WSL Announces 2024 Championship Tour Schedule
LOS ANGELES, Calif., USA (September 20, 2023) - Today, the World Surf League (WSL) announced the schedule for the 2024 Championship Tour (CT). The calendar will continue to showcase a combined women’s and men’s schedule featuring nine regular-season events, a Mid-season Cut after CT Stop No. 5, and the fourth-annual WSL Finals. 2024 will also see Fiji return to the schedule for the first time since 2017 as the final stop of the regular season. Next year, surfing will also make its second appearance in the Olympic Games at Paris 2024.
2024 WSL Championship Tour Schedule:
- Banzai Pipeline, Hawaii, USA: January 29 - February 10
- Sunset Beach, Hawaii, USA: February 12 - 23
- Peniche, Portugal: March 6 - 16
- Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia: March 26 - April 5
- Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia: April 11 - 21
Mid-season Cut: 36-man and 18-woman fields reduced to 24-man and 12-woman fields.
- Teahupo'o, Tahiti, French Polynesia: May 22 - 31
- Punta Roca, El Salvador: June 6 - 15
- Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: June 22 - 30
2024 Paris Olympic Games: July 26 - August 11 (Surfing scheduled between July 27 - August 5)
- Cloudbreak, Fiji: August 20 - 29
WSL Final 5 determined to battle for the men’s and women’s World Titles.
- WSL Finals (Lower Trestles, San Clemente, Calif., USA): September 6 - 14
The 2024 CT will include nine regular-season events in seven countries, starting in January at Pipeline, Hawaii. The Mid-season Cut will come into action following Stop No. 5 in Margaret River, Australia. Surfers who make the Cut will compete in Tahiti, El Salvador, and Brazil before a break for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
The final event of the regular season will see the world’s best surfers return to the iconic Cloudbreak in Fiji and battle for a place in the WSL Final 5. Cloudbreak is a world-renowned reef pass located offshore the island of Tavarua in Fiji. It is one of the most awe-inspiring left-hand barrels and can hold waves anywhere from two-to-20 feet. Due to its fast and powerful nature, it is known as a highly advanced and heavy wave.
For 2024, the WSL Finals will return to Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California, where the men’s and women’s Top 5 surfers will face off for the World Titles in the one-day, winner-take-all format. The waiting period will run from September 6 to 14, 2024, which is the ideal time of year for favorable Southern Hemisphere swells at one of the most high-performance waves in the world.
The 2024 Championship Tour season will return to Clouldbreak in Fiji as the last regular-season event from August 20 - 29, 2024 (Photo: WSL / Sloane)
Held earlier this month on September 9, the WSL Finals shattered the record for the most-watched day of professional surfing in WSL history. With 10.7 million video views on the single day, the WSL surpassed the 2022 viewership numbers by 29%. The competition was also distributed via the WSL’s linear broadcast partners, whose audiences elevated the viewership even further. For example, viewership on Globo/SporTV, the WSL’s broadcast partner in Brazil, totaled over one million viewers, an increase of 16% from 2022. In the lead-up to the competition, the WSL delivered 25 million video-on-demand views, marking a 58% increase from the previous year. Carrying the success of the 2023 CT finale, the WSL will continue this momentum into the 2024 season, where the world’s best surfers will compete on the world’s best waves.
With the Olympic Games Paris 2024, a break has been added to the schedule in July to allow time for qualified athletes to travel to Tahiti ahead of the Games, where the line-up will be closed for Olympic athletes to practice. With this break, the Tour will not host an event in J-Bay or Surf Ranch this season. The CT event in Tahiti has been moved earlier to May to accommodate the Olympics and will be the last opportunity to watch the world’s best surfers in competition at Teahupo'o ahead of the Games.
