Four winners were crowned on on a big Finals Day at the Baler International Pro, a World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) 4000 and Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) event. Yuji Nishi (JPN) broke through for his first-ever QS win, while Minami Nonaka (JPN), Rogelio Jr Esquievel (PHL), and Natsumi Taoka (JPN) backed up their victories in the inaugural 2024 event, held at the birthplace of surfing in the Philippines.
The standout performer all event, Yuji Nishi (JPN) continued his form into Finals Day, claiming solid wins over Olympian Reo Inaba (JPN) and Bonsoy Asia Super Series Leader Kei Kobayashi (JPN) in the Semifinals and Final, respectively. The win saw Nishi climb to No. 5 on the Asia QS regional rankings, edging him closer to joining his older brother Keijiro Nishi (JPN) on the Challenger Series. A defining year for Nishi saw him open the season with his first-ever QS Final at home in Japan, before placing in the Quarterfinals in a QS 6000 in Taiwan, and now earning his very first victory in the QS 4000 at Baler.
“It’s just amazing,” Nishi said. “I’ve been competing since the last event in the Philippines, and haven’t been home to Japan. I’ve been traveling overseas, traveling all over the world, and I’m so glad I was able to win at the very end. It’s my first win, and I’m so glad I won the QS 4000. I was on the phone and emailing my sponsors every day. And my coach was really supportive. These three really long events started out individually, but I was able to come in fifth and first place. It’s really thanks to everyone’s support that I’ve been able to get this far, so I want to keep that spirit up and continue to do my best.”
As with the rest of the event, Nishi’s scores came from a combination of power and progression, mixing between his forehand and backhand on the peak at Baler. Appearing in his fifth Final of the season, Kobayashi battled hard, catching 12 waves in an attempt to take the lead from Nishi, but was unable to find what he needed. The runner-up finish saw Kobayashi increase his already strong rankings lead even further.
Across the two events to take place in Baler, Minami Nonaka (JPN) has remained undefeated. Today, the 24-year-old won her second QS event of the season, her fifth overall. Having competed on the Challenger Series every season since it began in 2021, Nonaka further solidified her position at No. 3 on the Asia QS regional rankings, within the qualification line for 2026. Nonaka was excited to share the Final with her good friend and fellow Chiba resident, Cocona Kawase (JPN).
“I really like the waves here, they’re similar to my home break, so I practiced well and I’m happy to have won here again,” Nonaka said. “Cocona [Kawase] and I always surf together in Chiba, and she’s a really good surfer, so I’m glad we were able to have a great competition together. Thank you everyone for your support. I competed with a lot of different emotions this time, so I’m really happy to have won.”
While Kawase stayed active from the start, Nonaka was patient, picking up her first score of note a third of the way through the heat, earning two scores in quick succession to take the lead. From there, Nonaka held control before closing out the Final with the highest score of the event for the women, an excellent 8.00 (out of a possible 10). Both of Nonaka’s counting scores in the Final came from her incisive backhand attack, which also aided in her Semifinal victory over Olympian Shino Matsuda (JPN).
Rogelio Jr Esquievel (PHL) continued his incredible track record on the LQS, taking his sixth win from six events, five of which have been won at home in the Philippines. Though the current World No. 8 is already qualified for the 2026 Longboard Tour, he loves to continue competing in order to stay sharp. In an event dominated by surfers from his home of La Union, Esquievel was excited to share his first LQS head-to-head match-up against fellow 2025 Longboard Tour competitor and good friend Jomarie Ebueza (PHL) in the Final.
“It was fun and it was nice to surf against Jomarie [Ebueza] in the Final,” Esquievel said. “It’s a win for everyone, especially the La Union crew. These guys are really amazing, they are supporting each and everyone and I love this team. I did really well, but I wanted more and I got lucky that [my score] went excellent.”
Esquievel was unstoppable in the Final, posting an 8.50 and 7.65, for an excellent heat total of 16.15 (out of a possible 20). Appearing in the second LQS Final of his career, Ebueza surfed well, earning a two-wave total of his own that would have won the majority of heats in the event, but the 23-year-old was left needing a near-perfect score throughout the better part of the 30-minute match.
Switching equipment for the Final paid off for Natsumi Taoka (JPN), who rode a brand new board to take a sweeping defeat over Sakura Inoue (JPN). Taoka quickly built to an excellent 8.50 with a solid mix of sharp rail turns and long, clean nose-rides, before adding a 7.25 to her scoreline for a solid 15.75 two-wave total. Two falls early left Inoue with nothing of note and in need of big numbers to stay competitive in her first LQS Final. The 17-year-old stayed patient, hoping for a wave that might allow her to contest Taoka, but was unable to find the rhythm that saw her so successful throughout the event.
“I’m really happy to have won,” Taoka said. “I’ve lost so many heats this year because I didn’t surf well, but in the final I caught a lot of waves and got into my rhythm. I decided to get a score in the first half, so I’m glad I was able to surf well and get a score as planned. When the waves came, there were a lot of thick waves that looked like that set, and many were stacked together, so when I first took off I thought it might be fast, but surprisingly I was able to get through and make it all the way to the inside, so I felt like I had a pretty good shot.”
After a career-high best finish of World No. 5 in 2024, Taoka dipped to No. 12 this season. Today’s win, the ninth LQS of her career, sees the 31-year-old back atop the Asia regional rankings, where she will need to remain in order to secure her place on the 2026 Longboard Tour.
The 2025 Baler International Pro presented by Philippine Sports Commission is proudly supported by the Provincial Government of Baler, Aurora, Costa Pacifica and Senator Sonny Angara. Sponsored by PAGCOR, National Youth Commission, Kudosurf, Vissla, ASRAI, and SDMI Sports.
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