world surf league championship tour 2023

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WSL Finals: Preview, schedule and how to watch live as next world surfing champions are crowned

The men's and women's WSL Championship Tour champions will be decided between 8 and 16 September in a one-day, winner-takes-all spectacle at Lower Trestles, California. Here is everything you need to know.

(Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

The wait to find out the next world champions in surfing is almost over as the 2023 season of the World Surf League's (WSL) Championship Tour comes down to the final 10 men and women going head-to-head at Lower Trestles, California.

Five male and five female surfers remain in contention for the world titles after 10 events across five continents. Defending champion Filipe Toledo and Olympic champion Carissa Moore go into the WSL Finals as the top seeds, but with shaky results leading up to the competition, it will take an effort to maintain that top standing through to the final whistle.

The competition in Lower Trestles will also decide whether Tokyo 2020 Olympian Caroline Marks or Championship Tour rookie Caitlin Simmers will secure the final Olympic women's quota available for USA through the WSL Championship Tour.

The other eight surfers have already secured provisional quotas for their National Olympic Committees (NOCs) at earlier events.

• How to qualify for surfing at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained

Picklum and Chianca secure provisional Olympic quotas, while Robinson and Marks triumph on Teahupo'o wave one year before Paris 2024

• 2023 WSL Championship Tour preview: Full schedule and stars to watch

WSL Finals: One-day, winner-takes-all format

The WSL Finals have a unique format that differs from that of the regular Championship Tour season.

Instead of three and two-surfer heats, the competition will be played out in a single day starting with the match-ups between the fourth and fifth seeds. The winner of that heat will advance to the next stage to face the third seed and so forth, until facing the world No.1 in a best out of three title match for the world title .

The winners of the men's and women's competitions will be crowned on the same day.

Men's Final Five: Top seed Toledo looking to defend title

Brazil's Filipe Toledo heads into his third consecutive WSL Finals with three victories on the record since January 2023. Aside from a surprising Round of 32 exit at Portugal Pro in March, the defending champion has not finished outside the Top 10 this season.

While Toledo has shown great mental fortitude in recent months - even winning El Salvador Pro despite severe back pain - there are still plenty of challenges to overcome on his road to the Championship Tour trophy.

The biggest one comes from USA’s Griffin Colapinto . The 25-year-old California native topped the rankings for the first time in his career after winning Surf Ranch Pro earlier in the season. After narrowly missing the Final Five in 2022, Colapinto comes to his first WSL finals as the second seed and hungrier than ever to dazzle on the home waves.

Joao Chianca has also enjoyed a top ranking this season. The Brazilian youngster showed particular skill at the start of the year, including a career's first win at Portugal Pro. While his results have dipped since then, the earlier No.1 rank has helped him clinch a forth seed position at Lower Trestles.

Chianca will face off against Australian fifth seed Jack Robinson in the first match. Robinson was the last to claim a Final Five spot after winning Tahiti Pro in August .

Fellow Australian Ethan Ewing has also booked his spot in the finals, as the third seed. Ewing's entry remains in doubt, however, as he suffered a back injury during a free surf session in Tahiti, though he has since resumed training.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by EE (@ethan_ewing)

Women’s Final Five: Carissa Moore back as top seed

The unpredictability and drama of the winner-takes-all format was on full display last season when fifth seed Stephanie Gilmore battled her way up through the stages until taking down top seed Carissa Moore in the title match.

Moore returns to Lower Trestles now, once again as the top seed and determined not to let the same scenario play out.

It has been a solid season for the Olympic champion who started off with a victory in the opener at Pipeline and followed that up with two more wins. The last, at Surf Ranch Pro, took her back to the top of the rankings.

The five-time world champion has not been able to make the final since though, getting eliminated by three of the surfers she could face in the final at Lower Trestles – Marks, Simmers, and Australian Molly Picklum. Moore has had more success against Tyler Wright , defeating her in two finals this season, but as the regular season closed in Tahiti, the two-time world champion from Australia was just 425 points behind Moore in the rankings.

The first match for the women's world title will be a head-to-head between the sport's most promising young talents, 17-year-old Caitlin Simmers and 20-year-old Molly Picklum both of which made the Final Five for the first time.

Simmers needs to beat Picklum to advance to the next stage where she would face third seed Caroline Marks . The outcome of that head-to-head would then determine which of the surfers will secure the final women's quota available to the United States through the Championship Tour.

Since National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at Paris 2024 depends on their NOC selecting them for the delegation.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by World Surf League (@wsl)

WSL Finals: How to watch live

The Rip Curl WSL Finals will be held on one day between 8 and 16 September. The specific competition day will be chosen depending on weather and wave conditions.

All the WSL Championship Tour events are streamed live on the  WSL website  and  YouTube page .

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Tyler wright: five things you did not know about the australian surf star, tokyo 2020 alternate surfer filipe toledo: olympic qualification 'extra fuel' on mission to defend wsl world title, robinson, mcgillivray, inaba, and cleland earn surfing quotas for paris 2024, maui-born surfer cody young joins wildfire recovery mission on home island after worst natural disaster in hawaiian history .

WORLD SURF LEAGUE ANNOUNCES 2023 CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR SCHEDULE

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World Surf League Announces 2023 Championship Tour Schedule

Sep 19, 2022

Today, the World Surf League (WSL) announced the schedule for the 2023 Championship Tour (CT). The calendar marks the second full year of the WSL’s redesigned Tours and Competitions framework, which features a fully combined men’s and women’s schedule, 10 regular-season events, a Mid-season Cut after CT Stop No. 5, and the third-annual Rip Curl WSL Finals. The 2023 CT season will also be the top qualification route for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“We are proud of the new framework we’ve developed and seen play out over the course of this season with great success,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, SVP of Tours and Head of Competition. “The 2023 schedule provides the best possible platform and will continue to drive the world’s best surfing. Seeing the women return to Tahiti for the first time in 16 years in August was incredible, and I’m proud to confirm that 2023 will continue to see equal events, venues, and prize money with this fully combined schedule.”

“Following the incredible momentum and milestones we’ve hit in 2022, we will continue to build our global platform to progress and elevate professional surfing,” said Erik Logan, WSL CEO. “We experienced the redesign in its entirety for the first time this year, and we will further strengthen the sport through next year’s fully-combined Championship Tour, which will also qualify the first 18 athletes for the 2024 Olympic Games.”

The 2023 CT will include 10 regular-season events in seven countries, starting in January for the Billabong Pro Pipeline. The Mid-season Cut will come into action following the Margaret River Pro, Stop. No. 5. The WSL CT will return to the Surf Ranch, the world’s largest high-performance, human-made wave 100 miles from the ocean in Lemoore, Calif., as the sixth stop on the calendar. The 2023 Rip Curl WSL Finals will be held in Lower Trestles in San Clemente, Calif., where the men’s and women’s Top 5 surfers will face off for the World Titles.

