The 2023 Championship Tour, the world championship of pro surfers, organized by the World Surf League, will kick off on January 29 (with a window until February 10, 2023) with the Billabong Pro Pipeline, a contest that is scheduled in the Banzai Pipeline commercial, on the north coast of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii.
There are several innovations related to these World Cups. Meanwhile, as far as we are concerned, there is Leonardo Fioravanti, the Italian flag of professional surfing, who is back in what is his fifth season in the Olympus of surfing. Then, I also point out the presence of Gabriel Medina and John John Florence, as well as that of Kelly Slater, the phenomenon who surfs at the top at 50 years of age.
Not only. All eyes are also on the Paris 2024 Olympics: whoever qualifies in the top 10 and 8 (men – women) of the World Championship automatically enters the Games.
The Pro Surf World Championship restarts from Pipeline
Pipeline
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 ‘tubes’ that break over a shallow reef, it has long been a benchmark to be measured against and is the testing ground for surfers hoping to make a name for themselves. The WSL hosted the first Women’s Head Coach at the Pipeline there in 2020 and hosted the first full-length Women’s Championship Tour event last season. Women will be back again this year.
The debut
Pipeline will feature reigning WSL champions Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Stephanie Gilmore (AUS). Last season Gilmore became the greatest female surfer of all time by winning her record-tying eighth world title at the Rip Curl WSL Finals. She is fast approaching Kelly Slater’s (USA) all-time record of 11 world titles, but Slater is not done yet. She will also make a return to her jersey at the Pipeline this year as the winner of the event. Slater’s win last year was emotional, coming 30 years after she first won the pageant and just days before her 50th birthday.
Two-time WSL champion John John Florence (HAW) and three-time WSL champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) also return to Hawaii. Both took time off from competing last season with injury but will return for a chance to continue their already remarkable careers.
It’s still. Also attending will be five-time WSL champion Carissa Moore (HAW) and 2019 WSL champion Italo Ferreira (BRA), who finished in second place last year after a jaw-dropping run through the Rip Curl WSL Finals.
Make way for novices too. This year’s CT rookie class features new faces and includes surfers from countries that have never been represented before. Rio Waida (IND) and Ramzi Boukhiam (MOR) made history by being the first CT contestants to represent Indonesia and Morocco respectively. Maxime Huscenot’s (FRA) qualification marks France’s resurgence in coaching following the retirement of Jeremy Flores (FRA) last season. Maui, Hawaii’s Ian Gentil (HAW) has come a long way to CT after many years of racing in the Qualifying Series and Challenger Series and comes on top.
Caitlin Simmers (USA) of Oceanside, California will also make her eagerly awaited CT debut at the Pipeline. Simmers qualified for the 2022 CT but declined the invitation. Rounding out the rookie class is Sophie McCulloch (AUS) who defied the odds to qualify for the 2023 CT by winning the Haleiwa Challenger at Home in the Hawaiian Islands.
The other names
It was a banner year for Brisa Hennessy (CRI), who finished with a career-best fifth place for the young surfer from Costa Rica. Now she’s back and hopes to be Costa Rica’s first ever WSL World Champion. So too did Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), who finished the year in a commendable fourth place in the standings.
Also keep an eye out for Kanoa Igarashi (JPN), who made his first Rip Curl WSL Finals appearance last season and returns this year with the motivation to reach the top and lead Japan to its first WSL World Title. Rip Curl WSL Finals contenders Jack Robinson (AUS) and Ethan Ewing (AUS) also aim to return to the Top 5 and bring Australia its first men’s world title since Mick Fanning in 2013.
And then, of course, there is our Fioravanti.
The Olympic Qualifying Race
The Billabong Pipe Pro is the first of ten CT stops during which athletes can accumulate points to earn a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics. CT 2023 is the Level 1 route to Olympic qualification for the best surfers in the world. Of the 48 athletes competing, the top 18 (10 men and 8 women) will qualify via the WSL CT 2023 final standings.
The calendar
The World Championship after Pipeline continues with the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach in Oahu-Hawaii (February 12-23), the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal in Peniche-Portugal (March 8-16), the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in Bonsoy Bells Beach-Australia (April 4-14), Margaret River Pro in Margaret River-Australia (April 20-30), Surf Ranch Pro in Lemoore-California, Surf City El Salvador Pro in La Libertad-El Salvador (9 -June 18), the VIVO Rio in Rio de Janeiro-Brazil (July 1-23).
It’s still. The Corona Open J-Bay in Jeffreys Bay-South Africa (July 13-22) and the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro in Teahupoʻo-Tahiti. To close, the Rip Curl WSL Finals in Lower Trestles-San Clemente-California, from September 7 to 15.