Thank you, World Surf League!
For the five hardcore surf fans awaiting the release of the World Surf League’s “Challenger Series” schedule, Christmas came early. The “Global Home of Surfing,” dropped the lightly anticipated B-league calendar that was instantly dubbed “stunningly average” by students of the game.
Per the press release:
The 2024 Challenger Series will start in April in Australia after CT Stop No. 5 with an event at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast and another in Sydney at North Narrabeen. Next up, the tour heads to Ballito, South Africa, followed by the US Open of Surfing in early August and a stop in Portugal at the end of September. The Challenger Series concludes in October in Brazil, where the top 10 ranked men and top five ranked women will be decided and qualify to join the world’s best surfers on the 2025 Championship Tour. Competitors will count their four best results out of the six events.
“We’re three years into the Challenger Series format, and it feels really good to see this Series build and solidify its place in the competition pathway,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, WSL Chief of Sport, adding a little more oatmeal to the serving of plain oatmeal. “48 surfers have earned their place in the Championship Tour via their performances in the Challenger Series since 2021, and the 2024 season will see 15 more join them.”
Each of the six stops will be broadcast, though even the aforementioned five hardcore surf fans were unsure if they’d tune in to anything except Snapper and only then to see the tears of recently shamed Championship Tour surfers who had not made the cut in higher definition.
Fine enough entertainment.
In case you actually care, and aside from the 12 men and seven women from the CT who did not make the Mid-season Cut, the rest of the Challenger Series is made up of:
-10 men and five women from the previous year’s Challenger Series rankings,
-Three men and two women who were CT surfers in the prior season that did not requalify for either the CT or the Challenger Series,
-49 men and 30 women as allocated by the seven WSL regions (Australia/Oceania, Asia, Africa, Europe, Hawaii/Tahiti Nui, North America, and South America), and
-The men’s 2023 World Junior Champion,
-The women’s 2023 World Junior Champion, and
-Five men’s and three women’s wildcards per event.
Bon appetite.
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Well they got the name right. Its certainly going to be a challenge getting through that shit! The regionals are the real dream tour.
I can’t wait to have a kid so I can drop them out of school and make them live out my dream as a pro surfer and battle it out in shit waves for a final show down at another shit wave that will be won by a coward.
you mean, people actually do that?
Nah, not yet. I’m going to start a trend.
You started a disqus account to say this? Fanboy!
Jessie “smiley-denier” is at it again.
Nothing to see here. Growth, strength, yada yada.
We’ll leave it up to him for a reveal if he so chooses.
Welcome to the 2030 CT.
If you can make it on the challenger tour then you’re set for finals day at Trestles.
What do you think the tour is going to look like after the economy crashes at the end of the first quarter of ’24? We know this is coming now that CODA has announced their business resurrection much like when they first open and brought on the coming of Covid. See you later surf industry.
Haven’t heard CODA since Led Zep finished in the early 80s.
Auto correct got me. COVA – Waterman Apparel
I’ll be at HB for the unveiling of the Ronnie G statue in August!
Hey. I’ve just learned who Mike Mantalos is and I’m reading some of his online stuff from 2010-2012. Does anyone know if he’s still on online surf blogs anymore, or if he’s on here?
I think you just made his day.
I hope so. I didn’t agree with everything he said but I did enjoy some of his viewpoints and some of this prose.
When are we getting that new aluminium pier?
Kaipo’s Bailey ladder erection?
Better yet… build a HB pier type structure at T’e’ea’a-o-p’ho’oo…. genius right?
Chuck a GOAT plow on it too and waves in the goon. As the organisers might say – wa laa!
The 2% wildcards will interest you.
The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I’ve seen that road before
It always leads me here
Lead me to your door
The wild and windy night
That the rain washed away
Has lefted full of tears
Crying for the day
Why leave me standing here
Let me know the way (Beatles)
cc: JMD
Should be the Slop Series since there is nothing Challenging about any of these waves
Pro surfing 2024 would be aimless & lack excitement, luster and integrity without Jessi Miley-Dyer said no one.
Never has so much been said about so little. Except for maybe D Trump talking about how good he is at business
hard enough to care about the main tour, until I saw this I had forgotten there even was a Challenger series.
Yawwwwwn.
Noa Deane was right “Fuck the WSL!”
Now more than ever.
Let’s not forget he was paraded around by his sponsor and made to say sorry.
More and more everyday this is the wsl. https://encrypted-tbn0.gsta…
Have you seen how nasty they are on mumsnet? This joint is much nicer, sunshine.
Best Scooters For Kids
https://www.mumsnet.com/tal…
https://cms-uploads.mumsnet…
Impressive deep knowledge DSSS, just don’t get the micro trike, those things are an accident waiting to happen.
The year should start at Snapper. Just saying (what a silly phrase, it’s obvious, Silly). Cos it’s correct. The tennis tour has got its scheduling sorted out: you know what’s coming and when and what to expect. Now, that’s Entertainment.
Talking about Tennis. Do you know if Mike Mantalos is on BeachGrit at all? Would be interested to see his viewpoints in this current era.
He’s here.
Cool. Thanks.
Been reading some of his stuff from long ago and I’m glad to know that he’s still involved somehow.
Who is this guy Mantalos?
who dun it?