2023 WSL Championship Tour Schedule:

• Billabong Pro Pipeline (Hawaii): January 29 – February 10
• Hurley Pro Sunset Beach (Hawaii): February 12 – 23
• MEO Rip Curl Portugal Pro (Portugal): March 8 – 16
• Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach (Victoria, Australia): April 4 – 14
• Margaret River Pro (Western Australia, Australia): April 20 – 30

Mid-season Cut: 36-man and 18-woman fields reduced to 24-man and 12-woman fields.

• Surf Ranch Pro (USA): May 27 – 28
• Surf City El Salvador Pro presented by Corona (El Salvador): June 9 – 18
• Rio Pro presented by Corona (Brazil): June 23 – July 1
• Corona Open J-Bay (South Africa): July 13 – 22
• SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro (French Polynesia): August 11 – 20

WSL Final 5 determined to battle for the men’s and women’s World Titles.

• Rip Curl WSL Finals (Lower Trestles, USA): September 7 – 15

2023 Championship Tour Is Top Qualification Avenue for Paris 2024 Olympic Games 

The 2023 WSL CT is the top of the hierarchy in the Olympic qualification system for the world’s best surfers. The WSL CT rankings at the end of the 2023 season, starting at the Billabong Pro Pipeline and ending at the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro, will determine the 18 of 48 spots at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (10 men and 8 women).

With the 2022 CT season wrapped, witnessing Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Filipe Toledo (BRA) claim the World Titles, professional surfing now focuses on the 2022 Challenger Series, where surfers are competing for the opportunity to make the 2023 CT. The next stop on the 2022 Challenger Series will be the EDP Vissla Pro Ericeira, which opens on October 1 and holds a competition window through October 9, 2022.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com .

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World Surf League Announces 2023 Championship Tour Schedule  

• Season Starts on January 29 at the World-famous Banzai Pipeline
• Surf Ranch Pro Returns as CT Stop No. 6 Following Mid-season Cut
• Lower Trestles Announced as 2023 Rip Curl WSL Finals Location
• 2023 CT Will Determine 18 Paris 2024 Olympic Qualifiers 
• More Available at  WorldSurfLeague.com

Today, the World Surf League (WSL)  announced the schedule for the 2023 Championship Tour  (CT). The calendar marks the second full year of the WSL’s redesigned Tours and Competitions framework, which features a fully combined men’s and women’s schedule, 10 regular-season events, a Mid-season Cut after CT Stop No. 5, and the third-annual Rip Curl WSL Finals. The 2023 CT season will also be the top qualification route for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

“We are proud of the new framework we’ve developed and seen play out over the course of this season with great success,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, SVP of Tours and Head of Competition. “The 2023 schedule provides the best possible platform and will continue to drive the world’s best surfing. Seeing the women return to Tahiti for the first time in 16 years in August was incredible, and I’m proud to confirm that 2023 will continue to see equal events, venues, and prize money with this fully combined schedule.”

“Following the incredible momentum and milestones we’ve hit in 2022, we will continue to build our global platform to progress and elevate professional surfing,” said Erik Logan, WSL CEO. “We experienced the redesign in its entirety for the first time this year, and we will further strengthen the sport through next year’s fully-combined Championship Tour, which will also qualify the first 18 athletes for the 2024 Olympic Games.”

The 2023 CT will include 10 regular-season events in seven countries, starting in January for the Billabong Pro Pipeline. The Mid-season Cut will come into action following the Margaret River Pro, Stop. No. 5. The WSL CT will return to the Surf Ranch, the world’s largest high performance, human-made wave 100 miles from the ocean in Lemoore, Calif., as the sixth stop on the calendar. The 2023 Rip Curl WSL Finals will be held in Lower Trestles in San Clemente, Calif., where the men’s and women’s Top 5 surfers will face off for the World Titles.

2023 WSL Championship Tour Schedule:

Billabong Pro Pipeline (Hawaii):  January 29 – February 10 Hurley Pro Sunset Beach (Hawaii):  February 12 – 23 MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal (Portugal):  March 8 – 16 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach (Australia):  April 4 – 14 Margaret River Pro (Australia):  April 20 – 30

Mid-season Cut: 36-man and 18-woman fields reduced to 24-man and 12-woman fields.

Surf Ranch Pro (USA):  May 27 – 28 Surf City El Salvador Pro presented by Corona (El Salvador):  June 9 – 18 Rio Pro presented by Corona (Brazil):  June 23 – July 1 Corona Open J-Bay (South Africa):  July 13 – 22 SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro (French Polynesia):  August 11 – 20

WSL Final 5 determined to battle for the men’s and women’s World Titles.

Rip Curl WSL Finals (Lower Trestles, USA):  September 7 – 15

2023 Championship Tour Is Top Qualification Avenue for Paris 2024 Olympic Games 

The 2023 WSL CT is the top of the hierarchy in the Olympic qualification system for the world’s best surfers. The WSL CT rankings at the end of the 2023 season, starting at the Billabong Pro Pipeline and ending at the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro, will determine the 18 of 48 spots at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (10 men and 8 women). Learn more about Olympic qualification (include hyperlink to WSL explainer). 

With the 2022 CT season wrapped, witnessing  Stephanie Gilmore  (AUS) and  Filipe Toledo  (BRA) claim the World Titles, professional surfing now focuses on the 2022 Challenger Series, where surfers are competing for the opportunity to make the 2023 CT. The next stop on the 2022 Challenger Series will be the EDP Vissla Pro Ericeira, which opens on October 1 and holds a competition window through October 9, 2022. 

For more information, please visit  WorldSurfLeague.com . 

About the WSL The World Surf League (WSL) is the global home of competitive surfing, crowning the undisputed World Champions since 1976 and showcasing the world’s best surfers on the world’s best waves. WSL is comprised of the Tours and Competition division, which oversees and operates more than 180 global competitions each year; WSL WaveCo, home of the world’s largest high-performance, human-made wave; and WSL Studios, an independent producer of unscripted and scripted projects.

For more information, please visit  WorldSurfLeague.com .

