WSL Announces Schedule for 2023 Challenger Series
LOS ANGELES, Calif., USA (Monday, March 20, 2023) - Today, the World Surf League (WSL) released the schedule for the 2023 Challenger Series, the ultimate battleground for surfers to showcase their talents for the chance to qualify for the elite Championship Tour (CT) for 2024.
The 2023 Challenger Series gets underway following the conclusion of Stop No. 5 on the CT (the Western Australia Margaret River Pro), with two events in Australia: the Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro and the GWM Sydney Surf Pro. Surfers will then reconvene in July in Ballito, South Africa, followed by the US Open of Surfing Presented by Pacifico, which returns to its regularly scheduled spot in late July. The Series rounds out in October with events in Portugal and Brazil, after which the top 10 ranked men and top five ranked women will qualify to join the world’s best surfers on the 2024 Championship Tour. Competitors will count their four best results out of the six events.
2023 WSL Challenger Series Schedule:
- Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM (Queensland, Australia): May 6 - 13, 2023
- GWM Sydney Surf Pro Presented by Bonsoy (New South Wales, Australia): May 17 - 24, 2023
- Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa): July 2 - 9, 2023
- US Open of Surfing Presented by Pacifico (Huntington Beach, USA): July 29 - August 6
- EDP Vissla Pro Ericeira Presented by Estrella Galicia (Ericeira, Portugal): October 1 - 8, 2023
- Corona Saquarema Pro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil): October 14 - 21, 2023
For 2023, the Challenger Series fields will be reduced from 96 to 80 men and 64 to 48 women, enabling competitions to take advantage of more optimum swell cycles at each location. Most of the reduction comes from the prior allocation for CT surfers who made the Mid-season Cut. Starting this season, those CT surfers will not be required to compete at two Challenger Series events, though, they can apply for an event wildcard if they wish to compete. The 12 men and seven women on the CT who fell below the cut line and missed CT requalification at the start of the season will automatically qualify for all Challenger Series events.
“After an exciting start to the 2023 Championship Tour season, it feels great to announce the schedule for the Challenger Series,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, WSL Chief of Sport. “These six events play a big role in determining the lineup for the 2024 Championship Tour, by offering a pathway for new talent to join the CT and a second chance for CT surfers who missed the Mid-season Cut to rejoin the Tour. With the new field sizes, everyone competing will be focused on CT qualification and we’re also going to be able to make the most of the best conditions at each location, so I’m excited to see how these events play out.”
The Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill will return to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, July 2 - 9, 2023. Photo: WSL / Van Gysen
The Challenger Series, which is the second of a three-tier competition structure, will host 80 men and 48 women at each event, comprised of athletes from the following:
- 12 men and seven women from the CT who did not make the Mid-season Cut,
- 10 men and five women from the previous year’s Challenger Series rankings,
- Three men and two women who were CT surfers in the prior season that did not requalify for either the CT or the Challenger Series,
- 49 men and 30 women as allocated by the seven WSL regions (Australia/Oceania, Asia, Africa, Europe, Hawaii/Tahiti Nui, North America, and Latin America), and
- The men’s 2022 World Junior Champion,
- The women's 2022 World Junior Champion, and
- Five men’s and three women’s wildcards per event.
Comments
Only change from 2022 is the absence of the seventh event at Haliewa, and the loss of Vans as the US Open sponsor.
Manly moves to North Nara ?
If so good decision. I think North Narra is actually a worthy CT venue also.
So, 7 from each region instead of 10?
Man, that is tough news for QS surfers to hear.
"Three men and two women who were CT surfers in the prior season that did not requalify for either the CT or the Challenger Series"........????
If you didn't make the cut as a CT surfer aren't you automatically qualified for the Challenger Series??
They've now removed CT surfers from the draw - except where they apply for a wildcard - so the CS can serve the purpose it was designed for: deciding the following year's CT
In the past, CS events have been won by CT surfers who've already qualified for the CT.
I think the reason they allowed that was to appease sponsors (i.e the comps had star firepower), but it undercut the CS intentions.
"Three men and two women who were CT surfers in the prior season that did not requalify for either the CT or the Challenger Series"........????
Do they mean prior season as in 2022?
In which case CT surfers who got cut and couldn't make the Top 10 of the CS like Connor Coffin and Owen Wright could magically have their careers resurrected by fiat.
Yeah, looks like they're being rewarded - handed a lifeline? - for making the CT.
