WSL Championship Tour Class of 2020 Finalized

Photo: WSL / Dunbar
 
 

Banzai Pipeline, Oahu/Hawaii (Monday, December 23, 2019) – The 2019 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) season has come to a close with Carissa Moore (HAW) claiming a fourth World Title and Italo Ferriera (BRA) earning his first, and the elite class of surfers has been set for 2020.
The 2020 men’s Championship Tour class will be contested by the WSL Top 34, made up of the Top 22 finishers on the 2019 CT Jeep Leaderboard, the Top 10 finishers on the 2019 Qualifying Series (QS), and two WSL wildcards.
 
 

2019 Top 22 CT:

Italo Ferreira (BRA)
Gabriel Medina (BRA)
Jordy Smith (ZAF)
Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Kolohe Andino (USA)
Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
John John Florence (HAW)
Kelly Slater (USA)
Owen Wright (AUS)
Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Julian Wilson (AUS)
Seth Moniz (HAW)
Michel Bourez (FRA)
Ryan Callinan (AUS)
Jack Freestone (AUS)
Griffin Colapinto (USA)
Caio Ibelli (BRA)
Wade Carmichael (AUS)
Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Conner Coffin (USA)
Peterson Crisanto (BRA)
Yago Dora (BRA)
 
 

2019 Top 10 QS (minus double qualifiers from CT):

Frederico Morais (PRT)
Jadson Andre (BRA)
Matthew McGillivray (ZAF)
Jack Robinson (AUS)
Alex Ribeiro (BRA)
Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Ethan Ewing (AUS)
Connor O’Leary (AUS)
Deivid Silva (BRA)
Morgan Cibilic (AUS)
 
 

WSL Wildcards:

Adriano de Souza (BRA)
TBD: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) / Mikey Wright (AUS)
 
 

“We have a unique situation with the WSL men’s wildcards for the 2020 season,” Pat O’Connell, SVP of Tours and Competition, said. “After reviewing our criteria, as well as the independent medical board assessments, we believe both Leonardo Fioravanti and Mikey Wright have equitable cases for the second 2020 wildcard. After working with our event partners and speaking to both surfers, we have arranged for both Leo and Mikey to compete in the first three CT events of 2020 – Gold Coast, Bells Beach, and Margaret River. The surfer who finishes highest on the rankings across that opening Australian leg will receive the second WSL wildcard for the remainder of the 2020 season.”
The 2020 elite women’s CT class will be contested by the WSL Top 17, made up of the Top 10 finishers on the 2019 CT Jeep Leaderboard, the Top 6 finishers on the 2019 Qualifying Series (QS) and one WSL wildcard.
 
 

2019 Top 10 CT:

Carissa Moore (HAW)*
Caroline Marks (USA)
Lakey Peterson (USA)
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)
Courtney Conlogue (USA)
Johanne Defay (FRA)
Malia Manuel (HAW)
Nikki Van Dijk (AUS)
* Carissa Moore has withdrawn from the 2020 CT season. She will be replaced by Brisa Hennessy (CRI / Pictured above) on the CT qualification rankings. Click HERE to listen to an interview with Moore.
 
 

2019 Top 6 QS (minus double qualifiers from CT):

Isabella Nichols (AUS)
Bronte Macaulay (AUS)
Sage Erickson (USA)
Brisa Hennessy (CRI)*
Macy Callaghan (AUS)
Keely Andrew (AUS)
* Brisa Hennessy moves into Carissa Moore’s CT qualification spot, opening up the QS qualification spot to Amuro Tsuzuki (JPN)
 
 

WSL Wildcard:

Tyler Wright (AUS)
 
 

The 2020 Championship Tour starts in late March and runs until December. This is a year-long, multi-stage tour that tests the world’s best surfers in a variety of different waves and conditions.
 
 

2020 Men’s Championship Tour schedule:

Corona Open Gold Coast | March 26 – April 5
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach | April 8 – 18
Margaret River Pro | April 22 – May 2
Quiksilver Pro G-Land | June 4 -14
Oi Rio Pro | June 18 – 27
Corona Open J-Bay | July 7 – 19
Tahiti Pro Teahupo’o | August 26 – September 6
Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold Freshwater Pro | September 15 – 20
Quiksilver Pro France | October 1 – 11
MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal | October 14 – 25
Billabong Pipe Masters | December 8 – 20
 
 

2020 Women’s Championship Tour schedule:

Corona Open Gold Coast | March 26 – April 5
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach | April 8 -18
Margaret River Pro | April 22 – May 2
Quiksilver Pro G-Land | June 4 -14
Oi Rio Pro | June 18 – 27
Corona Open J-Bay | July 7 – 19
Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold Freshwater Pro | September 15 – 20
Roxy Pro France | October 1 – 11
MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal | October 14 – 25
Hawaii Pro | November 25 – December 6
 
 

Provisional Qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Surfing will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2020 and the 2019 WSL CT was a crucial qualification pathway for the world’s best surfers. Following the conclusion of the 2019 season, the WSL rankings have determined the first 18 eligible athletes to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, subject to all qualified surfers meeting the ISA’s and IOC’s eligibility requirements and being selected by their respective National Olympic Committee.
 
 

The provisional qualifiers are:
USA – Carissa Moore, Caroline Marks, Kolohe Andino, John John Florence
Australia – Stephanie Gilmore, Sally Fitzgibbons, Owen Wright, Julian Wilson
Brasil – Tatiana Weston-Webb, Silvana Lima, Italo Ferreira, Gabriel Medina
France – Johanne Defay, Jeremy Flores, Michel Bourez
Costa Rica – Brisa Hennessy
South Africa – Jordy Smith
Japan – Kanoa Igarashi
 
 

For more information, check out WorldSurfLeague.com.