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World Surf League Announces 2023 Championship Tour

Today, the World Surf League (WSL) announced the schedule for the 2023 Championship Tour (CT). The calendar marks the second full year of the WSL's redesigned Tours and Competitions framework, which features a fully combined men's and women's schedule, 10 regular-season events, a Mid-season Cut after CT Stop No. 5, and the third-annual Rip Curl WSL Finals. The 2023 CT season will also be the top qualification route for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

"We are proud of the new framework we've developed and seen play out over the course of this season with great success," said Jessi Miley-Dyer, SVP of Tours and Head of Competition. "The 2023 schedule provides the best possible platform and will continue to drive the world's best surfing. Seeing the women return to Tahiti for the first time in 16 years in August was incredible, and I'm proud to confirm that 2023 will continue to see equal events, venues, and prize money with this fully combined schedule." 

"Following the incredible momentum and milestones we've hit in 2022, we will continue to build our global platform to progress and elevate professional surfing," said Erik Logan, WSL CEO. "We experienced the redesign in its entirety for the first time this year, and we will further strengthen the sport through next year's fully-combined Championship Tour, which will also qualify the first 18 athletes for the 2024 Olympic Games." 

The 2023 CT will include 10 regular-season events in seven countries, starting in January for the Billabong Pro Pipeline. The Mid-season Cut will come into action following the Margaret River Pro, Stop. No. 5. The WSL CT will return to the Surf Ranch, the world's largest high-performance, human-made wave 100 miles from the ocean in Lemoore, Calif., as the sixth stop on the calendar. The 2023 Rip Curl WSL Finals will be held in Lower Trestles in San Clemente, Calif., where the men's and women's Top 5 surfers will face off for the World Titles. 

 *Note: Mid-season Cut: 36-man and 18-woman fields reduced to 24-man and 12-woman fields. 

WSL Final 5 determined to battle for the men's and women's World Titles. Rip Curl WSL Finals (Lower Trestles, USA): September 7 - 15 2023 Championship Tour Is Top Qualification Avenue for Paris 2024 Olympic Games

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2023 SCHEDULE WSL CHAMPIONSHIP AND LONGBOARD TOUR

By Erika Scafuro WSL is about to give us another exciting season. In less than a month, in fact, the Championship Tour that all surfing enthusiasts have been waiting for...

By Erika Scafuro

WSL is about to give us another exciting season . In less than a month, in fact, the Championship Tour that all surfing enthusiasts have been waiting for begins again. On January 29,   the international surfing spotlight will be turned back on Banzai Pipeline of Oahu’s beach to start placing bets on who will climb the rankings and get the prestigious world title . The eleven WSL Championship events will touch four continents where the elite surfers will face the world’s best waves as always.

• January 29, February 10 Billabong Pro Pipeline,   Hawaii
• February 12 – 23, Hurley Pro Sunset Beach –   Oahu
• March 8 – 16, MEO Portugal Pro –   Peniche
• April 4 – 14, Rip Curl Pro   Bells Beach, Australia
• April 20 – 30,   Margaret River Pro, Australia
• May 27 -30, Surf Ranch Pro USA –   Lemoore, California
• June 9- 18, Surf City El Salvador Pro,   El Salvador
• June 23 – July 1, Rio Pro,   Rio de Janeiro Brazil
• July 13 – 22, Corona Open J-Bay,   South Africa
• August 11 – 20, Shiseido Tahiti Pro,   Teahupo’o French Polynesia

• August 30 – September 2, Bells Beach Longboard Classic,   Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia
• September 19–25, Surf City El Salvador Longboard Classic,   El Sunzal, El Salvador
• October 3 – 13, Longboard Championship,   Malibu, California
• Fourth Longboard Tour event to be announced at a later date

2023 WSL CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR

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• Sep 19, 2022

World Surf League Announces 2023 Championship Tour Schedule

LOS ANGELES, Calif., USA (Monday, September 19, 2022) - Today, the World Surf League (WSL) announced the schedule for the 2023 Championship Tour (CT).

The 2023 Rip Curl WSL Finals will return to Lower Trestles in San Clemente, Calif. Credit: © WSL

The calendar marks the second full year of the WSL’s redesigned Tours and Competitions framework, which features a fully combined men’s and women’s schedule, 10 regular-season events, a Mid-season Cut after CT Stop No. 5, and the third-annual Rip Curl WSL Finals. The 2023 CT season will also be the top qualification route for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

"We are proud of the new framework we’ve developed and seen play out over the course of this season with great success,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, SVP of Tours and Head of Competition. "The 2023 schedule provides the best possible platform and will continue to drive the world’s best surfing. Seeing the women return to Tahiti for the first time in 16 years in August was incredible, and I’m proud to confirm that 2023 will continue to see equal events, venues, and prize money with this fully combined schedule."

“Following the incredible momentum and milestones we’ve hit in 2022, we will continue to build our global platform to progress and elevate professional surfing,” said Erik Logan, WSL CEO. “We experienced the redesign in its entirety for the first time this year, and we will further strengthen the sport through next year’s fully-combined Championship Tour, which will also qualify the first 18 athletes for the 2024 Olympic Games.”

The 2023 CT will include 10 regular-season events in seven countries, starting in January for the Billabong Pro Pipeline. The Mid-season Cut will come into action following the Margaret River Pro, Stop. No. 5. The WSL CT will return to the Surf Ranch, the world's largest high performance, human-made wave 100 miles from the ocean in Lemoore, Calif., as the sixth stop on the calendar. The 2023 Rip Curl WSL Finals will be held in Lower Trestles in San Clemente, Calif., where the men’s and women’s Top 5 surfers will face off for the World Titles.

2023 WSL Championship Tour Schedule:

Billabong Pro Pipeline (Hawaii): January 29 - February 10

Hurley Pro Sunset Beach (Hawaii): February 12 - 23

MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal (Portugal): March 8 - 16

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach (Australia): April 4 - 14

Margaret River Pro (Australia): April 20 - 30

Mid-season Cut: 36-man and 18-woman fields reduced to 24-man and 12-woman fields.

Surf Ranch Pro (USA): May 27 - 28

Surf City El Salvador Pro presented by Corona (El Salvador): June 9 - 18

Rio Pro presented by Corona (Brazil): June 23 - July 1

Corona Open J-Bay (South Africa): July 13 - 22

SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro (French Polynesia): August 11 - 20

WSL Final 5 determined to battle for the men’s and women’s World Titles.

Rip Curl WSL Finals (Lower Trestles, USA): September 7 - 15

The break for the final event of the 2023 regular CT season, Teahupo'o, is also confirmed to host the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Credit: © WSL / Poullenot

2023 Championship Tour Is Top Qualification Avenue for Paris 2024 Olympic Games

The 2023 WSL CT is the top of the hierarchy in the Olympic qualification system for the world’s best surfers. The WSL CT rankings at the end of the 2023 season, starting at the Billabong Pro Pipeline and ending at the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro, will determine the 18 of 48 spots at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (10 men and 8 women). Learn more about Olympic qualification (include hyperlink to WSL explainer). With the 2022 CT season wrapped, witnessing Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Filipe Toledo (BRA) claim the World Titles, professional surfing now focuses on the 2022 Challenger Series, where surfers are competing for the opportunity to make the 2023 CT. The next stop on the 2022 Challenger Series will be the EDP Vissla Pro Ericeira, which opens on October 1 and holds a competition window through October 9, 2022.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com .