Not sure how those spots will be divvied up. Lot of opportunity for funny business.
Taken a pretty hefty haircut from the 2021 announcement.
The 2022 WSL CS will consist of eight events, beginning at Snapper Rocks on Australia’s Gold Coast, Australia from May 7 – 15 and concluding in Haleiwa, Hawai’i from November 26 – December 7.
The 2022 WSL Challenger Series Schedule*:Gold Coast, Australia – May 7 – 15
Manly, Australia – May 17 – 24
Ballito, South Africa – July 20 – 27
Huntington Beach, USA – July 30 – August 7
Ericeira, Portugal – October 1 – 9
Landes, France – October 15 – 23
Piha, New Zealand – November 5 – 13
Haleiwa, Hawai’i – November 26 – December 7
Piha, eek, already enough beachies. Why not Raglan in June, that would flow logistically as well. Not enough performance LH waves on either tour.
I was reading the 2022 schedule - doh
The final comp at Haleiwa for qualifying was the highlight of the whole challenger series.
Now a beachie in Brazil…
It really is a sign of the total incompetence at the wozzle that they can’t even get a single CS event funded in Hawaii.
Sponsors hoping to sell Beer, Utes and Soy Milk? They need to visit Desperations.
Surf brands are slipping out the back door on the CT - 6 of 11 comps sponsored by endemics - but on the CS it's far worse: just 1 comp in 6 sponsored by the industry.
Times they are a'changin'.
Only O'Neill Stu? Whats a Vissla? Breed of dog?
Ha...yeah, the EDP Vissla Pro Ericeira, is in there too.
This actually looks worse than the old QS as far as wave quality goes.
Could be worse...
760 currently live watching one of Australia's longest running and most prestigious QS comps (which ran as a CT in 2021)......
That about sums it up.
To be fair, it is absolute slop this morning. I wouldn't even bother taking the 30 second detour to check the waves on my way to work
It's just not a mainstream sport. People who don't surf find it boring as all fuck. Which leaves people who do surf, who also find it boring as all fuck unless it's pumping. Which leaves a handful of comps a year to try and scrounge a dollar out of a very small audience. Then add all the rest of the time zone differences, the way it's run, the comps go for so long, on and on...
Nailed it, Sprout! And we should add to that the new gen's constant demand for prompt and novel information (and dopamine), abundantly available on their mobile phones, is an unbeatable competitor.
My bet is that the number of under 20s watching the Newcastle comp right now would be in the double digits (if that). The truth is that surf comps are a dying attraction which only those of us (close to or over 50) still find mildly entertaining.
Who'd be an aspiring pro surfer hey? Particularly poor female athletes. Why? .....
- Your governing body moves the goal posts not even each year but several times / season.
- Only 5 of a plethora of female shredders get the chance to mix qualify for the big leagues next year
- You have to fly half-way around the world to be put out in onshore tiny beachies to come 3rd in your
first round heat and then have to pack up and go home.
- Your elite level challenger tour consists of 4 shit box beach breaks and a really fat and shite point
- When nepotism seemingly governs the choices of wildcards (read people who haven't earned their spot) in events both the CT and CS
- When equality means women have 40% less athletes on the CS and nearly 50% less on the CT
- When you get through all of the above obstacles to be thrown to the wolves in the CT by surfing 5 new events against the top seeded athletes only to have to get back on the merry go round (CS) again
The only thing that I would disagree with is that there is nothing "merry" about the CS go round. :)
Apparently the regional 'QS events in other countries are really struggling. Although Australia's is a pretty good and very competitive little mini tour in its own right, places like Africa and others aren't fairing so well.
This whole thing could realistically go tits up very shortly.
Yep, struggling to find sponsors even in places where surfing is forever booming, such as Hawaii.
We wrote about this last year, but in 2022 Hawaii had two QS events, while the year before it had just one.
This makes a mockery of the 'pathways to the top' concept as a whole year's progress is decided in just one contest - sometimes in just one heat. If you don't make that heat then you have to sit in a stall position waiting for one more shot the next year.
The reason the Haleiwa CS has been dropped is, apparently, so it can become a QS, which would go some way to making it fairer, though still well short of Australia's seven QS contests.
And you mentioned Africa, it still only has one QS contest.