“2024 is set to be a big year for surfing, and our schedule is designed to support that,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, WSL Chief of Sport. “I’m stoked that we’re bringing Fiji back. It’s such an iconic wave, and it’s the perfect place to test our surfers as they battle to secure their place in the WSL Final 5. We’re also really happy to confirm that the WSL Finals will return to Lower Trestles next season. We’ve hosted three exciting WSL Finals at this high-performance wave, which has proved to be an incredible showcase for the WSL Final 5 to crown our World Champions. The Olympic Games represents one of the biggest stages in the world, and we want our surfers to have the opportunity to perform at their best, which is why we’ve instituted the scheduled break and updated CT dates in 2024.”
Comments
First observation - unlike previous years announcements, they have not listed each event's sponsor (Rip Curl, Billabong, Corona etc).
Interesting.
Still negotiating some of them I guess
Possibly, except most have been long term sponsors of each event.
And the WSL still hasn't been able to find an overarching title sponsor since Samsung wound up at the end of 2016.
OK, it seems they left all sponsors out of the press release - isn't that odd? - but have included them on the WSL website.
And we have:
- Pipe Pro
- Hurley Pro Sunset Beach
- MEO Pro Portugal
- Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach
- Western Australia Margaret River Pro
- SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro
- Surf City El Salvador Pro
- VIVO Rio Pro
- Fiji Pro
- WSL Finals
Of note:
1. Billabong have pulled out of the Pipe Pro (huge news IMO - they've sponsored it since 2007, and it's definitely the marquee WSL event - but unsurprising given the recent sale of Boardriders etc)
2. Rip Curl are no longer sponsoring the Finals (three year deal finished this year)
3. Rip Curl are no longer a sponsor in Portugal (previous events were a dual sponno event, known as the "MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal")
4. Fiji doesn't have a sponsor (unsurprising, as many previous years have been sponsorless)
5. Margs has gone from being an unbranded event (but funded by the WA Govt) to now - just like El Salvador - having some kind of geographic moniker as the sponsor
They can’t even get a sponsor for their biggest event of the year, the finals. Says it all really.
Breaking:
“Filipe Toledo has just stumped up the cash to sponsor the ‘Holy Toledo finals’ event at Trestles until 2028 to ensure the stability and longevity of this important event on tour.”
Haha, wouldn’t surprise me
I still had the WSL app, don’t know why. Deleted it at 6 this morning about a minute after getting the press’s.
Hmm, now the WSL website isn't showing ANY events for 2024.
https://www.worldsurfleague.com/events/2024/ct?all=1
Click and repeat,soon as the sepps got hold of the 'dream tour' the result was inevitable,disney on ice coming to a venue near you. Ive decried the valueless impotence of crowning a world champ in medioce performance surf . Re- instate Pipe to where it righfully belongs, bring back those challenging roaring reef breaks,bring back St. Lieu,noahs and,surely even the suits that have corporatised this tour must concede they've well and truly fucked,the only reason u dont have 13 year olds competing on it apart from the creche and parental issues is the indemnity involved would be worth as much as Toledo's bonuses.Blah farken blaaaah
I wonder if the corporations involved in surf culture and extreme sports have given WSL the reasons for turning their backs on the pro tour? Sponsorship is a form of investment, and with big bucks involved I am sure the corporate world would like to have some input on how the shooting match is organised and marketed. What a sorry list of sponsors. Possibly the surf companies are targeting a local market via club, state and regional events? The WSL will wither and die before it is on sold.
I have some friends in the industry... Interesting to note how most big corps dumped actions sports marketing 3 / 4 years ago.
It had a twenty year run.
People were shifted to other fields , youth is the focus , what are youth doing ? I'm not sure .....cause I'm over 40........
Surely they could have squeezed Jbay in somewhere! Or have they made it the sacrificial lamb to dump alongside surf ranch so it’s not so obvious that surf ranch is least popular and thus first cull option to fit olympics in. Or am I looking for a conspiracy and it’s the coinciding scheduling alone?
I’d like to be positive. I used to really enjoy the tour but nup.
The reverse positive sandwich (shit sanga) approach by throwing in Cloudy as a distraction.
