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This morning the World Surf League (WSL) released the 2023 Challenger Series (CS) schedule. The qualification circuit for the Championship Tour (CT) will kick off at the Superbank in May, shortly after the Mid Year Cut at the Margaret River Pro. Five of the top 10 ranked men and top five ranked women on the CS will qualify to join the world’s best on the CT in 2024. CS Competitors this season will count their four best results out of the six events. 

The only change in the schedule to last years is that the Haleiwa event has been cut out and made a regional event. We will also see a reduction in competitors and CT surfers will not be forced to surf two Challenger Series events like in 2022.

If we flashback to the WSL’s announcement in 2021, the pro surfing organisation had aspirations of eight events in locations such as France and New Zealand. We assume it must’ve made no financial sense for the WSL to have this many events going into 2023, after failing to run eight in 2022. Anyway that’s a conversation for another time, here’s what’s locked in for the Challenger Series this season.

2023 Challenger Series Schedule:

• Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM (Queensland, Australia): May 6 – 13, 2023
• GWM Sydney Surf Pro Presented by Bonsoy (New South Wales, Australia): May 17 – 24, 2023
• Ballito Pro Presented by O’Neill (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa): July 2 – 9, 2023
• US Open of Surfing Presented by Pacifico (Huntington Beach, USA): July 29 – August 6 
• EDP Vissla Pro Ericeira Presented by Estrella Galicia (Ericeira, Portugal): October 1 – 8, 2023
• Corona Saquarema Pro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil): October 14 – 21, 2023

Major Changes

For 2023, the Challenger Series fields will be reduced from 96 to 80 men and 64 to 48 women, enabling competitions to take advantage of more optimum swell cycles at each location. Most of the reduction comes from the prior allocation for CT surfers who made the Mid-season Cut. Starting this season, those CT surfers will not be required to compete at two Challenger Series events, though, they can apply for an event wildcard if they wish to compete. The 12 men and seven women on the CT who fell below the cut line and missed CT re-qualification at the start of the season will automatically qualify for all Challenger Series events. 

“After an exciting start to the 2023 Championship Tour season, it feels great to announce the schedule for the Challenger Series,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, WSL Chief of Sport. “These six events play a big role in determining the lineup for the 2024 Championship Tour, by offering a pathway for new talent to join the CT and a second chance for CT surfers who missed the Mid-season Cut to rejoin the Tour. With the new field sizes, everyone competing will be focused on CT qualification and we’re also going to be able to make the most of the best conditions at each location, so I’m excited to see how these events play out.”

The Challenger Series, which is the second of a three-tier competition structure, will host 80 men and 48 women at each event, comprised of athletes from the following:   

• 12 men and seven women from the CT who did not make the Mid-season Cut, 
• 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 re-qualify 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 Latin America), and
• The men’s 2022 World Junior Champion, 
• The women’s 2022 World Junior Champion, and
• Five men’s and three women’s wildcards per event.