Today, World Surf League (WSL) North America announced its remaining 2022/23 Qualifying Series (QS) schedule to determine its respective 2023 Challenger Series competitors. Events will take place in California, Florida, and the Caribbean to offer competitors an array of conditions, from cold water beach breaks to consequential reef breaks. The return of these events brings a few major upgrades to conclude the race for Challenger Series (CS) qualification.
"We've had a great start to the Qualifying Series season and now we're really excited to confirm our final events of the year with some great upgrades," said North America Tour Manager Brian Robbins. "All the credit goes to our event producers and event directors who have put so much of their time into bringing these events back. It's an incredible opportunity for our surfers to compete at a high level with more points on the line, as well as getting our Pro Juniors underway, and work toward making the Challenger Series."
California, Florida, and Caribbean Events Locked In, 2023 Pro Junior Events Confirmed
The SLO CAL Open at Pismo Beach returns January 23 - 29, 2023, for its fifth year of competition, and the fourth year including women's competition, to kickstart the second half of the season. An all-important upgrade raises the event from a QS 1,000 to a QS 3,000 and will also feature Pro Junior competition to start their 2023 season. The recently renovated Pismo Beach Pier will play host to this seven-day window again, with spectators able to witness all the action happening right below them and via a live broadcast.
Central California's cold waters will continue the season at the SLO CAL Open at Morro Bay QS 1,000 beginning February 23 - 26, 2023. One of the state's iconic landmarks, Morro Rock, has the ability to hold large swells while maintaining a high-performance platform for competitors to showcase their talents. Former victors Taro Watanabe, Izzi Gomez, Kei Kobayashi, and Sage Erickson, have all laid down the standard for what it takes to win at the venue over the past three years.
Cocoa Beach, Fla., is back with a full week of competition action including a men's and women's QS 1,000, as well as Pro Junior. - WSL / John Ferguson
One of the region's long-standing events, the Ron Jon Quiksilver and ROXY Pro QS 1,000 and Pro Junior, is back in Cocoa Beach, Fla, beginning March 8 - 12, 2023. Championship Tour (CT) qualifier Caitlin Simmers, and former CT competitors Lucca Mesinas and Chelsea Tuach, have all earned victories here on their paths to even greater success.
This will also mark the second event of the Pro Juniors season in their battle for the top two spots towards World Junior Championships qualification. Reigning event victor Alyssa Spencer, who swept both the QS and Pro Junior in 2022, has an unmatched three victories at the venue as she graduates on the QS and Challenger Series full-time in 2023 along with men's Pro Junior winner Tommy Coleman.
2022 was a historic year for the Dominican Republic as the island nation hosted its first-ever WSL competition featuring a men's QS 1,000. Now, the Cabarete Pro powered by Wind and Surf City Cabarete upgrades to a QS 3,000 at Puerta Plata's reef break of Encuentro Beach, which offers a left and right for event organizers to determine where the competition will be held. Chile's Manuel Selman spent his childhood learning how to surf at Encuentro and had a fairytale ending to the 2022 competition with his first-ever QS victory.
The world-renowned wave of Soup Bowl, located on the island of Barbados, will once again host the season's conclusion, where surfers will battle for the final Challenger Series spots. The Barbados Surf Pro brings back the region's top men and women beginning March 28 to April 2, 2023. The event also brings back the Live Like Zander Junior Pro in Loving Memory of Zander Venezia to provide the platform for juniors to gain more experience at the world-class reef break of Soup Bowl while paying homage to one of the island's own.
The respective North America 2023 Challenger Series representatives will be determined with the Top 7 men and Top 4 women, plus one wildcard for one man and one woman, making their way one step closer to CT qualification.
Upgraded Jack's Surfboards Pro Kicks 2023/24 Into High Gear
North America's competitors who finish within their respective Challenger Series qualification positions will have an opportunity to kick off the 2023/24 season before heading to Australia. The Jack's Surfboards Pro is back to jumpstart the new season beginning April 5 - 9 as an upgraded event, going from a QS 1,000 to a QS 3,000, featuring both men and women once more at the iconic pier of Huntington Beach.
Current North America No. 1 Sawyer Lindblad earned her second-career QS victory at this event last year, a position she has yet to relinquish.
2022/23 North America Qualifying Series Remaining Schedule
SLO CAL Open Pismo Beach QS 3,000 - January 23 - 29
SLO CAL Open Morro Bay QS 1,000 - February 23 - 26
Ron Jon Quiksilver/ROXY Pro QS 1,000 - March 8 - 12
Cabarete Pro powered by Carambola House QS 3,000 - March 15 - 18
Barbados Surf Pro - March 28 - April 2
2023/24 North America Qualifying Series Events
Jack's Surfboards Pro QS 3,000 - April 5 - 9
2023 North America Pro Junior Schedule
SLO CAL Open Pismo Beach - January 23 - 29
Ron Jon Quiksilver/Roxy Pro Junior - March 8 - 12
Barbados Surf Pro QS - March 28 - April 2
Current North America QS Women's Top 6 Rankings
- Sawyer Lindblad 8,085 points
- Bella Kenworthy 7,038 points
- Zoe Benedetto 5,993 points
- Alyssa Spencer 5,825 points
- Caroline Marks 5,340 points
- Leilani McGonagle 5,269 points
Current North America QS Men'sTop 10 Rankings:
- Jett Schilling 3,200 points
- Michael Dunphy 2,923 points
- Taro Watanabe 2,690 points
- Owen Moss 2,538 points
- Jabe Swierkocki 2,418 points
- Cam Richards 2,270 points
- Tomas King 2,175 points
- Blayr Barton 1,798 points
- Wesley Santos 1,699 points
- Dimitri Poulos 1,650 points