‘Hey guys and girls we’re going to take J-bay away, BUT we’re sending you to Fiji and we’re continuing with this finals shtick at Trestles’
Its not America’s sport. Feels like they have stolen it.
No Jbay is so lame. Happy to see Cloudy back but there’s at least 3 other events that I couldn’t care less about. Funny to think Flippy has to surf Chopes twice in 2024.
Having Cloudbreak as the penultimate event to decide the 5 is just enough red meat to keep me interested.
How so? Doesn’t feel that much different to having Chopes prior to finals. The end goal is the same. A few crew fight it out in pustule waves and the rest just coast as no event past the cut is consequential in the slightest (to those outside the top 5).
Yep agree, and I think that removing J-Bay and the Tub, and adding Cloudbreak will massively affect Toledo's chances at sitting in top spot coming into Trestles. And he's beatable at Trestles - Ewing came close without an air game, and the others just failed to fire.
Agreed FR. That’s going to add a bit of drama.
Goodbye professional surfing and sponsors.
Maybe going the way of the bodyboard world tour? Minor, very niche sport.
Surfing’s broader popularity is probably the only thing holding it afloat as a semi legit ‘sport’
Really not sure how they can justify trestles after the last two years. Very disappointing
At least there’s finally a performance left back on tour.
2024 prediction: with J bay gone and Fiji in its place Gabby and JR finish in the top 2, EE third and puckered Fil in 4th. Come finals day at Lowers Fil goes on a rampage in head high gutless surf, dismantling an uninterested JR and then Gabby. Fil is crowned 3 time world champ, on par with AI, Mick, Gabby and Curren.
Not having JBay has nothing to do with allowing a break for the Olympics.
Their viewership numbers are total BS
<<>>
No J-bay is so sad other than pipe that's my fav comp, it has everything turn sections, barrels and length
Its really a terrible mix/balance of waves.
Much more rights than lefts and the lefts are generally shallow hollow and heavy the rights generally, well fat is not the right word but rarely hollow more deeper water type rolling waves with just the odd barrel.
Hollow lefts=x3
Hollow rights= x1 (backdoor)
Not hollow rights= x5 (ok inside sunset, but its more a deep water rolling type wave)
Not hollow lefts=1 (x1 trestle's left)
Beachies=x2
Lefts x2
Rights x5
Left & rights x4
There needs to be at least one comp where the only option is to go a hollow right, and one comp on a left that isn't hollow and heavy and where the focus is more on turns.
Worth remembering that we didn't have a CT event at J-Bay in 2012 and 2013. Prior to then was sponsored by Billabong.
In 2012 it was relegated to the QS (still as a Billabong Pro). In 2013 it disappeared completely.
In 2014 it returned to the CT, as the unsponsored J-Bay Open. It remained sponsorless until 2017 when Corona came on board.
Interesting to go back through old media releases. Here's the ASP presser in Feb 2012 re: J-Bay downgrade:
COOLANGATTA, Queensland/AUS (Friday, February 24, 2012) – The Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, Event No. 5 of 11 on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour, has been officially downgraded to an ASP 6-Star event for 2012.
In an official statement today, Billabong said: "The change in event status follows a broader review in which we are seeking to identify cost savings throughout the business. By retaining an event at Jeffreys Bay, it now provides two qualifying events back to back in the South African region. The move to an ASP 6-Star also opens the event up to South Africa's aspiring pro surfers for the first time in 20 years and ensures continuity of the event for the local businesses in Jeffreys Bay."
The downgrade drops the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour calendar from 11 events to 10, with surfers now counting their best 8 out of 10 results towards their ASP World Title ranking.
"We agreed as a Board that whilst very regrettable, the commercial realities are such that a pragmatic approach by ASP at this time seemed sensible," Richard Grellman, ASP Executive Chairman, said. "Billabong have been long-time supporters of professional surfing and still sponsor three of the ten World Championship Tour events and we look forward to our deep relationship with them continuing."
Any chance of the SA CS event switching to Jbay?
I tuned in a few times to their beachie event, pretty average viewing.
