Next Generation of European Surfers Gear Up for 2022 Junior Qualifying Series

WSL Europe today announced its 2022 regional Junior Qualifying Series (JQS) with events spanning across four countries and six destinations between May and October, 2022.

The European JQS is a hotbed for young talent and their first taste of professional surfing before graduating to the Qualifying Series. Some of the best surfers in the world have started here, like Championship Tour stars Jeremy Flores, Leonardo Fioravanti and Johanne Defay and aspiring tour athletes Ramzi Boukhiam and Maxime Huscenot among many others.

With a robust, five to six stop series (dates & locations pending, subject to COVID19 restrictions) across the European continent and Morocco, the future of professional surfing in the region is looking bright.

Surfers will launch their season at the upcoming Junior Pro Morocco Mall, held in Casablanca from May 4-8, 2022 at Ain Diab beach. Rising stars Kauli Vaast and Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri will lead a field of over 160 athletes, mixing early QS standouts, experienced juniors and young first-timers.

Junior Pro Morocco Mall Teaser

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The European Junior Qualifying Series head to Casablanca, Morocco for the season opener.

Three past QS events in Casablanca have built interest among the surfers who want to experience the cultural experience and compete in the consistent surf of Morocco.

Locals Lilias TEBBAÏ and Neil Aboufiras will be stoked to host their fellow competitors from all over Europe and show them around the home country, although competition will be fierce in the lineup.

"I'm super happy to host the first junior event in the city I was born in," Tebbaï said. "I've been waiting patiently for this to happen, especially because it's going to be my first JQS event, and I look forward to showing everyone around and hopefully inspire a few Moroccan girls."

The second stop of the series will come quick as surfers continue to compete the following week from May 11-15 at the Cabreiroa Junior Pro Ferrol, in Galicia, Spain. It will be the second installment of the junior meet at this iconic break in Galician waters.

From there surfers will enjoy a summer break from competing for those not engaging on the open tours, before the Junior scene takes center stage again in September with a series of three back-to-back events in the Northern region of Portugal, La Torche in Brittany, France and Sao Miguel in the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago.

The final event will be held ahead of the French Challenger Series event on the pristine beachbreaks of Southwest France mid-October.

When the dust settles on the European JQS, 2 men and 2 women will have earned their spot in the World Junior Championships, a prestigious final with the best youth from all over the planet. Legends of our sport have lifted the WJC trophy in the event's 20+ years of existence like the late Andy Irons, Joel Parkinson, Gabriel Medina, Sally Fitzgibbons and many more.

Five Europeans have also won top honors at the World Junior Championships in the past and this year's field will undoubtedly want to write their own name in surfing's history books.