Californian world champion Caitlin Simmers wasn't so excited about the finals being in Fiji, but rather more in favor of keeping them in Lowers, she told Fox News in an interview.

Asked about the differences, she explained: “Obviously, I love surfing at Trestles, and I think it’s one of the most perfect places to do a format like this. If I were going to do it anywhere, Lowers would be the best place. In my opinion, I find it quite interesting that they did it here, simply because it’s such a difficult wave, and it’s clearly one-way, rather than two.”

He added: “It's a very different and difficult wave to surf, more or less. It's always changing. But, hey, they're changing, so I might as well make the most of it. Again, I'm not in first place, so I just want to learn about the wave and enjoy where I am.”

“And it's great. We're going to be able to see the best surfers in the world on some of the best waves in the world. That's going to be really cool, and we'll just have to see who wins. Hopefully, we'll have good waves so it's as fair as possible, and then we'll just do what we do, which is go up and down in the waves, go through them, and do all kinds of things,” he concluded.

Since the finals format was invented in 2021, they have all been held consecutively in Lowers, which has often sparked controversy.

The main detractors stated that it was a wave of no consequence to define the title, in which the barrel also did not exist, and it is a key part of surfing.

Simmers is also a renowned tube rider, having won at Pipe among other tubular venues.