At 12 years old, Sierra Kerr sat in the channel at Sultans, legs dangling over the side of a boat, watching her father, Josh Kerr, claim the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy for the second year in a row. She still remembers the spray of the waves, the cheers from the beach, and thinking to herself, one day, that will be me.
Six years later, from 4 to 11 September 2025, Sierra will return to Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa as the youngest competitor the event has ever seen, and the only woman in a six-strong line-up of surfing greats. She will face the likes of Craig Anderson, Jesse Mendes, and other yet-to-be-revealed champions in the world’s only event to test surfers across single fin, twin fin and thruster disciplines in perfect Maldivian waves.
“I’ve got so many great memories of the Maldives from when Dad was competing here,” says Sierra, now a 2023 World Junior Champion. “Seeing him win was amazing, and I remember hoping one day I’d be good enough to be invited. No woman has ever won the Surfing Champions Trophy before, so it would be incredible to be the first.”
Guests staying at Kuda Huraa during the event enjoy front-row seats from luxury boats and the chance to meet competitors during informal beachfront gatherings held after competition days. For those inspired to paddle out themselves, the resort’s Surf’s Up package offers tailored coaching for all abilities, guided boat trips to nearby breaks, yoga for balance and post-surf massages to restore wave-weary muscles.
Discover more about the competitors set to collide in this year’s Surfing Champions Trophy: Sierra Kerr, the fearless 18-year-old aiming to become the first female champion; Craig Anderson, the style master whose effortless flow is a benchmark in modern surfing; and Jesse Mendes, the Brazilian force with a competitive edge as sharp as his turns. Each brings their own arsenal to the waves, promising a battle as beautiful as the Maldives backdrop.