Seeing one Senegalese surfer in the Africa QS rankings makes you wonder how epic it could be if surfing had a real crack in Africa, especially considering how many remote and epic waves they have. Imagine there would be too many issues with investment and infrastructure unfortunately.
I saw that excuse for dropping Haleiwa to a QS event, but it doesn't really make sense. It now means Hawaiians have no home CS event to get them in big leagues . Robbing Peter to pay Paul !!
I had a thought that vans might take it along with October sunset comp and pipe masters
Wala... there is the 2023 vans triple crown event.
well you could always get a job. Hard as it may be, it's professional surfing - the best comp surfers and most determined will rise and prosper... meanwhile I will continue to watch Nathan Florence and Mason ho videos over any comps...
Vlogs are overrated and mason has run his course.....
I'm afraid they gave up too much content too quick.
Sure you don't get bored of those Vlogs?
The latest video trailer was way better than any comp materials
I won't watch a comp again until Turps is gone. Tried a few years ago and had to give up. It's literally the tone that kills me. Nevermind the "body torque wrap" jargon.
You wouldn't like their incessant talk about 'lip lines' then........ Also Woz's complete inability to acknowledge when the surf, a surfer, anything related to them is less that pumping or perfect.
I just watch on silent. Do we really need commentators?
8 days to get a decent short board wave and finish at a comp at snapper. This is gonna be quite amusing.
90% of ads on the TV seem to have a surf image in them (slight exaggeration) - but mostly a board on a roof, beach shot, old guy with mal, sunset image, older guy pulling board out of new car shot etc.
Surfing sells big time as a concept to briefly stamp "cool" "I am an individual", "I am a wealthy high value target but have soul" on brands.
But mainly marketing knows it is cheap and easy to wack a 2 second image in there or a photo and get the job done.
So stuff sponsoring a contest with unpredictable weather and surf mainly watched by small numbers of hard to please whiny surfers who forever seem to be bagging out that cool Elo dude.
Sorry Elo, take off speed is not just around the corner.
Frog is onto it...wins a prize...this is actually pretty cool to share!
Most Tourism Agencies Sponsor & Promote Surfing / Surfboards.
Also Transit Authorities are including Surfboard access...albeit 2m max!
Oz is #2 for wealthiest millionaire migrants
Oz is one of only 3 resourceful countries with continuous population rise past 2100 & on
World short stays Top Ten #2 Byron #3 Noosa #4 Goldie (All surf Destinations)
Oz Surfing is #1 Locked in to sell anything to anyone in the world for next 100 years
1970's TV Mandatory Hawaii Surf Sessions but less so elsewhere!
1980 ~ Season 6 Laverne & Shirley Pioneered Surfboard marketing
Product Placement > Ownership > Kook Lingo + get dropped into a Lineup Session
The producer intros the complete Surfing package...wrapped up in a prime time Soap!
[0:30] Laverne wraps up Shirley with store Surfboard (Yellow Square Tail / Blue Fin-Box)
Yellow Board later ends up animating or popping out a dead corner in the girl's Flat!
We'll see that this pop out is no accident as later on a Kook Drops by to take board for a Test Drive.
[0:40] Incredible low flyover of Malibu? tbb reckons it's more likely a Hang-glider than Chopper!
Viewer gets slotted into a wave...(Reminding this is also sung along to primetime ditty every night)
Ok! All recall Shirley {rip} getting wrapped up with that Yellow / Blue Fin square Tail.
&t=8sStrap in for the next Level...tbb did warn the crew...
Enter The Beefcake Kook... (Notice the same board looks like it's had a few sessions!)
Meaning! There is a surfer in the Production crew pulling levers to bring in some surf cred!
Crew might pick the Label...interesting looking board!
Like a mix of Early 70's trim McCoy rails with Late '70's Hot Stuff shape!
Goes real fast > Top Speed = 50MPH
Excellent Comments...just gonna throw in an under the radar wobbly!
Request for crew to check on cross flow fermentation Saquintet...
All Hail centre of Surfing Universe Saquarama
Is that Legit or is it an anomaly or simply a Hybrid 2023 Brazo Quintet
24th-30th April 2023 ~ Saquarama Surf Festival ~ Junior 1,000
24th - 30th April 2023 ~ Saquarama Surf Festival ~ Longboard 1,000
24th-30th April 2023 ~ Saquarama Surf Festival ~ QS 5,000
23rd June - 1st July 2023 ~ VIVO Rio Pro CT Saquarema
14th - 21st Oct 2023 ~ Corona Pro CS Saquarema
(Translation) Presented by....