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Fans react to news Abu Dhabi will host World Surf League Championship Tour in 2025

The UAE doesn’t spring to mind when you think of premiere surf destinations, but it will host the world tour next year – and fans are not happy.

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The United Arab Emirates doesn’t spring to mind when you think of premiere surf destinations, but it will host the Championship Tour next year.

The World Surf League (WSL) has officially announced on Thursday that Surf Abu Dhabi, a cutting-edge wave facility located on Hudayriyat Island, will serve as a key venue for upcoming major surfing events.

Surf Abu Dhabi will be part of the 2025 Championship Tour (CT) and will host the third stop of the 2024 WSL Longboard Tour.

Owned and operated by Modon Holding, Surf Abu Dhabi is powered by the wave technology developed by the Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC).

Ryan Crosby, CEO of the WSL, expressed enthusiasm for the addition: “We’re looking forward to seeing what the Surf Abu Dhabi facility can deliver for the world’s best surfers — and the broader surfing world — in the future.”

The partnership between KSWC and Surf Abu Dhabi has led to the development of the first saltwater-based wave pool, as opposed to commonly used chlorine.

The WSL has already held a total of six CT events at wave pools, all at the Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California, between 2018 and 2023.

However, the jury is still out on the case of wave pool tech vs. surfing in the ocean, with the WSL’s announcement reigniting debate.

Fans a plenty lashed the peak sporting body over the announcement, with one stating, “hopefully this drives the nail in the coffin and proves that pools don’t belong on the CT.”

“Money talks eh? You guys have single-handedly destroyed pro surfing,” lamented another.

Another suggested: “Just have a wave pool tour and leave the CT alone – it’s just starting to get better.”

Another simply said: “Sell outs”.

Myriad other fans described wave pool surfing as “boring”, “not it” and a sign for competitive surfing that “the end is nigh”.

It’s widely thought that while wave pool surfing offers consistent waves and can help surfers improve skills and advance board design, it also risks eroding traditional surfing values and a diminished connection to the ocean.

While more accessible, critics argue pools reduce surfing to a mere technical exercise, raising concerns about its impact on the sport’s entire ethos.

UAE’s questionable human rights record has also been brought into the fray by critical fans.

In recent years, Middle Eastern nations have invested billions in sports, including football, golf, boxing, and Formula 1, thought to be attempts to diversify their oil-dependent economies and boost global influence.

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Dr David Smerdon, an economics lecturer from the University of Queensland recently noted , “Investing in sports is economically sound as it buffers their economies from oil market shocks.”

Other high-profile moves in the region include Saudi Arabia’s purchase of Newcastle United and Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

While the investments improve international standing, Dr Smerdon argued they also face accusations of “sportswashing.”

Raygun’s family have come out in support of the Aussie breaking sensation and delivered a subtle swipe at the Olympic judges.

After missing her second Olympics by the barest of margins, Sally Fitzgibbons used the motivation to secure a massive win at a significant location.

The Olympics debuted a new sport today and Australia’s entrant became the laughing stock of the world after a brutal debut.

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2023 WSL Championship Tour

The World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) season will officially begin on January 29, 2023, with the first competition taking place at the world-renowned Banzai Pipeline for the Billabong Pro Pipeline. The season, which runs until September, will feature the world’s best surfers competing in 10 events around the world. These regular-season events will lead up to the Rip Curl WSL Finals, where the top 5 men and top 5 women will compete for the coveted World Titles.

This season will be the second full year the WSL implements the revamped format, which includes the combined men’s and women’s schedule, the Mid-season Cut, and the one-day Rip Curl WSL Finals. The 2023 CT will continue to make history and pave the way for sports equality. 2023 marks the fifth year of equal prize money for all WSL-owned and operated events, having been the first US-based global sports league to achieve prize money equality.

Class of 2023 Ready To Make Their Debut

The men’s and women’s CT fields consist of the world’s best surfers who have qualified from the 2022 CT and the 2022 Challenger Series, as well as WSL wildcards and event wildcards selected by the WSL Tours and Competition team. The 2023 CT will witness a new rookie class take center stage, representing new regions around the world.

2023 Championship Tour Explained

The 2023 CT will include 10 regular-season events in seven countries, starting in January for the Billabong Pro Pipeline. 36 men and 18 women will compete in the first five competitions. At each event, surfers will accrue points on the CT rankings. The Mid-season Cut will come into action following the Margaret River Pro, Stop. No. 5. The Mid-season Cut will reduce the men’s and women’s fields to 24 and 12, respectively. The 2023 Rip Curl WSL Finals will be held in Lower Trestles in San Clemente, Calif., where the men’s Top 5 and women’s Top 5 surfers will compete for the World Titles in the one-day, winner-take-all event.

2023 WSL Championship Tour Schedule:

Billabong Pro Pipeline (Hawaii): January 29 – February 10 Hurley Pro Sunset Beach (Hawaii): February 12 – 23 MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal (Portugal): March 8 – 16 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach (Australia): April 4 – 14 Margaret River Pro (Australia): April 20 – 30

Mid-season Cut: 36-man and 18-woman fields reduced to 24-man and 12-woman fields.

Surf Ranch Pro (USA): May 27 – 28 Surf City El Salvador Pro presented by Corona (El Salvador): June 9 – 18 VIVO Rio Pro presented by Corona (Brazil): June 23 – July 1 Corona Open J-Bay (South Africa): July 13 – 22 SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro presented by Outerknown (French Polynesia): August 11 – 20

WSL Final 5 men and Final 5 women determined.

Rip Curl WSL Finals (Lower Trestles, USA): September 7 – 15

2023 Championship Tour Is Top Qualification Avenue for Paris 2024 Olympic Games

The 2023 WSL CT is the top of the hierarchy in the Olympic qualification system for the world’s best surfers. The WSL CT rankings at the end of the 2023 season, starting at the Billabong Pro Pipeline and ending at the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro, will determine 18 (10 men and 8 women) of the 48 spots at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

WSL CT Fantasy Open Now for the 2023 Season

WSL Fantasy Surfing is now live for the 2023 season. Fans can now create their leagues, invite friends, and build teams for the Billabong Pro Pipeline. WSL Fantasy for the Billabong Pro Pipeline will lock in at the start of the men’s Round of 32 and women’s Round of 16. Learn more at CTFantasy.WorldSurfLeague.com .

