Pro surfing is set to return to the Cornish coast with the Boardmaster's Open, a QS1,000 and Longboard QS1,000 for both men and women, starting today, August 10 with a waiting period extending through to Sunday, August 14, 2022. The longboarding division's waiting period starts on Friday, August 12 through to Sunday.
Following a two-year hiatus from the WSL schedules, pro surfers are back to Fistral with the Animal Pro (QS) and BFGoodrich Longboard Pro (LQS) as well as a local junior division.
The 2022/23 European Qualifying Series season got underway in Galicia a few weeks ago and boasts an impressive 10-stop tour across multiple countries, regions, islands between July 2022 and April 2023. This regional tour offers surfers a chance to build a ranking and fight for a spot on the 2023 Challenger Series.
The QS division counts roughly 100 competitors, men and women included, and a mix of regional powerhouses, junior rookies as well as a strong field of British locals who will likely try to build on home court advantage. The 2019 winners Leon Glatzer and Yolanda Hopkins are here to defend their title at Fistral.
For the longboarders, Cornwall will play host to the first qualifying event to access the World Longboard Tour, a 3-event tour that determines the World Champions between Sydney, Huntington and Malibu.
The 60+ surfer field includes some of the best in the world, including local superstar Ben Skinner, currently ranked 4th in the world, and multiple winner at Fistral Edouard Delpero among many great talents. Past winner here Alice Lemoigne will headline the women's draw.
Of course while our focus may be on the professional surfing events at Fistral, Boardmasters is also first and foremost a big music festival spanning over a few days with dozens of artists performing on ten stages overlooking the iconic Watergate Bay. Find out more about tickets and performers here.
The lack of waves today forced event officials to call competition off for the day, with a call at 6:30 a.m Thursday for a potential early start of the QS events.
Classic 3-Stop Summer Leg Covers Newquay, Lacanau and Anglet
Following the events at Boardmasters, the tour will head south to France for another couple of classic events, starting with the Caraïbos Lacanau Pro, from August 16-21, 2022. One of the oldest stops on tour, Lacanau has seen the very best of our sport compete over four decades at Plage Centrale, and continues to attract huge fields of competitors as well as massive crowds every summer.
A QS1,000 for men and women this year, the surfing events at the Caraïbos Lacanau Pro are complemented by an array of side-activities, from competitions on the custom-built skatepark, to live music acts and activations from the event's partners.
The following week, competitors will continue their trip down the coast to land in Anglet, for a week-full of high-performance surfing once again. It will all start with the Caraïbos Surf de Nuit Anglet presented by Rip Curl, on August 21. This epic, night-surfing contest is definitely a crowd-favorite as surfers take on the lineup at dusk, aided by big light balloons and LED-covered boards for a truly unique experience.
The eighth edition of the Rip Curl Pro Anglet will then bring back a more traditional contest format, from August 23-28, 2022. This year, the event has been upgraded to a QS3,000 and will showcase the weekend action LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL Youtube channel and Facebook page. It will offer a massive opportunity for surfers to claim more points towards their goal to reach the Challenger Series qualifying zone on top of the regional rankings.
COVID-19 Updates
The health and safety of our athletes, staff, and the local communities we visit are of the utmost importance, and we have a strong set of procedures in place at every event to keep everyone safe. The WSL continues to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and work closely with government partners and local health authorities to make the best decisions for our athletes and the sport.
All events and dates/locations remain subject to restrictions on global travel and public gatherings.
Boardmasters' surfing events are scheduled from August 10-14, 2022 at Fistral Beach, Cornwall - England. For all results, photos, video highlights and press releases, log on to worldsurfleague.com.