The World Surf League today announced the 2022 Championship Tour (CT) calendar and with it, the introduction of a mid-season cut that will see the entire field reduced after the Margaret River Pro, stop 5 of the 2022 CT season. The event will be held from April 24 to May 4 at Main Break Margaret River.
The stakes will be higher than ever at the Margaret River Pro as surfers in need of a result will be relying on a solid performance when they land in WA. The mid-season cut will add to the drama and excitement surrounding an event that already provides the tour with some of the biggest and most challenging waves of anywhere in the world.
The 2022 CT season will start with 36 men and 18 women, and then be reduced to 22 men and 10 women after the mid-season cut. 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) and automatically requalify for the 2023 CT. The smaller fields in the back half of the year will create more compact and exciting events, with only the best conditions in the event window, and more matchups featuring the biggest stars on tour. The surfers who miss the cut will be relegated to the CS, which commences immediately following CT stop five in Western Australia, where they will have the opportunity to earn back their slot on the following year’s CT.
“We’re thrilled to see the Margaret River Pro secure such a powerful spot on our 2022 CT schedule as the last event before the new mid-season cut,” said WSL APAC General Manager Andrew Stark. “Margaret River has cemented itself as an iconic event and really delivered when it counted earlier this year during the 2021 CT. We are also excited to have secured the event for the next three years 2022 – 2024 through a multi-year partnership with Tourism Western Australia and we sincerely thank Tourism WA for their fantastic support”.
“The 2022 World Surf League Championship Tour schedule has really raised the stakes for competitors in this already popular and exciting event,” said WA Tourism Minister David Templeman. “Their final hopes and qualifying status will be on the line and their WA performance could be the one that keeps them in the hunt for surfing’s ultimate prize. This will make it even more compelling for people watching the Pro online world-wide, where they’ll also see images of our beautiful Margaret River region, an ideal destination for their future travel plans.”
2022 WSL Championship Tour Schedule*:
- Pipeline, Hawai’i – Jan 29 – Feb 10, 2022
- Sunset, Hawai’i – Feb 11 – 23, 2022
- Peniche, Portugal – March 3 – 13, 2022
- Bells Beach, Australia – April 10 – 20, 2022
- Margaret River, Western Australia – April 24 – May 4, 2022
Mid-Season Cut – 36-man and 18-woman fields reduced to 24-man and 12-woman fields.
- G-Land, Indonesia – May 28 – June 6, 2022
- Trestles, USA – June 15 – 22, 2022
- Saquarema, Brazil – June 15 – 22, 2022
- Jeffreys Bay, South Africa – July 9 – 18, 2022
- Teahupo’o, Tahiti – August 11 – 21, 2022
WSL Final 5 determined to battle for the undisputed men’s and women’s World Titles.
- Rip Curl WSL Finals, location TBA – Sep 7 – 18, 2022
The 2022 Margaret River Pro CT event will run from April 24 – May 4 2022.
COVID-19 Protocols
*All tour stops and dates are subject to change due to applicable COVID-19 related restrictions, including global travel restrictions.
The health and safety of athletes, staff, and the local community are of the utmost importance and the WSL has a robust set of procedures in place to keep everyone safe. These plans are unique to each Tour stop.
Visit worldsurfleague.com/2022 for more information.