First Stop: Billabong Pro Pipeline Kicks off on January 29

Located in the middle of the “Seven-Mile Miracle” on Oahu’s North Shore, Banzai Pipeline is one of the most iconic and challenging waves in the world. Known for its fast and powerful barrels that break over a shallow reef, it has long been a benchmark to which other waves are measured and is the proving ground for surfers hoping to make a name for themselves. Last season saw the first full-length women’s Championship Tour event at Pipeline. The women clearly demonstrated they have a place in the lineup and will return this year to showcase their talent at the world-renowned wave.

Watch LIVE The Billabong Pro Pipeline will open on January 29 and holds a competition window through February 10, 2023. Once called ON, the competition will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL’s YouTube channel, and the free WSL app. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com .

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Tears of joy in Middle East as World Surf League adds Abu Dhabi to Championship Tour!

By Chas Smith

16 hours ago

Peace in our time.

The Middle East is a wonderful region, one of my favorite in the whole world, though often beset with tension. Unrest. Strife. Etc. You can image the pure euphoria, then, this morning with the announcement that one of the greatest non-governmental organizations on earth, the World Surf League, will be hosting both a Championship Tour and Longboarding event in Kelly Slater’s new Abu Dhabi wave tank.

“We’re looking forward to seeing what the Surf Abu Dhabi facility can deliver for the world’s best surfers – and the broader surfing world – in the future,” said World Surf League CEO Ryan Crosby. “Both the evolving wave technology and the region itself present interesting opportunities for the WSL, and we’re excited to see that come to life in the coming months.”

“The collaboration with Kelly Slater Wave Company and Surf Abu Dhabi allows us to build a destination ready to welcome surfers from all levels and communities and nurture a new generation of surfers in the region. Together, we’ve created a facility that provides perfect waves time and time again, new wave profiles suitable for every level, and the uniqueness of this being the first saltwater-based wave pool. We can’t wait to welcome the world’s best surfers and all the new fans this region is bringing to the sport,” said Bill O’Regan, Group CEO at Q Holding.

“The collaboration with the Kelly Slater Wave Company and Surf Abu Dhabi showcases our creation of a world-class facility that will provide perfect waves to a region to help grow an entirely new Surf Community in Abu Dhabi,” said Jeff Fleeher, Kelly Slater Wave Company President. “The partnership with the WSL now amplifies this opportunity, creating a platform to showcase the world’s best surfers to both new and existing fans, seated in the heart of Hudayriat Island’s broader sports ecosystem.”

All very cool. Peace in our time.

A picture surfaces of three Australians from the same small island and Brazil’s Pedro Scooby gets a hold of it via WhatsApp.

Then all bets off.

Feelings, though. Do you have any? Will the “world’s longest manmade barrel” be more dynamic than its Lemoore, California sister?

More as the story develops.

Kelly Slater weighs on surf champ Filipe Toledo’s Olympic Games choke, “It’s something mentally in his head.”

By Derek Rielly

“To have him lose to a guy that no one knows about…that would be a shock to people who don’t surf.”

You know the Wall of Positive Noise has been breached when Kelly Slater starts hitting BeachGrit talking points.  

In this case, the remarkable story of Filipe Toledo, the two-time world champ whose struggle to overcome what appears to be a terrific fear of Teahupoo has been a cause célèbre on these pages since Toledo’s zero heat point total in the autumn of 2015.  

But all that was set to change when Toledo stunned the world with an almost-perfect 9.67 ride at the Paris 2024 Games at Teahupoo, the Brazilian exhibiting all those skills surf fans knew he had but were kept under wraps either by fear or a desire to create an air of mystery coming into the Olympic Games.

Filipe Toledo, who surged into gold medal favouritism after the wave, was deservedly thrilled with the result and posted 25 different angles of the wave on his Instagram account, as did his former pro surfer-daddy Ricardo.  

The knives came out for Toledo, however, when the surf hit an epic six-to-ten feet, heroics abounding from Morocco’s Ramzi Boukhaim to Brazil’s Joao Chianca to Brazil’s Gabriel Medina and Australia’s Jack Robinson, and Toledo barely rode a wave.  

“With all sincerity, I hope he is ok, because I can scarcely imagine a greater swing from high to low,” wrote JP Currie.  

“Yesterday, his demons had been vanquished, silenced and sent back to that dark chamber in the pit of his soul. Today, they are back upon his shoulder, wailing and cackling into the shot blood of his eyeballs.

“And I fear that when it’s all said and done, it won’t be two world titles and some of the most dynamic surfing ever done that is Filipe Toledo’s legacy, but simply a handful of waves he refused to paddle for.”  

And that might’ve been it, of course, as the Toledo-Teahupoo dynamic is rarely discussed in the polite circles of surf media where access is traded for acquiescence.

Yesterday, howevs, in swung the great Barton Lynch and his pal of thirty years Kelly Slater, two men who aren’t afraid to storm the citadel of accepted opinion, and they didn’t hold punches when it came to Toledo’s choke against Japanese minnow Reo Inaba.  

“I feel for Filipe,” says Kelly Slater, who describes Toledo as the most talented surfer in the world although with the important caveat “in small waves.”

“I’ve surfed against him out there (Teahupoo). I had a heat with him when it was pretty big a couple years ago… I don’t know what it is. I think it’s just like something mentally in his head. I don’t think he thinks he’s going to die. It’s just he’s got some kind of block there.”

Slater pointed out Toledo didn’t seem to have the same fear at Pipe recalling another heat where Toledo nearly threaded an epic eight-foot Backdoor drainer.

Still, nowhere quite like Teahupoo.

“To have him lose to a guy that no one knows about,” continued Slater. “You know, Rio Inaba is not a well-known name in the surf world. So, that would be a big shock to people who don’t surf to see that heat and to see who the multi time world champion just lost to.”

Surf great Kelly Slater refusing to name son is peak Kelly Slater!

Hello Adriano de Slater!

Yesterday it was revealed, thanks to the glorious Papa of Surf Barton Lynch, that the world’s second greatest surfer Kelly Slater is refusing to name his newborn son. As reported by the venerable Derek Rielly , “We got a little boy and my friends think we’re playing a game with him, because we haven’t said the name. Because we actually, we don’t actually don’t call him anything. We gave him a name for his birth certificate, but, as of now, we don’t have a name to call him. So, we’re kind of just, like, letting him figure out what his personality is.”

But is this peak Kelly Slater?

The highest point the 57-year-old will ever reach?

A few things.

The boy isn’t called anything?

He has a name on his official document birth certificate that is not his name?

Onus on li’l fella to figure out what his personality is first before receiving the blessing of a marker?

