Format: Freshwater Pro Presented by Outerknown

Unique to all other events on the Championship Tour, the leaderboard format at the Freshwater Pro presented by Outerknown will challenge surfing's elite as the stakes of a World Title amp up the pressure to perform.

Pat O'Connell Breaks Down the Freshwater Pro Format

1:13

The official explainer of this year's Freshwater Pro pres. by Outerknown.

Heat strategy is turned on its head as each surfer will take to the water alone, where traditional elements of competition like critical wave selection and the use of priority against a fellow competitor do not apply.

The leaderboard format will give fans and competitors a real-time assessment of how any particular surfer stacks up against the rest of the field after each wave surfed.

This format gives each surfer the opportunity to showcase their skills by either perfecting or improvising their run on a consistent field of play.

Men's Round of 36:

• 36 men will surf in 6 heats, each containing 6 surfers.
• Standard event seeding will be used to determine the Heat Draw.
• In each heat, surfers ride 2 lefts and 2 rights.
• Surfers will count their best left and best right as their total score.
• Total scores count toward each heat, and the leaderboard for the Round of 36.

- WSL

Men's Bonus Run:

• 24 men will surf one additional left and right in the Bonus Run.
• The 1st and 2nd place finishers from each heat will be eligible for bonus waves.
• The next top 12 surfers on the leaderboard will also be eligible for bonus waves.
• The Bonus Run awards high-performing surfers by offering them two more waves to try and improve their overall score.
• After the Bonus Run, the leaderboard for the Round of 36 will be finalized, and the top 8 surfers on the will qualify for the Final.

- WSL

Men's Final:

• 8 men will surf in the Final, starting with a fresh leaderboard.
• New seeding will see the top scoring surfer from the Round of 36 surf last in the Final, the second-place surfer from the Round of 36 will surf second-to-last and so on.
• Each finalist will surf 2 lefts and 2 rights.
• Surfers will count their best left and best right as their total score.
• Bottom 4 finishers are eliminated (with an equal 5th place).
• The top 4 finishers receive one bonus left and right to try and improve their overall score and as their last chance to win.

- WSL

Women's Round of 18:

• 18 women will surf in 3 heats, each containing 6 surfers.
• Standard event seeding will be used to determine the Heat Draw.
• In each heat, surfers ride 2 lefts and 2 rights.
• Surfers will count their best left and best right as their total score.
• Total scores count toward each heat, and the leaderboard for the Round of 18.

- WSL

Bonus Run:

• 12 women will surf one additional left and right in the Bonus Run.
• The 1st and 2nd place finishers from each heat will be eligible for bonus waves.
• The next top 6 surfers on the leaderboard will also be eligible for bonus waves.
• The Bonus Run awards high-performing surfers by offering them two more waves to try and improve their overall score.
• After the Bonus Run, the leaderboard for the Round of 18 will be finalized, and the top 4 surfers on the will qualify for the Final.

- WSL

Women's Final:

• 4 women will surf in the Final, starting with a fresh leaderboard.
• New seeding will see the top scoring surfer from the Round of 18 surf last in the Final, the second-place surfer from the Round of 18 will surf second-to-last and so on.
• Each finalist will surf 2 lefts and 2 rights.
• Surfers will count their best left and best right as their total score.
• Bottom 2 finishers are eliminated (with an equal 3rd place).
• The top 2 finishers receive one bonus left and right to try and improve their overall score and as their last chance to win.

- WSL