Would also make the CS very right dominant with Kirra, and Portugal bells.
Have to say it's a good possibility. The South African event calendar (QS and CS) changes from year to year but I'd be pretty confident they'll find someone.
Has Jbay gone from CT to QS for 2024? Or just dumped completely?
No-one knows.
Likely to be a CS event (IMO) but, using this year's schedule as an example, the CT was announced in in Sep 2022, whilst the CS was announced siz months later, in Mar 2023 (just before the first event kicked off).
So, we won't know for a long time.
Until then, speculate away!
thanks for the information Ben; its very confusing - what sort of global sports organization can't predict their 2nd tier a year out?
Well we know why Kelly was hanging around. Another session at CB with one other guy
And the cameras of course.
he won't make the cut and they better not give him another wildcard.
He won’t and they will
very early for Bells. can see this unravelling at small winki
Trestles again......yawn
Not so bad, Pipe, Sunset, Chopes, Cloudbreak.
Losing J-Bay is a bummer, my personal fav. event. I always like Bells- a wave that can magnify a surfers flaws and no one is gonna rue the ousting of the Ranch.
Trestles though- FFS.
There's a 4 week break between Margs and Chopes.
Then there's a 7 week break between Brazil and Fiji.
From an Australian viewing perspective, if you discount Brazil and El Salvador (low chance of exciting waves, poor time zone etc), then it's almost 12 weeks between watchable events.
Or, one watchable event in four months (after Margs).
Momentum is a very important part of any sporting league, especially from a broadcast media perspective.. and it seems to be an issue with the tour.
F#*k off JMD with your corpo BS talk, all you care about is keeping you're well-paid job
The silence is defining from tour surfers and commentators re the Trestles debacle . Paid whores
Kelly talks about it here
?si=58A7mgaR3Yk7QP0USurely the olympics doesnt count toward a finals placing?
Cloudbreak at the cost of JBay. tough bargaining from the wossle but it's arguably worth the price to get a high performance left onto the tour of rights. assuming the other global locations are needed, would much rather have lost Margies (or dare i say Bells) than JBay
I’d swap all of Sunset, Margs and El Sal for J bay. Actually throw Brazil and Portugal in there too
Audience records shattered in the finals.
I fell asleep about 3 times in the final so my clicks and excitement might be a bit overcooked in their analysis.
Audience records shattered. Can’t find a sponsor to pick up the pieces.
Ba doom tshhhhh.
99.17%* of the fan base hate Trestles as the finals day location. The WSL know that. It’s getting to boggling to bear
*actual empirically correct figure
“ We’re also really happy to confirm that the WSL Finals will return to Lower Trestles next season”
If you asked JMD privately, where she thinks the best location for the finals day location is, that’d it’ll be Trestles? Or has is she too far gone?
Stab have an IV with Jessi (done following the press release, it seems), and they brought up Trestles:
Stab: Another major thing that didn’t change on the 2024 schedule: Lower Trestles will remain the site of the WSL Finals. Why did you decide to stay there?
Jessi: Trestles has been a really fair playing field for the surfers. I think it’s been really important for the wave to be a peak, for sure. It’s also really consistent swell-wise. Being able to give the athletes a chance for reliable competition in a great spot is the biggest thing for us, and that’s why it’s still there.
https://stabmag.com/stab-interviews/surfings-chief-of-sport-explains-why...
And how many surfers went left in this years finals? 1? Griff, and it was a low score. What a joke of an organisation. Theyve done it this time. Hooray in advance for LittleFlippy3
Lakey peak
Yep and Stab/Mikey C got absolutely eviscerated in the comments for the total fluff piece that it was.
Anyone make odds or ends of this?
https://beachgrit.com/2023/09/surf-media-war-continues-unabated-as-stab-...
** assuming Stab so far up Woz’s arse, hard to tell where one ends and the other begins?
Its nice that SN aren’t even the slightest bit dependent on the trials and tribulations of the WSL.
Sure can.