The air very thin on Peak Kelly, so forgive, but doesn’t the 11x professional surfing champion owe Adriano de Souza a solid?

You certainly recall when Slater ripped the hard-working Brazilian’s 1st, and only, championship straight from him by debuting his wave tank less than 12 hours after the Li’l Plumber hoisted his cup?

All air, certainly, out of that room

In this nameless vacuum he created, can’t we, The People™, just step up and call the boy Adriano de Slater?

“de” the middle name, of course.

Fair, I think.

Billionaire baseball team owner accused of stealing Malibu sand

Wild times in the upper crust.

But who would have seen sand pushing waves aside as the new precious commodity protected by the grumpiest of locals? First we were introduced to a Laguna Beach homeowner who roped off a section of sand in front of her house and shouted expletives at a mother and her young son for looking at it.

Now, up north in Malibu, we have the billionaire owner of baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers accused of stealing sand from the precious stretch of coastline.

Mark Attanasio, 66, is being sued by his neighbor for “operating enormous excavators in tidal zones, leaking oils and exposing local marine life to potentially hazardous byproducts.” And also “dragging sand from the beach onto his private property.”

The former New Yorker bought the property in 2007 for 23 million United States Dollars and, later, the empty lot next door for $6.6 million of the same.

Attanasio, for his part, declares he is merely repairing a damaged seawall on his property and has all the permits etc. in order.

Surf fans everywhere are, of course, following the case intently as high money stakes lawsuits between ludicrously rich men are broadly appealing. Whilst we wait for witnesses to be called, examined, cross examined etc. can we discuss which sand is more valuable?

Laguna Beach’s or Malibu’s?

Malibu’s land is certainly worth more, but I’m talking the powdered rock itself. Malibu’s feels a little fake to me. Laguna’s a little too gritty.

What are your thoughts?

Case against notorious Bay Boys unravels after surf gang member reveals “there are no rules”

"I don't know why I said there were rules. Maybe I was drinking."

Now, tales of the Southern California gang Bay Boys have long been shared by surfers to their children as horrifying bedtime stories in order to keep young charges on edge and alert. “Be careful tonight, li’l Koa, or the Bay Boys will come through your windows, build a makeshift fort in your room and tell you to ‘scrub it.'”

The notorious association guarding Palos Verdes’ Lunada Bay have long been in the news but, more recently, brought to trial for being dangerous and lewd. Various witnesses describing levels of vicious intimidation rarely seen outside of the Amazon jungle. Exposing genitalia, for instance, when changing out of wetsuits or throwing rocks near to people.

One case, currently winding through the courts, though is quickly unraveling and with it the Bay Boys’ reputation as more dangerous than MS13. Two Bay Boys were examined during the civil proceedings . First, Sang Lee how had been busted for sending a rambling email to other Bay Boys in which he called himself a pirate and said he would “die by these rules.”

The honorable plaintiffs attorney Vic Otten asked him, “Is it true that you believe Lunada Bay belongs to you and a select group of people?” Lee responded, “No, I don’t think so. It has a special place in my heart. We try to clean up the area…” then said the wave was not “world-class” merely “better than average.”

Next, Otten asked him about the “rules.” Lee answered, “What are the rules? There’s no rules. I don’t know why I said that…” before adding “I don’t know, maybe I was drinking.”

In regards to the “pirate” reference, Lee replied he called himself one because, “I kind of like pirates.”

When plaintiff Thomas Long was called, he admitted under cross examination that he was simply told the “things he was doing were not inconsistent with surfing etiquette” and that he’d never been threatened or subjected to violence.

The judge, Honorable Lawrence Riff, became visibly frustrated when told there were 17 victims waiting to share their stories of woe, sighing, “It will be unduly cumulative, and will be an undue consumption of time.” He then said settling the case would be best for everyone.

According to the plaintiff’s second attorney, Mr. Franklin, their clients don’t want money but rather “want the city to install a panoply of improvements to encourage public access: signs welcoming visitors and pointing them toward available parking, upgrades to the steep and rocky ‘goat trail’ leading down to the beach making it easier to descend, a blufftop sea telescope, as well as seating, water fountains bike racks and railing all along the blufftop.”

Sounds fun.

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First-Ever Pro Surfing Contest Coming to Kelly Slater’s Abu Dhabi Wave Pool

P ro surfing is coming to the desert lands of Arabia. In a new announcement from the World Surf League, the Kelly Slater Wavepool, Surf Abu Dhabi, will be featured on the 2025 Championship Tour. When, exactly? That’s TBD. As is the whole tour schedule.

“We’re looking forward to seeing what the Surf Abu Dhabi facility can deliver for the world’s best surfers - and the broader surfing world - in the future,” said Ryan Crosby, WSL CEO. “Both the evolving wave technology and the region itself present interesting opportunities for the WSL, and we’re excited to see that come to life in the coming months."

Related: Kelly Slater’s ‘Biggest Man-Made Wave’ in the World Is Opening Soon

Just days ago, it was announced that Surf Abu Dhabi will finally open to the public in October after being delayed from a late 2023 grand opening.

Via social media, Surf Abu Dhabi announced:

“We’re on. Can’t wait to see you all in October. Thank you for staying curious and sharing the love for Surf Abu Dhabi, it’s all happening! And before you flood our DM’s – bookings for October sessions will be live on our website in September.”

As for the wave? Well, there’s been a lot of hype about this one – from the legions of pro surfers who have tested it out, for sure, but also from the folks behind the operation, Modon Properties. Per a press release, Modon made the claims:

“Surf Abu Dhabi will be the biggest and most advanced artificial wave facility in the world. Designed in partnership with Kelly Slater Wave Co., the landmark destination will offer a high-performance surfing experience, featuring the world’s longest ride, biggest barrel, and largest man-made wave pool.”

Of course, the OG KSWC pool, Surf Ranch, has been the ire of wave pool opponents, and a source for controversy...particularly during its debut on the CT schedule in 2023, which led to condemnations of the judges and death threats .

Related: Kelly Slater’s Abu Dhabi Wavepool: Everything to Know About the Mega Middle East Synthetic Surfing Destination

But maybe Abu Dhabi will be different.

As Slater said: “I’ve surfed hundreds of incredible waves across the world and this wave in Abu Dhabi stacks up well against some of the best waves on earth.”

Perhaps another wildcard for the 11x world champ?

