LOS ANGELES, Calif./USA (Friday, October 15, 2021) - Today the World Surf League (WSL) Tours and Competition Team announced the WSL wildcards for the 2022 Championship Tour (CT) season: Lakey Peterson (USA), Malia Manuel (HAW), Kolohe Andino (USA), and Owen Wright (AUS).
These athletes will join the qualifiers from the 2021 Championship Tour, as well as the current surfers competing on the 2021 Challenger Series. There are two events remaining in the Challenger Series, the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro France and the Haleiwa Challenger, which will determine the final Challenger Series rankings and the qualifiers to the elite CT.
"We're excited to welcome these surfers back on the Championship Tour as the 2022 season Wildcards," said Jessi Miley-Dyer, SVP of Tours and Head of Competition. "Lakey and Kolohe sustained injuries early in the season, with both athletes missing a total of five events in the last season. Malia and Owen both had good results in 2021, and were very close from requalifying for 2022 at the end of the season. All four surfers had proven performances over the recent years and earned a spot among the world's best."
The men's 2022 Championship Tour will be contested by the WSL Top 36, made up of:
- The Top 20 finishers on the 2021 CT rankings
- The Top 12 finishers on the 2021 Challenger Series
- Two WSL season wildcards
- Two event wildcards
The women's 2022 Championship Tour will be contested by the WSL Top 18 made up of:
- The Top nine finishers on the 2021 CT rankings
- The Top six finishers on the 2021 Challenger Series
- Two WSL season wildcards
- One event wildcard
With new venues and a revamped Tour structure, the 2022 CT season will start with 36 men and 18 women. Halfway through the season, the field will be reduced to 22 men and 10 women. The top-ranked surfers will continue on to the second half of the tour, where they will be joined by two men's and two women's wildcards (one season wildcard and one event wildcard) and automatically requalify for the 2023 CT.
Women's 2022 Championship Tour Qualifiers
1 - Carissa Moore (HAW)
2 - Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)
3 - Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
4 - Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
4 - Johanne Defay (FRA)
6 - Caroline Marks (USA)
6 - Tyler Wright (AUS)
8 - Isabella Nichols (AUS)
9 - Courtney Conlogue (USA)
Season Wildcards
Lakey Peterson (USA)
Malia Manuel (HAW)
View current Challenger Series rankings.
Men's 2022 Championship Tour Qualifiers
1 - Gabriel Medina (BRA)
2 - Italo Ferreira (BRA)
3 - Filipe Toledo (BRA)
4 - Conner Coffin (USA)
5 - Morgan Cibilic (AUS)
6 - Griffin Colapinto (USA)
7 - Jordy Smith (ZAF)
8 - Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
9 - Yago Dora (BRA)
10 - Frederico Morais (PRT)
11 - John John Florence (HAW)
12 - Jack Robinson (AUS)
13 - Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
14 - Deivid Silva (BRA)
15 - Ryan Callinan (AUS)
15 - Ethan Ewing (AUS)
18 - Kelly Slater (USA)
19 - Jadson Andre (BRA)
20 - Seth Moniz (HAW)
20 - Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Season Wildcards
Kolohe Andino (USA)
Owen Wright (AUS)
View current Challenger Series rankings.
Athletes will continue to battle for their places on the 2022 CT in the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro France, the penultimate stop of the 2021 Challenger Series. The holding period opens tomorrow and runs through October 24, 2021. The competition will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL's broadcast partners.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.