanie.

And if you just want to see exactly how much she was ripping, get the full coverage on Surfline Women.—CS