It's a whole new world of surf.
Yesterday afternoon, middle-Friday I believe, the World Surf League shocked the actual surf world by dropping the wildcard slate for the 2022 Championship Tour season.
Per the press release:
Today the World Surf League (WSL) Tours and Competition Team announced the WSL wildcards for the 2022 Championship Tour (CT) season: Lakey Peterson (USA), Malia Manuel (HAW), Kolohe Andino (USA), and Owen Wright (AUS).
These athletes will join the qualifiers from the 2021 Championship Tour, as well as the current surfers competing on the 2021 Challenger Series. There are two events remaining in the Challenger Series, the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro France and the Haleiwa Challenger, which will determine the final Challenger Series rankings and the qualifiers to the elite CT.
“We’re excited to welcome these surfers back on the Championship Tour as the 2022 season Wildcards,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, SVP of Tours and Head of Competition. “Lakey and Kolohe sustained injuries early in the season, with both athletes missing a total of five events in the last season. Malia and Owen both had good results in 2021, and were very close from requalifying for 2022 at the end of the season. All four surfers had proven performances over the recent years and earned a spot among the world’s best.”
Kolohe Andino and Owen Wright are, of course, one-time prodigies. Andino, son of professional surfing father Dino, hails from San Clemente, California.
Wright, whose brother Mikey recently retired from the tour, will join sister Tyler who remains on the women’s side.
Peterson and Manuel will also join Tyler on the women’s side. Both bringing much promise with them.
Unannounced was winner of The Ultimate Surfer Zeke Lau.
Fresh blood everywhere.
” actual surf world” . Thank you Chaz. I feel much more validated in my hard fought journey for quality glides. Good luck with yours
Any insight on the methodology used to select the wildcards?
Rock, scissors, paper?
It looks like Zeke actually believes he’s the Ultimate Surfer! – Ahh the power of the mind!
Haa anything for a Koby badge.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c… Just waiting for Dirk Ziff to pull his wild card!
Nothing like retiring from a league you technically weren’t on.
Pretty Shit of the WSL not to give the womens to Bronte Macaulay after what happened to her and her family, 2 spots off the cut, didnt compete at the last few events due to the mental strain of losing her brother. Malia went in every comp and didnt make the cut, put simply, she aint good enough. Crude of the WSL.
Malia came in 2nd in Mexico. Bronte would not have. She can spend time with her family now. Everyone wins!
Yea yea its not a fucken charity so much entitlement, Malia put in the yards she earns the living.
So, WSL just ignored Matthew McGillivray? He was just below the cut, ahead of Owen in points.
They ignored him just like most people ignore watching his heats.
fair enough, I honestly couldn’t give two shits about watching him either. it’s supposed to be a professional league though
Yep Owen should be retiring about now
Where Matt is on the rankings he should benefit from the retirements of Jeremy and Adriano so maybe he does not need the wildcard
There should be no wildcards, either you qualify or you don’t.
I get the sentiment and those that work are rewarded, but with wildcards it certainly makes it more interesting for the fans.
Well yes, in theory, if the wildcards were actually interesting
Right on Turts , Rip Curls influence is disgusting.
I was at the strip club the other night, and the dude in the booth sounded exactly like Turps. I was fully thrown off for a split sec
Yeah idk, Kolohe my get after it this year.
*might,maybe
Rip curl the satan
Heritage heats right?
Considering he wasn’t even the best surfer in the film I’m surprised your baffled.
He should defo commentate, but not retire. Including of his own heats from the water. Kelly mic’ed up in his own heat, sheeeeesh
Great. Another year watching Owen.
How come you’ve got a Kobe ?
I politely asked Negs how to get one, and he very generously gifted it to me, subject to me getting a my brother’s keeper tatt. Don’t have the tatt yet.
His brother “skeeper”
Because he’s a spoiled SoCal brat who lets waves go by and then complains about losing because there weren’t any waves, fuck that softie.
“Fresh blood everywhere.”
Hahahahahar qft
“some people have ways and means, some people have their hopes and dreams” – Bob Marley
I tell ya what…
Ace broke his back in one of the events and he loses out on the wildcard to these two guys who didn’t get injured during any event but were healthy enough to surf in the Olympics. Is that right? Sounds fucked to me!
you can’t script it.
Snore!