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• 2023 Kai Odriozola Spain
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Women's Qualifying Series

• 2023 Yolanda Hopkins Portugal
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Men's Longboard Tour

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WSL Adds KSWC’s Surf Abu Dhabi to the ’25 CT Schedule

Photo: Surf Abu Dhabi

The WSL announced its 2024 Longboard Tour schedule back in February with some mystery baked in. Oddly, the plan for a four-stop tour only shared three locations: the Bioglan Bells Beach Longboard Classic, this month’s Huntington Beach Longboard Classic, and a Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championship event in October. The slot between Huntington and El Sal was essentially left blank with a “specific location and dates to be announced later” notation.

The league has announced now that third stop is going to take place in the Middle East at Surf Abu Dhabi, the soon-to-be world’s largest wave pool located in the Persian Gulf. The bigger splash is that Surf Abu Dhabi will also now be a stop on the 2025 Championship Tour schedule.

“Besides being the biggest and most advanced wave facility in the world and the first of its kind as a saltwater-based wave pool, it caters to all surf levels, from the Learn to Surf to WSL World Tour events,” they wrote Thursday.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by World Surf League (@wsl)

This will be the first time the CT has ventured away from The Surf Ranch for an event held in a wave pool. Unsurprisingly, the venue is powered by Kelly Slater Wave Co., which the WSL purchased back in 2016. The league was vague about its plans for CT-level competition in wave pools when the news was announced but first replaced Lowers with the Surf Ranch on its 2018 schedule. The Freshwater Pro brought the CT back in 2019, then again in 2021 and 2023 as the Surf Ranch Pro. It was slated for a tour date in the canceled 2020 season.

Surf Abu Dhabi is scheduled to open to the public in October of this year, just weeks after it will host the Longboard Tour event. It’s said to cover an impressive 51 million square meters. By contrast, the Surf Ranch reportedly spreads just 700 meters from one end to the other. The sheer size of the venue positions it to hold the world’s “longest ride, biggest barrel, and largest human-made wave pool.” 

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2023 WSL Championship Tour Competitors Confirmed and Ready for Season Start in January

Ct welcomes six rookies to 2023 season, challenger series qualifiers from indonesia, morocco, italy, france, hawaii, brazil, usa, and australia, plus the 2023 ct season starts at billabong pipe pro beginning january 29..

Thursday, December 8, 2022 Updated: Thursday, December 8, 2022

LOS ANGELES, Calif., USA (Thursday, December 8, 2022) - The World Surf League (WSL) Tours and Competition team confirmed the official competitor lists for the 2023 Championship Tour (CT) season. The 2023 WSL CT will feature the world's best surfers, as determined by the top-ranking finishers on the 2022 CT and 2022 Challenger Series, as well as the season and event wildcards selected by the WSL Tours and Competition team.

Starting on January 29, 2023, the new CT class will compete in the fully redesigned CT framework for the second year. Men and women will compete in the same CT venues, with an equal number of competitions and equal prize money. The CT format will kick off the season at the Billabong Pro Pipeline, will see the Mid-season Cut at the season's halfway point, and will conclude at the Rip Curl WSL Finals, where the WSL Final 5 men and women will battle for the World Title.

"We're excited to welcome and officially confirm the new class of Championship Tour competitors," said Jessi Miley-Dyer, WSL SVP of Tours and Head of Competition. "We're coming off of a groundbreaking season with the first-ever combined schedule for the men and women and the continuation of equal prize money, and we will continue to make history in 2023 and beyond.

"We have so much to celebrate as the 2022 season comes to a close, and we look forward to next season. We'll have world-class athletes take center stage representing new countries on the CT, with Ramzi Boukhiam representing Morocco and Rio Waida representing Indonesia. Our surfers are role models, paving the way for the next generation and showing the world what's possible."

The men's 2023 Championship Tour will be contested by the WSL Top 36, made up of:

• The Top 22 finishers from the 2022 CT rankings
• The Top 10 finishers on the 2022 Challenger Series rankings
• Two WSL season wildcards
• Two event wildcards

The women's 2023 Championship Tour will be contested by the WSL Top 18, made up of:

• The Top 10 finishers on the 2022 CT rankings
• The Top five finishers on the 2022 Challenger Series rankings
• One event wildcard

The 2023 CT season will start with 36 men and 18 women. Halfway through the season, the field will be reduced to 24 men and 12 women. The top-ranked surfers will automatically requalify for the 2024 CT, as well as continue on to the second half of the Tour, where they will be joined by one season-long wildcard and one event wildcard (two men's wildcards and two women's wildcards).

In addition to the WSL wildcards announced for the season, the WSL Tours and Competition team also assigned one WSL Replacement for men's competitions and one WSL Replacement for women's competitions. The WSL Replacement surfer will surf amongst the world's best when a CT surfer withdraws from the competition.

The WSL Replacement spot will only be available at the first five stops of the season before the Mid-season Cut. The 2023 WSL Replacements are Teresa Bonvalot (PRT) and Carlos Munoz (CRI).

Women's 2023 Championship Tour Qualifiers

Top 10 Qualifiers from 2022 CT Rankings Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) Carissa Moore (HAW) Johanne Defay (FRA) Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) Brisa Hennessey (CRI) Lakey Peterson (USA) Courtney Conlogue (USA) Tyler Wright (AUS) Gabriela Bryan (HAW) Isabella Nichols (AUS)

Top 5 Qualifiers from 2022 Challenger Series Rankings Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) Macy Callaghan (AUS) Molly Picklum (AUS) Caitlin Simmers (USA) Sophie McCulloch (AUS)

WSL Season Wildcards Caroline Marks (USA) Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)

WSL Replacement Teresa Bonvalot (PRT)

Men's 2023 Championship Tour Qualifiers

Top 22 Qualifiers from the 2022 CT Rankings Filipe Toledo (BRA) Italo Ferreira (BRA) Jack Robinson (AUS) Ethan Ewing (AUS) Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) Miguel Pupo (BRA) Griffin Colapinto (USA) Caio Ibelli (BRA) Connor O'Leary (AUS) Callum Robson (AUS) Samuel Pupo (BRA) John John Florence (HAW) Matthew McGillivray (ZAF) Jordy Smith (ZAF) Kelly Slater (USA) Barron Mamiya (HAW) Nat Young (USA) Jake Marshall (USA) Kolohe Andino (USA) Jadson Andre (BRA) Seth Moniz (HAW) Jackson Baker (AUS)

Top 10 Qualifiers from the 2022 Challenger Series Rankings Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) Ryan Callinan (AUS) Rio Waida (IND) Maxime Huscenot (FRA) Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) Michael Rodrigues (BRA) Ian Gentil (HAW) Joao Chianca (BRA) Liam O'Brien (AUS) Ezekiel Lau (HAW)

WSL Season Wildcards Gabriel Medina (BRA) Yago Dora (BRA)

WSL Replacement Carlos Munoz (CRI)

Billabong Pro Pipeline To Kickoff 2023 CT Season

The first stop on the 2023 WSL Championship Tour will be the Billabong Pro Pipeline, starting January 29 and running through February 10, 2022. The women made history last season after competing in the first full competition at Pipeline and will continue paving the way in January to kick off the 2023 CT season.

