LOS ANGELES, Calif., USA (Wednesday, May 4, 2022) – The World Surf League (WSL) 2022 Challenger Series is the battleground where surfers compete to qualify for the elite Championship Tour (CT), surfing’s most prestigious competition tier. Across the eight-event series, promising young talents and hungry veterans will face off in world-class waves for their shot to earn a spot on the CT. Following the CT’s Mid-season Cut, the Challenger Series will feature competitors hoping to return to the elite CT in 2023, as well as new faces looking to achieve their dreams and qualify for the first time.

Following the 2022 Challenger Series season, the Top 10 men and Top 6 women on the Challenger Series rankings will qualify for the 2023 Championship Tour season. Out of the eight Challenger Series competitions, only the top five results will count toward their end-of-year rankings.

• Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro presented by Rip Curl: May 7 -15, 2022
• Sydney Surf Pro presented by Rip Curl: May 17 – 24, 2022
• Ballito Pro presented by O’Neill: July 3 – 10, 2022
• VANS US Open of Surfing: July 30 – August 7, 2022
• EDP Vissla Pro Ericeira: October 1 – 9, 2022
• Quiksilver / ROXY Pro France: October 12 – 23, 2022
• Corona Saquarema Pro presented by Banco do Brasil: November 1 – 8, 2022
• Haleiwa Challenger: November 26 – December 7, 2022

First Stops: Australia Welcomes Challengers to Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro and GWM Sydney Surf Pro

The 2022 Challenger Series will commence in just two days at the world-famous Snapper Rocks for the Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro presented by Rip Curl. It is bound to be an epic launch to the 2022 Challenger Series with competitors doing battle at one of the most high-performance, right-hand sand points on the planet.

From the Gold Coast the Challenger Series will then head south to Manly Beach for the GWM Sydney Surf Pro presented by Rip Curl. Manly is the birthplace of surfing in Australia and the beach where Phyllis O’Donell and Midget Farrelly claimed the first-ever surfing World Titles in 1964.

The Challenger Series field will include 96 men and 64 women for most events, made up of 34 men and 17 women from the CT, in addition to 58 men and 43 women allocated by the seven WSL regions, and four men’s and four women’s event wildcards. Any unused CT spots will become wildcards. The last event of the CS season, the Haleiwa Challenger will feature 80 men and 48 women.

Challenger Series Regional Qualifiers 
The lists below include all regional qualifiers eligible to compete in the 2022 Challenger Series season.

The confirmed list of competitors will be released ahead of each Challenger Series event. 

Australia / Oceania 
Joel Vaughan
Kalani Ball
Kyuss King
Billy Stairmand
Te Kehukehu Butler
Jacob Willcox
Mikey McDonagh
Chris Zaffis
Sheldon Simkus
Jordy Lawler
Macy Callaghan
Dimity Stoyle
Sophie McCulloch
Paige Hareb
Philippa Anderson
Holly Williams
Zahli Kelly
Bronte Macaulay

Africa
Adin Masencamp
Slade Prestwich
Eli Beukes
Max Elkington
Joshe Faulkner
Zoe Steyn
Sarah Scott
Natasha Van Greunen

North America
Michael Dunphy
Kei Kobayashi
Evan Geiselman
Nolan Rapoza
Cole Houshmand
Levi Slawson
Kade Matson
Alan Cleland
Cam Richards
Jett Schilling
Alyssa Spencer
Caity Simmers
Chelsea Tuach
Sawyer Lindblad
Leilani McGonagle
Zoe Benedetto
Kirra Pinkerton
Havanna Cabrero

South America
Michael Rodrigues
Alex Ribeiro
Willian Cardoso
Eduardo Motta
Wesley Leite
Marco Fernandez
Raoni Monteiro
Santiago Muniz
Robson Santos
Matheus Navarro
Sophia Medina
Daniella Rosas
Laura Raupp
Arena Rodriguez Vargas

Hawaii
Ian Gentil
Kainehe Hunt
Brodi Sale
Eli Hanneman
Maikai Burdine
Koa Smith
Josh Moniz
Moana Jones Wong
Brianna Cope
Zoe McDougall
Keala Kennelly
Keala Tomoda-Bannert
Coco Ho

Asia
Rio Waida
Ketut Agus
Keanu Kamiyama
Hiroto Ohhara
Taichi Wakita
Reo Inaba
Kailani Johnson
Minami Nonaka
Amuro Tsuzuki
Rina Matsunaga
Sara Wakita
Mahina Maeda

Europe
Maxime Huscenot
Gatien Delahaye
Ramzi Boukhiam
Adur Amatriain
Jorgann Couzinet
Gaspard Larsonneur
Tristan Guilbaud
Timothee Bisso
Justin Becret
Vasco Ribeiro
Teresa Bonvalot
Mafalda Lopes
Francisca Veselko
Nadia Erostarbe
Pauline Ado
Garazi Sanchez-Ortun
Vahine Fierro