Effectively, Sam McIntosh of Stab mag wrote an editorial trying to explain how Stab works, the corporate mechanisms behind it and their so-called 'line they have to toe' with the WSL.
It was also addressed on their podcast (quite cowardly in my opinion) by Mikey C who was trying to defend his interview with JMD and not asking the hard questions surf fans want to know (Elo, tour locations, trestles etc). He hid behind the wall of 'we had limited time, there was a marketing manager from WSL on the line, this wasn't the time or place'. I call absolute bullshit on that. It was the best time to ask.
Sam was quite unabashed and truthful in his op-ed, however, I think the damage was already done with the majority of the readership who already had a suspicion that Stab were in cahoots with the WSL (or had some sort of access deal in place).
I used to be a journalist, I know how this stuff works, but Stab has gone about it all wrong. They're being called out by a lot of journalists (surf and otherwise) for their blatant puff pieces for the WSL and it's looking like they've lost a lot of respect. Not sure if it's of SN's interest, but could be good to look into it/potential article.
Thanks TH.
If you listen to their podcast, which can be good at times, its clear the lack of divide between Stab and the Woz. There is a distinct absence of critique and even pumping up of mediocrity (especially via Stacey G, to a lesser extent Mikey).
I find Stacey pretty hard to take. Full on know it all. His podcast and interview style is very grating. Mikey seems like an open minded, good fella with many interesting points. Poor bloke probably getting mega diluted with all the above. Buck is their resident shock jock (for all topics not WSL).
@ TH,
You were definitely paid per word rather than story !
LOL.
Storm in a tea cup
Between stub and beach grot.....
Both have no integrity.....
I hope J-Bay is 6-8ft and pumping for the CS.
(and the Ranch 3ft and perfect)
So glad the Ranch is out and Cloudbreak is back in. Edging closer to a dream tour but to end the year with Trestles, is really disappointing.
It will be interesting to see what they do with the Surf Ranch. They haven't released the data, but with the number of waves it produces and the energy it must use, I can't see how it is economically viable to run as a commercial operation. No other organistion has bought the technology, so it must not be cost-effective.
The WSL bought it as a loss leader to get the College Football / NASCA fans interested in surfing - it's not working.
Now that they have dropped it off the tour, is it worth keeping it operating just to show clips of ex-pro surfers and their celebrity mates surfing it?
I give it a few months until they quietly shut the place down.
Eh? They're killing it with corporate surf days. No need to run surf comps to make the pool viable.
Why do have to go and use facts to destroy my post that was just based on unfounded assumptions???
Exactly $80k Aud per day! Who needs the plebs.
Its certainly found a niche as a private play thing for the mega cashed up crowd looking for a one off thing. If someone else was paying and I was invited for day i’d be there in a flash.
Its probably now cash positive and making a profit via the private model. Not sure “killing it” though.
Why ? They haven’t been able to sell the technology to anyone. I have my doubts the UAE one will get done.
It produces bugger all waves in a day compared to other models with long breaks between waves. It needs a huge footprint so no good for urban areas. Real surfer aren't going to travel and pay for 3 or 4 waves in a day. Beginners and Intermediates are not going to progress without volume. We are now seeing ridiculous clips of the Tahitian Legend literally dragging punters to their feet and holding them up on the board so they can say they surfed it.
So it hasn’t worked for competition, hasn’t expanded the sport and hasn’t scaled as a business model. Niche but not the planned success.
The tour schedule....
Wonder where ill turn up next ?
LOL !
WSL are cooked.
Get rid of all the rubbish No name waves and bring back the dream tour
Never look a gift horse in the mouth......
tour seems well stacked for huge hollow lefts if some solid swells rock up next season but Huey's gone off the Woz because they're not crowning legitimate world champions anymore
I pinched this from somewhere else -
"WSL decision-making is so bad it feels like performance art."