"The WSL held the first-ever women's competition at Pipe in 2020 and hosted the first full CT competition there earlier this year, and now we cannot wait to see this group kick off the CT season at the world-renowned venue again in January for the Billabong Pro Pipeline," said Miley-Dyer.

All the action will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL's YouTube channel, and the free WSL app. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL's broadcast partners.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com .

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Melbourne Beach's Caroline Marks wins Olympic gold in surfing

TEAHUPO’O, Tahiti — Melbourne Beach native Caroline Marks won the women's surfing gold medal on Monday at the Paris Olympics in Tahiti, adding to the United States' totals.

Marks beating Tatiana Weston-Webb from Brazil, who was awarded the silver medal.

What You Need To Know

Caroline marks, from melbourne beach, won gold medal in women's surfing at the olympics in tahiti she edged out tatiana weston-webb of brazil by 0.17 point marks had placed fourth in shortboard at the 2020 tokyo olympics the men's gold medalist is kauli vaast of french polynesia.

“Your whole life goes into a moment like this,” Marks said with a gold medal hanging around her neck. “It’s beyond all my wildest dreams.”

Marks, who spent the first 12 years of her life in Melbourne Beach before moving to California, caught a barrel ride for 7.50 points and finished with a two-wave score of 10.50, just 0.17 ahead of Webb.

Competitive surfing is not new to Marks. She started at 8 years old and became the youngest female to compete in a World Surfing League event at age 13.

By the time she was 15, she was the youngest surfer to qualify for the Women's Championship Tour. Marks has returned to Florida more than once to compete in the Florida Pro surfing tournament at Sebastian Inlet. She entered the event after capturing the gold medal at the 2023 World Championships. 

Marks is not even new to the Olympics. She placed fourth in the shortboard at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, the first year of the surfing competition.

French Polynesian Kauli Vaast won the gold medal in men’s surfing.

Cheers and tears erupted from boats floating near the wave and crowds of spectators along the shore as the men's final match ended in the afternoon. Vaast pumped his arms into the air in victory after beating Jack Robinson from Australia, who received the silver medal.

“I don’t really realize it, but I just made history,” Vaast said. “I can’t be prouder to represent Tahiti and France at home.”

For the bronze medals, Gabriel Medina from Brazil and Johanne Defay from France won after beating Alonso Correa from Peru and Brisa Hennessy from Costa Rica, respectively.

“Chopes gave me so many good waves, so many good results. So I can’t complain,” said Medina, using a common nickname for Teahupo'o.

Medalists — some in bare feet — stepped on to the Olympic podium near the ocean as crowds gathered to cheer and take photographs. Roosters ran along the grass while young local surfers called the names of the athletes as they walked by.

All winners of the Paris Olympics surfing competition are first-time Olympic medalists, after defending Olympic women’s champion Carissa Moore of the United States — who won at the Tokyo Games, where Olympic surfing debuted — was beaten in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

“Obviously I’m really sad to not be a part of finals day, to get to represent my home and my family one more time, but I’m really grateful,” Moore said after her loss. “I just hope that at the end of the day I can encourage whoever is watching, win or lose, don’t be afraid to go into it fearlessly and don’t be afraid to fail.”

The final day of the Paris Olympics surfing competition began Monday morning after two days of delays because of unfavorable conditions. In the morning, conditions were smaller than the heavy, barrel-shaped waves Teahupo’o is famed for and that were seen during part of the men’s competition the previous week.

But by the afternoon, waves grew larger and more frequent, giving athletes a chance to impress judges with the time they spent inside the barrels. At one point during the competition, a whale jumped out of the water while surfers went head to head.

Six of the eight surfers who made it to the semifinals represented different nations. French Polynesian, Peruvian, Australian and other national flags flew from boats near the waves.

While not every surfer who competed was able to bring home a medal, many agreed that the second-ever Olympics surfing competition — filled with viral photographs, record-breaking scores and hours of stunning video footage broadcast to viewers around the world — helped promote the sport.

"Everyone’s watching and paying attention,” said Medina, who said he gained millions of social media followers after a photo of him floating in the sky next to his surfboard while bailing out of a wave went viral during the competition. “I think surfing wins”

Cloudbreak | World League Championship Tour

Action from the Corona Fiji Pro, the ninth event of the WSL Championship Tour taking place on the Pacific island of Fiji.

Abonnement et option Sport requis.

En direct et à venir

Ben Shelton - Fábián Marozsán

Masters 1000 Cincinnati | 8e de finale

Hubert Hurkacz - Flavio Cobolli

S. Bolelli / A. Vavassori - I. Dodig / J. Murray

Masters 1000 Cincinnati | Double – 2e tour

Holger Rune -

R. Ram / J. Salisbury - M. McDonald / A. Michelsen

Jack Draper -

Frances Tiafoe - Jiří Lehečka

Août 17, 1:00am

Août 17, 3:00am

Tour de France Femmes | 7e étape

Champagnole – Le Grand-Bornand (166,4km)

Août 17, 11:30am

Tour du Danemark | 4e étape

Stevns – Holbæk (177,5km)

Août 17, 1:45pm

La Vuelta | La 1re étape avec les Rois de la Pédale

Lisbonne – Oeiras (CLM – 12km)

Août 17, 2:15pm

Masters 1000 Cincinnati | Double – 1/4 de finale

Août 17, 3:00pm

La Vuelta | La 1re étape en version multi audio

Cardiff – Course

FIM Speedway Grand Prix

Août 17, 3:30pm

Août 17, 5:00pm

Masters 1000 Cincinnati | 1/4 de finale

Août 17, 7:00pm

Août 17, 9:00pm

Août 17, 11:00pm

Août 18, 12:30am

Pays-Bas | MX2 Course 1

Championnat du monde

Août 18, 11:00am

Tour du Danemark | 5e étape

Roskilde – Gladsaxe (164,6km)

Août 18, 11:45am

Pays-Bas | MXGP Course 1

Août 18, 12:00pm

La Vuelta | 2e étape

Cascais – Ourém (194km)

Août 18, 12:20pm

La Vuelta | La 2e étape en version multi audio

Août 18, 12:30pm

Pays-Bas | MX2 Course 2

Août 18, 2:00pm

Tour de France Femmes | 8e étape

Le Grand-Bornand – Alpe d'Huez (149,9km)

Tour de l'Avenir | Prologue

Sarrebourg – Sarrebourg (7km)

Août 18, 2:45pm

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