Seemingly means No Sponsor requiring WSL fall guys to mop up!
Ballito CS never has had a Major Sponsor usually leans on O'Neill to mop up!
US Open CS (Vans Pulled out) Needed a Beer Baron presenter.
tbb can bring up the 2023 US Open Promo > notice no Brand Sponsor...just these "presenters"
https://www.usopenofsurfing.com/
CT : Ranch Pro (US Army 'Cuervo' pulled Out) Needed a Beer Baron presenter.
Note : There might be a conflict involving WSL Sponsoring own Event in WSL pool?
Pretty sure they'll get a sponsor...Kelly is just backing off Sponsoring > see Cut!
Why sponsor an Event ya can't win or even compete in!
WSL Latinx Corona Beer festival mirrors Oldschool Oz Sporty Beer Barons
Exemptions :
Supa Keen State Sponsors
Surf City Pro CT + Western Australia Pro CT (No longer Drug Aware)
Not that Keen to splash cash...
GWM Sydney Surf Pro CS is also state sponsored by Chinese Army War Machines
https://www.haval-global.com/news_detail-3122.html
I don't like to kick a man when he's down but did anyone hear ELO when he was in the booth during the Pipe Pro?
He talked a big game (as usual) and promised exciting announcements would be made about the upcoming CS Tour.
He was either talking total BS or he didn't have his ducks lined up because no way this damp squib of a CS (with a 1/4 shaved off it from last year!) qualifies as an exciting announcement.
How do we see this playing out in 2024?
There'll be a retreat or another restructure- the CS has basically made the QS worthless (less than a 1000 people watching on any given day- even at 5 star QS events with pro webcasts) due to lack of starpower and the CS is slowly dying (originally supposed to be an 8 event Tour in prime locations, now a 6 stop rebadged QS with no Hawaii). Snapper Rocks excepted of course.
It's not sustainable as a 3 tier Tour. The two bottom layers cannibalise each other as far as sponsorship and viewer attention go.
The other thing is the CS finishing in Oct in Brazil instead of Hawaii in Dec creates a huge amount of dead air in between seasons where, for all intents and purposes the WSL ceases to exist.
The Haliewa Dec event bridged that gap to a certain extent and primed the new season.
ELO will have to walk, he is presiding over a slow death here.
Every announcement he makes now is a bad news turd which he has to try and roll in glitter before presenting it to the World.
We hear a lot of grumbling on these pages, and rightly so - but Elo and friends have been celebrating the 2022 Trestles final as the largest single day audience in Woz history. So he's probably feeling pretty good about himself when he throws those numbers around. The sponsors don't appear to be listening though.
Maybe because the numbers are grossly inflated?
Even if they are inflated, they still pale in comparison to other mainstream sports, all of which are competing for the same limited sponsorship dollars.
From a feel good perspective I can barely remember these trestle events. But when I think of the narratives that many a pipe masters provided in December I look back with real fondness. It was real, this new shit is just contrived
Perfect summary
My prediction for 2023: Slater and Steph don't make the mid season cut, the Wsl are in damage control. Kanoa also doesn't make the cut which makes the tour look like it's run by monkeys and goldfish. Kolohe crys and smashed another board as he too doesn't make the cut and drives head first into a tree at Margaret river in frustration. Meanwhile Zeke storm Wsl head quarters to make headline world wide for a shotting mass murder. Zeke is defiantly getting the cut due to Karma
General sentiment seems to be anger at the WSL’s incompetence and downfall. Shouldn’t we be happy?
Perhaps its all part of the plan to whittle it all away..
Fast forward a few years and the CS positions might be decided by a one day surf off in prime time USA.
Qualification to the surf off via likes on your own personal WSL content page.
Beaches are still cool; so maybe WSL need to widen the audience & sponsorship appeal with other sports & leisure during the lulls in favourable swell..... eg. Beach volley ball, paintball, palates, fancy dress, egg & spoon race, etc
Diversity
https://warriors.co.uk/videos/easter-egg-spoon-challenge/
bit of live music would be nice too.....
I’m not happy that the WSL is dying.
The comp venues on the CS in particular are way too beachie-heavy, with luck playing an ever-increasing role in getting contestable surf. It seems like they are selling out to the highest bidder without a long term plan. Overall, the WSL brand is cheapening with every event. They really need to stick to quality waves to have any real success.