The pro your been on a downward spiral for years since it changed hands ,destined for the scrapheap it it stays the same
JBay probably had the best waves this season and they scrap it for next year Brilliant
Best waves on the planet INDO
Comps in indo Zero
Should put the final five on a mentawi boat trip for two weeks
Or maybe Kelly Slater could do what Kerry Packer did for World Series Cricket
So are those viewership figures believable?
Farken Trestles again?
The thought of Toledo being a 3 x world champ is such a joke.
This could easily happen.
pipe n fiji i will watch IF the conditions are good, the rest i will not
world champ means nothing these days
2x Chopes and Cloudbreak!!! I'll take the Jbay loss on the chinny chin-chin. We'll be back
I think Gabby would have a little bit more motivation next year. Back half suits him with chopes and Cloud Break at the pointy end. The pressure that Toledo could face with two Chopes performances and Cloud Break could put him at the low end of a top five position for the final five. Not to mention backing up again. Fingers crossed it’s more of a closer final next year.
ditch bells for Jbay.
And maybe Bondi instead of trestles... much of a muchness..
Margaret river, the 27th best wave in Margaret river.
LOL - i thought there were only 26 waves there
Time to watch female soccer .
The WSL needs to wake up and listen to their target audience.
i’m cryin over the omission of jbay - wtf
WSL just get rid of the fluff and go 8 events. PIPE, SUNSET, PORTUGAL, BELLS, MARGS (or box, north point), TAHITI, JBAY. Sort the calender out for optimun conditions and do it. So sick of this fluff tour. Brazil, El Salvador, Trestles =YAWN!
Moana not afraid to speak up, yew!
95 000 miles of coastline and what can the USA deliver? Wedge would be a sick change to every surfspot ever on tour; steep drop into a fancy bottom turn into a bomb closeout or double rote which no one would land. The judging criteria would be head scratching but revolutionary
Agree could be sick, also Skeltonbay as a search event. Best event I’ve ever seen was Barra during the search. So many sick crazy waves have a Mason ho event haha
That was an amazing event. Seem to recall Taj during an interview saying some of the best waves he’d ever had.. (words to that effect).
Meanwhile back in WA the local shire still has the submission period open,asking residents if they even want the comp, let alone a 5 year extension. But hey the deal was always done in the backrooms before us plebs got a choice. Ask Stunet, he dropped the press release too early then had to rewrite the article when contacted by WA spokesperson. He never did explain to us why he had to rewrite
The 2024 comp was already part of the existing agreement for the Margaret River Pro:
https://surfingwa.com.au/world-surf-league-secures-margaret-river-pro-th...
Huh, J-Bay's gone? Why?!
They claim J-Bay and the pond are off just to allow the “break” for the Olympics. We will have to wait and see if this is just WSl Fluff or truth.
Sounds like a cop-out to me.
Suspect you are right. The truth in advertising answer might be something like “we cant convince anyone to pay for J-bay and we can’t convince anyone watch Lenmore”
Surf off at Trestles still sux.
It'll be interesting to see if JJF, Gabe, n Riz even bother
When is someone actually going to report on why E-Lo was booted? The wall of positive noise is BS, any other "sport" & it would be public knowledge.
Wow! So much to take in...
Thanx Ben / staff & crew excellent work...a lot more than meets the eye!
Gonna have to sift thru this...little bit odd being an Olympic year!
Can add that Olympics are affording 'whole' 6mths WSL tour Cross Merch sales until Olympics.
'Whole' Note how 1st Comp > Olympics 'timetables exactly 6 months'...some freaky coincidence?
Keep yer eye on these rogue off grid sidewinders rampin' the A Frames.
Just saying WSL could lever several in the wings Olympic Merch Sponsors > Pipe = Simba Helmets etc.
Just a little bit of that was shared here on this odd site...tbb keeps sharing...coz it is odd!
Reckon we'll read more into Olympic merch crossover soon enough...maybe here...who knows!
Just pretend ya heard about it here at #1 swellnet first...well ya just did...Oops!
https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/Olympic-Games/Paris-2024/I...
Mad Wax Dream Merchant Tour.
