LOS ANGELES, CA/USA (Tuesday, December 1, 2020): The World Surf League (WSL) today announced the 2021 regional events calendar, including the Qualifying Series (QS), Junior Tour, and Longboard Tour. View the calendar at worldsurfleague.com/events.
Earlier this year the WSL revealed a new format for 2021, which included creating distinct seasons between the QS (the regionalized development tier), the Challenger Series (the global battleground for Championship Tour qualification) and the Championship Tour (the world's best surfers competing for the World Title).
The new tour structure will provide a more streamlined and affordable career pathway for WSL athletes by allowing up-and-coming surfers to develop closer to home without financially overleveraging themselves. Athletes will compete on their regional QS tour in hopes of qualifying for the Challenger Series (CS), and ultimately the Championship Tour, which will reduce the economic pressure on surfers and their sponsors, as well as provide increased opportunities to celebrate local stars.
The QS will run through to July 2021 and determine who has qualified for the CS, which will run from August through to December 2021. Each region will have an allocation of surfers that can qualify for the CS through their regional tour and athletes will be able to roll over points from 2020 QS events into the current season.
The Junior Tour will run from January to December 2021 and will determine who qualifies for the WSL Junior Championships, which will take place in December 2021 in Taiwan. The Longboard Championships will feature a three-event circuit to determine the World Longboard Champions with events in Long Island, New York; at the Surf Ranch in Lemoore, CA; and in Malibu, CA, in addition to Longboard Regional events.
Check worldsurfleague.com/events for the full schedule and to tune-in.
COVID-19 Protocols
The WSL has collaborated extensively with public health officials, medical experts, as well as local government agencies, to create thorough COVID Safety Plans for the upcoming season. These plans were designed to ensure the health and safety of athletes, staff, and the surrounding community. All competitions will be strictly executed to follow the WSL's health and safety procedures, which were developed based on guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and emerging best practices established by other sports leagues. These procedures include only athletes and essential staff permitted onsite, regular testing for all athletes and onsite personnel, strict physical distancing measures, temperature checks and limited or no on-site fans.
Follow the Road to The WSL Finals
The road to The WSL Finals will start at the Maui Pro presented by ROXY with the women competing at Honolua Bay in Maui, Hawaii from December 4 - 15, 2020. The men will compete at Pipeline in Oahu, Hawaii at the Billabong Pipe Masters presented by Hydro Flask from December 8 - 20, 2020 in Oahu, Hawaii. Watch both events live on worldsurfleague.com and register now for WSL's official Fantasy Surfing game at fantasy.worldsurfleague.com.