A better CS schedule would be something like:
Oz: Snapper
Asia: Keramas or even Krui
Americas: Puerto Escondido
Europe: SW France
Pacific: Haliewa
Just make it work, WSL.
Crew's insightful comments just keep coming ... super stoked.
For yer prize > Can choose from Sophie's Choice!
tbb is positive he read about Bugz chatting to Starkie on a Flight about challenges on regional QS Tour.
Anyone else recall this...coz pretty sure it's the wildcard that set this off!
Why would tbb dream this up...just checking if any of the crew read likewise!
Even thought it was why Starkie naturally got the WSL Job to expand Pacific.
Recalling CS started in Oz / NZ with Kelly / Steph locked in to kick off the VIP appearances!
tbb believes CS origin is here in Oz...
[Factcheck] 2023 Only 2x Oz Comps were locked in until this Feature! (Correct!) = Starkie!
All CS beginnings & future hangs off Oz...if Goldie & Sydney go...then it's all over! All crew know this!
Nov 2019 [Factcheck] swellnet / Freeride is spot on as usual...
CS will increase 8 Events building to 10 + ( Womens > 4 )
https://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/417110/the-wsl-announces-the-chall...
2023 CS
CS Men sacrificed 2 comps 8 > 7 -2 comps = 6 mens CS comps (Target of 10 is now pie in the sky!)
Sporting trade off afforded 2 extra women's comps = 4 +2 = 6 Womens CS comps (Saving Grace!)
Current = 2 CS comps have no major Sponsor...this explains why Men donated their 2 to Sisters. Ok!
1 CS comp borrows Brazil's Junior/LB/QS/CT Venue...
Haleiwa CS was bullied outta town by New Season 3x Corp Pipe Slams + Triple Crown
No way can they book a spare day let alone a Week or beg for a dollar amongst the Monsta Mash.
Bonus...Did CT Final 5 default an accidental CS mop up...be super easy to argue it did!
Which came first...Final 5 Shootout or The CS Ward
Oct 2017 > (credit to Wavelength) Happy to share!
2019 Tour to start in Hawaii reduced from 10 months > 8 months
Mens Final 5/6 + Womens Final 3/4 > "Special Event" will decide Champs in principle > Indonesia!
Those not Qualifying in Top 22 will concentrate on Qualifying Circuit (Then the QS) > Note : No CS.
From this early draught we can surmise that the CS was later added as a safety net for CT fallout!
Therein lies the problem...CS is self defeatist from it's inception
But crucially adding a further 1 year Tier delay launchpad for Gromz > CT.
Now that there decision is Legally Brilliant...as all Gromz must then be Adult to sign Safety Clauses!
No more Virgins to sacrifice on Reefs...All got that! Damn that is so slick!
https://wavelengthmag.com/everything-new-wsl-format/
PS : Also important is Bugz quickly rubber stamped Final 3/4/5/6 Woteva Whereva Format...(Why!)
It was still just a thought bubble with no solid numbers or Venue?
Makes tbb think Bugz did then have that chat on the plane with Starkie!
You know...about formulating a positive CS springboard worth marketing.
Coz CS is still marketable downunder...Season starts off well...then it turns to shit...All say Aye!
Anyhow...lot there to think about...no idea wot to make of it...can be read many ways!
tbb just went with the flow of wot we now know to be true!
After all said and done Aussie contestants for the ‘challenging’ series are:
Men (7): Reef Heazelwood, Jarvis Earle, Alister Reginato, Joel Vaughan, George Pittar, Billy Staitmand, Mikey McDonagh
* Te Kehukehu Butler
Women(4): Kobie Enright, Paige Hareb, Ellie Harrison, Nyxie Ryan,
Not many numbers consider the talent pool we have in comparison to other regions (read Africa, Europe, Asia).
Women have it rough.
* Jarvis Earle earned his spot being Junior World Champion so I imagine this would make way for Te Kehukehu
As well as those that don't make the cut and those that were in the first 10 / 5 non qualifying spots on the CS last year. Dyl Moffat, Morgs, Chippo Willcox.
And Bronte Mac, Sarah Baum and Nikki Van D in the womens.
That’s right JD. Bloody confusing system for those playing at home.
Sarah Baum not a saffa?
Yeah Sol, you're right. Is a Saffa but has been in Oz a fair while (I think) working at a surf school in Newy.