Imagine if Olympic Ideal Fiji Pro was mulled over a Fiji lineup yonks back by Idle Rich Hodads
2015/16 WSL Fiji Pro (There about) Dirk (wsl) + Larry (Google) share Fiji line-Up (This happened!)
https://www.surfer.com/features/god-from-the-machine-wsl-wave-pool
Interesting that Google were 1st sponsor to sign up for 1st Olympic Surfing Games
Then this also just happened...same 2 Cloudbreak hodad buds share exact same Olympic Ideal lineup
Dirk simply needs to hoist just 1 Multinational flag for Larry's WSL Googlebreak Comp.
Larry owns Fiji Namotu Island + All islands servicing + including Cloudbreak itself...
All owned by Google Larry Page #6 World Tycoon > Neighbours are Red Bull / Branson / Gibson.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Pacificnewsroom/permalink/858457001407804/
https://beachgrit.com/2021/07/google-founder-and-worlds-sixth-wealthiest...
https://www.escape.com.au/destinations/pacific/fiji/inside-the-fiji-isla...
Haha Haha TBB !!!!!!
Mad wax Google pro surf tour
Proudly presented
By quik
Commentary by Ross , froth and the voice of hardcore surfing
Garry "kong" Elkerton .........
Google it kids ....
Anyone else notice the difference in finals day for longboard tour? First two heats are 3-person with only 1 progressing. That could make for better viewing depending on what you think of it, and allow more competitors on finals day than current final 5.
https://www.pacificlongboarder.com/files/CompClub/WSL_malibu_final_pre_2...
Jacob Willcox has officially qualified for the CT. Yew!!
In a year that Cloudy is back on the tour, the big dog at the big three lefts.... is going to go pretty nuts I'd imagine.
But yeah, Trestles......faaaaark.
Hopefully gets to show his stuff!
Wow, incredible.
Cloudbreak should be a cakewalk for him and Robbo compared to the throaty beasts they thread up North.
Wow. Absolute balls to the wall.
Incredible ride.
Epic description.
Love this clip, every few years I search for it and watch it about 20 to 30 times on repeat...cant really get enough of it. Waaaaay heavier than Jacobs. And Jacob's wave is no mean feat. I know and fear that ledge well. The way it folds over and you hear it roar down the shelf towards tombies take off as you swing and paddle your ass off to get into the thing. Saw a guy from Kalbarri make that section too, so it is doable, but never seen a natural footer make an attempt. Jack Robinson - you are the next one up mate to give it a crack for us backsiders.
Remember Jim Banks gave that section a go too a while back and ended up with his board snapping and the stringer splitting his lower leg open like a banana needing emergency dash to hospital. I'm sure there have been plenty others (?) but we probably would never know.
I’d probably stop surfing after that.
How do you top that?
Mind blowing
Camel or Wilcox Goofy?
Camel.
Way more nuts than Wilcox’s one. And Wilcox’s was mental too
He kinda reached that point a few years ago Goofy
Pretty decent viewing of the round of 16 at Suckerema at the moment.
Solid and chunky.
I can’t work out how Saquerema ever became more than a QS 1* or a local boardriders locale.
It’s a horrible beach break.
WSL have now updated the 2024 schedule to include Corona as the main sponsor for Cloudbreak (it's the "Corona Fiji Pro").
Corona are also presenting sponsors in 2024 for the VIVO Rio Pro, Surf City El Salvador Pro and MEO Pro Portugal (as they were last year too).
Corona were also the main sponsor for J-Bay in 2023, so the reality is that they've just reallocated the same funds from one event to another. There's no net change in sponsorship for Corona or the WSL. It's just a little unusual that they weren't listed for Fiji during the initial announcement.
Embarrassing (IMHO), the WSL released this clip of ‘all’ the 10’s from the 2023 season. A whopping two from each the CT and CS.
Really shows the state of these tours I reckon.
You compare to some of the Stab edits of the year and the stuff Nate Flo is putting out and it’s daylight second.
https://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/523594/all-the-10s-2023?playlistId...